Hardwood Floors April/May 2025

By Wayne Lee

mindset of using a hard-plate happens fast when you get to look at how nice that last coat of finish looks on the floor that was sanded with multi-disc units. Every floor sander has a different style, process, trick, and tool that they use to sand the floor. Picking the tool that fits our style and process goes back to how they cut, where they cut, scratch imperfection, and body fatigue (the stuff I learned in my early days in the service center). Features, benefits, scratch, and my all-time favorite question – how does this affect me? At schools, many have heard me say over and over that these tools should not be referred to as floor sanders. These tools are paper turners. The paper does the work and it’s the mineral that cuts. FEATURES The multi-disc sanders may use paper sizes from 4” to 8”. Even though the units are all unique and different in their own way, each unit offers the same feature with regards to getting the imperfections such as chatter, wave, and dish-out out of the floor. Hard plates can do this as well, but unlike today’s multi-disc units, they can leave a more-harsh scratch. I see this as the best feature of the multi-disc. It can get a floor flat while it reduces its own scratch at the same time. The next feature of multi-disc sanders is how they complement the big machine. Yes, I see social media posts of folks doing the total job with just the multi-disc and a jitter-bug (AKA palm sander), but when we have a remodel job with some bad overwood or loose floors, it can take more time to get the floor flat. One or two cuts with the big machine on angles will speed up the job. It is not uncommon to cut a floor on a 15 to 20 degree with 40 or 50 grit (big machine) to get it flat, then jump to 60 grit (multi disc) to remove the angle cut using a multi-disc sander. The next best feature is we can put the untrained floor mechanic behind the unit. Pushing it like a shopping buggy cannot get any easier for the newest crew member. Let there be light directed at the floor. This feature offers light with a purpose. Seeing the fine scratch can be a challenge at times, and having scratches exposed with bright LED lights is a must. Having choices with power is great as well. In some of the older homes I have worked in, they still have screw-in fuses, and getting 220 is a battle. The 115/120 volt units give guys an option when dropping a 220 volt line is otherwise impossible. (The 115/120 volt units do require a “clean” line to prevent popping breakers or fuses.) These units are not as heavy and one person can tote them in and out of the home. They cut flat, scratch less, and floors look amazing once finished. Be sure to take advantage of the NWFA training classes. They held their first sold out multi-disc class last year in Tennessee, with four different brands of multi-disc units. Running them side by side and getting hands on with the instructors was awesome.

It’s best to start backward and move to the future of where we are now. Drum sanders became belt sanders, scrapers became palm sanders, dust control became the standard, and hard-plates became multi-disc sanders. My early years in flooring started with Clarke in 1985 as a service tech. Some of the best knowledge and skills, the real craftsmen of that day, walked into the service center. These guys loved showing me photos (not on a cell phone or tablet) of the beautiful floors they produced. Their tools were a critical part of the work they produced. Everyone was using the same tools and seeking ways to better improve the trade. I recall some of the crews talking with the service techs in the repair shop about ways to set up the sanders to fit their style of sanding. They would always debate about where they cut, how they perform best, and how to take the stress out of hiding the scratch. The leaders of the day and the professionalism they introduced was invaluable to me. Over the years, I began to wonder how a floor could get flatter than what I had seen done with a hard-plate. No way could a crew get rid of imperfections from the big machine or edger without the hard-plate. The first multi-disc unit I saw was the Trio from Lägler in 1994. The idea of this tool was not to replace the big machine, but to reduce stress on the body, remove imperfections, and reduce the scratch. The driving force of the Trio was to flatten the floor and complement the big machine. Today we have multiple options for multi-disc sanders. During training classes held by the NWFA and some manufacturers, I have put my hands on many different pieces of equipment. Getting past the old school

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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