Ive been trowling on water and acid cures for 5 years now. Im 24, thats like 20% of my life .
Since I am the only employee of my company Buffalo Custom Hardwood Floors, I am literally running from kitchen to hallway to living room entrances to keep my finish wet and smooth.
My theory is that I need a wider padco style flat pad, like 18" or so. And I don't like curves in my tool, like the t handle style. Do you guys have any suggestions?

Thanks

I suggest you attend an NWFA sanding and finishing school. You'll learn lots of techniques to improve your skills. You may choose to become a member as well. Your employer may pay the cost of you attending. Check it out.
http://www.nwfa.org/member/

Well Gary, as I stated I am my employer. NWFAs website is really impressive, especially the categorized "floors of the year". WOW. I dont feel like there is anything that I need to know for my specific realm of woodfloor direction at his point, thus my question.
Is there a wider padco style trowel for my finish?
Anyone?
thanks

What do you use to "trowel" (apply) the acid cured finishes? The 10" Padco pad would not work because the solvents in the acid cured finish will dissolve the adhesive that holds the pad to the applicator. I know; been there, done that. So, with acid cured, you have two choices. A large brush or a lambswool. Which do you use? Padco makes larger t-bar applicators for OMU and waterborne. Have you seen these? As far as the "cut in" pads, the 10" size is the largest they make. You can buy the flocked foam in larger sheets and make your own I suppose. I haven't tried that myself.

Acid Cure is still used???? I wouldn't touch it with any size applicator unless I'm clad in Tyvek and PAPR gear. For water borne finishes I always use the blue Nylafoam Padco applicators with 7" cut in pads. 10" would be nearly impossible.

In the northwest (Washington, Idaho, Oregon), acid curing finishes are still the finish of choice. Hard to believe, isn't it!

I good friend of mine over in Groveland, uses nothing but glitza, and has for many years. He has 40 years in, swears by it. Use's an 8" brush.

Some of the most beautiful finished floors I've seen have been done with Baca Glitsa. Although I tried it for 5 yrs, could never quite get the hang of using it. Made my eyes burn, even with a resapirator, made me sick to my stomache . Gave up when Pacific Strong came along. Glitsa's durable but I'll take Traffic anyday for user friendly.

Padco does work with acid cure. Hard to believe but you can do it. I no longer use the stuff because I want to be around to see any grandkids. I use a 9" sure-line on ALL finishes and use the wall to wall snowplow method on a 4' stick. On a "cut up" floor plan I simply put down a hard line along a joint if I must turn my back on that section for a while. Then when i get back to it and find it beginning to sticky up I cut along the hard line as sharp as possible without any overlap to start the next section where I previosly left off. It took a time or two to get good at it, even used tape the first few times on the joint to make razor sharp, but now noone can find where that "transition" took place.
Hope all that made sense.
I've done this with both water and OMU. Can't stand acid cure ven though I like the way it looks. I find 3 coats of Fabulon or Synteko OMU to be very comparable in appearance and in my opinion even more durable and less brittle.
hope that helps.


PS. I use the sure line based solely on cost. Padco is an inch wider but more expensive and besides, sureline has a cool turned up edge for easier snowplow. And I find the used pads keep well in an ammo can full of mineral spirits and can be squeegeed off for the next coat. I've gotten up to 10 uses with a single pad (but I was pushing it)

William,
Thanks for the testimate, Ill try to cut in to the line, like youve mastered. I can visualize how that would work, floating in finish over anything tacky is hardly ever smooth.

Your right, acid cure is the choice up here. The look of the finish hasnt been matched by any water or poly that Ive seen. The oil based acid curing finish known as synteco looks great with two coats of infinity waterbased on the top, thats a little NW secret. It is nasty though, the filters on my respirator are contaminated in about 3000 ft, and if I stick my hand in it I get pretty pissed off other than that its just dandy.

Im listening though, and Im willing to try other finishes and styles, so thanks alot for the suggestions yall.

Jamal

A 10 inch padco falls apart in about 30 minutes of trowel/plowing the acid curing finish, this is due to the glue behind the pad and deteriorating between the metal backing itself.

uh and the 2005 floor of the year is coated with a acid cure...

Yeah Will, Shureline must use an adhesive that doesn't melt when getting wet with "hot" solvents. Padco does NOT work with laquers, moisture cured, acid curing, shellacs, etc. Maybe similar brands do but not Padco; the adhesive melts and the foam falls off. Been there, done that. Acid curing finishes, when done well, look great. But I can deliver a great looking finish with a waterborne or an OMU as well; just lay on some more coats if it is a thin finish. In my house, I have three coats of OMU that have been recoated three times with waterbaesd. Talk about a fat looking finish. It's deep and good looking. But for a three coat job, hard to beat two coats of Baca and a coat of Glitsa. BTW, been cutting in dry areas for as long as I can remember. Old trick and I don't use tape either, too slow. Ya get good with a sash brush. But I'll never go back to acid or moisture curing finishes. Even OMU smell bad to me now unless it's a small floor.

Maybe it has something to do with sureline having a black plastic back versus the metal ....

honestly fellas the sureline and the padco pads will fall off with a saliva looking stretch of demolished glues in roughly 30 minutes. Ive been tossing 50 dollars away a ~month on a box of twelve 10 inch padcos for the last year since I went on my own, I bought and threw away both the synteco and the new Bona X brush this year, now those are hard to use!!!

I feel foolish for asking but whats an OMU? I guess that shows how much Ive been sticking with my few choice finishes.

Hows the wheather in Idaho?