Festool Rotex to strip paint from concrete

[Joseph Ragsdale]

I'm considering purchasing the Festool Rotex RO 125 FEQ. This purchase would replace a grinder and random orbital sander.

My immediate need would be to strip a 2 part epoxy paint from a concrete floor and etch the surface. By "etch" I mean make the surface of the concrete coarse so I can apply a different 2 part epoxy paint. The coarse surface is needed to form a mechanical bond (a lack of a mechanical bond is the whole reason I need to strip old epoxy).

Using a grinder/sander with dust extraction is WAY MORE preferable to using methylene chloride to strip the old epoxy and phosphoric acid to etch the concrete.

After this project is over I would use the ROS function on wood mostly.

Is the Rotex up to the task I need for my concrete floor or would I be better off renting a grinder for a couple of days?

[Jason White]

Having recently done an entire "wood" floor using the ROTEX150, here's my advice..

DON'T DO IT!!

Great sander, but not the right tool for the job. Plus, you'll probably burn it out (as well as yourself).

Call around to some of the rental houses and ask about floor grinders for concrete.

Jason


I'm considering purchasing the Festool Rotex RO 125 FEQ. This purchase would replace a grinder and random orbital sander.

My immediate need would be to strip a 2 part epoxy paint from a concrete floor and etch the surface. By "etch" I mean make the surface of the concrete coarse so I can apply a different 2 part epoxy paint. The coarse surface is needed to form a mechanical bond (a lack of a mechanical bond is the whole reason I need to strip old epoxy).

Using a grinder/sander with dust extraction is WAY MORE preferable to using methylene chloride to strip the old epoxy and phosphoric acid to etch the concrete.

After this project is over I would use the ROS function on wood mostly.

Is the Rotex up to the task I need for my concrete floor or would I be better off renting a grinder for a couple of days?

[Steven J Corpstein]

Having recently done an entire "wood" floor using the ROTEX150, here's my advice..

DON'T DO IT!!

Great sander, but not the right tool for the job. Plus, you'll probably burn it out (as well as yourself).

Call around to some of the rental houses and ask about floor grinders for concrete.

Jason

I agree, I started to use mine for the garage floor to remove the remnants of some glue from the old tile. I gave it up shortly when I realized it would take forever, probably ruin my Rotex and there were better ways. I rented a commercial floor sander and made short work of it.

[Per Swenson]

Festool fanatic here,

and I'll echo Jason.

Wrong tool for the job.

Rent a concrete floor grinder,

they have ones with dust collection,

you get to stand up, work like a human,

take you about a hour.

Top rental fee is 40 bucks a day,

should take you less then a hour.

They look like this... http://www.originalcolorchips.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13&products_id=77&zenid=aie5s097eeak1lq6q4vgse4q42

Per

[Joseph Ragsdale]

I would have to rent a small handheld grinder in addition to the large stand up machine. Think about along the edges of walls, the corners, and around door jams. The large machine can't reach these areas effectively. It makes more sense to me to just stick with a small handheld grinder.

I laughed a bit at the comments on breaking the Rotex. I take care of my tools and don't abuse them, but I am not going to baby any of my tools. If you need to baby a tool it's the wrong tool for any job period. How will using the Rotex in this manner break it?

It's advertised to "aggressively remove material." I have material I want to remove aggressively.

Are you guys telling me this thing is a 400 plus dollar ROS that can be used for tougher jobs every now and then, but you ought to baby it or it'll break?!

[Per Swenson]

Nope.

I 'am saying I use a rotex professionally on a daily basis.

You ain't gonna break it.

Just the wrong tool for the job.

Simple.

Wanna Festool for your corners, get this one.
http://www.festoolusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=7&prodid=570738


Per

[Jim Dailey]

Joseph,

Festool makes designed as a paint stripper in the RAS 115

However epoxy sticks to epoxy from my experience really well.... I test out compatibility of the new to the old 1st.

jim

[Joseph Ragsdale]

What's the difference between the Rotex and the RAS 115? I thought the whole idea of the Rotex was to combine the RAS 115 with a ROS to make the "only sander you will ever need" as per the advertisement.

The RAS 115 has more rotary RPM but shares the same 500 watts 4.2 Amp motor. It uses the same abrasives too. For instance I could use 24 grit Saphir with either the Rotex or the RAS 115.

I'm not trying to be argumentative. I'm just trying to see why the Rotex wouldn't work for this purpose.

[Randy Denby]

It will work...go for it.


Depends on how large an area and/or how easy the epoxy comes up,how much time your willing to spend,etc...you may still end up renting a large floor grinder for the open areas

Also , factor in the cost of sandpaper for that little sander vs a rental.
My feeling is why use a shovel when you need a tractor?

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Doesn't you local rental center have a walk behind machine about the size of a lawn mower that does that job?

[Joseph Ragsdale]

Yes, but as I said, I would need a handheld for the edges, corners, and around door jams. Using a handheld for the whole room makes more sense to me versus the hassle of using two machines and loading and unloading a large machine from my truck.

[Maurice Ungaro]

However epoxy sticks to epoxy from my experience really well.... I test out compatibility of the new to the old 1st.

Joseph,
Listen to what Jim has stated. Check out the compatibility of the paints - worse case scenario is that you test a 1 sq. ft. patch and find that it does not work. Well, you were going to grind off all the paint anyway. Best case scenario, it works, and all you have to do is paint over the original paint layer.

Sounds like you really need to justify the purchase of a Festool product. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[Joseph Ragsdale]

The epoxy is not adhered properly. I need to start over from bare concrete and etch the surface. I did not etch the surface on the first go around, so that's why I'm here starting over.

I was going to buy a Festool ROS anyway, but since I have this immediate need, I thought the Rotex would be a good bet. After my floor is done, I'll use the Rotex as a ROS while occasionally using it to refinish wood or strip paint.

Has anyone stripped paint with the Rotex? Would I be better off with the RAS 115 and a ROS rather than the Rotex?

[Jason White]

I thought that too when I did a small white oak floor with the Rotex. The sander worked great -- but my back still hurts just thinking about it. Went through a helluva lot of paper, too.

Knock yourself out!

JW


Yes, but as I said, I would need a handheld for the edges, corners, and around door jams. Using a handheld for the whole room makes more sense to me versus the hassle of using two machines and loading and unloading a large machine from my truck.

[jason lambert]

I have also used it to strip wood floors and it worked fine in a 10X8 room but a 5" pad stripping a whole concreat floor there are better ways. Rent the right machine as mentioned above is your best bet.

[Bob Marino]

Joe,

The Rotex is not a comination of a RAS and a ros.
You have been given good advice here - rent a floor sander - just way easier for the big areas. Smaller areas, edges, that would be fine. I have used the Rotex to remove paint on parts of my cement basement floors.

The RAS is way, way more aggressive than the Rotex sanders, but it is no where as efficient as the Rotex regading dust collection. If you are going to use it for edges and stuff, use the coarser Saphir papers, followed by the Cristal papers.

Bob

[Rich Dorffer]

Just do it the right way, shot peen the floor, have someone do it or rent the proper equipment.

I have done epoxy floors before, do it right the first time so you aren't doing it again.

Regards,

Rich