Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Drum Sander ( whats the hype)

I recently purchased a 60 yr old home and when the carpets were pulled up, there were hardwood floors beneath..The padding was really stuck and I had to scrub the floors to remove it. The floors are really pretty beaten, about half the floor has no sheen ,a real weathered look and the other half is pretty dull... Is it difficult to use the drum sander... I would really like to take them down to a nice clean finish and then just clear coat ( no stain) Someone told me to use marine varnish ( Can anyone make any suggestions as to drum sanding or other possibilities and what varnish is best to use.)

Thanks
Tear

For sanding and finishing information go to www.nofma.org

Tear,

I've seen a drum sander in action and they do a fine job of renewing a floor but can make a big mess if not used properly..

When chosing a method to refinish our maple floors when we bought our current home, I felt that because of the skill needed to operate a drum sander, the large orbital floor sander I used turned out to be a much safer alternative.
It was fairly time consuming compared to a drum type but the results were quite satisfactory.

Click image:
<img src="http://www.flecto.com/images/product/ps_varathane_sbuff.jpg"> (http://www.flecto.com/brand.asp?frm_brand_id=21&SBL=1)
Image credit: flecto.com

Professionals that use drum sanders also have larger orbital sanders for edging. You do not want to use marine spar varnish - it never dries completely for a hard finish. If you want clear/no stain, look into waterbase polyurethanes. They do not yellow with time.

fred