Work Shop (metal) flooring

[FEF]

All,

I've been reading the forums, and I know it's been discussed.... But I can't find it...

Have we bottomed out on a good flooring option for those with a drill press, grinders, and welding slag?

I'd love to have some kind of flooring, but I haven't found anything that will work, though I havn't tried VCT.

Thanks for the help,

 

[DynoDave]

How about concentrating all of your machine work (drill/mill/weld, etc) into one area, and covering that work area in a wood floor. see Nimrod's shop.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4069

Obsorbs lots of abuse, has a great old time look, is reasonably cheap, and damage/wear simply add patina!

 

[FEF]

Fair question.

I can have a bare floor in the actual shop area, but I also grind and weld on my auto frames. This means that the area serves as a parking area AND a welding/grinding area. OH!! And this next round of mods will require drilling the sub-frame welded on the frame.

It's a tricky area to do well, that's for sure.

Epoxy has pulled up, due to the metal shavings.

Maybe a concrete stain that repells oil?

 

[DynoDave]

Fair question.

I can have a bare floor in the actual shop area, but I also grind and weld on my auto frames. This means that the area serves as a parking area AND a welding/grinding area. OH!! And this next round of mods will require drilling the sub-frame welded on the frame.

It's a tricky area to do well, that's for sure.

Epoxy has pulled up, due to the metal shavings.

Maybe a concrete stain that repells oil?

I was just thinking of some of the old assembly plants that I had been in, where the floor was made up of wooden blocks. Some of these plants were nearly 100 years old, and they had certainly held up well over time.

The welding does create a problem. When working on a large project (car, tractor, etc.), you have to go to the work, it can't always come to a welding table.

I think in my shop I'm going to epoxy the floor. I have little faith it will hold up well over time, but it will be better than nothing. When all my cars are done, and the garage becomes a little more of a "show" area, I plan on covering the epoxy with a race-deck like product.

 

[REFLEXX]

Steel diamond plate would be "bulletproof." It would not need to be very thick and would resisit just about everything.

I went with Epoxy. But if I'm gonna be welding or grinding on a project, I'll just throw down a welding blanket and problem solved. The welding blanket also makes cleaning shavings faster. Just carry outside and shake!

 

[Ramblur]

I weld and grind with my epoxy floor and it takes it pretty well. But it
is a Precision epoxy system that is over an 1/8" thick. Sure i've got scratches
and some burn spots but only in the very top color coat the only thing thats
ever made it the whole way through was an alternator dropped from 8' and
it just put a little smiley face in it. Been down 10 years now so maybe in another
10 I might scuff it up and roll another color coat on. And yes I usually have a
blanket around when I'm welding,well at least I try to...

 

[FEF]

You know.....

THis may be crazy, but I think I like the wood floor idea. A raw toung & groove type thing might do very well.

I'm trying to think of a time when I actually burnt the floor. With welding, there is the possibility it might catch fire.

Proof of theory:
I've done a lot of work on wood benches. Torching on it, grinding on it, grinding metal shavings on it... It holds up pretty darn well.

It would actually add some insulation to the room.

THen I'm thinking a “Boiled” linseed oil.

If I add the welding Blanket to this, I may have a very TOUGH floor.

I'll have to run some numbers to see how cost efficiant it would be.

It's an interesting thought to consider.

 

[Flipper_1938]

Diamond plate will drive you batty if you roll a creeper or floor jack across it.

...I'd stay smooth with any permanent coverings.

 

[carcentric]

All,
. . . a good flooring option for those with a drill press, grinders, and welding slag?
. . .

I wouldn't want to put myself between a welding arc and a metal floor (presumably grounded).

Even with rubber shoes, knee pads, and gloves . . . I'd feel like a rat in a shock cage - one false move and ZAP!