# What's under you? (Floor question)



## graham-xrf (Jul 23, 2021)

I am giving consideration to what best can I use underfoot. I thought to just ask generally.
In your shop, what's under your feet? Is it boards, plywood, concrete, tiles, vinyl, steel, rubber, something else?

What drives your choice? Is it spillage, chips cleanup, convenience, ease of fixing to it?
Do you have a preference. What would you change it to if you could, or are about to?


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## vtcnc (Jul 23, 2021)

Concrete.

Reason: durability, cost. At the time, with fill, rebar and concrete - total cost to pour a 14x24 slab was about $1,200. We provided the labor.

What would I change? I would have done a smoother finish and epoxied the floor. But as you may have surmised, cost was an issue.

I totaled up my costs to build my shop that I started three years ago and stopped tallying at $7,400.


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## rabler (Jul 23, 2021)

Polished concrete with rubber matts in strategic places (in front of the lathe and mill, and the workbench).  My feet won't tolerate standing on straight concrete long term, the rubber mats make a significant difference.  I use the perforated rubber mats, light enough to pick up when I sweep.   Concrete is probably the best base for the machines, least vibration most rigidity.

I would have sealed the concrete with a simple sealer if I had to do it over again.  I've tried epoxy coatings before and haven't had the best of luck with them despite diligent surface prep.


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## benmychree (Jul 23, 2021)

Yes, concrete and rubber mats, also used duck boards in my commercial shop.


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## jwmay (Jul 23, 2021)

Concrete and rubber mats.
That's what the place came with.
I'd change it to one of those wooden block floors if I had my choice. Go stand on a piece of concrete, then step onto a piece of wood. I swear you can feel the difference with shoes on. Might be hard to keep clean, but it's world's better for comfort.


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## Reddinr (Jul 23, 2021)

1/3 of my shop is uncoated concrete only, for heavy stuff like the lathe and so I can pull my tractor in for working on it.

2/3 of my shop is concrete with a covering of 3/4" OSB (chip board) that is placed over 2x4's laid flat with 1.5" foam insulation between.  I did this because it is warmer and "softer" underfoot.  It also has the nice benefit that I can drop tools without damaging them.  I recently lost my grip on a Kurt vise and it landed on a corner.  Aside from the divot on the floor, it survived just fine.  Also, no toes were involved so that is good.  I've also saved a couple of wood chisels from concrete damage over the years.

Also, rubber mats at some machines.


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## benmychree (Jul 23, 2021)

jwmay said:


> Concrete and rubber mats.
> That's what the place came with.
> I'd change it to one of those wooden block floors if I had my choice. Go stand on a piece of concrete, then step onto a piece of wood. I swear you can feel the difference with shoes on. Might be hard to keep clean, but it's world's better for comfort.


Wood block floors do not tolerate moisture; I saw a section of one that had gotten wet, and it arched up like a Japanese arch bridge.


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## Aukai (Jul 23, 2021)

I have concrete, I have also tried the rubber mats with the holes, and then changed to 3/4" comfort mats, that I like better, I have very bad ankles.


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## jwmay (Jul 23, 2021)

benmychree said:


> Wood block floors do not tolerate moisture; I saw a section of one that had gotten wet, and it arched up like a Japanese arch bridge.


Lucky for me, I'll never put it in. But maybe something like what Reddinr did would work nicely.


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## f350ca (Jul 23, 2021)

benmychree, how flooded did the floor get to buckle. Can see it happening, just curious how much block floors can take. Right now my feet are killing me after standing on my concrete floor. With the Emerald Ash Bore infestation, I have virtually an endless supply of dead ash trees. Nothing huge but lots I could saw 4 x 4 s out of. Then cut 1 inch blocks and lay them in a bed of asphalt cement. 
My feet would love me, lol

Greg


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## projectnut (Jul 24, 2021)

Another vote for smooth concrete with no epoxy coating.  We tried epoxy coatings at work and  to me it was a dismal failure.  In areas where they did a smooth finish it was like walking on ice if any coolant or water got on it.  In the areas where they added grit it was a real PITA to clean.  Chips and saw filings would get caught in the grit and had to be washed out with detergent and water.


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## sdelivery (Jul 24, 2021)

My choice wood be a wooden block floor.
They are so much easier on the body, tools and equipment as spoken about in one of the above post.
They do complicate machine anchoring.
They weren't as easy to sweep but spills weren't so critical. 
I have never seen a block floor lift unless there are blocks missing.


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## ChazzC (Jul 24, 2021)

I have concrete with a 2' x 5' cushioned mat (on sale from Woodcraft - https://www.woodcraft.com/products/anti-fatigue-floor-mat-2-x-5-pebble-beveled-edge) in front of my Mini-Mill & Mini-Lathe. The mat is easy to fold out of the way when I vacuum the floor or need to roll something over where it normally lives. I also have a small rubberized fabric mat in front of the door that leads to the "normal" living space in my basement so catch any swarf that sticks to my shoes.

I had red rubber mats with 1" holes a number of years ago; easy to vacuum to collect most debris, but since I have a small workspace they were a pain the lift up so I could do a really good cleaning.

Many years ago I worked at the Main Hershey Chocolate plant, where they had full shops - machine, fabrication, carpentry, plumbing & electrical for repairs and construction services. Most of the shops had sealed concrete floors, but apart from locations were there was heavy equipment, the machine & plumbing shops had wood block floors (6" long, 3" x4" oak blocks with the grain running up & down) so that when you dropped something it didn't get damaged. There were a lot of rock maple floors in the dry processing areas that were routinely dry mopped and occasionally damp mopped. These floor were beautifully laid and looked great. However, if there was a roof or pipe leak and the water pooled too long, the maple flooring would buckle like crazy, raising planks up to 6" above the surrounding floor: these areas needed to be removed, everything dried out and then new T&G planks installed. I still have a few end scraps of the bare planks, 1-1/16 thick and as straight as the day they came out of the mill 30+ years ago.


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## jeffmaxwell_amarillo (Jul 24, 2021)

Concrete and rubber mats--came with the shop when I moved in.


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## ChazzC (Jul 24, 2021)

projectnut said:


> Another vote for smooth concrete with no epoxy coating.  We tried epoxy coatings at work and  to me it was a dismal failure.  In areas where they did a smooth finish it was like walking on ice if any coolant or water got on it.  In the areas where they added grit it was a real PITA to clean.  Chips and saw filings would get caught in the grit and had to be washed out with detergent and water.


Epoxy paint fails due to improper surface preparation, moisture from below (bad or no moisture barrier) or improper application. You are better off having a sealer applied by professionals when the concrete is new.

One place I worked had offices in a re-purposed retail space. They had stripped the glued-down carpeting, cleaned the residue and ground & leveled the floor as needed and then coated with a clear, thick epoxy. When your shoes were wet, you could barely walk across they floor, even with slip-resistant soles. After several attempts to correct the problem, they tried buffing the floor with a coarse steel wall pad - this broke the glossy finish and gave just enough tooth so the floors were safe.

I remember a new facility 40 years ago that had polished granite steps that were death is the rain. These were fixed by burning the surface.


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## matthewsx (Jul 24, 2021)

benmychree said:


> Wood block floors do not tolerate moisture; I saw a section of one that had gotten wet, and it arched up like a Japanese arch bridge.


The original ones I've seen have the wood installed end grain vertical and are so saturated with oil I doubt any moisture could penetrate. This was in Michigan so I'm pretty sure they did get wet. Not sure how you would do it today unless you lived in a mill town with lots of cut offs.

John


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## matthewsx (Jul 24, 2021)

f350ca said:


> benmychree, how flooded did the floor get to buckle. Can see it happening, just curious how much block floors can take. Right now my feet are killing me after standing on my concrete floor. With the Emerald Ash Bore infestation, I have virtually an endless supply of dead ash trees. Nothing huge but lots I could saw 4 x 4 s out of. Then cut 1 inch blocks and lay them in a bed of asphalt cement.
> My feet would love me, lol
> 
> Greg


4 x 4's would probably be fine, probably 6" or more deep is what the ones I've seen are. 

The biggest problem you'd have is environmental. 100 years ago these shops would have been flooded with oil from the machines, don't think you can get away with that today.

I'm sure there are old books that cover how it was done and it would be a good use for all those ash trees killed by ash borer disease.

John


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## Downunder Bob (Jul 24, 2021)

My shop has a standard concrete floor, and I have made a wooden duck board out of old packing crates and also a rubber mat on top of it in front of the lathe, works a treat.


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## Richard King 2 (Jul 24, 2021)

I used to work at General Motor plants that had a concrete floor and they used 6 x 6 x 4" long wood blocks setting on the ends.  The machines set on the floor and the people stood on the wood.  I also have been inside the Hardinge plant in Elmira NY and they have Butcher Block floors over concrete.  They say it's easier on the feet plus if they drop something it dents the wood floor and not ruin a part.   I have a concrete floor and use Harbor Freight mats I stand on.


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## projectnut (Jul 24, 2021)

Richard King 2 said:


> *I used to work at General Motor plants that had a concrete floor and they used 6 x 6 x 4" long wood blocks setting on the ends*.  The machines set on the floor and the people stood on the wood.  I also have been inside the Hardinge plant in Elmira NY and they have Butcher Block floors over concrete.  They say it's easier on the feet plus if they drop something it dents the wood floor and not ruin a part.   I have a concrete floor and use Harbor Freight mats I stand on.


I also worked at the GM plant in Janesville WI while going to school in Madison.  They had the same style floors you're referring to.  The floors may have been easier on the feet, but the jobs I had were hard on the back and shoulders.  It made me realize that wasn't how I wanted to spend the next 40 years.

In reality I wouldn't have made it 40 years.  The plant closed in 2008, and was torn down in 2018.  Last time I was in the area the only visible remains were a few piles of scrap iron wanting to be hauled off to the foundry


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## Richard King 2 (Jul 24, 2021)

I went to Shanghai China to look at some Gleason Gear Cutting Machines 20 years ago.  A new looking Buick Lasabre passed our Taxi on the Highway and I said to my interpreter  said GM and our government built a factory over here to build them from scratch.  I heard later, GM closed a plant in the USA and moved all of the machines to China via containers.   I stopped but GM cars at that moment.   I'm old school and that seemed a real blow to our work force and country.  They had asked me to rebuild some machines over there, but I said...I thought they wanted to ship them back to the states to rebuild them.   Now I figure I was lucky to not have been put in prison over there after I said that.


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## Janderso (Jul 24, 2021)

vtcnc said:


> Concrete.
> 
> Reason: durability, cost. At the time, with fill, rebar and concrete - total cost to pour a 14x24 slab was about $1,200. We provided the labor.
> 
> ...


$7.400 is very reasonable


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## Suzuki4evr (Jul 24, 2021)

Concrete floor with spaced wooden pallet for chips to fall through. But a bit of PITA to sweep and clean under every so often,but it works for me and not slippery if wet.


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## Mtnmac (Jul 24, 2021)

Janderso said:


> $7.400 is very reasonable


I agree.  My shop is 12 x 20, 6” concrete pad.  Metal building, insulated.  After wiring it, plumbing it for air and installing a mini spit heating/cooling system I’m at 15K.  And I dug the foundation, did the wiring, plumbing and installed the mini split myself.  Only outside costs were pouring and finishing the pad and the building itself.

Oh yea…. I use cheap Harbor Freight foam pads for cushion with a thin, tough rubber mat on top in front of each machine.


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## Cadillac (Jul 24, 2021)

Concrete floor poured and finished by yours truly, then painted with a grey epoxy paint and cleared with a sand mix for grip. Honestly still a little slick with wet shoes. Wife has a carpet business and got surplus carpet squares 2x2 and covered the floor except around machines. Then a friend got large lengths of rubber matting from a job they were throwing out. The nice stuff that’s 3’ wide diamond plate texture top with a ramped yellow stripe on one edge and with a dense 1” foam. I have those around all my machines and along the work benches
 I feel the carpet keeps the chill out of the concrete here in the winter, and the matting makes it soft on the feet. 
 7500 isn’t bad especially if done in the past year chaos. Did a 24x36 10yrs ago for right around 10k insulated and dry walled. But have friends in every trade that gave a helping hand. 
 Went to a auction last year old machine shop in Chicago. When I walked in I was amazed the whole floor of this place was 4x4 squares on edge grain side up. It gave this place a reel feel of nostalgic. Noises were dampened and it was just a beautiful sight and feeling being in there. When talking with the old fella that apparently owned the place I kept imagining how the place looked with all the workers and machines in the height of its day.


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## f350ca (Jul 24, 2021)

matthewsx said:


> 4 x 4's would probably be fine, probably 6" or more deep is what the ones I've seen are.
> 
> The biggest problem you'd have is environmental. 100 years ago these shops would have been flooded with oil from the machines, don't think you can get away with that today.
> 
> ...


Im thinking 2 inch deep, they'll be set on flat concrete so well supported. The asphalt should bond them to the concrete. Can't afford to loose 6 inch of head room. As for oil, Im pretty messy lol oil saturation could happen pretty quick

Greg


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## projectnut (Jul 24, 2021)

Richard King 2 said:


> I went to Shanghai China to look at some Gleason Gear Cutting Machines 20 years ago.  A new looking Buick Lasabre passed our Taxi on the Highway and I said to my interpreter  said GM and our government built a factory over here to build them from scratch.  I heard later, GM closed a plant in the USA and moved all of the machines to China via containers.   I stopped but GM cars at that moment.   I'm old school and that seemed a real blow to our work force and country.  They had asked me to rebuild some machines over there, but I said...I thought they wanted to ship them back to the states to rebuild them.   Now I figure I was lucky to not have been put in prison over there after I said that.


I always had a bit of a soft spot for GM since my dad worked there for 25 years and I worked there while going to school.  We always made sure that at least one of our vehicles was made by them.  That all changed when they declared bankruptcy in 2008.  We had just purchased a 2008 Lucerne and were having problems with things not working right and falling off.  One time when I took it to the dealer (5th time for the same problem) they started giving me grief saying they didn't think they would be able to cover the problems under warranty since it was built by "the old GM" meaning before the bankruptcy.  That's when I gave them a piece of my mind.  After the taxpayers bailed them out they had the gall to think they could leave all their mistakes and shoddy workmanship in the past.

That bankruptcy has always been a sore spot with me.  We lost a ton of money when the stock became worthless, and several people we know who worked for them in salaried positions lost between 1/3 and 1/2 of their pensions and their health insurance.  This was after they were forced to retire.


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## francist (Jul 24, 2021)

@f350ca   Hey Greg, do you remember Waddington Alley from when you were in Victoria?  It was originally paved (and still is) with wood block paving. I remembered an article in the local paper about it and some restorative efforts that the city was doing on it a while back, so I tried to find the article and amazingly did! Anyway, kind of an interesting read if you're into stuff like this. I haven't been down there for a while but I'm assuming it's still the same paving now. I'll have to try to check it out sometime next time I'm downtown.









						Preserving Victoria history: the wooden blocks of Waddington Alley
					

As pothole repairs go, this one ranks among the most complicated the city has ever undertaken.




					www.timescolonist.com
				




-frank


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## Mini Cooper S (Jul 24, 2021)

My Machinery's Handbook has a section on shop floors. They say "Probably there is no floor for the machine shop as good as one made of selected hard maple, properly laid and supported, as it wears smoothly and evenly."  They do go on talking about the pros and cons of different floors and the health aspect of wood vs. concrete.

When I was an apprentice, one of the old timers told me one additional benefit of wood is that if you drop a work piece or tool on wood, it is less likely to get damaged!  By the way, that shop had laminate 12" x 12" tile floors, much more comfortable than concrete and easy to replace worn tiles.

Richard


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## f350ca (Jul 24, 2021)

frank, I vaguely recall it, haven't been to Victoria in probably 20 years. The only city I kind of like lol.
Interesting story, can see putting them in untreated would have been a recipe for disaster.
Wonder what they finally used for a finish?
Im thinking maybe thinned linseed oil. Defiantly a penetrating finish rather than a surface coating.
The asphalt they adhere commercial floor tiles with should hold them and block any moisture from the concrete. The slab has a layer of foil backed bubble wrap, with the joints all taped on top of 4 feet of coarse pit run gravel, so moisture shouldn't be an issue.
If I go with 4x4 blocks it should only take 7776 blocks to do it. lol

Greg


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## graham-xrf (Jul 24, 2021)

Many thanks to all you folks for the clues on what you use.

My floor is still empty, no benches, nothing. The concrete under is 150mm (about 6") laid on top of the heavy DPC membrane, which itself is on some thickness of washed rejects stone, and some sand and insulation blinding. It looked like about 1mm thick. Then over the concrete, an even tougher red sheet, apparently to block the build-up of radioactive radon gas. Then 50mm (about 2") of polyurethane insulation, the kind that comes between layers of aluminium. Over that, the 22mm pressure treated resin chipboard floor that cannot absorb moisture. I am told it is treated with fire retardent. It is a bit smoother and harder than wood plank.

The pressure distribution onto the insulation is such that the result seems very stiff, but is still a wooden floor. To drop something on it would have the wood consequence, rather than like concrete.

I was thinking something to allow better clean-up of spills and chips, and to achieve something in between raw blocks finish and epoxy on concrete, I might try industrial grade vinyl tiles or sheet. If I ever do have a machine that needs to anchor down to substrate, I can drill, and put in chemi-anchor bolts or similar into the concrete, and add spacers.



	

		
			
		

		
	
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The place is to be a CAD design office with a mill, lathe, possibly a 3D printer, some bench, various electronics stuff, and whatever else might find a role. I am giving quite a lot of thought as to how to use the space carefully. I am looking for a tough, cleanable floor finish that can also look good.


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## StevSmar (Jul 24, 2021)

I dream of having an “oiled” wood floor like we had in out high school metal and wood working shops. It was like a parquet flooring in 1’x1’ tiles. The wood pieces were maybe 4”x3/4” and about 3/8” thick. I don’t remember the pieces being end grain up.


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## pontiac428 (Jul 26, 2021)

I've had my (diy) epoxy coated concrete floor up an running for a year now.  I'm really happy with it.  Spilled oil does not soak in and comes up with dry sweep.  I added glass beads to the topcoat mix for grip, so no issues whatsoever there.  My only complaint is that it looks bad because the color depth varied from mix bag to mix bag, even after making a fuss at the hardware store over matching lot numbers.  It would have been way better to package it in cans and use a paint shaker instead of those settled-out mix bags.  In spite of the color variation, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.  It's just me and the shop spiders, and we're not that style-conscious.


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## Weldingrod1 (Jul 26, 2021)

My first shop was two layers of 3/4" plywood with white paint.

My current shop is wood floor: the stock shipping container floor ;-)

I have rubber hole mats by the mill and lathe; they help!!!

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk


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## ArmyDoc (Jul 27, 2021)

All the talk of end grain wood has got me thinking..  Has anyone considered railroad ties?  They are 15 to $20ea.  7x9in x8.5 ft.  Cut 3 in thick would be under 70 cents / sq ft.  Lot of work to cut them though.  None of my saws will cut that in even 2 passes...


Hmm.  Looks like this would handle the size... 








						7" x 12" 1 HP Metal-Cutting Bandsaw at Grizzly.com
					

<h1>G0561 7" x 12" 1 HP Metal-Cutting Bandsaw</h1> <h2>Its mobility is perfect for moving around the shop or between job sites.</h2> <p>The G0561 7" x 12" 1 HP Metal-Cutting Bandsaw was designed to cut 7" round and 7" X 12" rectangular metal stock. It can cut in either horizontal or vertical...




					www.grizzly.com
				




Should still work with a wood saw blade on it, shouldn't it?  Don't have a nice saw like this...

Oh you guys and your evil temptations...  Now you've got me thinking about yet another project and I haven't even finished the last one yet.


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## Downunder Bob (Jul 27, 2021)

I believe a company in US called AW Chesterton made a range of industrial coatings. They used to have one that was a poly urethane compound that was very tough, acid and oil resistant, could be applied to metal or concrete. Although it had a gloss finish it was very definately non slip even when wet.


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## Bi11Hudson (Jul 28, 2021)

There was an old (1896?) mill where I worked in the '70s. The "shell shop" didn't date back quite as far as the foundry, but was where most of the shops and spares were located. The floor was of wood stood on end for "non-sparking" use. It was floored around WW1, as a "Shell Shop". The name being a givaway. . . 

I have found details of such a floor in one of my old Audel's books. Per the book, the timbers were over a foot long. The significant part is the base and the pressure used to set each piece in place. Then there's the finishing, getting a smooth and level(?) surface. Among other points was the sand base, several inches thick.

In essence, it is a floor that is quite desirable, but at a preposterous cost by today's standards. It most assuredly is not a matter of casting a concrete base and topping with short pieces of wood. There is much detail work before the wood is placed. Concrete would serve, but the wood would have to be "insulated" from the concrete.

There was mentioned above the use of "cross ties", "sleepers" to the British folks. To start with, cross ties are impregnated with a preservative, usually creosote. And not lightly like you find at the lumber yard. It goes deep, in a pressurized container. And it stinks, and most assuredly is not pleasant to stand on. Then there is the "trim size" at the lumber mill. The cut tolerances are of a "sorta kinda" dimension. Which is to say that there are large differences in size, to woodworkers and machinists. Cross ties are heavy timbers, not really the size to make a solid floor. 

Then, the most common source for cross-ties is the stacks along a railroad as they have been replaced. These days, you have to show up at night and "liberate" them before the clean-up crew gets them. The key phrase is "being replaced", used cross-ties are OK for landscape timbers, but are not solid enough for flooring. That's why the railroad is replacing them. . . They're hollowed out.

I seem to be full of negative thoughts today. My apologies to any offended. It's just that I have practical experience with such a floor and strongly advise against it unless the "installer" was willing to invest many, many hours in the construction.

.


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## ArmyDoc (Jul 28, 2021)

Bi11Hudson said:


> There was an old (1896?) mill where I worked in the '70s. The "shell shop" didn't date back quite as far as the foundry, but was where most of the shops and spares were located. The floor was of wood stood on end for "non-sparking" use. It was floored around WW1, as a "Shell Shop". The name being a givaway. . .
> 
> I have found details of such a floor in one of my old Audel's books. Per the book, the timbers were over a foot long. The significant part is the base and the pressure used to set each piece in place. Then there's the finishing, getting a smooth and level(?) surface. Among other points was the sand base, several inches thick.
> 
> ...


Killin' my dreams man... Now how I'm supposed to justify that nice band saw.


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## Bi11Hudson (Jul 28, 2021)

It would be quite a bandsaw to "resaw", as in cut down, cross ties. And otherwise useless in making such a wood floor. Justification for a good bandsaw is a lot cheaper for good woodsmithing. A band saw like a cross tie mill uses would be better suited for a saw mill, not small shop use. Try getting into industrial grade wooden cabinets for your other machines. Good ones are hard to find, most users build with steel and 2x4s and plywood. Look to "Rex Kreuger" for guidance maybe.

EDIT: I neglected to mention the "wiggle nails" that are often used to close up cracks. Such would be a terror to a wood saw.

Regarding the "wink" below, I realized it was a wink and the comment a (soft) joke. It is my nature to only talk when I have something worthwhile to say. And your comment left an opening that I could drive a truck through. It was necessary to "shoot you down" to prevent the idea from being seriously followed through by anyone. That's the life of an engineer, taking everything seriously.
.


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## ArmyDoc (Jul 28, 2021)

Bi11Hudson said:


> It would be quite a bandsaw to "resaw", as in cut down, cross ties. And otherwise useless in making such a wood floor. Justification for a good bandsaw is a lot cheaper for good woodsmithing. A band saw like a cross tie mill uses would be better suited for a saw mill, not small shop use. Try getting into industrial grade wooden cabinets for your other machines. Good ones are hard to find, most users build with steel and 2x4s and plywood. Look to "Rex Kreuger" for guidance maybe.
> 
> .


Wink meant I was only joking...  

But more seriously, I appreciated your pointing out the problems with creosote - you really don't want a known source of carcinogens off gassing into a closed shop.


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## ChazzC (Aug 17, 2021)

ChazzC said:


> I have concrete with a 2' x 5' cushioned mat (on sale from Woodcraft - https://www.woodcraft.com/products/anti-fatigue-floor-mat-2-x-5-pebble-beveled-edge) in front of my Mini-Mill & Mini-Lathe. The mat is easy to fold out of the way when I vacuum the floor or need to roll something over where it normally lives. I also have a small rubberized fabric mat in front of the door that leads to the "normal" living space in my basement so catch any swarf that sticks to my shoes.
> 
> I had red rubber mats with 1" holes a number of years ago; easy to vacuum to collect most debris, but since I have a small workspace they were a pain the lift up so I could do a really good cleaning.
> 
> Many years ago I worked at the Main Hershey Chocolate plant, where they had full shops - machine, fabrication, carpentry, plumbing & electrical for repairs and construction services. Most of the shops had sealed concrete floors, but apart from locations were there was heavy equipment, the machine & plumbing shops had wood block floors (6" long, 3" x4" oak blocks with the grain running up & down) so that when you dropped something it didn't get damaged. There were a lot of rock maple floors in the dry processing areas that were routinely dry mopped and occasionally damp mopped. These floor were beautifully laid and looked great. However, if there was a roof or pipe leak and the water pooled too long, the maple flooring would buckle like crazy, raising planks up to 6" above the surrounding floor: these areas needed to be removed, everything dried out and then new T&G planks installed. I still have a few end scraps of the bare planks, 1-1/16 thick and as straight as the day they came out of the mill 30+ years ago.



Woodcraft has their 2' x 5' floor mats on sale for $20 through the end of August.


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## sdelivery (Aug 17, 2021)

Shop wooden floors from the ww2 Era use blocks aprox 5 inches long and aprox 4 inches square. 
I would avoid railroad ties, there is a reason they Re surplus everywhere...about ten years ago the US government passed a law forcing the railroads to eliminate the  poison leaching out of the ties and potentially into the ground water.
The poison the government is trying to eliminate is ARCENIC and it was the first step in treating ties before the kreosote outer coating.


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