shop floor

[beaver-flat]

I'm about to push my old D6 into the shop so I can start working on it. Rookie question: will the grousers damage the concrete floor? If so, what have you guys used to protect it?
I have some 1" oak boards that I was thinking about putting down to roll it in on.:cool:

[Catmatt]

Depends what kind of concrete your floor is made of. If it is high strength concrete, you'll be fine. Oak boards would never hurt though. have fun!

[ccjersey]

I would use the boards especially if you are having to shove it in or turn it on the floor at all. Straight in and back out under power will most likely still leave marks in the floor, so it depends how nice the floor is to start with.

[Kelly]

I’d use the wood as well, or if you had some short pieces of old crasher conveyor belting would work also…we used it for crossing the Hi-ways years a ago and work well.
The thing is, the slightest nick in a fine finished floor will give your creeper trouble in getting around. I have seen some floors where you needed “Four Wheel Drive” on your creeper. :(

[gwhdiesel75]

I've used ordinary plywood sheets to cushion the impact of the grousers on the bare concrete. Doesn't have to be thick. GWH

[Jim Sixty]

I'd use the boards even if you don't care so much about the floor, it seems like the machines don't sweat so much if they have wood or rubber separating them from the concrete.
Jim

[Rodney R]

Yeah, just use some boards. I used some 1/2 oak that we had cut, and it was extra/scraps. The grousers broke it here and there, but the floor is still OK..... also, if you need to cross an area where there is some sort of 'lip' - I'd set an extra board on each side of the lip, so the grousers won't hit that as well, or it'll chip off.

Rodney

[SpragueM]

I use 2x8 or 2x10 and my d4 hardly dents it. Alot easier to replace than any floor. Even park on wood when in my dirt floored sheds. Keeps them cleaner.

Matt

[Jim A]

At work we got truck tire retread stock to run on in the shop, rolls up when you don't need it.
Jim

[RKO]

I just use old tires. The bigger machines I use Truck or Pickup tires. The smaller machines I use car or garden tractor tires. They cost nothing and will give to the shape of the floor and tracks. Can use the same tires over and over.

[OzDozer]

When I built my shop, I put old rail lines in the floor, three close together, each side, where the tracks ran .. and standing slightly proud of the floor.
Grousers are dynamite on concrete, with their "chewing"action as they reach or leave the floor. The rail lines worked good for the nearly 20 years I owned that shop.

Be aware that many shop floors are light on concrete thickness for dozer support. 4" is likely to crack, unless the pad under it has been specially compacted. In the construction of my floor, I compacted the gravel under it substantially, then used a minimum of 6" thickness, and high strength concrete to boot.
When the local Cat dealer went on a big upgrade in the late 1980's, they laid about 3 acres of concrete .. and it's 14" thick .. :eek:

All the above suggestions are good. Conveyor belting is a good choice, if you can get it cheap, and easily.
If not, small car tires are the cheapest, simplest, and quite effective .. and plywood is quite satisfactory.
I guess it comes back to whatever is the most economically obtained local product.

[7upuller]

The floor to "Cat Night" shop was poured with a special floor hardener that is used on industrial floors. It was a powder that is troweled in at two different steps. First, when initial floating, and second time when hard steel trowel. It was applied at two pounds per square foot. The stuff ran $4000 for 3500 square feet. I can run a 6-9u in and spin around. After looking no scratches. Cool stuff:D .

At doors, I installed 2 inch angle iron 3/8" thick with nelson studs installed. That way when the growser grabs and climbs the vertical edge- no chipping the concrete edge.

We also had 1-1/4" stainless steel rods 10' long bent with a 6'' loop in the middle. These were installed at 6 different locations in the shop floor. The grade allowed 12" of concrete surrounding the rods. The loops were vertical in cast iron clean out round cans. The rods, 5' in both directions were tied into double rebar mats. The purpose:) , When you need to straighten a frame, bumper, or bent metal, you can attach a cable with a shackle to the loop. The other end secured to the object. Then you can use jacks, other tractors, or other pulling object to pull or tug on it securely held in place. Works great.

[D4Jim]

Glen, that is one neat looking Avitar!! ;)

[7upuller]

Thanks Jim:p ,

Hey guess what I got in the mail today. Carol Foley, who's husband Bob attended Herb's Play Day, well, the couple are really great folks. She made a pillow for me and shipped it over today. Was I ever so:D to see the art work of Herb's Play Day shirt sown into the cover of the pillow. Now I can put my sweat face on a D4-7u and:D smile.

[rusted]

I've always found the old conveyor belt solution to be a good one..that stuff is tough and isn't in the way when you want to use the floorspace for something else.

[wimmera farmer]

Use whatever you like but if you need to get under the machine you will appreciate a bit extra clearance to manouver. My D68U is currently on 2" timber with clutch removed, oil pump failure and replacing flywheel bearing and brass washers in release collar.I wished it was a bit higher for a while.

[beaver-flat]

thanks for all of the good suggestions! 7upuller, could you post pictures of loops you have in floor? I plan on building a new shop in next couple of years and was contemplating the best way to have pulling points in the floor. they need to be out of the way when not used. Do you know what the hardner powder was called? Have the old D6-2H in the shop now, still not in the spot I want it in, but at least its under cover...:) . problem with current shop is the height, only 10' sides and 8' high door:( . I used my 4x4 tractor t:( o push it in the front half of the shop, but want it in the back half. Shop is divided and back half is heated. Not much fun working on cold iron during a wisconsin winter! I'm contemplating cutting down a tree and using that as a "push post" to move it the last 25 feet. Chained to draw bar on D6 and pushed with dozer blade on the 4x4 tractor. Sounds pretty flakey I know, don't know how else to do it. By the way, the oak boards on the floor worked great! They were junk boards left over from another project, so no loss.

[tw]

As was said earlier what ever works. I have the 20 in the building that had a covering of Reclaim Blacktop put down. I got some old cement forms from house mover and they worked great also. I know about cold floors here in Wisc. The best shop I worked in had hot water heat in the floor. Nothing like laying near a nice warm cement floor. Cleaned the ice and snow off the vehicles real quick also.

[7upuller]

Beaver-Flat,

I'll get some pictures for you and post in a few hours-Glen

[7upuller]

Beaver-Flat,

Here are some pictures of the hold down cans I poured in the slab at the "Cat Night Shop".

[7upuller]

Let's try this again, for I posted four pictures?:rolleyes:

Tried again...Nope...Know I know what OldMagnet was trying to say...I've over my qouta...And I'm a junior member...:eek:

[7upuller]

Let's try this again:(

[beaver-flat]

thanks Glen,
nice job! What did you use for the cans? Sure left a nicely finished floor.

[7upuller]

I believe they are Christy Boxes manufacturer model G-5 if I remember correctly. I will call me friend in the ready mix business and get the Hardener product name for you. It might be a few days. Here is a picture of the floor after parking the 60. It leaves black marks that can be polished off but no scratches or chips in the concrete.

[7upuller]

Here's a few pictures of the shop.

[beaver-flat]

Wow, nice shop! That floor looks really bright, did they add anything to make it lighter colored? Maybe its just me, but it looks a lot brighter than regular concrete. Lots of projects to keep you busy:rolleyes:

[7upuller]

Beaver-Flat,

Good eyes. The hardener did put a nice light color to it. I have always wanted to put a sealer on it, but as you noticed, I have a lot :D of projects. I was very happy with the performance and color of the hardener. Well worth the $.-Glen

Hopefully Tuesday night @ "Cat Night" we will fire up the diesel 35. Can't wait.

[mcclaar]

Oh boy!!! That looks like one fun place to hang out at!!!!!!!!!!!