Best flooring for engraving area

John P. Anderson · Mar 4, 2016

My engraving tools and setup have been packed away while we're remodeling our shop by building living quarters in the front third. As part of the planning I HAD a really nice spot with a large north window all staked out for my new and improved engraving area.

Framing is about done and we're trying to pick our flooring on the upper level. A friend that does flooring for living recommended COREtec as a good product for our general use.

http://www.usfloorsllc.com/display-category/coretec-plus/

Pam and I checked into it and several similar products and we became concerned it wouldn't hold up very well to the metalchips and the rough and scuff that comes with the craft.

My question. Should I give up on having my engraving area in our living quarters or is there a way to keep the chips from tracking? Or, recommendations on a better flooring.

If I move from that area I loose my North facing window option.

John

TallGary · Mar 4, 2016

Just my opinion, but I consider anything other than concrete to be sacrificial. My engraving area is in the basement so painted concrete is easy to clean and durable for me. Keeping chips swept up reduces the damage to the floor -- also keeps the cats from getting p*i*s*s*y when they wander through and pick up chips on their paws.

For other than concrete I suggest flooring that is very easy to clean and easy to replace, linoleum for instance.

What is on the floor at the GRS studios?

Chujybear · Mar 4, 2016

Problem I see with the core tech.. Or any other strip type floor, is there are cracks for material tho slip into (only a concern if you are working w precious metals) ... The ship I work in has a 50 year old lyno floor. Starting to get ugly around tge door, but the work are show no sighn that it's going anywhere.

tdelewis · Mar 4, 2016

Concrete is what I have but I have purchased some inexpensive rubber mats form Lowe's. I think that is where I got them. They snap together. I just pick them up and give them a brush and a shake. I am sure the chips get imbedded in them but they were cheap. I got them just to keep something soft under my feet.

horologist · Mar 4, 2016

My clock shop has always been indoors and metal shavings or lathe swarf have been a source of domestic strife. Guaranteed, if a stray shaving makes it out of the shop my wife will step on it within minutes.
My shop is attached to the laundry room so I extended the pattern of linoleum tiles into the shop. (The cheap ones like they used to use in schools.) They are easy to install, much easier to sweep up than concrete, and a bit easier on tools that get dropped. I also have an old piece of carpet as a doormat in the entrance of my shop. When I am using a lathe, I wear an old pair of deck shoes that never leave the shop. If I need to go into the rest of the house I take them off at the doorway. It isn't as much trouble as it sounds like and has kept everyone happy.

monk · Mar 5, 2016

the area under my scope cart/ ballvise thingy is hardwood oak. i solved some of the problem last summer. i put a coating of grey epoxy paint over the entire floor. a couple days later, a second coat over the area where chips could fall. i sweep after each session with a mini corn broom. this area gets very little if any actual foot traffic, so it's no longer a problem. the problem arose, however, when my wife discovered what i did to the floor ! i had to take her to candlelight dinner at burger king to settle her down !

Brian Marshall · Mar 5, 2016

Linoleum has been my choice.

Cuts down on broken coffee cups by about half, and dinged metal products by over 80% - over bare concrete...

Brian

Sam · Mar 5, 2016

Mine is stained and scored concrete. I darkened the faux grout lines with a sharpie marker.

Looks great but if I had it to do over again I might have gone with a lino of some type because it's softer and safer if you should drop something on it.

My chair mats are Chunky Wool Jute DuraMatÂ®46" x 60" Rectangle-Hard Floor
Item Number: CM23442FCWJ They are pricy but extremely durable.

Riflesmith · Mar 5, 2016

My base is concrete and I covered the floor of my studio with Allure snap-together flooring which is made from recycled rubber with a 10 year commercial application warranty I then covered that, in my engraving area, with a rubber livestock stall mat. The chips tend to not get carried off on the soles of my shoes/boots. The Allure flooring I bought at Home Depot and I've not had chips imbed into it or scuff/scratch it. Just my experience.

John P. Anderson · Mar 5, 2016

It's looking like I'd better locate in the main shop area on the cement. I'll loose the North window but hopefully I'm carving hard enough I don't notice. I'm finally moving from push graving only and a new pneumatic graver setup (probably GRS) is in the budget. With the noise the shop will be best anyway. I'm going to miss the quite of push graving.

I like the various rubber mat ideas. Were looking at the Allure snap mats for a couple of areas and we also like the stall mats.

Nice digs Sam!

Thanks all for the excellent advice,

John

mitch · Mar 6, 2016

mine is currently concrete, but as renovations progress, it's going to be the black rubber-type coin finish tile. this look, but not this actual product:
http://www.overstock.com/Main-Stree...g-Tiles-Coin-Top-30-Pack/7547399/product.html

Sam · Mar 6, 2016

I like that Mitch.

Jenny2 · Mar 6, 2016

We are building a second story addition that will have plywood flooring. I don’t engrave yet, but if my class goes as I suspect with Sam in May, I will set up an engraving space in the new room.

Can you think of pros and cons to just leaving the floor plywood? I’d caulk/seal the plywood seams and then paint with floor/step paint. Then when we sell the house, I’d cover the plywood with finished floor material (carpet).

Can you think of a reason I'd need more than 110 outlets? Would I ever need 220 for any engraving equipment?

tim halloran · Mar 6, 2016

John: I have indoor outdoor carpet in my area . It's cheap to buy and any stray chips stay in the carpet. also you can drag a magnet around it occasionally to clean it up. When it gets too nasty looking just replace it.

Brian Marshall · Mar 6, 2016

Jenny, I have that kind of flooring out in the classroom.

It works, but after some years it gets pretty beat up looking.

Doesn't matter much since we don't often actually sit on the floor. We DO crawl around on it looking for tiny lost parts...

If there is time this year I'd like to repaint it. Lasted about 15 years.

Brian

Brian Marshall · Mar 6, 2016

Why black, Mitch? When you could have red and yellow to wake you up and irritate you all day long?

Brian

mitch · Mar 6, 2016

Brian Marshall said:
Why black, Mitch? When you could have red and yellow to wake you up and irritate you all day long?

Brian

because i can get enough black for the entire room from a local outlet store for less than $400. my previous workshop had a bright yellow door at one end and a bright red one at the other. a red & yellow floor would be right up my alley! (the house i bought last fall has a purple garage door. it's faded now, but some day i'll get around to restoring it to its former glory.)

Brian Marshall · Mar 6, 2016

Purple is good... especially if it matches your eyes...

Red is my color. Here of late, mine have been bloodshot - so it makes for a proper ensemble to wear that color.

Allergy time of year.

Brian

Archie Woodworth · Mar 6, 2016

Mitch,
Any issues rolling your chair over the coin surface?

Sam · Mar 7, 2016

tim halloran said:
John: I have indoor outdoor carpet in my area . It's cheap to buy and any stray chips stay in the carpet. also you can drag a magnet around it occasionally to clean it up. When it gets too nasty looking just replace it.

Jenny: There's no reason not to work on plywood. A couple of good coats of polyurethane would probably be nice.

110 outlets will be all you need for engraving equipment. I don't have 220 in my studio.

Best flooring for engraving area

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