Replies

1. 
   UncleDunc | Jan 27, 2003 06:22am | #1

   I probably wouldn't bother putting anything on it. (Of course I probably wouldn't bother ever cleaning it either, except for sweeping.) But if you held a gun to my head and made me pick a finish, I'd pick boiled linseed oil or Penofin. Maybe not very durable, but extremely easy to reapply to worn spots and scratches.

1. 
   eddykinn | Jan 27, 2003 09:50am | #3

   thank you very much for your feedback. I appreciate your answer.

2. 
   IanDG | Jan 27, 2003 07:27am | #2

   I'd give it 3 coats of Oil-Modified Urethane (Parkes make a good one -- look in HD) in a satin finish . I'd thin the first coat 20% with mineral spirit and apply it all with a roller -- keep the roller cover in a plastic bag with a little mineral spirit to save it going hard between coats.
   That should last you at least 5 years and be easy to clean.

   IanDG

1. 
   eddykinn | Jan 27, 2003 09:52am | #4

   thank you very much for your feedback so quickly. this is a great site for us that are just starting into woodworking. I appreciate your info and suggestions. eddy

3. 
   hmthomas | Jan 27, 2003 04:33pm | #5

   eddy,

   My shop floor is plywood also. I chose not to do anything to it. It is weathering well and for my purposes is holding up fine. It cleans up fine as it is.  Once I spilled about a cup of water onto it and some of it probably was absorbed by the plywood before I could clean it up. Some kind of finish would have helped in this situation.

   My advice to you is if you do decide to put anything on it to do it ASAP. Once you start walking on it and tracking/grinding dirt into it you won't get as nice a finish.

   good luck, Hugh

4. 
   Pnut | Jan 27, 2003 05:59pm | #6

   Hi eddy:

   I have a plywood floor as well and finished it with a 2-part epoxy paint.  The paint is tough as nails and protects the wood from any liquids that may drip/fall on it.   It bonds to the floor and helps prevent the wood from chipping/delaminating.  It makes sweeping up a breeze.  I didn't put any granules in the paint, but you can do that if you want a non-slip surface.  In my humble opinion, its worth this extra step to paint the floor with epoxy. 

   I used Triangle epoxy fwiw.

1. 
   b1gcountry | Jan 27, 2003 06:12pm | #7

   Just be advised that an anti slip agent on the floor will make it harder to sweep up the sawdust. The wood should give a little anti slip in itself, I'd think.

   Tom

1. 
   Pnut | Jan 27, 2003 07:55pm | #9

   Agreed.  That's why I didn't use in my shop ;-)

1. 
   ca178858 | Jan 28, 2003 02:45am | #10

   Is the epoxy paint slippery at all? I have a concrete floor I'm thinking about painting with epoxy because its dangerous with even a little saw dust on it. I was originally going to paint with the granules, but then thought that it might not be needed, and would make cleaning harder...

1. 
   Pnut | Jan 28, 2003 03:08am | #11

   I suppose it could get somewhat slippery with a lot of sawdust on it...but I usually wear tennis shoes and havn't noticed any slipping.  I'm not sure if painting over cement would make it more slippery.  If it were me, I'd paint without the granules, wear good shoes, and keep the floor clean...

   My "shop" is a 1000 sq. foot garage.  I laid down wooden floors (like those shown in FWW Tools and Shops issue) and have two "bays" for the cars--which I raised somewhat with cement and covered with rubber "gorilla mats" (weight lifting mats).  This way the wood floor and the parking bays are all level-and I can still pull the cars in...I wouldn't trade the wood floor for nothin...and the rubber areas where I park the cars are comfy as well.  The wood floors are painted with the epoxy and still look new after 2 hard years of use.  One word of caution--epoxy paint will "chalk" if you leave it exposed to the sun.  Hope this helps.

2. 
   ca178858 | Jan 28, 2003 03:15am | #12

   Thanks for the quick reply. My shops in the basement and already has low head room or I would go for the wood floor myself.

   I think I'll try without the granules and see how it goes. Right now cutting a 2x4 with a hand saw will make enough dust for the floor to be like ice. I have mats down in the key places, but I'd much rather have the whole floor be safe.

3. 
   b1gcountry | Jan 28, 2003 06:05pm | #13

   If the epoxy floor is slippery after one coat, maybe put down another with the granules in it? Common sense, but it hasn't been mentioned yet. The no slip tape works well to.

   Tom

4. 
   eddykinn | Jan 29, 2003 04:38am | #14

   Concerning the epoxy paint. I decided to paint my floor and it is plywood. The local paint store had one part epoxy paint on their concrete floor and it was not the least bit slippery. The one part epoxy paint is cheaper than the two part and quicker to apply. I decided to use the color Shipstone Gray, I hope to cut down on the floor glare. A good idea???

5. 
   Sprucegum | Jan 27, 2003 06:58pm | #8

   I know woodworkers always like to see the wood but couple coats of white or light grey paint would sure brighten up the place.

   It would help you concentrate on the wood you are working on - not the wood you are walking on.

   Enjoy your new shop:-)

   It's not what you chew, it's how you chew it