Shay Locomotive

[Dan Rowe]

Carl, there is still a lot more to build like the engine and boiler. The truck is on a model shop floor. The old shops had end grain wood blocks that were set in with tar and would turn black with time. I learned on a shop floor like that and have end grain 4x4 blocks in my shop floor, so I just had to make a model version.

Cheers Dan

[Dan Rowe]

Here is the model floor on my shop floor. All the 4x4's were the center of the tree and I cut them so they are matched. There are several patterns or alien critters but the owl was too good to put in the floor so it sits on the window ledge. There is a scale yardstick across the tracks to show the gauge which is scale 2' and 4'. There were several 4' Shays.



Cheers Dan

[zeeprogrammer]

That is just too cool.

I've never heard of doing a floor like that. What are the benefits?
How thick (deep) is each piece of your shop floor?
Did you make up the floor yourself?

[crueby]

Great look ror the model and shop. I haven't seen a floor like that since I toured the old Delco or Rochester Products auto parts factories. Incredibly durable, easy on dropped tools, but a terror in a fire after decades of absorbing oil, which is how those old buildings ended after sitting abandoned.

[Dan Rowe]

Carl, Yes I was on the crew that pored the concrete and framing crew for my shop. I did the floor with the help of my wife Alicia. She helped me sort the blocks and spot the patterns. The blocks in my floor are about 1.5" thick, but the old ones were much thicker. Chris already mentioned the main good and bad but it is also just cool to do it the old way.

Cheers Dan

[zeeprogrammer]

but it is also just cool to do it the old way.