Hello all! Thanks to the people who provided info on gemology courses-
my friends father was quite happy. I am also looking for advise on fire
proof flooring material. I’m trying to make my soldering area safer.
Concrete won’t work for two reasons: A. I rent so I can’t pour a new
floor, and B. There is a trap door to the sub basement which gets used
extremely infrequently but which I can not completely obscure. Any
suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I don’t have an idea about the possibilitys you have and how big the
area is,but if you thinking about a corner only setup for soldering
and nothing else then you should consider next. Lay out a piece of
plastic on the ground to cover the soldering area and spread regular
beach sand(wed or dry) on top of it.You can use an old carpet to
clean your shoes when you’re done.Very effective and no doubts about
the costs.
Sand – what a mess. If you want to protect a wood floor and you
are near a ubiquitous Home depot look for tile backerboard . They may
have either of two types . The one you don’t want is a gray cement
board with a fiber glass scrim it will have kind of ratty edges. They
hopefully ( locally have both) have Hardi backer board which is also
a cement board with more of a tan color. It is a little thinner and
has nice smooth edges. sheets are small, enough to handle and big
enough to lay down easily-- also cheap. They can also be used to
cover a bench top or line a solder booth and make a darker area to
work in while soldering.
. Lay out a piece of plastic on the ground to cover the soldering
area and spread regular beach sand(wed or dry) on top of it.You can
use an old carpet to
This seems to me to be a good way to get grit all over the house,
despite wiping your shoes. I think what Jade needs is not
necessarily something fireproof, but something expendable to protect
the floor. One should remember that in most setups, the “fire” is
going to fall in the sweeps drawer anyway. I doubt whether you would
set afire a piece of plywood set on the floor with any soldering
setup I know of. Another possibility would be a sheet of the
underlayment used for waterproof applications. The floor beneath
might have to be level, as I don’t think this material gives much
without cracking, but I think it is close to fireproof. A metal
plate would also be a possibility. Maybe you could tack some sheet
metal to a piece of plywood. Another possibility is the commercially
available protectors which go underneath a wood stove.
The easiest and cheapest would be a layer of the concrete backer
board that’s sold at home centers for tile setting. It’s pretty much
fire and water proof and is very tough. When you move, you simply
pick up the sheets and take them with you. I use a sheet on top of my
casting bench.
here’s another variation on the theme of putting something portable
on the floor…a piece of plywood with ceramic or quarry tiles on
it…a bit heavy to move if you ever have to, but then it won’t
"burn"…the most that could happen is the stone would absorb
heat…for a “bench” i got a used slab of marble on which to solder on…
Jade, If you just want to protect your flooring, I would suggest
masonite ( cheaper than plywood ) also known as MDF ( Medium Density
Fiberboard ) available at hardware stores everywhere, it comes in 4x8
foot sheets ( 1/8"+1/4" thick) can be taped together for larger areas,
will protect the floor and provide a smooth surface for your chair.
Water will damage it although a coat of polyurethane will prevent
that.
I agree with Roy's idea of covering a piece of plywood with a
metal sheet. "I think what Jade needs is not necessarily something
fireproof, but something expendable to protect the floor. ...
Another possibility would be a sheet of the underlayment used for
waterproof applications. .... A metal plate would also be a
possibility. Maybe you could tack some sheet metal to a piece of
plywood."
The worst kind of fire you might have is if your alcohol/borax
mixture catches fire and you spill it in trying to put out the fire.
Personal experience speaking here :-{. You don’t want anything
absorbant where the alcohol could soak in and really concentrate! In
that event, sand might be a disadvantage in putting the flames out.
Soooo, do cover the floor (carpet?) with a large enough
non-absorbant surface that a spill would not seep off onto the
flooring. Also, limit the volume of alcohol/borax on your bench and
keep it in a short, non-tippable container. With that thought, don’t
forget to equip your bench area with both an open box of baking soda
and a fire extinguisher. The baking soda does double duty in
neutralizing acid spills as well as smothering small fires. The other
reason a hard surface is preferred would be that dropped teeny-tiny
stones or findings are easier to find - MUCH easier! Just a few
thoughts from Judy in Kansas where the snow is flying (AGAIN!) and
spring seems so elusive.
Judy M. Willingham, R.S.
Extension Associate
221 Call Hall Kansas State Univerisity
Manhattan KS 66506
(785) 532-1213 FAX (785) 532-5681
I have hard wood floors in my studio that I refinished myself so I am
very careful of them. I place a cheap $30-$40 area rug, Industrial
grade, down under my benches. A 10x10 size. Every 4 or 5 years I roll
it up and send it in to the refiner with my sweeps. It protcects the
floor from hot burning things as well as the rollers on my chair. It
also catches all that precious metal dust that falls so I can recover
it easily… Never had a flame out yet. Burnt a few ring shaped
inpressions in the fiber but it is synthetic and just mostly melts
and smells funny. Frank Goss