[TheForge] Re: Gazinta (Re: shuttle)

[Ralph Sproul]

    Mike and Steve, It is much easier to do it prior to pouring the floor as
the tube can be welded to re-rod and tied to the floor wire.  You then pour
the floor to the top of the tubes and the tubes have been filled with
styrofoam so they can be tapped out later to use the pockets......but you
can still run a floor finishing tool over the sockets.

    It is possible to do after by cutting a hole in the floor and puting the
tube in (plumb preferably) and pouring with concrete.  A good idea for
something the size of a 250 lb machinist vice would be to put a hole the
size of 1/2 of a 55 gallon drum so the socket is rather heavy as well as
tied into the floor - for when you put a long lenght of heavy stock in the
vice and go to bend it.  The other thing is a hole the size of a drum can
have holes drilled into the sides to "pin" the pour to the orignal floor.
I've done it - it is very possible - it just takes a day to hack away the
floor and dig down 20 inches.  When I do the floor pockets, I leave the tube
open at the bottom with a piece of 3/4 x 1 1/2 flat welded to the bottom.
If your shop takes on a lot of water - it drains down on it's own........if
your in a wet area - it will fill your shop with water in bad times if you
leave it open, so it's up to you to know what your drainage is like.

    My approach to add this to a fellow's shop who wanted one was to drill
40 holes in the floor four inches bigger than the drum.  Beat with sledge
until a section breaks (this is the real hard part) - then break off
sections to the hole perimeters.......and insert rods into drilled holes in
floor sides - then bend down and weld to the floor socket if you don't want
it to keep moving during pouring the cement.  This added hole was then used
for a large vice like we are talking about, a hossfeld, and other vices and
bender's he'd made up.

    I'd think trying to make the hole so small it just fit the socket may
allow so little crete to be used - that you don't have any weight to work
against and it may come loose in the subsoil to the floor that you
excavated.  This is one place I wouldn't cheap out on the amount of crete I
used - if you want a really handy floor socket that will be bulletproof.

Ralph

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Smith" <sos at alum.mit.edu>
To: <mspencer at tallships.ca>; "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, August 08, 2005 9:30 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Re: Gazinta (Re: shuttle)


> I don't mean to tell you it can't be done; I'm eagerly awaiting your
> results.
>
> Steve
>
> Mike Spencer wrote:
> >>So Mike, are you going to add a floor pocket to an existing concrete
> >>floor? This sounds improbable. How?
> >
> >
> > Oy!  So Steve, is this one of those things that can't be done?  I
> > don't *know* how I'm going to do it.
> >
> > Off the top of my head, where vague thoughts have been fluttering like
> > bats...
> >
> >    Drill 4 holes straight through 6" of floor.
> >
> >    Rent a lightweight air hammer and cut out the plug, maybe 1 or 2
> >    inches oversize.
> >
> >    Gouge out some of the compacted fill underneath a bit wider than
> >    the hole.
> >
> >    Make a steel sleeve from 1/4" plate to accept the 4" HSS post.
> >
> >    Vibrate some cement into the hole, up to the underside of the
> >    existing floor.
> >
> >    Put the sleeve in place and fill around it with pour-rock or
> >    similar product.
> >
> > I can think of variations.  E.g., the sleeve has a bottom with a 1"
> > hole.  Drive a 1" stake down through the hole as far as possible and
> > then weld the stake into the sleeve bottom.  Um.. 4 such stakes?
> > Um...or a couple of strips of 1/2"x1-1/2" that are longer than the
> > hole is wide [1]; get them in place under the floor and set into the
> > fresh concrete leaving a 1" gap.  Weld them to the sleeve and put the
> > stake down between them. Um....
> >
> > I dunno [2].  If you've tried this and it didn't work, what should I
> > not do?
> >
> >
> > BTW, I was using the big vise tonight for the firt time.  Forging a
> > gargoyle doorknob on the end of 2" round.  The workpiece never moved.
> > The screw is a litle sticky when tight but I suspect it will wear in
> > after a while.
> >
> > - Mike
> >
> > [1] Why are manholes round?
> >
> > [2] Dang, where is Bugs Bunny and his portable holes when you need him?
> >
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