My home workshop (which I share with my father in my parents' home) is currently being remodeled, purely as a consequence of the entire basement (in which it resides) needing to be redone for HVAC purposes. Previously, the floor had been a battered cement floor, with noticeable dents and divots that a power tool's mobile base caster could (and did) get stuck in during movement. While I mentioned throughout the project how desirable it would be to have the floor properly leveled while everything was out of there anyways, unfortunately it became clear that professionally leveling the floor was beyond the budget. Instead, we had an epoxy floor poured. So while it's not professionally leveled, the epoxy mostly evened out the inconsistencies, it's a lot better than it was.
What I guess I'm wondering is- is that good enough? I'm in the process of designing multiple tool carts to rehome a lot of our equipment once the shop is done. Those carts will be on retractable casters to wheel out of the way when not in use. I'm wondering if, because the floor hasn't been professionally leveled, I'll still need to use leveling feet and a bubble level whenever I relocate a tool, or if a mostly level floor is sufficient for all woodworking tasks. For standalone projects- for instance, a scroll saw or a router table on wheels- I'd assume that as long as the tool is steady, it will be fine. As for some of the more involved projects though- say, running longer boards on a planer or jointer such that they need a roller stand for indeed/outfeed support, suddenly those inconsistencies seem like they will cause a much bigger issue.
Would love to get the thoughts of more experienced woodworkers. Have you found imperfections in your floor to impact any projects or tasks? Assuming the floor is "mostly good" would you still opt towards leveling feet for when the casters are folded up on all my tool carts?
depends on how "un level" were talking about ? the more level the better. when running boards trough planers or a table saw onto rollers it could be a PITA ! at least the epoxy has filled the voids wheels would get stuck in. your floor is what it is and you will have to work with it the best you can !
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
#1 is getting stuck rolling a tool. Larger diameter wheels help here. Using a roller stand can be a bit tricky, but usually these can be adjusted to correct.
My floor is "ok" as far as pits, but does have some low spots. The biggest concern was the table saw with the 52" fence. It is on a mobile base, but I never move it. Potential problem is twisting in the mobile base when parked. To keep the extension table even with the main saw table. I have to use adjustable feet to get it all coplanar which is kinda critical. Other tools are probably fine as long as they don't rock or roll away to a far corner of your space.
Yeah it’s no longer an issue regarding casters getting stuck- it’s at least level enough for that.
I guess I could use advice on how to measure/quantify how non-level it still is? I guess if I could first figure out how far off level I am, it’ll give me a better sense of how problematic that could be without religiously using leveling feet.
I've never lived anywhere with a basement, but have heard plenty of lore about potential difficulties. Another possible solution if the space is dry would be to add a thin subfloor. 6mil plastic vapor barrier, 2x4 grid on the floor with wide side down (to preserve ceiling height), shims to level it. Then a layer of T&G underlayment of flooring sheets. Not cheap, but probably less than a full pour of leveler. The problem of leveler is if it is too thin and not properly bonded to the original floor, it'll chip and crack as things are wheeled about. One garage I had (single bay, 20' deep) had a standard slope of 3" down at the door for water drainage from slush dropping off a vehicle. This was no problem for tools, but I could tell things were slanted while working. Biggest problem is the dips. If the "critical" tools are set up in a spot to be level, you could mark the locations so when you wheel them into position for use, they are ready to go. May involve shimming up casters or feet for the initial leveling. Also, if you make mobile bases that are wide enough for stability (i.e. bandsaw), you can just use three wheels and they will always be free of rocking where ever you set up.
IIRC, I think that the rule of thumb is that a floor should be within about 1/4" over a 10 foot span to avoid rocking. That might be more for houses than shops though. I would think that the larger the footprint of the machine the more noticeable it would be? To check, find a longish board that has at least one good straight edge and lay it down to see where there are gaps and measure the height of the gaps. You could find both peaks and valleys and the board itself might teeter on one of the high spots, depending upon how long your straight edge is. It could be that grinding a few high spots might fix any problem areas.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
Good thought on the grinding Nathan. There are companies that use a large sander like what is used for wood flooring for leveling. Diamond coated disc and grinding would produce a more durable surface than fill type leveling. For more DIY, you can get smaller diameter diamond discs that fit on a small hand grinder. I've used this to get some areas level for door swing.
Lots of dust, but there are ways to make a shroud that connects to a shop vac to help.
If you don't need grapplig gear, to get from one side of the shop to the other and the issue is just a rough floor, go for as large a wheels you can afford. The bigger the wheels, the greater issues you can be faced with regarding centre of gravity. The option is to use an outrigger technique similar to this, as long as the bottom of the cart/machine clears the floor.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
