I'm a wood flooring contractor so I install and finish wood floors. That might be the coolest floor I've ever seen at least as a basic installation versus crazy patterns, inlays, etc... What a tremendous amount of work but a tremendous result. Very cool!
There’s “patience” and then there’s cutting down a tree by hand, to saw into wheels by hand, to froe into bricks by hand, to lay on the floor of a shed you built...
This guys ideas + know how is awesome - definite respect! Just begging the question... So - Battery Powered tools would have cut this job down by how much %? What do you think? 50, 60, 70, 80%?
I worked in a shop with a wood brick floor for 4 years. A real advantage of this floor is that dropped parts suffer much less, or, no damage on hitting the floor.
@@emmanuelmartin2310 As he's installed them, they have a little give to them. I'm also guessing that he's doing it traditionally. As for when they were used in industry, predominantly in toolroom applications, they were set on a concrete floor. I've been in a couple of shops that had them, and the blocks were 4"~6" tall. To set up a a machine, they just pulled up the appropriate number of blocks and and used the leveling pads/ assemblies on the slab under them, or put down steel blocks to replace them. That's the way it was explained to me. Industry's gone away from this type of flooring for a lot of reasons, one of the biggest being safety. They soak up oil like a sponge, making them both slip and fire hazzards at the same time. They're also expensive up front for the wood; in the machine trades, oak or hard maple were usually the preferred types of wood, and those are slow growing species, versus softwoods like pine.
The main advantage is that kind of floor does not hurt your joints back and feet when you walk stand on it every day for long hours. I you ever walk on one its like no other.
Reading thru these comments a bit & I realize that floors like this are still in use today. And a quick google search shows that they have been in use for centuries, and yet this is the first one I've ever seen. Thanks for sharing this video, I always learn something watching & reading comments on this channel.
Amazing work and dedication to a concept. Very well done. Thanks extra for not adding background music. It was a pleasure not to hear anything other than normal sounds of a craftsman.
Breathtakingly beautiful! Built to cherish and built to last. So THATS what "Built by our forefathers" meant. Not built by a contract work crew on a schedule, not built to a budget, built with your own hands.
One place I worked had a million square feet under roof (built in 1943) and most of it was wood block floor covered with tar. When the roof leaked, the floor soaked up the water and the floor bucked up. They broke open the buckled floor, scooped up the blocks with shovels, laid fresh dry wood bricks and re-coated it with tar. Good until the next gully washer! I admire your tenacity, good job. Thank you.
I am a mason of 30 years.. I love your simple way and rough approach..Thats a compliment..lol . KISS Keep it simply stupid ..Im also a disabled vet and I learned a long time ago to try and just be simple. Everyone thinks we need to improve everything..we have to try and remember to not loose the traditional techniques that have been working for years.. Great job
Where I worked, a 745 mega watt coal fired power plant, the mechanical maintenance shop used that type of floor. It lasted for over 50 years of very hard use. It's demise came when there was a flood which floated most of those blocks. Being a very timely task to reproduce that floor it was decided that the blocks be disgarded and concrete was poured as a replacement. The men who worked in that shop missed that floor. Also my wood working shop in junior high school had the same type of floor, it is still in service over 75 years old. Ecellent floor. :-)
wow, hard to imagine the concrete was cheaper? Maybe it was a labor cost issue? Or they did not find skilled labor who knew how to handle the job? I would always find wood to be much cheaper and better than concrete...
@@MrChickadee It was an issue of speed. They had to get that shop back in service as quickly as possible. Those blocks would have taken for ever. The plant was torn down in 2014 and 15 and replaced by a new modern plant.
Back in 1974, I traveled to Finland with my Father and in the airport there was the most beautiful parquet wood floor I had ever seen. This hand made wood floor is right up there with that Finnish floor. If I was a younger man (69) I would endeavor such a building. Love watching your videos Mr. Chickadee!
I have seen many floors like this in my lifetime. I am 63 and have been in many factories built since 1900. This was the floor of choice. Thick wood floors in early Ford, General Motors and Chrysler assembly plants was much more comfortable than standing on concrete all day. The intent was not beauty however it was used to save on back problems due to standing on concrete.
Who is giving thumbs down to this? Whether someone likes the look of it or not, the amount of work that went into this project is probably far more than most people have ever worked physically on a project in their lives. Looks great to me, Nice work
Young people like you who are talented, clever, persevering, industrious, hardworking, strive for excellence, and who value tradition make me proud and hopeful.
Josh you know the difference between you and most people? You love your work and most people don't. They are scared of sweat and work. When you want something you go to it, if it takes a day, a week, month, year, you're going see it through. I'm proud of you Josh Stevens, Mr Chickadee I love to watch you work, wish I still could.
That floor is amazing. You really know your history. My Great Grand-Mother had a floor like that in Oklahoma. she had it in her kitchen and dining room area because she had a boarding house for coal miners. she had to get the wood fire going and bake bread every morning for miner's lunch tomorrow. she had to be on her feet all morning long.
I have spent literally hours watching your videos today. I was watching a guy sharpening an axe and during his video he mentioned a Mr Chickadee and said he had put a link to him I had to look. Well, that was it. I got nothing done in my home because I became absolutely enthralled and mesmerised by this guy showing so much skill at everything he turned his hand to. Sir, you have my complete admiration. It's very rare that someone with your skills comes along. All traditional methods and tools which you have put to use and made modern power tools look redundant. A worthy use of my lockdown time as far as I'm concerned and I won't be ashamed that I've done sod all else but sit glued to my computer screen. Right, back to your video's, gonna be a long night!
That's one of the Best floors you can have .I worked in a machine shop with a wood block floor it supported veary heavy machinery and warm in the winter 😁🙌.
Well, well ... lookie here; a young man that isn't afraid to work. Something you don't see often these days. I can really appreciate that. I come from a very old family of ship builders. Not the sort of thing kids today would consider unless it was a family thing and your heart was really in it.
Beautiful job, sir! Two of the buildings I worked in, both built before 1910, had similar looking end-grain wood floors. Very durable, very comfortable, and surprisingly quiet floors.
I worked at a GM manufacturing plant in Hudson Ohio that had wood floors like this through the entire plant. It was great for rolling over heavy metal parts, and it was easy on your feet. We make large earth moving equipment. Terex equipment
I live in and grew up in Hudson and remember the terex plant there. It’s now jo Ann’s on terex rd. Non the less. This is cool to see your comment on here. Small world it can be. My uncle worked there many moons ago.
We have these floor covering our entire ranch home in the mountains (2,700 sqft) however, we choose a size proportionate to our space . Size is 12 x 6 .
One of the things I do to make a living is building patios, but I never thought of building one out of wood. I have some lumber from the minni ice age 500 years ago. That I've been saving for a special project. Now I know what to do with it. Thanks this will be amazing.
Job well done. I've been in lots of steel mills where the floors were covered with oak blocks because they are durable and easily replaced when someone drops a heavy steal beam on the floor. Some of the mills actually had employees whose entire job was to wander around those vast mills replacing broken blocks.
If course you wouldn’t because he would offer you perfect pieces of Swiss cheese to snack on and you be like his side kick and customers would come in and say “hi” to the smith and then “hey ya Mousey! (Or whatever the hell your name is) to you and you’d wink at them like you own the joint.
Sixty years ago I too worked in an old factory that had a woodblock floor. One Monday we came in to find the floor all "bubbled" up. It was crazy. There had been a large water leak in one of the old pipes and the wood soaked up the water and did impossible things. It even lifted a couple machines with it. It was a sad sight.
No way there is a negative side to this flooring. Old mills and warehouses had them for hundreds of years. Adding more sand occasionally will keep it tight and lose fewer screws and nails down the cracks. Great idea and beautiful execution. Not for cooking but great for hard work and heavy treads. Kudos.
Mr. Chickadee!!! You've done it again! I've watched just about every video you've posted , yet you still find new ways to make me say WOW! Congratulations on another well-earned masterpiece!
Thank you for reviving and sharing this certainly long since forgotten art form. In my 55 years walking this planet, I don't think I have ever seen this. I have seen interior floors that have been made from rounds cut from various diameter logs and branches, but never anything like this. The end result very easily looks well worth the effort.
First and foremost this gives a new meaning to "The patience of Job"! It is now the patience of Mr. Chickadee from me! Next thing I thought was. wood floor in a blacksmith shop/fire. I saw a guy about 20 years ago take old barn timbers of varying sizes and he cut pieces off the ends maybe 2" thick and glued them to his sub floor. He then grouted with something I can't remember and then sanded and urethane it. The floors were beautiful! Looked almost like cobble stone.
I used to work in a turn of the century iron mine machine shop when I was young that had the original wood block flooring. It was in great condition but undulated up and down in many areas from the loads of equipment driving on it. It was a good surface and looked very nice. I was sort of shocked when I first saw this type of surface as it varied in height a great deal. Having said that I was very smooth and held up very well to a hundred years of heavy use.
We had one of these floors in the old factory I used to work in. So much better than concrete. And if you need to replace, just pick them up and lay new ones. If they got damaged or water logged, same thing. We spread tar on ours and it made an excellent floor. Like your description said, easy on the legs and feet. After a while and a lot of heavy vehicle traffic, it was smooth and easy to maintain.
I also worked on a wood brick floor as an apprentice and a journeyman over 40-45 years ago. It is true like kkarliwt said that dropped tools, especially edged tools survived their decent must better. But is also true that it is a superior floor to work on, less fatigue and aches and pains. As an apprentice I would move to different shops and even though I was young I could feel the difference especially moving/transferring to a shop with concrete floors, even though we had rubber mats along side our work benches. Love your work, hope you keep it up. Wishing you and yours a productive, safe and happy New Year of 2020. Best to you both
Back in my navy days in the eighty's there was a large shop in the shipyard at Pearl Harbor with a wood block floor. That building was from pre WWII, it still showed camouflage paint from the war and the deck was in good condition.
HANDS DOWN the "BEST" D.I.Y. video I've seen on TH-cam!!! You built this with the "bare minimum" tools and took zero shortcuts. I am super impressed by this video! Much Respect!
My forge had a wooden floor. I covered it in ceramic bricks because of the fire hazard. When you start forge welding you will see the sparks fly. Also cut offs from the anvil can light wood. The small hot bit that gets between a couple of blocks is a hazard. I also put tin up 3 feet high around the walls and behind the fire. I hope it doesn’t become a problem.
In my home town in Yorkshire, when they removed some bitumen fron a road, lo and behold, underneath were wooden blocks. Been there since the early 1800s, it seems.
I am from Irkutsk, Siberia. A century and a half ago city center streets were paved with larch blocks. Pretty the same technology as Mr.Chikadee used and as you mentioned. It seems that it was a kind of standard technique for that times
I worked at a machine shop in 1978 that had a wooden floor. And can tell you that walking was just great. Way better than concrete on the bottom of ones feet. Nowadays just does not happen. Keep up the great work.
Never heard of it before, never seen it, would love to walk on it all day. Wonderful! You are a marvel Sir and your skills and ideas are beyond our present know-how. I am a wood trades man, retired, and I can go to my Maker having learned something that should still be in use. Thank you for the enlightenment.
Did the same from scrap construction lumber for the floor of my shop in Alaska. It also helps to insulate your feet from having the heat sucked out by direct contact with the earth. Keep a thin layer of sand on for awhile and the joints will continue to fill until it’s as tight as it can get. Unless the cloth you laid down over the crushed stone is made from something like hemp you’re likely to find areas of settling where the cloth has rotten and the sand has filtered down and created a void causing a low spot. Not as easy as it might seem to resolve with everything so tight. There are ways of mitigating this but that is the subject of another video. I like your style.
Oh, Mr Chickadee, I loved the natural wood so much better. It brought light into the shop. I just so much prefer the look of the wood without it being blackened.
Said like a woman, l am too, so absolutely no offensive meant. The wood is charred that way to seal it and offer it some protection from moisture. So as beautiful as the raw wood looked it wouldn't be as durable!
I remember being in a Caterpillar manufacturing plant in East Peoria, one of the really old buildings, and it had a wood block floor. I was told that there was a large clamp at one end of the building that held the blocks in place. It could be released if blocks needed to be replaced.
Also as a teen I was hired to be part of a demolition crew in a large factory. It was big enough for train cars to pull inside to load large machines sold to breweries. The company, Barry-Wehmiller, was founded in the 1890’s here in St Louis. The entire loading area, bigger than a football field was wood block. I had never seen it anywhere else. The roof had developed leaks and in several places the blocks swole up into giant lumps the size of igloos.We had fun throwing cinderblocks on them to watch them fall into piles before we carried them out into dumpsters. Anyway it was a fun memory triggered by this video. We done.
I didnt think i would finish the video, but it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Then i chose to spend another 15 minutes in the comment section. Good video. You have a new subscriber.
Wood brick floors is one of the best type of floors in a smithy, even for modern shops. In my opinion. The reason why is because they're not as hard as concrete so you don't hurt as much in your feet after standing on it for a day, also the bricks that are in the path of most wear can easily be replaced. (maybe not so much when they are handcrafted frm a log rather than being cut from a 2x4) Torching them was an awesome idea I had not thought of before and it will render them more stable when it comes to catching fire. And they burn less so than the rubbermats that are commonly placed in blacksmith shops today. :-) This has been my floorplan material whenever I get around to my own shop, and it was nice to see some improving ideas and get some great inspiration!
The place my father worked, Acklin Stamping Co in Toledo had creosoted wooden blocks on the floor. A really good floor I'll tell you. Also there were some streets of those blocks. The only problem was when it rained, a lot of them would float away.
@@idontthinkso666 From what I have experienced I got the impression that it helps to torch the wood against smaller embers and such, which is mostly what a smithy's floor is going to see. But you also have a very good point about the insects.
What wonderful way to floor for your smithy and a beautiful job. We all do things slightly different I was a little taken back when you mortared the edge, felt that a fine gravel (cracker dust) would have been better (probably not locally sourced though) especially since you went to so much effort on the dry fit foundation. Always find it better to finish the half bricks at the edges after the whole floor is laid (find it's effecienct in action and process and can help stop creep), We also typically dust pavers with dry sfine and then compact (using a motorised vibrating plate compactor.....not so traditional), this helps drive sand deep into the seems and locks everything very tight (sort of looked like you had swept a fine layer in prior to wackamole?). Thanks for sharing your knowledge and art, very much look forward to seeing your forge up and running.
Nice. My father told me that machine shops used to have this sort of floor made of end grain oak over concrete. It could take the weight of heavy lathes and mills, and if you dropped a tap or milling cutter it wouldn't be damaged.
I worked for Illinois Tool Works as an Apprentice Machine Builder in 1963, they had that wood floor throughout the whole shop. Lathes, mills, grinders, it was comfortable to work on. And no damaged parts if you had an "oopsees".
I've been subscribed since your early days & only occasionally comment. That said, for a Young man with little to no experience at the start, you have certainly grown into a man of much knowledge & experience, expertise & talent. It is always a pleasure watching you work & create with nothing but the background noises & the song of your tools. Fantastic work!
pretty darn smart young fellow. He hasn't had anything handed to him it looks like. I bet he washed out that coffee cup and is drinking coffee out of it again lol. This was really interesting Mr Chickadee...thanks!
The Ford Plant in Sharonville Ohio had floors like these up until a few years ago. I heard they made for lovely bonfires at some people homes since they had been there a long time, soaking up oil.
I worked in a steel mill (sheet mill) in the 60s, where end grain hardwood floors were used. Those were typically laid over concrete, and usually sealed with some kind of pitch. They stood up to coils much better than concrete. Berger Juel (sp?) in Chicago used to make this flooring for high-end residential use. It was featured on a This old House project many years ago, when Bob Villa was in charged. It was awesome.
I don't recall how you sharpen your hatchet, but I changed the edge geometry on mine to a single edge bevel. It made doing those kinds of tasks infinitely easier. Also, I usually use a hand tamper when I do that project (I doubt you'd use a gas powered plate tamper). All that being said, another great video. Another great idea.
Saw one of these floors in a horse barn years ago was amazed how well it held up through the years. One of those things you see and don't forget. Definitely the original antifatigue floor. Very easy on the feet
We going to leave the fact that souh shugi ban (aka wood burning) creates chemical compounds and a particular smell that is 99% resistant to termites and other bug infestation??
All this time I thought I just had to figure out what was going on on my own... Then I learn the videos are subtitled with explanations... Guess I gatta rewatch 5 years worth of videos now....
Most gorgeous and functional / utilitarian blacksmithy shop floor ever. Sound reduction will be great on preserving hearing from anvil ring (and increasing TH-cam viewer satisfaction). I suspect you will pull some bricks to place the anvil stump directly into to ground later to reduce ring?
Great video on these type floors. I worked for an elevator manufacturer that offered blocks-on-end platforms for industrial elevators, made by individually nailing oak blocks end grain up to a wood plank sub-floor, then sanding and finishing with 30wt oil, it was beautiful work.
I use to drive tractor trailer in Philadelphia PA an go into one warehouse on Spring garden Street. It had a wooden floor over 100 years old and still in fine condition wearing like iron.
I worked in an automotive plant that had a floor like this that was put together in the 30’s. It had lift trucks rolling over it for the last 80 years. We were there to do minimal repairs. So cool.
If I were a tree that lived within a hundred miles of you I would break out into a cold sweat, seems there is nothing you can't accomplish, great videos.
I hate to make a fuss, but feel like was robbed of a hald dozen Mr. Chickadee videos. I should have been able to watch a video of you walking to an Amish livestock sale, buy a couple ox calves and lead them home. Then, I could have watched several videos of you building a cart for the oxen to pull. Then, I could have watched a video of you making harnesses and various needed tack for attaching and leading the ox. Then, I could have watched a video of you raising and training the calves to pull the cart. Finally, I would have seen you, two years down the road, get sand from the creek in your ox driven cart instead of that nasty old truck! Well. I guess all my dream are shattered. Love ya.. Thanks for another great video.
The first time I saw this technology was at the Pratt and Whitney jet engine factory in East Hartford, Ct. Some of these wood bricks had been in place in that factory for over 90 years. When damaged, they just burnish a new one in place. Takes about 5 min to repair.
subtitles are attached to all who would like to know more
Best add yet. If you ever add subtitles to old videos let us know. Probably not enough time for this though
Tappa, tappa, tappa!
Dobra robota.
Good job.
Тяжело, наверное, было пилить?
Felicitaciónes muy buen trabajo.!!!!
I'm a wood flooring contractor so I install and finish wood floors. That might be the coolest floor I've ever seen at least as a basic installation versus crazy patterns, inlays, etc... What a tremendous amount of work but a tremendous result. Very cool!
There’s “patience” and then there’s cutting down a tree by hand, to saw into wheels by hand, to froe into bricks by hand, to lay on the floor of a shed you built...
So true!!!
You're right, dude!
And one more thing. Everybody burn wood. Everybody!
With sand you shoveled from a stream, and stones you carried from the forest, and hewed to shape.
This guys ideas + know how is awesome - definite respect!
Just begging the question...
So - Battery Powered tools would have cut this job down by how much %? What do you think?
50, 60, 70, 80%?
@@ithinkthonkthunk5333 He'd have to walk to the nearest town to recharge the batteries. I think it's about 40 miles. :)
I worked in a shop with a wood brick floor for 4 years. A real advantage of this floor is that dropped parts suffer much less, or, no damage on hitting the floor.
My question is. How this floor keeps the level? I mean. doesn't the bricks move?
@@emmanuelmartin2310 As he's installed them, they have a little give to them. I'm also guessing that he's doing it traditionally.
As for when they were used in industry, predominantly in toolroom applications, they were set on a concrete floor. I've been in a couple of shops that had them, and the blocks were 4"~6" tall. To set up a a machine, they just pulled up the appropriate number of blocks and and used the leveling pads/ assemblies on the slab under them, or put down steel blocks to replace them. That's the way it was explained to me.
Industry's gone away from this type of flooring for a lot of reasons, one of the biggest being safety. They soak up oil like a sponge, making them both slip and fire hazzards at the same time. They're also expensive up front for the wood; in the machine trades, oak or hard maple were usually the preferred types of wood, and those are slow growing species, versus softwoods like pine.
@@7891ph thanks for the answer :D
Plus they suck up a lot oil
The main advantage is that kind of floor does not hurt your joints back and feet when you walk stand on it every day for long hours. I you ever walk on one its like no other.
Reading thru these comments a bit & I realize that floors like this are still in use today. And a quick google search shows that they have been in use for centuries, and yet this is the first one I've ever seen.
Thanks for sharing this video, I always learn something watching & reading comments on this channel.
Amazing work and dedication to a concept. Very well done. Thanks extra for not adding background music. It was a pleasure not to hear anything other than normal sounds of a craftsman.
Yes!!
I second that
B as by the sound of birds or an occasional monkey sound
I agree no need for music when awesome is being performed
Breathtakingly beautiful! Built to cherish and built to last. So THATS what "Built by our forefathers" meant. Not built by a contract work crew on a schedule, not built to a budget, built with your own hands.
I have watched many of his videos and I have nothing but mad respect with a slight envy
Same here!
One place I worked had a million square feet under roof (built in 1943) and most of it was wood block floor covered with tar. When the roof leaked, the floor soaked up the water and the floor bucked up. They broke open the buckled floor, scooped up the blocks with shovels, laid fresh dry wood bricks and re-coated it with tar. Good until the next gully washer!
I admire your tenacity, good job. Thank you.
Thank you. This was both educational and peaceful. In TH-cam era of obnoxious and loud this was a beautiful refuge
I am a mason of 30 years.. I love your simple way and rough approach..Thats a compliment..lol . KISS Keep it simply stupid ..Im also a disabled vet and I learned a long time ago to try and just be simple. Everyone thinks we need to improve everything..we have to try and remember to not loose the traditional techniques that have been working for years.. Great job
Where I worked, a 745 mega watt coal fired power plant, the mechanical maintenance shop used that type of floor. It lasted for over 50 years of very hard use. It's demise came when there was a flood which floated most of those blocks. Being a very timely task to reproduce that floor it was decided that the blocks be disgarded and concrete was poured as a replacement. The men who worked in that shop missed that floor. Also my wood working shop in junior high school had the same type of floor, it is still in service over 75 years old. Ecellent floor. :-)
wow, hard to imagine the concrete was cheaper? Maybe it was a labor cost issue? Or they did not find skilled labor who knew how to handle the job? I would always find wood to be much cheaper and better than concrete...
@@MrChickadee It was an issue of speed. They had to get that shop back in service as quickly as possible. Those blocks would have taken for ever. The plant was torn down in 2014 and 15 and replaced by a new modern plant.
Back in 1974, I traveled to Finland with my Father and in the airport there was the most beautiful parquet wood floor I had ever seen.
This hand made wood floor is right up there with that Finnish floor.
If I was a younger man (69) I would endeavor such a building. Love watching your videos Mr. Chickadee!
I have seen many floors like this in my lifetime. I am 63 and have been in many factories built since 1900. This was the floor of choice. Thick wood floors in early Ford, General Motors and Chrysler assembly plants was much more comfortable than standing on concrete all day. The intent was not beauty however it was used to save on back problems due to standing on concrete.
I worked in a ford stamping plant. The wood floor was used to cut down on noise and was easy and cheep to repair.
Who is giving thumbs down to this? Whether someone likes the look of it or not, the amount of work that went into this project is probably far more than most people have ever worked physically on a project in their lives. Looks great to me, Nice work
Young people like you who are talented, clever, persevering, industrious, hardworking, strive for excellence, and who value tradition make me proud and hopeful.
Me too.
Josh you know the difference between you and most people? You love your work and most people don't. They are scared of sweat and work. When you want something you go to it, if it takes a day, a week, month, year, you're going see it through. I'm proud of you Josh Stevens, Mr Chickadee I love to watch you work, wish I still could.
That floor is amazing. You really know your history. My Great Grand-Mother had a floor like that in Oklahoma. she had it in her kitchen and dining room area because she had a boarding house for coal miners. she had to get the wood fire going and bake bread every morning for miner's lunch tomorrow. she had to be on her feet all morning long.
I have spent literally hours watching your videos today. I was watching a guy sharpening an axe and during his video he mentioned a Mr Chickadee and said he had put a link to him I had to look. Well, that was it. I got nothing done in my home because I became absolutely enthralled and mesmerised by this guy showing so much skill at everything he turned his hand to. Sir, you have my complete admiration. It's very rare that someone with your skills comes along. All traditional methods and tools which you have put to use and made modern power tools look redundant. A worthy use of my lockdown time as far as I'm concerned and I won't be ashamed that I've done sod all else but sit glued to my computer screen. Right, back to your video's, gonna be a long night!
Glad to provide some Covid Entertainment
That's one of the Best floors you can have .I worked in a machine shop with a wood block floor it supported veary heavy machinery and warm in the winter 😁🙌.
Well, well ... lookie here; a young man that isn't afraid to work. Something you don't see often these days. I can really appreciate that. I come from a very old family of ship builders. Not the sort of thing kids today would consider unless it was a family thing and your heart was really in it.
Beautiful job, sir! Two of the buildings I worked in, both built before 1910, had similar looking end-grain wood floors. Very durable, very comfortable, and surprisingly quiet floors.
Incredible work. Very satisfying to watch. No loud music. Just the calming sound of hard work. Very well done.
Getting a new video from Mr. Chickadee always makes my day
Perfected, Artistic, Craftsmanship, Period! Just happened on the video and was blown away.. Bravo fellas, Bravo !!!
I worked at a GM manufacturing plant in Hudson Ohio that had wood floors like this through the entire plant. It was great for rolling over heavy metal parts, and it was easy on your feet. We make large earth moving equipment. Terex equipment
Joyce Thomas in trenton to
I live in and grew up in Hudson and remember the terex plant there. It’s now jo Ann’s on terex rd. Non the less. This is cool to see your comment on here. Small world it can be. My uncle worked there many moons ago.
We have these floor covering our entire ranch home in the mountains (2,700 sqft) however, we choose a size proportionate to our space . Size is 12 x 6 .
Raise your hand if you think Mr Chickadee need to build a nice traditional wooden wheelbarrow !!
One of the things I do to make a living is building patios, but I never thought of building one out of wood. I have some lumber from the minni ice age 500 years ago. That I've been saving for a special project. Now I know what to do with it. Thanks this will be amazing.
I’d love to see that! You must post a video when you’re done.
He did this with green wood so if the wood gets wet, ideally the floor won't buckle, as it's already as large as it'll ever get.
The type of American woman required to make this possible is exceedingly rare. Excellent vids Mr. Chickadee. It really tells the story. Well done.
American woman? What's this reference?
Job well done. I've been in lots of steel mills where the floors were covered with oak blocks because they are durable and easily replaced when someone drops a heavy steal beam on the floor. Some of the mills actually had employees whose entire job was to wander around those vast mills replacing broken blocks.
Every time I think this shop couldn’t get better, you prove me wrong.
What a very special person!
If I were a mouse, I would make that my home and never ever cause trouble for the blacksmith.
J F I think this might be my favorite comment ever.
If course you wouldn’t because he would offer you perfect pieces of Swiss cheese to snack on and you be like his side kick and customers would come in and say “hi” to the smith and then “hey ya Mousey! (Or whatever the hell your name is) to you and you’d wink at them like you own the joint.
What a strange and wholesome comment.
Thank you. lol
@@bozolito108 😂😂😂
I think I found a different video of you in the shop after hours, JF, under “house-proud mouse”!!
Wow. Just wow. Learned so much and did not have to endure someone over explaining process. I will watch again to turn on subtitles.
Sixty years ago I too worked in an old factory that had a woodblock floor. One Monday we came in to find the floor all "bubbled" up. It was crazy. There had been a large water leak in one of the old pipes and the wood soaked up the water and did impossible things. It even lifted a couple machines with it. It was a sad sight.
Sad but cool! All of the factories I've worked in have had concrete floors.
I've seen them bubble as well, it's pretty wild to see it. It reminded me of a Salvador Dali painting!
They would probably be easier on your feet than a concrete floor too
No way there is a negative side to this flooring. Old mills and warehouses had them for hundreds of years. Adding more sand occasionally will keep it tight and lose fewer screws and nails down the cracks. Great idea and beautiful execution. Not for cooking but great for hard work and heavy treads. Kudos.
Mr. Chickadee!!! You've done it again! I've watched just about every video you've posted , yet you still find new ways to make me say WOW! Congratulations on another well-earned masterpiece!
Thank you for reviving and sharing this certainly long since forgotten art form. In my 55 years walking this planet, I don't think I have ever seen this. I have seen interior floors that have been made from rounds cut from various diameter logs and branches, but never anything like this. The end result very easily looks well worth the effort.
You inspire everyone of us who enjoy your craftsmanship. Truly amazing.
First and foremost this gives a new meaning to "The patience of Job"! It is now the patience of Mr. Chickadee from me! Next thing I thought was. wood floor in a blacksmith shop/fire. I saw a guy about 20 years ago take old barn timbers of varying sizes and he cut pieces off the ends maybe 2" thick and glued them to his sub floor. He then grouted with something I can't remember and then sanded and urethane it. The floors were beautiful! Looked almost like cobble stone.
I used to work in a turn of the century iron mine machine shop when I was young that had the original wood block flooring. It was in great condition but undulated up and down in many areas from the loads of equipment driving on it. It was a good surface and looked very nice.
I was sort of shocked when I first saw this type of surface as it varied in height a great deal. Having said that I was very smooth and held up very well to a hundred years of heavy use.
We had one of these floors in the old factory I used to work in. So much better than concrete. And if you need to replace, just pick them up and lay new ones. If they got damaged or water logged, same thing. We spread tar on ours and it made an excellent floor. Like your description said, easy on the legs and feet. After a while and a lot of heavy vehicle traffic, it was smooth and easy to maintain.
Honestly, I was skeptical at first, but man that turned out amazing, great job! Thanks for sharing.
I also worked on a wood brick floor as an apprentice and a journeyman over 40-45 years ago. It is true like kkarliwt said that dropped tools, especially edged tools survived their decent must better. But is also true that it is a superior floor to work on, less fatigue and aches and pains. As an apprentice I would move to different shops and even though I was young I could feel the difference especially moving/transferring to a shop with concrete floors, even though we had rubber mats along side our work benches. Love your work, hope you keep it up. Wishing you and yours a productive, safe and happy New Year of 2020. Best to you both
Back in my navy days in the eighty's there was a large shop in the shipyard at Pearl Harbor with a wood block floor. That building was from pre WWII, it still showed camouflage paint from the war and the deck was in good condition.
Wow, you were at Pearl Harbor in the 1880's !! :-D :-D :-D
HANDS DOWN the "BEST" D.I.Y. video I've seen on TH-cam!!! You built this with the "bare minimum" tools and took zero shortcuts. I am super impressed by this video! Much Respect!
My forge had a wooden floor. I covered it in ceramic bricks because of the fire hazard. When you start forge welding you will see the sparks fly. Also cut offs from the anvil can light wood. The small hot bit that gets between a couple of blocks is a hazard. I also put tin up 3 feet high around the walls and behind the fire.
I hope it doesn’t become a problem.
Thank you for making all those fascinating, calming, skillful sounds with your musical instruments of hammer, broom, wedges and all.
Я САМ УВЛЕКАЮСЬ ТРОТУАРНОЙ ПЛИТКОЙ, НО ТАКОГО Я ЕЩЕ НЕ ВИДЕЛ!!!!!! 🔥 RESPECT 👏👏👏 ПОЯВИЛИСЬ ИДЕИ, СПАСИБО!
Thank you for taking the time to record this build. It helps to preserve these techniques and spark new interest.
In my home town in Yorkshire, when they removed some bitumen fron a road, lo and behold, underneath were wooden blocks. Been there since the early 1800s, it seems.
I am from Irkutsk, Siberia. A century and a half ago city center streets were paved with larch blocks. Pretty the same technology as Mr.Chikadee used and as you mentioned. It seems that it was a kind of standard technique for that times
I`ve seen the same thing in a lot of the old London streets. Apparently they are all cedar blocks and were felled and brought over from Australia.
I worked at a machine shop in 1978 that had a wooden floor. And can tell you that walking was just great. Way better than concrete on the bottom of ones feet. Nowadays just does not happen. Keep up the great work.
Beautiful, and functional ! I like how the floor will be "self leveling" under a heavy load! 😊
I'm so impressed with your level of patience. Every step is full of caring. Awesome.
Thank you so much 😀
Absolute dedication to the craft. Thank you for this video and allowing us to see your craft at work. Have a great 2020.
Never heard of it before, never seen it, would love to walk on it all day. Wonderful! You are a marvel Sir and your skills and ideas are beyond our present know-how. I am a wood trades man, retired, and I can go to my Maker having learned something that should still be in use. Thank you for the enlightenment.
What you can do when you don’t watch TH-cam videos all day.
thats funny!
Nothing no time left after TH-cam
That's one thing to never have on the "honey do" list.
What you can do after watching the right TH-cam.
@@paulbadger6336 yup
Did the same from scrap construction lumber for the floor of my shop in Alaska. It also helps to insulate your feet from having the heat sucked out by direct contact with the earth. Keep a thin layer of sand on for awhile and the joints will continue to fill until it’s as tight as it can get. Unless the cloth you laid down over the crushed stone is made from something like hemp you’re likely to find areas of settling where the cloth has rotten and the sand has filtered down and created a void causing a low spot. Not as easy as it might seem to resolve with everything so tight. There are ways of mitigating this but that is the subject of another video.
I like your style.
great craftsmanship. A lot of work went into that floor and it shows.
Oh, Mr Chickadee, I loved the natural wood so much better. It brought light into the shop. I just so much prefer the look of the wood without it being blackened.
Said like a woman, l am too, so absolutely no offensive meant. The wood is charred that way to seal it and offer it some protection from moisture. So as beautiful as the raw wood looked it wouldn't be as durable!
I remember being in a Caterpillar manufacturing plant in East Peoria, one of the really old buildings, and it had a wood block floor. I was told that there was a large clamp at one end of the building that held the blocks in place. It could be released if blocks needed to be replaced.
Also as a teen I was hired to be part of a demolition crew in a large factory. It was big enough for train cars to pull inside to load large machines sold to breweries. The company, Barry-Wehmiller, was founded in the 1890’s here in St Louis. The entire loading area, bigger than a football field was wood block. I had never seen it anywhere else. The roof had developed leaks and in several places the blocks swole up into giant lumps the size of igloos.We had fun throwing cinderblocks on them to watch them fall into piles before we carried them out into dumpsters. Anyway it was a fun memory triggered by this video. We done.
I worked in a stable on a old estate that had these floors. Solid, easy to clean, easy to treat with lime. Great floors.
I didnt think i would finish the video, but it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Then i chose to spend another 15 minutes in the comment section. Good video. You have a new subscriber.
Wood brick floors is one of the best type of floors in a smithy, even for modern shops.
In my opinion.
The reason why is because they're not as hard as concrete so you don't hurt as much in your feet after standing on it for a day, also the bricks that are in the path of most wear can easily be replaced. (maybe not so much when they are handcrafted frm a log rather than being cut from a 2x4) Torching them was an awesome idea I had not thought of before and it will render them more stable when it comes to catching fire. And they burn less so than the rubbermats that are commonly placed in blacksmith shops today. :-)
This has been my floorplan material whenever I get around to my own shop, and it was nice to see some improving ideas and get some great inspiration!
I don't think the torching/burning has any role in fireproofing them. Josh has explained that it makes the wood less palatable to wood eating insects.
The place my father worked, Acklin Stamping Co in Toledo had creosoted wooden blocks on the floor. A really good floor I'll tell you. Also there were some streets of those blocks. The only problem was when it rained, a lot of them would float away.
@@idontthinkso666 From what I have experienced I got the impression that it helps to torch the wood against smaller embers and such, which is mostly what a smithy's floor is going to see.
But you also have a very good point about the insects.
I really enjoyed the absence of crappy music and blathering. Great to hear the work :)
What wonderful way to floor for your smithy and a beautiful job. We all do things slightly different I was a little taken back when you mortared the edge, felt that a fine gravel (cracker dust) would have been better (probably not locally sourced though) especially since you went to so much effort on the dry fit foundation. Always find it better to finish the half bricks at the edges after the whole floor is laid (find it's effecienct in action and process and can help stop creep), We also typically dust pavers with dry sfine and then compact (using a motorised vibrating plate compactor.....not so traditional), this helps drive sand deep into the seems and locks everything very tight (sort of looked like you had swept a fine layer in prior to wackamole?).
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and art, very much look forward to seeing your forge up and running.
Does this guy inspire anyone else to be a better person, or is it just me...? Much love goes out to you Mr. Chickadee
Nice. My father told me that machine shops used to have this sort of floor made of end grain oak over concrete. It could take the weight of heavy lathes and mills, and if you dropped a tap or milling cutter it wouldn't be damaged.
I worked for Illinois Tool Works as an Apprentice Machine Builder in 1963, they had that wood floor throughout the whole shop. Lathes, mills, grinders, it was comfortable to work on. And no damaged parts if you had an "oopsees".
I've been subscribed since your early days & only occasionally comment.
That said, for a Young man with little to no experience at the start, you have certainly grown into a man of much knowledge & experience, expertise & talent.
It is always a pleasure watching you work & create with nothing but the background noises & the song of your tools.
Fantastic work!
Floor looks great, love the entire project.
pretty darn smart young fellow. He hasn't had anything handed to him it looks like. I bet he washed out that coffee cup and is drinking coffee out of it again lol. This was really interesting Mr Chickadee...thanks!
I toward a Euclid heavy equipment plant in Cleveland Ohio and they had wood floors just like you made very comfortable to walk on and work on.
I swerved a machinist apprenticeship at Black & Decker in the early 1970's and this is the kind of floor we had in the shop. We loved it.
The Ford Plant in Sharonville Ohio had floors like these up until a few years ago.
I heard they made for lovely bonfires at some people homes since they had been there a long time, soaking up oil.
Absolutely beautiful! I'm amazed anyone would still take the time to do such a project. My hat's off to you sir.
I have never seen floors like this this is great.
I admire your patience and hard work!!
I worked in a steel mill (sheet mill) in the 60s, where end grain hardwood floors were used. Those were typically laid over concrete, and usually sealed with some kind of pitch. They stood up to coils much better than concrete. Berger Juel (sp?) in Chicago used to make this flooring for high-end residential use. It was featured on a This old House project many years ago, when Bob Villa was in charged. It was awesome.
You do such nice work, i love how old fashioned you are!
I recall removing these from a barn. in the early 60s. The bricks were end grain and had been steeped in tar.
Gotta be the hardest worker on TH-cam!
I don't recall how you sharpen your hatchet, but I changed the edge geometry on mine to a single edge bevel. It made doing those kinds of tasks infinitely easier. Also, I usually use a hand tamper when I do that project (I doubt you'd use a gas powered plate tamper).
All that being said, another great video. Another great idea.
I have a plethora of hatchets with various grinds and weights for differing jobs....this one is double bevel and works fine
@@MrChickadee yup. The light bulb came on as soon as I read your reply. I'm such a boot.😑
Saw one of these floors in a horse barn years ago was amazed how well it held up through the years. One of those things you see and don't forget. Definitely the original antifatigue floor. Very easy on the feet
I live in Louisiana and the termites would love this floor , more than me.
Im in northeast Texas. Same here.
Most termites prefer wet or decomposing wood in contact or near to wet soil. Understand this and you control them.
How about linseed oil?! It is bitter.
We going to leave the fact that souh shugi ban (aka wood burning) creates chemical compounds and a particular smell that is 99% resistant to termites and other bug infestation??
@@MrChickadee Is there any concern of the floor collecting moisture and developing rot?
Very much appreciated, for the first time I am witnessing this type of flooring work, good work, BEST WISHES
loves from Turkey. I love following. I hope one day I will build structures like you.
All this time I thought I just had to figure out what was going on on my own... Then I learn the videos are subtitled with explanations... Guess I gatta rewatch 5 years worth of videos now....
Saw floors like that in Germany that were about one hundred years old, and wearing well. They had oiled those, charring is cheaper and easier.
Very cool and beautifully done, most old roundhouses for steam engines were done this way saved a ton of peoples joints im sure over time.
That is just plain beautiful...i will so be doing this to my future shop once I move.
That is the best looking floor I have ever seen. Thank you for spending the time to share that craftsmanship with us.
Most gorgeous and functional / utilitarian blacksmithy shop floor ever. Sound reduction will be great on preserving hearing from anvil ring (and increasing TH-cam viewer satisfaction). I suspect you will pull some bricks to place the anvil stump directly into to ground later to reduce ring?
Great video on these type floors. I worked for an elevator manufacturer that offered blocks-on-end platforms for industrial elevators, made by individually nailing oak blocks end grain up to a wood plank sub-floor, then sanding and finishing with 30wt oil, it was beautiful work.
I use to drive tractor trailer in Philadelphia PA an go into one warehouse on Spring garden Street. It had a wooden floor over 100 years old and still in fine condition wearing like iron.
Philly also has a couple of small streets where the paving is done in wood blocks
I worked in an automotive plant that had a floor like this that was put together in the 30’s. It had lift trucks rolling over it for the last 80 years. We were there to do minimal repairs. So cool.
If I were a tree that lived within a hundred miles of you I would break out into a cold sweat, seems there is nothing you can't accomplish, great videos.
Your patience is admirable.
I hate to make a fuss, but feel like was robbed of a hald dozen Mr. Chickadee videos. I should have been able to watch a video of you walking to an Amish livestock sale, buy a couple ox calves and lead them home. Then, I could have watched several videos of you building a cart for the oxen to pull. Then, I could have watched a video of you making harnesses and various needed tack for attaching and leading the ox. Then, I could have watched a video of you raising and training the calves to pull the cart. Finally, I would have seen you, two years down the road, get sand from the creek in your ox driven cart instead of that nasty old truck! Well. I guess all my dream are shattered.
Love ya.. Thanks for another great video.
Oh great thanks you gave me something to do while I’m quarantined in my home with no tools or job. Now I have 3 months to finish my 8x5 patio.
This man has the patience of a saint
Doctors have patients, Saints have patience.
Psychiatric or medical?
Patience. Unless, for some strange reason, you think he's a doctor.
I would love to have half of his patients
Dude definitely has some Zen shit going on.
I've seen this flooring before in a log cabin and fell in love with it. I want it for m next home
The first time I saw this technology was at the Pratt and Whitney jet engine factory in East Hartford, Ct. Some of these wood bricks had been in place in that factory for over 90 years. When damaged, they just burnish a new one in place. Takes about 5 min to repair.
Interesting. I know the word "burnish" can mean polish--what does it mean in this usage? Thank you.