This weekend I had to empty out my shopVac, and decided to do it outdoors to prevent the dust from getting back in the house. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough room in the garage, and it was too cold to venture out far. So I ended up doing it on my front step, and surprise, I spilt some sawdust. It got me to thinking that sawdust would make a great anti-slip powder for ice! The best part is that it floats. Thus, if there's a slight thaw and refreeze, the sawdust stays on the top, where it's most effective (unlike sand which sinks, leaving a nice glazed surface on top). I haven't had the thaw and refreeze yet, but I'm betting it would work. Of course SWMBO doesn't like the idea because she thinks the sawdust will be tracked back into the house.
I'm sure it's been tried, so I'd love to hear any comments.
I have a nice little "pond" that seems to accumulate right in front of the door of my shop whenever it rains and I always throw some shavings or sawdust down there to keep it dry. Whats amazing is Ive been doing this for some time now and it never builds up. It just sinks into the ground and goes away somehow. Weird.
You didn't know that sawdust is bio-degradable? In small quantities, it will rot right into the soil. In larger quantities it becomes a good mulch. I have also used wood chips from the local tree timmers. Be careful to use the same wood types as you are growing. It's not good to use a lot of pine chips around hardwoods and fruit trees, or vice versa. Screws up the PH balance in the soil.
On Mon, 12 Jan 2004 15:38:37 -0500, "John Smith" scribbled:
Yup. It does. Coarser stuff (like from a dado blade) works better. Although it eventually soaks up enough water and sinks. But then, there is a large available replacement supply.
She's right too, unfortunately, but then so does sand. Just take yer boots off when coming in the house.
Luigi, Speaking from experience. Replace "no" with "yk" for real email address
On Mon, 12 Jan 2004 23:03:08 -0500, Tom Watson scribbled:
Mukluks are great on snow and ice and keep your feet nice and warm -- hand-scraped and moose-brain-tanned moose skin soles and caribou uppers with the hair inside, rabbit fur trim and lining, intricate beadwork. The smooth bottom avoids tracking of anything, but makes them wear out quickly on surfaces other than snow. However, you have to find an old First Nation lady who is prepared to make them for you and they end up being incredible pieces of craftswomanship which one would never wear in the shop. Sort of like using a hand-made, solid wood, inlaid, french-polished cherry/walnut/mahogany formal dining table as your table saw outfeed or assembly table. (I was going to say workbench, but then many wreckers wouldn't get it.)
Instead, check out:
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by all the better mushers in the Yukon. The denizens in front of the sled wear:
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for your kind of mild weather, I wear:
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just plain old steel-toed insulated work boots:
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$File/JBD07861SP.jpgExcept mine show the steel toe cap. Maybe it's time to get new ones. It depends.
I just checked your local weather. It's above zero (32F, Keith)! This is what you could wear:
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?v=seru&c=803&c1=804&country=canadaBTW, we had freezing drizzle yesterday. Freezing drizzle! This is not supposed to happen in the Yukon in January! Luckily, it turned to regular snow, but still! Might be a side effect of the stuff I sent JOAT's way. I gotta work on refining those secret powers.
OBWW: I just realised I have more boots than routers and as many as I have drills. Gotta fix that. Can't have more footwear than tools, otherwise people'll think I'm a woman.
Luigi Replace "no" with "yk" for real email address
Funny you should mention this. We had an icy patch on the front porch. Nothing else to use on it, so I came to the same conclusion you did. My stuff is from my wood lathe, incidentally. I haven't done much real woodworking since I got that stupid thing.
Anyway, I found that it didn't work terribly well myself. It needed to be hot maybe, to melt in. It just slipped around on top, and made the patch even more slippery than it was when I started.
It was at near ambient temperature, as my shop was unheated that day.
Probably better for the nearby flower bed than the ice melter stuff. The only down side is the termite factor. I hope I'm not putting out termite chow.
I knew some farnmers who would put sawdust and/or hay in a mud hole to dry it out. Worked great. Except that when it rains, the sawdust/hay then HOLDS water. Then you have a bigger mess than before.
Some kooky think tank type wanted to make artificial airfields for the northern waters out of wood chips and fresh water. Seems I read an article in Popular Science or such back during cold war (pun intended) days. Sawdust, of course, insulates the ice and makes it last longer.
Best anti-slip for ice is Calcium Chloride. Eats through, and the rough surface of the ice provides the grip. D>
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