Cat Killin' Mood

[Harry]

While I would never actually harm one on purpose I certainly was pretty pissed off this morning to find hundreds of deep paw prints in my concrete. As some of you might know I have been over time trying to cat shit proof my foundry, at first I had some old pieces of wood sheeting laying about then I laid several hundred fire bricks that I had bought with the thought of a kiln in mind figuring they could stand in for a floor while waiting to build the kiln rather than sit stacked on a pallet.

Well I still had two areas not covered by brick, on about 3 x 8' by my furnace where I store my ingots and pouring tools and the other about 3 x 12'. This area is behind the second molding bench and had some barrels with supplies stored there. Almost all of the ground was covered but if they can find a 6" square where there is exposed dirt they will use it. Well I have been wanting to move the barrels and place the new molding bench up against that wall so I hauled everything out and dug down for concrete. Finished pouring that piece close to dark yesterday. This morning I shocked to see the tracks, deep and numerous. Couldnt just walk across, it looked like the damn thing was at a square dance or something. Well it was still pretty green and I had to mix concrete to finish the smaller section so I used a little of the fresh mud and worked it in and got it cleaned up pretty well. Maybe a cat cursin' hour of sweating and working on my knees but it looks decent now and the other section is poured too.

Need to keep pouring small sections and get the floor ready for the other side of my shop, about 12 x 36' for that. I would like to have the concrete done before I get to where I can afford the steel for the roof so once I put that up I am good to go.

[Jammer]

I don't care for cats much. I don't swerve to hit them but I don't slow down either.
Kittens are cute, cats are targets.

http://www.gamedition.com/196/Cat_Cannon

[Rasper]

Anti freeze is the answer.

Richard

[mite5255]

While I would never actually harm one on purpose I certainly was pretty pissed off this morning to find hundreds of deep paw prints in my concrete. As some of you might know I have been over time trying to cat shit proof my foundry, at first I had some old pieces of wood sheeting laying about then I laid several hundred fire bricks that I had bought with the thought of a kiln in mind figuring they could stand in for a floor while waiting to build the kiln rather than sit stacked on a pallet.

Well I still had two areas not covered by brick, on about 3 x 8' by my furnace where I store my ingots and pouring tools and the other about 3 x 12'. This area is behind the second molding bench and had some barrels with supplies stored there. Almost all of the ground was covered but if they can find a 6" square where there is exposed dirt they will use it. Well I have been wanting to move the barrels and place the new molding bench up against that wall so I hauled everything out and dug down for concrete. Finished pouring that piece close to dark yesterday. This morning I shocked to see the tracks, deep and numerous. Couldnt just walk across, it looked like the damn thing was at a square dance or something. Well it was still pretty green and I had to mix concrete to finish the smaller section so I used a little of the fresh mud and worked it in and got it cleaned up pretty well. Maybe a cat cursin' hour of sweating and working on my knees but it looks decent now and the other section is poured too.

Need to keep pouring small sections and get the floor ready for the other side of my shop, about 12 x 36' for that. I would like to have the concrete done before I get to where I can afford the steel for the roof so once I put that up I am good to go.

Are they feral cats Harry or domistic, the old lady next door to me feeds the feral cats and they drive me f%&king insane at times but its pretty much all she has so I just grit my teeth. I very much dislike cats

Way to go Jammer, do you get a real look on your face when you get one, do you then put a cat stamp on your door

Ummmmm please explain Rasper
I wonder how many cat lovers we have on here lol, I'm very much a dog person myself

Mike

[dallen]

uuuuuum, I could see some serious night scope target practice coming on.

[Harry]

Guys, I wouldnt actually hurt any of these cats, they are pets. Living where I do I learned long ago keeping a few around is a very good idea. We have both rattle snakes and scorpians, not sure if they are up this high but there are also mojave greens along with the diamondbacks and having cats will keep these less desirable creatures away.

I cant say that I didnt have the thought though when I saw what they had done to my concrete. Fortunately I was able to repair it with some muscle aching scrubbing so once the soreness goes away I will have forgotten about it and as a bonus I now have those last two spots in the shop floor covered so there is no more dirt under roof out there. I can understand why they use that area seeing as how it was nice and dry and you can imagine cats want a dry spot after a rain to scratch in.

[Rasper]

Anti freeze: Cats love it; it tastes great, but it destroys your liver if you drink it.

R

[Harry]

Poured close to another yard of concrete today, made for a slable about 6' x 12'. I built a 4' high temporary wall on the open end of the foundry and hoping that will keep the cats out, will find out in the morning.

This slab replaced the furnace bricks I had laid for the floor and is between the two molding benches. It will also provide for a decent place for the jolt squeeze machine over concrete so I wont have to worry about spilling sand as I will be able to shovel it up this is something I have been missing and have had to be very careful about not dropping sand on the floor because once it was there it was pretty much lost.

Still have nearly 10' square for the pouring floor in brick and steel grating so there will be no pouring on concrete.

I have been thinking also about using some of the reclaimed brick to stack up a heat exchanger for my propane torpedo heater... just something to radiate heat and direct it to my feet at the molding bench. That heater is a little dangerous to get too close to it, had one friend light his pants on fire with is so I figure going through the pile of bricks should soften the initial high heat coming out of it.

As cool as it has been (mid 60s) it is going to be a few days before I can get back into the foundry so next up is getting a handle on the mess of the main shop. Going to build some new shelves and hopefully finally get my dust collector hooked up. Added 5' of steel roof hanging off the back of the shop to protect the compressors and such and the DC will live out there too so I dont have to listen to it.

[mite5255]

Poured close to another yard of concrete today, made for a slable about 6' x 12'. I built a 4' high temporary wall on the open end of the foundry and hoping that will keep the cats out, will find out in the morning.

This slab replaced the furnace bricks I had laid for the floor and is between the two molding benches. It will also provide for a decent place for the jolt squeeze machine over concrete so I wont have to worry about spilling sand as I will be able to shovel it up this is something I have been missing and have had to be very careful about not dropping sand on the floor because once it was there it was pretty much lost.

Still have nearly 10' square for the pouring floor in brick and steel grating so there will be no pouring on concrete.

I have been thinking also about using some of the reclaimed brick to stack up a heat exchanger for my propane torpedo heater... just something to radiate heat and direct it to my feet at the molding bench. That heater is a little dangerous to get too close to it, had one friend light his pants on fire with is so I figure going through the pile of bricks should soften the initial high heat coming out of it.

As cool as it has been (mid 60s) it is going to be a few days before I can get back into the foundry so next up is getting a handle on the mess of the main shop. Going to build some new shelves and hopefully finally get my dust collector hooked up. Added 5' of steel roof hanging off the back of the shop to protect the compressors and such and the DC will live out there too so I dont have to listen to it.

Nothing like a nice concrete floor to work on, can be tough on the legs at time but a good pair of boots soon fixes that . I remember seeing a concrete mixer in one of your photos Harry so I'm guessing it was all hand done and no ready mix

[Harry]

Yep Mike, every bit one shovel at a time.

I have a pit out front a little over 4' deep I dig sand out of. There was on old wash there and the sand is coarse and clean. Makes good concrete. I haul about a 1/4 yd at a time in my little dump trailer on the garden tractor up to the mixer then wheel barrow it from there. It is a load of work but so worth it. I now have about 24 x 36' done with about that much more I want to pour.

The next 12 x 36 along the open side of my shop that will eventually get a roof over it and closed in I am thinking of adding pex pipe loops under the slab. Some day I might get a heat exchanger together and be able to heat the shop this way and the rolls of pipe are cheap so it wont be more than a couple hundred dollars to have it in there. I am quite enamored with ground mass thermal storage and want to have a go at it.