Epoxy Surface Plate
" When Accuracy Matters "
Installation Procedure
Precision Epoxy Products
a division of :
Rock Art, Ltd.
4279 Midway Drive
Douglasville, Georgia 30134
Phone : (770) 489-0340
The Perfect Set-up Starts with
the most Accurate Surface Plate Available
The Pro Epoxy Surface Plate Professionally Installed
If you have ever visited some of
the NASCAR shops in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, then you have most
likely seen one of our Pro Epoxy Surface Plates in action. The Pro Plate System is our top of
the line plate with all the features our professional installations have to
offer. The following is one of our typical installations of our most
popular 12' x 20' Surface Plate. Larger or smaller plate sizes might require or
allow for variations in procedures and scheduling. All our products are true 2-component, 100% solids, zero VOC 'Old School' epoxies.
1st Day:
-
Select location in shop for
plate and clear out to expose floor allowing for extra space for adjoining
epoxy mixing shop. This will basically be two car stalls or similar size
area. Plate location is determined by several factors such as accessibility,
expansion joints in sub-floor, building's electrical system, etc. Remember,
your Epoxy Surface Plate is a very important set-up tool that just happens
to be on the floor. It will be a focal point of your shop and a much used
area. Plan on work benches, tool boxes and storage areas for all your other
set-up tools to compliment your new plate.
-
Measure and mark dimensions
on floor at corners of plate and chalk lines to establish the plate
perimeter and the access ramp perimeter. This will show the plate lay-out in
detail and its location can be finalized. Then using 2" masking tape
we mask off the outer chalk line of the access ramp perimeter.
-
Using an EDCO CPM-8 - 8"
Scarifier machine ( learn more at www.edcoinc.com
) we prepare the sub-strate within our outer access ramp tape line by
cleaning, removing existing coatings and profiling the concrete. Our
scarifier is equipped with a vacuum attachment making the procedure
virtually dust free.
-
The area is then thoroughly
vacuumed and cleaned. We unload our trailer and set up our work shop
area adjoining the plate area.
-
Now the chalk lines for the plate surface perimeter must be
reestablished allowing for an additional one inch of width and length.
-
A special fiberglass treatment is applied to any stress
fractures or expansion joints in the concrete within the plate area to
minimize the chance of them telegraphing through the surface plate at some
point in the future. Most expansion joint voids or larger stress cracks are
pre filled with either the SG-25 or FG-100 epoxy gel systems prior to
fiberglassing.
-
We roller apply our IG-100 penetrating primer system to
prepared concrete sub-strate within the plate chalk lines making sure to
lock in the chalk lines with the primer. The access ramp area will be primed
during ramp installation process. The IG-100 epoxy is designed with a slow
rate of cure to allow for maximum penetration and has a tensile elongation
that absorbs thermal movement between the concrete and the surface plate.
The IG-100 primer also seals the concrete to eliminate air bubbles that
would be created if the first pour of the plate installation was applied
onto bare concrete.
-
The area is roped off to foot traffic with survey tape and
the primer allowed to cure over night.
2nd Day:
-
The temporary 'L' angle aluminum form work is prepared for
mounting by applying a thin film of form release agent to the outer bottom
of the form where it meets the floor.
-
Our FP-85 Part 'A' base coat drum of epoxy resin is
positioned, opened and started stirring. We attach a 55 gallon drum heater
to bring it up to our application temperature of 90 to 100 degrees.
-
The forms are then mounted to the concrete floor using the
locked in chalk lines as a guide. Form work is attached by hammer drilling
3/16th inch holes ever 16 inches, inserting plastic anchors and screwing
into place through the base of the 'L' angle.
-
Using 2" duct tape we water proof the form work by
taping 1/2" onto the floor and 1 1/2" up the inside of the 'L'
angle. Our IG-100 primer allows for the tape to make a good seal to the
concrete. The area must be 'water tight' to contain the fluid self leveling
epoxy.
-
The concrete is marked within the ramp area down the length
of the plate to indicate where the predetermined number of batches are to be
poured from side to side.
-
The batches are then made ready by pre-measuring our heated
resin into our 5 gallon mixing buckets.
-
Now we are ready for our base coat pour of Floor Plate
Epoxy FP-85 . We add our Part 'B' hardener component and stir for four
minutes with our special mix blade and drill motor. Each batch is
immediately poured into framed area at location marks to aid in leveling.
The base coat is generally poured to a depth of 1/4" at a rate of 6.4
square feet per gallon. This coat will establish the relationship of the
level surface plate plane to your uneven concrete floor.
-
Once the base coat is poured, epoxy can be moved around to
aid in leveling using a 24" gauge rake. This must be done prior to the
start of the curing cycle.
-
The area is roped off to foot traffic with survey tape and
the base coat allowed to cure over night.
-
Note : The FP-85 Epoxy System now has special de-air
additives allowing them to release on their own entrapped air bubbles
created during measuring, mixing and pouring. This eliminates the need for
torching this coat.
3rd
Day:
-
At this point it must be determined if the floor area will
be leveled to the desired results with the following Color Coat and Clear
Coat pours or is the concrete sub-strate going to require additional pours
to level due to it being uneven beyond normal requirements. If needed,
additional pour or pours are made as needed in preparation for the color
coat pour.
-
If the base coat is level enough to proceed, we are ready for our color coat pour and the base coat
is sanded using a 16" rotary floor sander with a coarse 20-31/2 grit
paper. The area is vacuumed and tack ragged with denatured alcohol.
-
Our FP-85 Part 'A' color coat drum of epoxy resin is
positioned, opened and started stirring. We attach a 55 gallon drum heater
to bring it up to our application temperature of 90 to 100 degrees.
-
We now install our Grounding System copper foil tape to the
base coat in a 12" grid pattern (see Advanced Grounding System
for additional information).
-
The plate area is again tack ragged and readied for our
color coat pour.
-
The batches are then made ready by pre-measuring our heated
resin into our 5 gallon mixing buckets.
-
The concrete is marked within the ramp area down the length
of the plate to indicate where the predetermined number of batches are to be
poured from side to side.
-
Now we are ready for our color coat pour of Floor Plate
Epoxy FP-85. We add our Part 'B' hardener component and stir for four
minutes with our special mix blade and drill motor. Each batch is
immediately poured into framed area at location marks to aid in leveling.
The base coat is generally poured to a depth of 3/16" at a rate of 8.5 square feet per gallon.
-
Once the color coat is poured, epoxy can be moved around to
further aid in leveling using a 24" gauge rake. There will be less of a
need for this once you master the art of pouring the epoxy evenly.
-
The entire area is spike rolled to assure a uniform appearance
between batches and with color.
-
The area is roped off to foot traffic with survey tape and
the color coat allowed to cure over night.
4th
Day:
-
At this point, we verify that the surface plate plane is
level to within 1% of perfect. This is very important for the final steps to
work properly.
-
Using an 8" worm drive saw with a dry cut diamond blade
we are ready to cut a 1/4" deep groove around the entire perimeter
creating the outer edge of our access ramp. The saw rides in a specially
designed wheeled tray to keep from scratching existing floor finish and to
allow for proper spacing to achieve the 6" width of the ramp. We use
our temporary aluminum work as a saw guide to get as straight a cut as
possible. A vacuum attachment is used in conjunction with the saw to minimize
any dust.
-
We are now ready to mount our permanent form work.
3/16" x 1/2" 'L' angle zinc strips are mechanically attached to
the plate perimeter using the temporary form work as a guide. The 1/2"
mounting base of the zinc strips take up the additional 1" of length
and width we put into the initial pours. Mounting the permanent form work on
a level surface assures that the top of the forms will also be level
allowing our 3/16" thick final clear coat to fill it up perfectly.
-
The grounding tape taps are carefully released from the
temporary form work and laid out of the way back onto plate. Tape taps are
fragile and must not be broken.
-
Form mounting hardware is removed and the temporary form
work is taken down.
-
A detailing of the remaining duct tape used to seal form
work is performed to clean up plate perimeter.
-
The grounding system is completed (see Advanced Grounding System
for additional information) with the installation of the grounding rod
through the concrete sub-strate, mounting of the 1/8" copper connecting
wire and the making of all our connections to the grid system.
-
Any existing floor covering on concrete within ramp area not
cleaned during initial prep work is now removed by hand so as not to damage
existing floor outside the plate area.
-
The area is roped off to foot traffic with survey tape.
5th
Day:
-
We mask off the plate perimeter using 1" masking tape
and 12" paper to protect plate and reduce clean up. Taping is done on
zinc form work's vertical facing and on to plate. This assures that Santex
material is not inadvertently bonded at zinc seam.
-
Next the outer perimeter of the ramp is masked off using
2" tape and applied at the saw cut.
-
The concrete supporting the ramp is primed with the IG-100
epoxy.
-
Access Ramp is hand troweled with our Santex
System in a matching or contrasting color from the top of the zinc form work down
into the 1/4" saw groove that we made earlier in the concrete
sub-strate. By finishing our Santex material into the saw groove, we
are able to maintain a structural thickness that eliminates future chipping
of ramp edge from rolling equipment on and off the plate. The saw groove
also gives the ramp edge, where it meets the existing floor, a nice straight
'factory' finish.
-
Troweling of the ramp is done in a fashion that maintains a
'wet edge' at both ends to give a seamless finish when completed.
-
The 2" masking tape on the existing floor is pulled as
we proceed. The ramp receives final detailing and the existing floor is
cleaned as needed.
-
The area is roped off to foot traffic with survey tape and
the ramp allowed to cure over night.
6th
Day:
-
Masking tape and paper on the plate from ramp work is now
removed and plate and zinc form work are cleaned and detailed.
-
Using a palm sander, the top of the zinc strips are sanded
to clean, smooth and create a uniform width and shine.
-
Plate surface area is vacuumed, detailed and tack ragged.
-
Our FP-80 Part 'A' clear coat drum of epoxy resin is
positioned, opened and started stirring. We attach a 55 gallon drum heater
to bring it up to our application temperature of 90 to 100 degrees.
-
The provided Race Team vinyl decal is dry mounted onto the
color coat surface at the predetermined location.
-
We prepare and apply our FS-190 Sealer Epoxy (using a
4" foam roller assembly) to the Santex Ramp. Once troweled, the Santex
has a porous finish. The first sealer coat will give the ramp a splotchy
appearance with glassy and textured areas. This is caused by the sealer
soaking more into the thicker sections and completely filling the thinner
areas.
-
A tape measure is placed down the side of the plate on
existing floor to mark batch locations.
-
Now we are ready for our clear coat pour of Floor Plate
Epoxy FP-80 . We add our Part 'B' hardener component and stir for four
minutes with our special mix blade and drill motor. Each batch is
immediately poured into framed area at location marks to aid in leveling.
The base coat is always poured to a depth of 3/16" at a rate of 8.5 square feet per gallon.
This fills our permanent form work up exactly to create a seamless
transition between the plate and the ramp.
-
Once poured, the plate is spike rolled.
-
Unlike the base and color coats, there are no de-air
additives in the clear coat formula. This means that entrained air bubbles
in the pour must be released manually due to surface tension. Air bubbles
come from several sources and need to be minimized as much as possible; when
measuring and pouring epoxy components into containers, when stirring
components and when pouring mixed epoxy into plate area. To release air,
take a propane torch attached to an extension pole and wave the blue flame
over the surface like a wand. This is called 'Torching' and you will be able
to see the air release immediately. Proper lighting around the area will
enhance reflection making the bubbles more easily seen. The epoxy is not
flammable; however, should you dip the flame into the epoxy, it may leave a
charred or burnt looking spot. Simply dip out dirty spot before continuing.
-
The area is roped off to foot traffic with survey tape and
the clear coat allowed to cure over night.
7th
Day:
-
A final detailing of the plate is performed.
-
We prepare and apply the second coat of our FS-190 Sealer
Epoxy to the Santex access ramp to achieve a uniform glossy appearance.
-
Our work shop area is broken down and loaded back into
the trailer.
-
The area is roped off to foot traffic with survey tape and
the ramp sealer is allowed to cure over night.
-
The new Pro Epoxy Surface Plate is allowed to cure for seven
days to reach its full hardness before placing a vehicle on it. Once cured,
the plate will have a compressive strength of 13,500 psi with a shore
hardness of 85.
Caring for your Plate:
The Epoxy Surface Plate can be cleaned as you would any floor
area in your shop. For detail cleaning, use plastic cleaners that are
non-abrasive and offer anti-static and scratch resistance. (see Advanced Grounding System
for additional information)
The plate will show scratches over a period of time. Avoid dragging heavy and/or
sharp objects over the plate surface. Plastic or rubber feet for jack stands and
plastic or rubber wheels for jacks used on the plate will minimize scratching.
One source for jack wheels is: Norco Industries, Inc. (see www.norcoind.com
for additional information) Charlotte Area Dealer: Wotco, Inc., 2708 N. Graham St, Charlotte, NC 28206, (704) 333-5441
Scratching of the plate is only cosmetic and will not effect
it's primary use as a set-up tool. The Epoxy Surface Plate can the made to any size desired and will have an
accuracy of 0.003 of an inch or better over the entire area. This accuracy is
unmatched by any other type surface plate available and
allows all your other set-up tools to perform properly. The Epoxy Surface Plate
will never need adjusting to maintain it's accuracy. To have your Pro Epoxy Surface Plate installed by Rock Art, the
cost starts at $45.00 per square foot plus travel expenses to your location for
a 'Turn-Key' installation.
Do-It-Yourself
Installation:
Precision Epoxy can provide all the materials, tools and technical
support to help you install your own Pro Plate or Basic Plate. The Basic Plate
consist of the base coat and color coat pours. Any or all of the additional
aspects of the Pro Plate are omitted making the basic plate an easier and less
expensive way to achieve a level floor surface. See Do-it-Yourself Plate
for additional information.
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