So I park my snow blower in the garage and would like the snow residue to melt in place and not go all over.
I built this giant tray with a ramp so I can push the blower on it, that way the snow will stay on the tray.
I will caulk the seams and paint it with some resistant paint but I’ll like to either glue a tarp on it, or some other plastic material or perhaps use some special coating so it lasts a few years.
The “floor” of the tray is OSB (aspenite?). Not the best for this is what I had and this project is more of an experiment for me.
Any recommendations?
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I’ve had some decent luck with teak oil, but I think you’re wanting something a bit heavier duty. The most surefire way I can think of would be to coat it in a thin layer of epoxy. Beyond that, a good paint should also work well enough. Designing the geometry with water pooling in mind would also be a big help. Keeping the melt from staying in long term contact with a single spot will really reduce how effective you need the waterproofing to be in the first place.
Great idea!, I can easily add some feet for a gentle slant and poke a drain hole to go into a shallow tray on the side!!
Just make sure you take a little extra care with waterproofing the hole. If water leaches into the ply of the MDF, it’ll rot it out from the middle before you even know what’s happening. A little piece of plastic tubing going from the tray through the hole with some caulk to seal should do the trick. Put the end of the tube like 3mm below the surface of the ply to make sure water doesn’t pool around it.
An oil based paint or polyurethane.
And this is enough? there won’t be much water (I do take off most before storing the snow blower) but it would be stagnant there until it evaporates, maybe 20 - 24 hours later?
I don’t see why not. If you’re really paranoid, there’s always marine epoxy…
Ideally you’d install a drain in the corner of this thing that went somewhere. Outside, preferably. If you want your puddle to evaporate faster, point a fan at it. That’s what I do when I need to hose off one of my bikes but I have to do it in the garage rather than outside.
awesome, thanks for the advice
Spar varnish, maybe, but it sounds like this is a job for exterior construction supplies, so some sort of Tyvek sheathing or the like. The tarp could work if you keep an eye on it for wear. One idea might be making sure the thing is tilted just a bit and has somewhere for the melt to drain properly into a plastic tray or jug. Not letting the water sit is how you keep houses from rotting, so probably the same for your invention.
Definitely paint it. Purists will hate paint. But there’s a reason we cover our houses in paint and not stain or varnish. Your tray has a base made of OSB; this isn’t a project where showing off the grain matters. I would put a coat of oil based primer and two or three coats of oil based enamel paint.
I do like the idea of it draining into a plastic container. But ultimately, if you put thick paint on it, you are essentially creating a plastic container.
Your try has a base made of OSB; this isn’t a project where showing off the grain matters
110% correct… It’s in the garage where nobody goes to boot so even if I wanted pretty, nobody would see it… I swear if I fall and get hurt there I would die of starvation before anyone in my fam discovers we have a garage hahaha
Thanks for your feedback
Yeah, the woodworking community tends to loathe paint, for obvious reasons. There’s no point in working hard and making something nice out of high quality hardwood if you’re just going to paint over it. Which is where the opposition to paint comes from. I share that sentiment for projects where it matters. I wouldn’t make a desk out of black walnut and then paint it. But anything made of OSB? That’s a material you choose when you just want strength and function and aesthetics are irrelevant. And if looks don’t matter, and it needs to be waterproof, paint is the way to go.
110% agree!
