Work Bench Mat

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My wood work bench is used for all kind of projects so I like to keep it clean. I'm looking for something I can use to work on gunky, greasy, oily parts without getting it all over the wood surface. I've been using cardboard but I want something rubbery with a small lip to contain the fluids that I can take degrease and hose off if needed.

I've seen stuff like this on amazon

Just wondering what everyone is using for a work bench mat?

 

[nh_yota]

A couple of ideas come to mind:

Boot mats/trays - the kind you use to store boots and shoes.
Bar mats - the kind made of rubber and used in a bar or restaurant service area.

Like this: http://www.amazon.com/Winco-18-Inch-12-Inch-Service-Black/dp/B000MVI4ZK

I'd think neither are very expensive.

 

[JamieK]

Lowes & Home Depot sell ribbed black rubber carpet runners. It comes in big rolls in the flooring dept, and its sold by the foot. If you have a lot of oil, you may have to fold the ends up.

Also, check Walmart, etc for the large cargo mats that are put in the back of SUVs.

 

[Travisnd]

I have this one...

 

[stokessd]

I went a different route. I laminated my bench top with white formica. The bench is used for everything from vintage speaker repair and electronics fab (surface mount etc), to wood working, and some light metalworking and assembly.

I go to the big box store and grab a 4' x 8' sheet of white tileboard. I then make them cut it into 2' x 2' pieces. I use those one at a time as disposable work surfaces for harsh jobs that would hurt the formica. It works out to be like $2 each, and they wipe up and last a surprisingly long time. I also have a big (doesn't quite fit into our oven) cookie sheet that I bought at a restaurant supply place. It is aluminum and has about a 1" high side with a rolled lip on it. That tray becomes my work surface for anything wet, gooey, oily, or slimy. When I'm done I wipe it out and clean with mineral spirits etc so that it's clean and dry for the next time.

All my projects end to be pretty small if they are on the bench and that system has served me well for decades. Anything bigger goes on the floor or a stand of some sort.

Sheldon

 

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Thanks for all the replies.

 

[stage20]

check with your local rubber and gasket/hydraulic shop for closed cell rubber for general work 1/8" is fairly cheap, but you can also get 1/4 and 3/8 thickness.

1/8" sheet of 4x8 will run around 60 bucks. it will take a beating and sweeps off well. i clean mine with glass cleaner and paper towels.

if you do machine work, or work on heavy objects like cylinder heads, or rams or transmission work, the 1/4 inch stuff may hold up better for you. its heavy enough to lay there over time, i had mine contact cemented down.

 

[rlitman]

Why not get a rubber horse stall mat?

 

[bwringer]

I have a small assortment of metal cookie sheets and cake pans for messy projects. At my old house, I had some sheets of stainless steel I covered parts of the bench with.

Personally, I wouldn't want anything absorbent like rubber or foam on my bench, since I'm always spilling or spraying various oils, solvents, etc.

 

[stage20]

The rubber I am referring to is not absorbant. It is a semigloss smooth surface.
Im not sure if the horse mats will absorb or not. They look pretty coarse to me. The ones I've seen anyway. Lots of small ribs and. tiny craters for gunk to get in.

 

[nh_yota]

I like the bar mats especially if you're working on something which is leaking fluid because it will contain the fluid and you can throw it in the dishwasher when you're done.

 

[bigredmf]

I have used treadmill mats for this.

Red

 

[Outlander]

View media item 30537

 

[bagged89s10]

I bought this but haven't had a chance to put it down on my bench yet.
I think it was only $10. I'll post how I like it when I get back from vacation.

 

[Shadowdog500]

---,

Like you, I have a big piece of cardboard covering my bench and really like it. When it gets really dirty, I throw it out and put another one there. Stole this idea from an upholstery shop, that would cover their counters with cardboard or construction paper before each job.


I also keep a roll of construction paper to cover stuff for really messy jobs, and use big cookie sheets with raised edges for messy fluid jobs.


I guess you could get a rubber floor runner, or the treadmill belt idea from above.

Chris

 

[timbitca]

This thread got me thinking. Will have to tell ou equipment guy at work (college campus rec building to salvage an old treadmill mat when he changes one again. Actually he probably has a few old ones laying around.

Sent from my OnePlus One using Tapatalk

 

[rlitman]

Treadmill mats are great. A few years back, some guy by me had a truckload of defective ones he was giving away on Craigslist (the seam was not at a perfect angle, so they wouldn't track). Something like 5000, and he was willing to let anyone take as many as they wanted in bagged packs of 5. I filled my car with them that evening.

They also make great drawer liners. I've got them in my toolbox, in my kitchen cabinets, all over the place.

BUT there's one big problem with them on a workbench. The mat is non-skid on top, but is slippery as heck underneath. In a drawer, cut to shape, they're stiff enough to not move around. But unrestricted on a workbench, they'll slide all over the place.

 

[stage20]

Treadmill mats are great. A few years back, some guy by me had a truckload of defective ones he was giving away on Craigslist (the seam was not at a perfect angle, so they wouldn't track). Something like 5000, and he was willing to let anyone take as many as they wanted in bagged packs of 5. I filled my car with them that evening.

They also make great drawer liners. I've got them in my toolbox, in my kitchen cabinets, all over the place.

BUT there's one big problem with them on a workbench. The mat is non-skid on top, but is slippery as heck underneath. In a drawer, cut to shape, they're stiff enough to not move around. But unrestricted on a workbench, they'll slide all over the place.

put the non skid side down.

 

[rlitman]

put the non skid side down.

The side your shoes walk on is textured rubber.
It's sort of non-skid, but not so much.
The underside is a special directional satin fabric that's super slippery but also pretty absorbent, because it needs to retain lubricant. It wouldn't work upside down.

Conveyor belting on the other hand is sometimes a good bench topper.

 

[bullnerd]

A guy I wok with does exercise equipment repairs on the side(pretty good deal BTW for anyone looking for side work)he sprays silicone spray on the bottoms of the tread mill belts to keep them lubed up. I don't think that would be ideal to for a bench top.

My bench is a mess usually, but I do the cardboard thing. I get them from work precut to a good size. When its beat up, toss it and get a new one.