Verado1250
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- Feb 9, 2016
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Does anyone have any good suggestions on a rubber mat for my workbench top? Mine is 11 ft long, so I'd probably need to get a 12' and cut it.
Workbench rubber mat
- Thread starter Verado1250
- Start date
RivennHewn
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Stall mat from a farm/ranch store
Rusty Wrench
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- Aug 19, 2021
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Not for heavy use... drafting table mat is nice stuff. Lies flat, good for layout, parts assembly, etc. Not self healing. Will telegraph smallest imperfections.
www.draftingsuppliesdew.com
Green/Cream Drafting Board Cover Sheets
Everyday low prices on the Green/Cream Drafting Board Cover Sheets at Drafting Equipment Warehouse
www.draftingsuppliesdew.com
If you want something to take a beating check out gym flooring mats/tiles. This stuff stands up to years of having weights dropped on it and dragged across it with little wear shown. You should confirm chemical resistance if you plan to flood it with carb cleaner etc.
It will out gas some so leave it outside for a while if the smell will bother you. It is also made in the USA if that matters to you.
https://www.americanfloormats.com/gym-mats/
It will out gas some so leave it outside for a while if the smell will bother you. It is also made in the USA if that matters to you.
https://www.americanfloormats.com/gym-mats/
rocksnstumps
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- Mar 20, 2024
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^^^like this option over the stall mat for livestock and such. Most of those have a fake diamond pattern molded in and would rather have a flat surface on a bench top. They are also way heavy and can't be rolled up for any time you want to temporarily remove. Have a cut down stall mat on my concrete floor in some spots but not what I would want on top of bench.
Have seen some of the gym mats at auctions from places shutting down in the past.
Have seen some of the gym mats at auctions from places shutting down in the past.
jack stand
Well-known member
Conveyor belting.
Go to a quarry or cement batch plant and ask about used. It might be hard to find something wide enough.
Go to a quarry or cement batch plant and ask about used. It might be hard to find something wide enough.
BillK
Well-known member
I am just going to second what JS said. Conveyor belt material. I have one piece on my cylinder head disassembly bench and it is probably 20 years old and takes a beating every day and still keeps on ticking 
If you in any type of large city area there should be a place selling it. The stuff I have is only about 1/4" thick. Grainger might have it too.
If you in any type of large city area there should be a place selling it. The stuff I have is only about 1/4" thick. Grainger might have it too.rocksnstumps
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- Mar 20, 2024
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Industrial conveyor belting is very durable and sure lotta options on material types for oil and solvent resistance. If you get the stuff made for running on top of rollers it will also have a gripping bottom surface better suited to staying put on your bench vs. flat bed slider applications. The downside is the stuff is pricey new being an industrial product. Figure $20-$30/ft on maybe 18" to 24" wide. From those sourcing old belting from a work place can see where this might be an option.
cody1325
Well-known member
Coal industry here uses a lot of it underground. Looking at the website of the mine supply I get my tools from, it comes in 36 and 42-inch widths. Granddad used it as floor mats, mudflaps, and just about anything he could imagine (he got his from work).
Besides, they just throw the old stuff away at the dump, so I'm sure that the places that sell and install it have no problem with me getting an entire pickup load of the stuff. Been thinking about getting a newer supply than the little bit I've got leftover from the '70s and '80s.
I used to get mine from a couple of long-abandoned business sites in the Grundy area. Just laying along and sometimes on the road. That was well over a decade ago, and I've run out. If you find yourself with extra, let me know.
racecougar
Well-known member
The bottom/cutting edge? How do you get that to last?
How wide ?
You can buy a rubber foam runner at most big box stores.
You can buy a rubber foam runner at most big box stores.
duneslider
Well-known member
I just checked my supplier on conveyor belting (Beltservice), not sure if they will sell direct or not. But a PVC coated top and bottom belt which is about 3/16" thick cut to 24" x 12' is about $120 bucks plus shipping. This small would probably roll up and ship fedex but I don't usually order that small so not sure what shipping costs would add to that (maybe 20-30 bucks?). I do know that belt would probably last almost forever on a work bench.
We almost never bring back old conveyor belt, it goes straight in the dumpster on our way out of the building.
We almost never bring back old conveyor belt, it goes straight in the dumpster on our way out of the building.
racecougar
Well-known member
I've bought direct from them before, but shipping wasn't necessary, as they're next door to us.
duneslider
Well-known member
Yep, their headquarters is in MO. Most my orders come out of WA, or ID with the occasional St. Louis. They have been the best pricing for belting that I have found and they will cut to any size you want.
Yeah, the scraping edge. It's very heavy-duty stuff that the tractor manufacturer (Power-Trac) supplies. Never measured the thickness, but probably 3/4 inch with multiple plies of fabric. It's on a 60 inch plow on the front of a roughly 1200lb tractor and back when we were getting real snow, one edge would last about 3 years, and then I'd flip it. When the last one wore out, I got a urethane edge. It's wearing a lot faster.
thomfr
Well-known member
old conveyor belt?!
b-boy
Well-known member
I have some of the heavy duty gym mats in my barn. I bought them as seconds like 20 years ago. They had blemishes and had some scrapes and cuts, but work perfectly for my needs. They are indestructible.
Keep checking websites for overstocks or seconds. I got them for about 1/3 of what the perfect items cost.
Keep checking websites for overstocks or seconds. I got them for about 1/3 of what the perfect items cost.
I use a silicone mat on my benchtop that is made for those blackstone griddles. it doesn't cover the full top as its only 36"x22" but its been a great work surface. it has a small lip to contain any spills and keep small parts from rolling off the top. Its a high visibility orange so its super easy to see things on it. What I really like is that it is heat resistant, totally waterproof and best of all nothing sticks to it. I can use glues and paint and they just peel right off. Its pretty sturdy too, and will resists scrapes and gouges. It also grips to the top and doesn't slide off. I can't think of any downsides to it. I think you can get long sheets of the stuff but it will not have a lip, just search for silicone mat.
LopezBart
Well-known member
Home Depot has neoprene rubber in various sizes for $3-$4/sq ft.