Floor Matting

I noticed that our green big shed is currently offering 1.8m x 1.2m mats made of recycled tyres to fit the back of a ute.
The price of $59 is, I believe, reasonable. Compared to anti-fatigue matting, they are thinner - approx 5-6mm - and it would make it easier to roll my cabinets on wheels on and off.

I do not plan to cover the entire concrete floor of my small workshop (4.5m x 3.6m), only in front of the bench, mainly because of my bad habit of dropping things on the floor, including a small engineer square :(....

Any suggestions/comments will be gratefully received.

Yvan

Not too bad a product, but you will have to roll it up to sweep the floor.

I have a similar product, but thicker. One of the advantages of the holes is that screws and nuts that one drops, don't seem to travel as far as when dropped onto a solid mat, they get caught in the holes (generally :D )

As for rolling cabinets over them, bigger wheels will work, but not too great. A mate has these mats in the back of his ute, when we tried to roll a workshop bench on 100mm wheels with a soft outer, it was next to impossible as the wheels kept on sticking in the holes. Admittedly, the matting was on top of a checker plate steel tray, but....

Mick.

I had matting in front of my bench but found it a pain as I never got used to where the edge was and in line with Murphies Law I only tripped on it when I had something in hand that did not need to be "drop tested". So it's now not there.

I dropped a Kreg screw on my standing-mat-with-holes. Couldn't find it, despite a careful search.

Found it the next day, sticking straight up, with its razor sharp point stuck about a centimetre into my heel :D

I have one ('cushion mat') , not at all comfortable to stand on with thin sole shoes

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Originally Posted by woodPixel

I dropped a Kreg screw on my standing-mat-with-holes. Couldn't find it, despite a careful search.

Found it the next day, sticking straight up, with its razor sharp point stuck about a centimetre into my heel :D

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Ouch!!!

I use those cheap dovetailed interlocking foam mats sold in camping stores for in front of the bench and the lathe. Those are the only places I stand for lengthy periods. I used to have those heavy duty rubber mats but the foam ones are so much lighter to drag out for sweeping up. They last a long time too. 5 plus years now and still got many years left. The heavy mats now are in the back of the ute.
Regards
John

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Originally Posted by orraloon

I use those cheap dovetailed interlocking foam mats sold in camping stores for in front of the bench and the lathe.

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I've covered the whole of my workshop with them as well. I have two layers so it's 24mm thick as well as anti fatigue mats in front of the lathes and workbench.

Makes it very, very comfortable and if I drop a chisel (:~ ) it won't be ruined.

These mats are regularly at Aldi sales and cheaper then anywhere else.

Peter.

Not going to save your chisels of course but I bought a decent pair of orthotic inserts for my steel caps boots - wow, what a difference - not just in the shed but every where I go with them. I can even walk the dogs for 5km through the puddles on the south Perth foreshore.

I have heronair mats which are excellent. Quite pricey to buy but comfortable, durable and you can run power leads under it without it creating a bump. Clark Rubber sell them off roll by the metre, but there are other suppliers who might be cheaper.

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Originally Posted by richmond68

I have heronair mats which are excellent. Quite pricey to buy but comfortable, durable and you can run power leads under it without it creating a bump. Clark Rubber sell them off roll by the metre, but there are other suppliers who might be cheaper.

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I would not think power leads under rubber mats is very safe. Apart from the fire risk you can't see if they have been damaged. There is a reason extension leads are bright colours, so you can see where they are.
Regards
John

John, I can see where you are coming from, but it's not an issue. With heronair matting, which are PVC slats welded together, you can see where the power lead is. It is well protected by the grid of PVC, I've been using these mats for 18 years, dropped all sorts of stuff on them and haven't damaged the mat let alone any cables. These are industrial grade mats:
Attachment 439473

I was not aware of the mat design. Had visions of cables chafing between rubber and concrete all out of sight and mind.
They look pretty heavy duty.
Regards
John.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by richmond68

John, I can see where you are coming from, but it's not an issue. With heronair matting, which are PVC slats welded together, you can see where the power lead is. It is well protected by the grid of PVC, I've been using these mats for 18 years, dropped all sorts of stuff on them and haven't damaged the mat let alone any cables. These are industrial grade mats:
Attachment 439473

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$90 / m currently from Clarke

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Originally Posted by node105

$90 / m currently from Clarke

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Glad I got mine for free, didn't know they were that expensive now. Oh well, buy once cry once as they say.