Workbench top mat?

[george graves]

So I've been on Garage Journal - I didn't find an answer there.

I've seen everything from Stainless Steal custom made tops, to some guy that had an extra 20 mouse pads and glued them down(bad idea). I've seen low shag carpet (yuck, that would suck up so much oil and metal shavings), 1/4" particle board. Ect...None look like a good idea.

I was looking for something with a bit of rubber feel. A bit of a give. Something I can take a knife to and not worry too much about. Oh and something cheap.

At this point, I'm thinking vinyl flooring.

I just want something easy to clean, semi-chemical resistant, and can take a few dings.

What do you cover your bench with (if you do)?

[Restoman]

Look for a roll of rubber 1/4 or 3/8" thick. What about cork? It might just be what your looking for!

[nando]

I would use some of that 3/8 pressboard stuff. Its fairly hard, it will hold up ok to some cutting and its cheap to replace.

[Vtec?lol]

+1 on cork. We used to have some on the floor and the little bit of give was just right.

[AndrewBird]

On my bench I use 1/4" hard masonite. on my desk I use a cutting mat. The latter may be more like what you want.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Self-Healing-Cutting-Mat-Reversible-Green-Black-36-x48-/260749439434?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb5e0b1ca

1/8" thick, fairly hard, not soft. absorbs cuts very well (I use exactos on it all the time). Done a bit of soldering on it as well and it doesn't seem to care, though heat will deform them.

[srvE30]

Depending on the project I'll use something like a cheap car cover. But 90% of the time it's bare. I'll grab you a pic real quick





It's hard as a rock but really cheap.

[ParsedOut]

Laminated surface MDF. Has a formica type feel but won't crack and shatter like particle board. It's cheap, cleans up spills easily and only takes small nicks when you get rough on it. Found at Home Depot.

Here's a pic, keep in mind that is about 3 years old. Disregard the box. :)

[ravenlord89]

I typically use rubber flooring. Something like this;

https://www.acklandsgrainger.com/AGIPortalWeb/WebSource/ProductDisplay/globalProductDetailDisplay.do?item_code=SALM24-1Y

Works great for knife resistance, makes spills super easy to clean up. Little pricy, but you will never have to replace it.

[M-technik-3]

Look for a roll of rubber 1/4 or 3/8" thick. What about cork? It might just be what your looking for!

+1 on cork. We used to have some on the floor and the little bit of give was just right.

Cork works well. My workbench is home made so I just replace the sheet of plywood when It's torn up.

[Keith M]

I used stainless for duribility and easy clean up. Not cheap though.

[jaywood]

Use some 1/8" MDF from Home Depot. Cheap and easy to replace.

[blunttech]

I got 4 8' long sections of hardwood bowling alleys and made workbenches out of them for me and my dad a long time ago. They are beefy as hell and were free. We just hauled them away when they were redoing the lanes.
I supposed its not everyday you stumble across this though

[Gregs///M]

I just use MDF. Scratch it? No problem, sand it smooth. Stain it? Who cares, its a work bench. I'd use my MDF workbench everyday for over 4 years and my top is dirty yes, but it works perfectly fine.

At first I was hesitant because I thought it would soften up, crumble, or swell up with moisture. But nothing, been working great.

[Nick_S]

On mine I use 1/4in masonite. Cleans up nice, not hard like metal, soaks up liquids (although softens up eventually) and is super cheap.

[george graves]

Thanks guys.

I think I'm going to keep an eye out for a piece of used conveyor belt.