I work part time in an ACE Hardware store, there's ALWAYS a lot of corrugated laying beside the compactor on the dock. Some of it's huge, best to recycle and repurpose rather than just mash into a bale then send on to the recyclers.

If I were more fastidious about my basement or garage floor, that'd be a convenient source of floor protectant. I look upon an accumulation as patina, unless it creates a safety hazard of course.

Knowing what collects on the floor from bike work, it occurs to me that black rubber can make the mess invisible, but it's still there. I don't relish washing these surfaces. My vote goes with disposable materials such as paper and cardboard.

That's a good point.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I still have a fair stock of doggie "pee pads" from the end of my beloved Sam's life. Because they're basically impermeable sheets (think 2' x 3' flat diapers), I've just been using one at a time across the base of my repair stand (which sits atop the interlocking foam squares). They're really absorbent, and -- when 'full --' I fold 'em up and toss 'em out.

Belt and suspenders. I'll do the same thing when my stall mat arrives.

Why don't shop floor mats have a thin magnetic layer, so that dropped screws and washers and stuff won't bounce when I drop them?

--Shannon

Inexpensive rug in a light color (easier to locate errant dropped bits) from Amazon. Easy to vacuum from time to time, unlike hard cardboard, wood or vinyl tends to keep small bits from bouncing/rolling away across the room and into a crevice from which it shall never return. The $20 one in my bike room (on a wood floor) is now almost six years old and about ready to be replaced. Looks stylish, too.

Most of my bike work is not very messy. Any messy stuff like sanding I do outside. If I couldn't do that I would probably look for cheap recycled 36" carpet squares.

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I use these as well. I cut holes for the feet of my work stand so it rests on solid concrete. Being foam, I have been surprised at how durable they are. Mine are going on 20 years old and they are still in good shape. I vacuum them periodically and wipe up spills with spray cleaner as needed. The cushion is nice for my ankles and also makes the concrete a littles less cold.

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I got it! Linoleum. Maybe 4 x 6’ framed with some wood molding that is not likely to catch a toe. The molding maybe 2 inches wide and tapered on both edges. It seems to me that a ball bearing would bounce less off the linoleum (compared to the concrete in my garage) and the slightly raised frame would prevent the little buggers from rolling away. We need to test the bouncing thing.

I use a black rubber mat designed to go under a treadmill, works quite well!
Tim

Store/business Rubber backed low cut carpets... you know, the "wipe your feet" mats.. i use one here.. various sizes, and can be washed out.. my dog loves sleeping on it, so her scent builds up after a while... a hose, scrub brush, and some dish or laundry soap cleans it out, and it dries overnight when hung up.
the rubber stops lube oil from reaching the wood floors, and i chose one with a consistent surface to make kneeling less painful too.

graingers and many other biz/ind. sup. houses sell them.

this one even goes out to the driveway when i'm working on my cars... keeps my butt and knees off the gravel.

I have gone through several, or perhaps a few, under the stand mats. Each looked exactly like one side of a bike box, cut to fit the area and used until it got dirty or wore out. Then, down to the bike shop to bum another box and new mat. I never did see the reason to spend money on an under stand mat. But that is on me for not understanding the need for anything special.

I went with Doc's recommendation. $25 delivered tomorrow for the 4x6 version of this. Nothing too swanky but better than some god awful cardboard. You guys need to up your game, get some panache. :)

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Mine's in place. I'm sure it's not for everybody, but I kinda' like it so far. The 4'x6' mat is nearly 100 lbs! Early on, I had the two workstands pushed further back (I'm rebuilding a suspension fork on my wife's 2004 Gary Fisher Tassajara -- handy to have two stands), but later -- when I could work lower -- I set my 'padded' 5gal bucket on the concrete and worked over the mat. The usual number of things dropped. Nothing seemed to stray from where it landed, like ... maybe at all? I'll try to drop a ball bearing tomorrow (read: count on me dropping quite a few):

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I have a handheld steamer w/attachments that I think will make cleaning up even oily, disgusting messes rather a breeze. Just a presoak with Simple Green or equivalent first. Dry climate, so I can let it air dry overnight.

Thanks for the ideas. Maybe not for the O.P. but the re-user/cheapskate in me goes for the cardboard every time. Tape the edges down if it’s thick stuff.

I used to collect pocket watches and got quite into pulling them apart and putting them back together again and the old watchmakers book I referred to made recommendations for a workshop set up. They said that a light brown (beige is the word I think they was looking for) lino was the best floor/colour because black, silver and gold/brass can be seen against this colour if you drop anything.

Mind you, if your experiences are like mine I need to do the next room as well because when I drop a little bit it seems to travel further than it should............

I had a car w/ t-tops & I used to smoke & I used to fling the butts out the window. lived in an apartment so I did oil changes in public parking lots. consequently had oily rags in the back cargo area of this hatchback. flung a lit butt out the window & with all the wind of the open top & windows it got sucked back in & onto the oily rags. by time I saw smoke, it was going pretty good. no flames that I remember, but just about to go up. pulled over & took care of it. dumb kid. I don't smoke anymore & don't throw things out the car window anymore ...

Back in the '90s I worked at JC Penney's jewelry and watch department; loved the job, but when changing watch bands, inevitably one of the spring bars would fly off and land somewhere in the slat wall behind the workstation, never to be seen again; usually the longer ones that could build a fair amount of kinetic energy. We used a lot of spring bars.

Ha-Ha! They really do fly! I now have the same problem with Sturmey-Archer Pawl springs!

Oh this made me laugh! I knew a dumb kid once, I hope I am better now! I used to stupidly smoke when I was younger and cooler! Yeah, right.

Too many years ago, I was in the bath, leaning back, contemplating the world (as you do), looking up at the ceiling having a cigarette and I went to take the cigarette away from my mouth but it stuck to my lips whilst my two fingers moved forward. This resulted in the burning ember rolling down the fingers and it fell (remember I was laying back with my face looking at the ceiling) inside my nostril. The immediate reaction is to try and blow it out, but what happens when you give embers oxygen? They burn hotter! It took a couple of seconds to register and dunk my head under the bath water...............

omg, priceless story!