Mat for under work stand
 

I need a recommendation please.

We are rearranging the house. My desk downstairs was promoted to upstairs. My downstairs is now going just be a shop room instead of an office/shop room. I just polished a stainless frame on the stand and it made a hell of a mess on the floor. Granted, I think I paid $1.10/sq foot and installed the floor, but I have to resell it at some point, saving it would be nice. So what are my options for something under the stand? Obviously I can get a rug, but any recommendation is fine. The more stylish the better.


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I keep eyeing stall mats, but that basically presupposes that you didn't mean what you said above ;-)

idk, I kind of dig this one from Farm and Fleet.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3e3b01cc5d.jpg

And for the record, having on of those mats is as close to being near a horse as I would ever want. They creep me out.

FWIW, I (literally) just pulled the trigger [no horse pun intended] on this one.

I have a big area rug under mine, but it’s in my workshop. I wouldn’t recommend any type of carpet for a house. Cable wires are hard to clean up in a rug but somehow they track easily into the house for someone to walk barefoot on. I think a nice padded vinyl remnant would work and look nice.

Hmm, I haven't thought about this. I live in an apartment with wood floors. I spread newspapers. Sometimes I fold them up and reuse them.

Seeing how difficult or impossible it is to wash rags with grease and grime in them, throwing them out seems easier, even easier with newspapers. At that point, they're not recyclable, but we all create real waste. I hope this isn't too much for Mother Earth. (And I know about the dangers of spontaneous combustion of oily rags.)

Someone here recommended a lipped metal drip tray as used when changing the oil in cars. Cheap and, so far, worked.

On the floor? How big is that thing?

Parallels my thinking. Smooth, little or no texture, easy to clean and disposable down the road when the time comes.

Alternate would be a (maybe not so cheap) canvas drop cloth like painters use. Some trip hazard with those though so think before you buy.

Red rosin paper (used for underlayment between hardwood finish floor and the subfloor underneath) in a pinch, but it tears easy & usually is only 3' wide. Cheap solution.

I had to dismantle my exercise room to restore it to bedroom duty. It had those interlocking 2'x2' foam tiles and I'm planning one putting them down in the garage in my work area.

I encourage you to proceed with caution, any mat with more than about a 1/4in thick edge can be a tripping hazard in a work situation.

I was a Ford dealership tech for 20 years, had various mats that were a PITA for tripping on the edge.

Mats with a tapering border can be had and I have some that I appropriated.

The bike stand may need a wood base to be stable if the mat is very thick.

This may be more challenging than it seems. :twitchy:

I can get some pics later.

Textured floor mat (small bits stay where they land), 3x4', $15-$20 @ Menards


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Had the shop floor done in a decent quality vinyl, fake wood look seems almost the only option. Using a cut off remnant that is about 4x6 under the stand, blends in well, cleans easily, and protects the permanent flooring. Can sorta see it in this image.

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I just measured: 25"x37"x3.4"D. I presume intended to go on the floor under the engine of a car, to catch anything that misses the drain receptacle. A bonus is the lip might catch any errant small bearing that otherwise roll to... where?

A friend of mine once informed me that -- like that single sock from the laundry -- these things end up in Fresno, California. I've never really looked into it, but found it superficially plausible.

The tripping thing is a legit issue to consider. I've been using a few of those interlocking foam squares but wanted what I think of as an upgrade and more coverage. And while, historically, I have caught the edge periodically, a) I've pretty much learned not to, and b) it hasn't amounted to anything in my case. But if you don't feel like learning that new habit, and/or you feel like a trip could easily become a fall (or some other adverse consequence), then flatter probably would be better.

FWIW here's the beveled ones I have, not in use at home but they were great when I was still wrenching for a living.

They interlocked and were plenty tough for a busy shop environment.

They had been cast aside when I got them so they left with me. ;)

They are stamped WELL WORN but they are not worn at all.


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I have several of this sort of thing under the workstand and in a couple of other spots in the basement workshop:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/TrafficM...91-1/206355967

The holes in the grid are good for catching dropped parts though also good for trapping dirt, dust, and grime. Then again, my basement floor is part concrete/part dirt in a house built in 1852.

I've also used old shower curtain liners, when I'm done with them for the primary use. Same caveats apply, however.

Not so stylish but I use these from Costco:

https://www.costco.com/p/-/norsk-dua...7840?langId=-1

I get a lot of tire shipments for our co-op. Flattening the boxes provides a big piece of cardboard that catches most oil and grime from the workstand. I change them out every 6 months or so.

Stylish? FLOR carpet tiles.
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Brent

I saw those. Nice, And the 50cm x 50cm size will fit in the washer.

I just use bike boxes or other large boxes that are too beat up to ship a bike in. Spill oil on it or whatever, and then just toss it when it's too ugly. But it you want something more durable and thicker, maybe a pickup bed mat. Here's a selection of them from the South American Jungle. Amazon.com : pickup bed mat rubber

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That is in interesting option. Thank you.