Rubber floor mats - they work great!

[bobgroh]

I got some interlocking foam rubber floor mats for Christmas and I have to say that they are a great addition to my garage workshop. Mine were a gift from my son-in-law and were from Harbor Freight (PN 94635) - a set of 4 of them (each one about 2 ft square) is currently on sale for less than $5.

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I put some in front of my two Shopsmith's and they do feel great. My wife was out in the garage and, upon stepping on the mats, she exclaimed 'Hey, these really feel great!' They do interlock nicely and you can fit them to your particular needs.

Inexpensive and they are really a nice addition to the shop. Don't know how they will standup over time but, frankly, I don't care! They are great right now.

[fjimp]

I purchased a set of the Harbor Freight floor mats several weeks ago. As hard as it is for me to admit I like them very much. The only reason I may not add another set being that they refuse to stay put. I am forever moving them back into desired space. Jim

[pieceseeker]

I've been using them for about 2 years at work. I'm always using them to kneel down to set the rack for lifting a vehicle. I also use them to cover the grate that runs under the car rack. Keeps bolts and small parts from finding their way into the drain. I normally don't use them for just standing around the engine bay, I have excellent work shoes by Knapp for that.

[fiatben]

Last year I found what I think are yogo or exercise mats at garage sales. I found 2 for $1 each. They are about 2' x 6' and made of a closed-cell foam with a textured surface. They are perfect as runners in front of my Shopsmiths, especially if I drop the leading edge of the legs on the ends, not that I've had any problem with them moving on my concrete floors. When I'm cleaning, I shake them out, roll 'em up to get out of the way, finish sweeping the floors and throw 'em back down. Admittedly, one is orange and the other is green, but I painted my '55 blue and yellow, so what do I care?

For you car guys, we bought the HF moving quilts on sale (like $3 or 4 each), cut them in thirds, seamed up the cuts, and sewed those 2/$1 magnets in two corners and they are PERFECT fender covers for about $2 a fender. We made several and gave them away to the guys in the family at Christmas. Now I'm thinking I could take a full-size moving blanket, sew in a magnet at all four corners and have a great CHEAP cover for the SS's.

I don't know about anyone else, but I love any ideas someone can share on how to save money on things so I have more money for wood and tools.

[charlese]

I have 9 of the mats shown in the first post. They are arraigned in a 6'X6' square. I've had them on the floor in my shop for 7 years. They are holding up just fine. They make up the area of the floor where I use all Shopsmith tools.

When sawing the MarkV sits next to an edge of the mat. When drilling, jointing, or bandsawing, the MarkV is rotated 90 degrees and the business end is lowered on the mat.