Anti-fatigue mats
 

I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of my
bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose what I
looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference between the
"solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I could use that
may be alot better than nothing.

Bill

Anti-fatigue mats
 

Bill wrote:
I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of my
bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose what I
looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference between the
"solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I could use that
may be alot better than nothing.


As you know Bill - you'll get lots of opinions on a question like this. In
my experience (and I think I have more varied experiences to qualify from
than a lot here - though that's just my opinion....), anything is going to
work just as good as the next. Go get those rubberized pads that interlock
and you'll have everything you could ever want, as cheap as it gets, and
nothing else is going to really gain you any measurable benefit. Hit SAM's
or Harbor Freight, or the liles and I'm sure you'll be quite satisfied.

This is not one of those things that really requires a lot of input.

--

-Mike-

Anti-fatigue mats
 

Mike Marlow wrote:
Bill wrote:
I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of my
bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose what I
looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference between the
"solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I could use that
may be alot better than nothing.

As you know Bill - you'll get lots of opinions on a question like this. In
my experience (and I think I have more varied experiences to qualify from
than a lot here - though that's just my opinion....), anything is going to
work just as good as the next. Go get those rubberized pads that interlock
and you'll have everything you could ever want, as cheap as it gets, and
nothing else is going to really gain you any measurable benefit. Hit SAM's
or Harbor Freight, or the liles and I'm sure you'll be quite satisfied.

Yes, Harbor Freight offers a $20 solution (2 x $9.99). That was the
low-end one.

Anti-fatigue mats
 

Bill wrote:
Mike Marlow wrote:
Bill wrote:
I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of
my bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose
what I looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference
between the "solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I
could use that may be alot better than nothing.

As you know Bill - you'll get lots of opinions on a question like
this. In my experience (and I think I have more varied experiences
to qualify from than a lot here - though that's just my
opinion....), anything is going to work just as good as the next. Go get
those rubberized pads that interlock and you'll have
everything you could ever want, as cheap as it gets, and nothing
else is going to really gain you any measurable benefit. Hit SAM's
or Harbor Freight, or the liles and I'm sure you'll be quite
satisfied.

Yes, Harbor Freight offers a $20 solution (2 x $9.99). That was the
low-end one.

And - they're just as good as any other out there.

--

-Mike-

Anti-fatigue mats
 

"Bill" wrote:

I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of my
bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose what
I looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference between
the "solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I could use
that may be alot better than nothing.
------------------------------------------------------
Put your money in foam sole & heel shoes with Velcro straps to close.

To damn lazy to go find the brand I bought but they work quite nicely.

Lew

Anti-fatigue mats
 

On 8/27/13 11:08 PM, Mike Marlow wrote:
Bill wrote:
Mike Marlow wrote:
Bill wrote:
I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of
my bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose
what I looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference
between the "solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I
could use that may be alot better than nothing.

As you know Bill - you'll get lots of opinions on a question like
this. In my experience (and I think I have more varied experiences
to qualify from than a lot here - though that's just my
opinion....), anything is going to work just as good as the next. Go get
those rubberized pads that interlock and you'll have
everything you could ever want, as cheap as it gets, and nothing
else is going to really gain you any measurable benefit. Hit SAM's
or Harbor Freight, or the liles and I'm sure you'll be quite
satisfied.

Yes, Harbor Freight offers a $20 solution (2 x $9.99). That was the
low-end one.

And - they're just as good as any other out there.


Except when they're not. :-)

I've found the single piece, long mats are better for several reasons.
- They are thinner, while offering the same comfort while being much
less of a trip hazard.
- They have a beveled edge, which combined with the first reason makes
them easier to roll wheeled carts across... and did I mention trip
hazard?
- The thinner material is stronger and doesn't get 'memory bumps' as fast.
- The solid mat doesn't collect dust like the interlocking square
mats... and dust is slippery.
- They are smoother and when combined with the above reason are much
easier to sweep.

They may be more expensive but IMO the are well worth it.
They are often on sale at local Woodcraft stores.
My square mats are now relegated to under-car repairs in my gravel
driveway.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

Anti-fatigue mats
 

On 08/27/2013 08:22 PM, Bill wrote:
I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of my
bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose what I
looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference between the
"solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I could use that may
be alot better than nothing.

Bill

I used to stand in warehouse 8 hours a day on concrete. Guys driving
stand up forklifts stood 8 hours a day on metal. Shin splints are painful.
First get rubber sole shoes like Rocky Walkers. Then if you don't have
rubber mats, put down simple corrugated cardboard. Cardboard is a cheap
and comfortable fix which is what we all used in the warehouse,
including the stand up forklift drivers.

Anti-fatigue mats
 

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
eb.com...

"Bill" wrote:

I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of
my bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose
what I looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference
between the "solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I
could use that may be alot better than nothing.
------------------------------------------------------
Put your money in foam sole & heel shoes with Velcro straps to
close.

To damn lazy to go find the brand I bought but they work quite
nicely.

Lew
-----------------------------------------------
Try:

Men's Rockport World Tour Classic (12 W U.S. in Tumbled Black)

Lew

Anti-fatigue mats
 

On Tue, 27 Aug 2013 23:22:37 -0400, Bill
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose what I
looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference between the
"solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I could use that
may be alot better than nothing.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...=1,43456,43465

Anti-fatigue mats
 

-MIKE- wrote:


Except when they're not. :-)

I've found the single piece, long mats are better for several reasons.
- They are thinner, while offering the same comfort while being much
less of a trip hazard.
- They have a beveled edge, which combined with the first reason makes
them easier to roll wheeled carts across... and did I mention trip
hazard?
- The thinner material is stronger and doesn't get 'memory bumps' as
fast. - The solid mat doesn't collect dust like the interlocking square
mats... and dust is slippery.
- They are smoother and when combined with the above reason are much
easier to sweep.

They may be more expensive but IMO the are well worth it.
They are often on sale at local Woodcraft stores.
My square mats are now relegated to under-car repairs in my gravel
driveway.

Howdoyalikethat! We don't have a Woodcraft around here, and I've not
noticed anything similar to what you describe in other stores. Ok - I'll
tamper my enthusiastic reccomendation of the HF pads.

--

-Mike-

Anti-fatigue mats
 

Mike Marlow wrote:
-MIKE- wrote:


Except when they're not. :-)

I've found the single piece, long mats are better for several
reasons. - They are thinner, while offering the same comfort while
being much less of a trip hazard.
- They have a beveled edge, which combined with the first reason
makes them easier to roll wheeled carts across... and did I mention
trip hazard?
- The thinner material is stronger and doesn't get 'memory bumps' as
fast. - The solid mat doesn't collect dust like the interlocking
square mats... and dust is slippery.
- They are smoother and when combined with the above reason are much
easier to sweep.

They may be more expensive but IMO the are well worth it.
They are often on sale at local Woodcraft stores.
My square mats are now relegated to under-car repairs in my gravel
driveway.

Howdoyalikethat! We don't have a Woodcraft around here, and I've not
noticed anything similar to what you describe in other stores. Ok -
I'll tamper my enthusiastic reccomendation of the HF pads.
^^^^^^^^

..... temper...


--

-Mike-

Anti-fatigue mats
 

Bill wrote:
I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of my
bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose what I
looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference between the
"solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I could use that may
be alot better than nothing.

Agree with Lew. Found mats, of any kind, to be a waste of time and money
for my shops and eventually chunked the lot. Depending upon the size and
layout of your space, you may find a good pair of work shoes with custom
orthotic inserts will save money, hassle when cleaning up, and aggravation
when moving your machines and projects on and over a shop full of mats.

Spend hours on the concrete shop floor daily, wearing a pair of good shoes
and proper inserts, and leg and foot fatigue is the last thing on my mind,
even with these 70 year old parts.

--
www.ewoodshop.com (Mobile)

Anti-fatigue mats
 

On 8/27/2013 10:22 PM, Bill wrote:
I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of my
bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose what I
looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference between the
"solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I could use that may
be alot better than nothing.


I've used several alternatives to custom-purchased --

a) an old PU bedliner mat fits handily in front of the chopsaw bench in
the barn alleyway where it's set up -- it was in the used 4x4 bought and
for my purposes of a truck they're more bother than worth there so
re-delegated it...

b) several old cattle/horse barn mats from the milking parlor -- one of
them is in front of the bench.

Keep an eye open, stuff shows up where you may not expect it.

Like Swing, other than a couple of places I found over time that the
mats in the general shop area end up being more aggravation than worth
as don't stand in one spot in the other places besides the benches long
enough to make any difference on comfort and they're a nuisance in cleanup.

Anti-fatigue mats
 

dpb wrote:
On 8/27/2013 10:22 PM, Bill wrote:
I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of my
bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose what I
looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference between the
"solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I could use that may
be alot better than nothing.


I've used several alternatives to custom-purchased --

a) an old PU bedliner mat fits handily in front of the chopsaw bench
in the barn alleyway where it's set up -- it was in the used 4x4
bought and for my purposes of a truck they're more bother than worth
there so re-delegated it...

b) several old cattle/horse barn mats from the milking parlor -- one
of them is in front of the bench.

Keep an eye open, stuff shows up where you may not expect it.

Like Swing, other than a couple of places I found over time that the
mats in the general shop area end up being more aggravation than worth
as don't stand in one spot in the other places besides the benches
long enough to make any difference on comfort and they're a nuisance
in cleanup.
I have noticed that those times one is working on the floor it is nicer
to sit or kneel on a piece of carpet than the concrete.
You know how they say, "everyone wants a bench like they started with".
My dad built his a little too tall for himself, so he made a carpeted
stand about 3" high to put in front (so he could reach everything). And
what was his was mine... : )

It has been interest to note the range of opinions. I think that the
opinions highly-correlate with what people are doing. For instance,
I'll be doing some relief carving. I'll compare standing on my carpet to
the concrete and see if it makes any difference to me.

Bill

Anti-fatigue mats
 

On 8/27/2013 11:22 PM, Bill wrote:
I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of my
bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose what I
looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference between the
"solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I could use that
may be alot better than nothing.

Bill
My opinion and it's just that mine.

The mats that interlock are better for a gym floor or kids play area. I
find my muscles tired at the end of the day after being on them. I
bought a couple of mats at woodcraft, and they have been much better.
More dense so your muscles are spending less time re compensating for
the softness, which in turn means that they are re-balancing you all day.

While carpet is a pain to clean, a very tight mat carpet is better than
the interlocking mats.

Definitely cover the concrete floor, your tools will thank you when you
drop a chisel. I put hard linoleum tiles on the floor and my chisels
will take a bite out of it rather than nicking an edge. Hopefully it
hits a mat.



--
Jeff

Anti-fatigue mats
 

dpb wrote:


Like Swing, other than a couple of places I found over time that the
mats in the general shop area end up being more aggravation than worth
as don't stand in one spot in the other places besides the benches
long enough to make any difference on comfort and they're a nuisance
in cleanup.

Like both of you guys - I have no mats at all in my garage. Like you both -
I'm not standing in any one place long enough to worry about it. I do
however, have those 2' square mats in the basement, which my wife likes. We
don't need them for standing in one spot - more to cover the concrete floor
with something. They work - and they were cheap. Of course... now she
wants adhesive tiles laid on the basement floor. Ugh!

I suspect that for most of us, we don't spend enough time in front of any
one machine, or stationary on a concrete floor in our shops, to even really
worry about it. But - if a guy wants it... well hell - that's half the fun
of having a shop!

--

-Mike-

Anti-fatigue mats
 

Bill wrote:


It has been interest to note the range of opinions. I think that the
opinions highly-correlate with what people are doing. For instance,
I'll be doing some relief carving. I'll compare standing on my carpet
to the concrete and see if it makes any difference to me.


Doing that kind of work, you may well spend more time in one spot than I do.
Maybe some sort of pad will work for you - or as Karl suggests - good shoes.
For me... freakin' sneakers. But I'm not as old as Karl...

I've never done relief carving, but I would have thought that a nice high
stool would have been the order of the day for that kind of work.

--

-Mike-

Anti-fatigue mats
 

woodchucker wrote:


The mats that interlock are better for a gym floor or kids play area.
I find my muscles tired at the end of the day after being on them. I
bought a couple of mats at woodcraft, and they have been much better.
More dense so your muscles are spending less time re compensating for
the softness, which in turn means that they are re-balancing you all
day.

Yeahbut... how do you roll around on a creeper on those? (Scratching
head...)



While carpet is a pain to clean, a very tight mat carpet is better
than the interlocking mats.

Yeahbut... paint overspray is a bitch to carpet. That shag gets really
stiff after just a few paint jobs.



Definitely cover the concrete floor, your tools will thank you when
you drop a chisel. I put hard linoleum tiles on the floor and my
chisels will take a bite out of it rather than nicking an edge.
Hopefully it hits a mat.

You drop your tools? Really? I never drop a tool. Not ever. I blame all
of those drops on the other people who use my garage and my tools...
especially if it results in some kind of damage to the tool

--

-Mike-

Anti-fatigue mats
 

"Swingman" wrote:
Agree with Lew. Found mats, of any kind, to be a waste of time and
money
for my shops and eventually chunked the lot. Depending upon the size
and
layout of your space, you may find a good pair of work shoes with
custom
orthotic inserts will save money, hassle when cleaning up, and
aggravation
when moving your machines and projects on and over a shop full of
mats.

Spend hours on the concrete shop floor daily, wearing a pair of good
shoes
and proper inserts, and leg and foot fatigue is the last thing on my
mind,
even with these 70 year old parts.
----------------------------------------
RookieG.

Lew

Anti-fatigue mats
 

On 8/28/13 5:41 AM, Mike Marlow wrote:
-MIKE- wrote:


Except when they're not. :-)

I've found the single piece, long mats are better for several reasons.
- They are thinner, while offering the same comfort while being much
less of a trip hazard.
- They have a beveled edge, which combined with the first reason makes
them easier to roll wheeled carts across... and did I mention trip
hazard?
- The thinner material is stronger and doesn't get 'memory bumps' as
fast. - The solid mat doesn't collect dust like the interlocking square
mats... and dust is slippery.
- They are smoother and when combined with the above reason are much
easier to sweep.

They may be more expensive but IMO the are well worth it.
They are often on sale at local Woodcraft stores.
My square mats are now relegated to under-car repairs in my gravel
driveway.

Howdoyalikethat! We don't have a Woodcraft around here, and I've not
noticed anything similar to what you describe in other stores. Ok - I'll
tamper my enthusiastic reccomendation of the HF pads.


I'm surprised HF doesn't carry the thinner, longer ones.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

Anti-fatigue mats
 

Mike Marlow wrote:
Bill wrote:

It has been interest to note the range of opinions. I think that the
opinions highly-correlate with what people are doing. For instance,
I'll be doing some relief carving. I'll compare standing on my carpet
to the concrete and see if it makes any difference to me.

Doing that kind of work, you may well spend more time in one spot than I do.
Maybe some sort of pad will work for you - or as Karl suggests - good shoes.
For me... freakin' sneakers. But I'm not as old as Karl...

I've never done relief carving, but I would have thought that a nice high
stool would have been the order of the day for that kind of work.


No sitting. You want to use your whole body to carve, at least so I've
heard. It would be like sitting and sharpening... Just downright
disrespectful.

Anti-fatigue mats
 

On 8/28/2013 11:56 AM, Mike Marlow wrote:

Doing that kind of work, you may well spend more time in one spot than I do.
Maybe some sort of pad will work for you - or as Karl suggests - good shoes.
For me... freakin' sneakers. But I'm not as old as Karl...

I have a couple of them. A long one in front of the bench because I tend
to stand there for longer periods. Also in front of the bandsaw and
sander.

I had one at the tablesaw, but most of the time I move around so it was
of little benefit. As I get older, I stop for more breaks too!

Anti-fatigue mats
 

On 8/28/13 6:04 AM, Swingman wrote:
Bill wrote:
I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of my
bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose what I
looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference between the
"solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I could use that may
be alot better than nothing.

Agree with Lew. Found mats, of any kind, to be a waste of time and money
for my shops and eventually chunked the lot. Depending upon the size and
layout of your space, you may find a good pair of work shoes with custom
orthotic inserts will save money, hassle when cleaning up, and aggravation
when moving your machines and projects on and over a shop full of mats.

Spend hours on the concrete shop floor daily, wearing a pair of good shoes
and proper inserts, and leg and foot fatigue is the last thing on my mind,
even with these 70 year old parts.


Funny you guys should mention that. SWMBO talked me into spending some
real money on a good pair of running shows just for walking around in.

Not only do I notice less soreness on my back, but I cleaned the shop
soon after buying them and never felt the need to put my mats back down
on the floor.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

Anti-fatigue mats
 

"-MIKE-" wrote

Except when they're not. :-)

I've found the single piece, long mats are better for several reasons.
- They are thinner, while offering the same comfort while being much less
of a trip hazard.
- They have a beveled edge, which combined with the first reason makes
them easier to roll wheeled carts across... and did I mention trip hazard?
- The thinner material is stronger and doesn't get 'memory bumps' as fast.
- The solid mat doesn't collect dust like the interlocking square mats...
and dust is slippery.
- They are smoother and when combined with the above reason are much
easier to sweep.

They may be more expensive but IMO the are well worth it.
They are often on sale at local Woodcraft stores.
My square mats are now relegated to under-car repairs in my gravel
driveway.

+1
Dust is the big gotcha in the squares.

Jim in NC

Anti-fatigue mats
 

"Mike Marlow" wrote in
:

*snip*


You drop your tools? Really? I never drop a tool. Not ever. I
blame all of those drops on the other people who use my garage and my
tools... especially if it results in some kind of damage to the tool


I occasionally perform random "sanity" tests to make sure the laws of
gravity are still functional, but I never drop my tools.

Puckdropper
--
Make it to fit, don't make it fit.

Anti-fatigue mats
 

Bill wrote:
I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of my
bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose what I
looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference between the
"solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I could use that
may be alot better than nothing.

Bill


I replaced some old carpeting in the house and cut it up to place in the
garage-workshop.

--
Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeros after @

Anti-fatigue mats
 

On 8/28/13 3:50 PM, Parko wrote:
On Wed, 28 Aug 2013 00:27:32 -0700, Lew Hodgett wrote:

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
eb.com...

"Bill" wrote:

I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of my
bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose what I
looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference between the
"solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I could use that
may be alot better than nothing.
------------------------------------------------------
Put your money in foam sole & heel shoes with Velcro straps to close.

To damn lazy to go find the brand I bought but they work quite nicely.

Lew
-----------------------------------------------
Try:

Men's Rockport World Tour Classic (12 W U.S. in Tumbled Black)

Lew

These things win, no contest. Comfort, fit, durability. Wear em all day
every day on concrete.
http://www.blundstone.com/us/safety-...ts/style-172US


+1 for the steel toe, too.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

Anti-fatigue mats
 

On Wed, 28 Aug 2013 06:04:33 -0500, Swingman wrote:

Bill wrote:
I was just looking at anti-fatigue mats online, to put in front of my
bench, over the cement.
Is there a popular choice here, or a favorite? I won't disclose what I
looked at (online), but there was an 8x price difference between the
"solutions". I've also got some left over carpeting I could use that may
be alot better than nothing.

Agree with Lew. Found mats, of any kind, to be a waste of time and money
for my shops and eventually chunked the lot. Depending upon the size and
layout of your space, you may find a good pair of work shoes with custom
orthotic inserts will save money, hassle when cleaning up, and aggravation
when moving your machines and projects on and over a shop full of mats.

Spend hours on the concrete shop floor daily, wearing a pair of good shoes
and proper inserts, and leg and foot fatigue is the last thing on my mind,
even with these 70 year old parts.

Totally agree with this, and have always been willing to invest in
good work boots or shoes. I have one mat that was given to me and I
don't notice any difference from standing on the concrete.

Mike M

Anti-fatigue mats
 

On Wed, 28 Aug 2013 14:54:38 -0700, Mike M wrote:

Spend hours on the concrete shop floor daily, wearing a pair of good
shoes and proper inserts, and leg and foot fatigue is the last thing on
my mind, even with these 70 year old parts.

Totally agree with this, and have always been willing to invest in good
work boots or shoes. I have one mat that was given to me and I don't
notice any difference from standing on the concrete.

I complained about standing all day and my mailman back then told me
about ripple sole shoes. Worked like a charm. I got them from Mason
Shoes.

--
When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and
carrying a cross.

Anti-fatigue mats
 

-MIKE- wrote in :

I've found the single piece, long mats are better for several reasons.
- They are thinner, while offering the same comfort while being much
less of a trip hazard.
- They have a beveled edge, which combined with the first reason makes
them easier to roll wheeled carts across... and did I mention trip
hazard?
- The thinner material is stronger and doesn't get 'memory bumps' as fast.
- The solid mat doesn't collect dust like the interlocking square
mats... and dust is slippery.
- They are smoother and when combined with the above reason are much
easier to sweep.

I agree completely, for all of those reasons. I've been using those for about 15 years now,
and see no reason for anything else.

They may be more expensive but IMO the are well worth it.
They are often on sale at local Woodcraft stores.