Official Luthiers Forum!

Wonder if folks are using anti-fatigue matting and if so what type? Pluses and minuses, and any salient pointers.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Stood on it for decades working in the tool and die shops.
It works.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I got a crapload cheap at Goodwill. It's like standing on a cloud.
Well, better than concrete for sure.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

I paid extra ( as always it seems) for the Lee Valley mat - night and day comfort difference, and it shows quick when you need to vacuum...
Rob

I just use garage floor covering with the diamond plate patter. Definitely good to have.

I got a 6x40' roll of rubber hardwood flooring underlayment free from work. Works like a chArm and the price was right.

I have 2'x2' grey interlock matting on most of the floor in my shop that I bought at Costco. It works, but sawdust gets through the interlock, and sometimes it lifts. I'm thinking about replacing it with a sheet version of the same material.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

I have a variety of different mats in from of the benches where I tend to do a lot of standing. In general any anti-fatigue mat will be better than standing on the floor. There is a lot of different qualities available, but you can general find some fairly cheap options as has been mentioned. I would also add that a really good work shoe makes a big difference as well.

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
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Cheap 2x2 from Crappy Tire. It works well but only if you have the multi coloured side up. What Alex said about sawdust in the interlock. Not a huge issue if you keep a vacuum handy but it surprises me sometimes when I lift it up to find out what's underneath. Maybe it just adds to the cushion.

Why not just cut up some fatigue mat and glue it on your shoes!

Love that! LOL

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I had the interlocking stuff for a while, it shrank so it no longer fit together well and then didn't stay put. It was also not resistant to things like chair feet etc. Got it on sale....now I know why.
I ditched it and replaced with 2' X 5' mats fom Woodcraft.
They cover a smaller area but are much better.
The fatigue thing is an important factor (though I work from a tall rolling chair mostly)
but very useful is the fact that if you drop a small part (like a bridge with nicely shaped corners) it doesn't get ruined on the concrete.
Also there are times when you want to work on the butt end or peghead of the guitar and setting it on the floor and cradling it betwee your legs is the best option, the padded surface works great for that.

The interlok is not all the same. I use both interlok and rolls. I like the interlok around my sanders and shaper as I can make it fit irregular areas but agree the roll is better. MSC WW GRAINGER and supply hose will have the good stuff. It is worth the investment

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I talked about this years ago but it's probably time for a rehash.
When I first built my shop, I put in wall-to-wall horse stall mats. This is the VERY dense rubber that is, literally, designed to take the weight and abuse of livestock. It comes in 5'X7(?) sheets and each one weighs more than 100lbs, if that gives you an idea of the density of the rubber. I've got a 1000 lb thickness sander on it and it doesn't leave a dent. Yet, it still takes the "ache" out of standing on concrete. You can drop a chisel on it (don't ask me how I know this) and you'll still have a perfect edge when you pick it up. The stuff is not cheap but would be comparable to any finished flooring. ($1.50-2.00/ sq ft)

Pwoolson - do these mats lay flat? What colour are they? Is it easy to cut to shape? I like the idea that heavy equipment sits on it, not in it.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

I've tried many different kinds of anti-fatigue mats for my basement shop which has a concrete floor. I started out with a few low budget kitchen mats from Lowes which were fine for awhile but wore out after a few years. I bought the 2'x5' mat from Woodcraft and it's ok but too thin for my liking. I recently bought some good quality mats from New Pig and they are working out great. Very cushy yet sturdy. I plan to outfit my whole shop with these mats. New Pig is having a 10% off sale today. These are the exact mats I bought but they have many different styles. Get the thickest mat you can afford.

http://www.newpig.com/pig/US/cushion-ma ... oll-flm594

Seriously, can anyone explain why it's worth spending hundreds of dollars to pad the whole floor, if the only advantage is to protect dropped tools?

For me, protecting dropped tools or wood is a nice bonus. My shop is my workplace, so the benefit is saving my feet-ankles-knees-hips-back. For a 30-50 hour work week, it makes an investment worthwhile, at least for myself.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Yes, they lay flat. (in fact, they are VERY hard to roll because they are do darn heavy)
One thing I wish I did was to tape them together on the back side before I installed them. I've got a couple of seams separating from moving things and pulling the floor along with it.
They can be cut. It's not super easy but a good sharp utility knife will get through them.
I've only seen them in black. Shows dirt very easily but that's the option I guess.

Before you invest lots of time and money in mats, go down to your local sporting goods store and buy a good pair of insoles for your shoes. They do the same thing, except (a) they are softer than the mats, (b) they are contoured to fit your arch, which is a big part of the problem (which the mats do not solve), and (c) they are way cheaper and less hassle than the mats.

One thing that I learned a long time ago: When working in one place for any length of time, it helps to have one foot on a riser of some sort, and alternate your feet every few minutes. Having one knee bent helps to relieve strain on legs and back, and slightly changes the way your muscles are used for whatever task you are working on.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

You are correct except that it will only protect your tools if they are dropped on your foot.

I have several Lee Valley mats. Easy to clean, hug the floor, stay put and no tripping on the edges. They're simply great!.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32099&cat=1,43456,43465

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Michael Lloyd

“I was born to ignorance, yes, and lesser poverties ...
I was born to privilege that I did not see ... I didn’t know it, but my way was paved” – John Gorka

Soft isn't necessarily what you want in floor mats or insoles. Mats are meant to absorb shock, and if it is too soft, the shock of your foot hitting the mat may transmit to the hard floor surface underneath.
I wear custom orthotics in my shoes, and they have about 1/16" of cushion, yet they are very comfortable. I've worked on very soft industrial floor mats, while fairly thick, they can be tiring to walk on. Your foot tends to roll, and it feels like you are walking on sand in bare feet - very tiring.

New shock absorbers in your car work because they support the vehicle, and dissipate shock. When they start to wear and go soft, the don't do such a good job anymore.

Thats my take on what works for my 56 year old feet. Age and mileage may cause individuals to have different results!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

I'll second the horse stall mats.
Was driving to work one morning and ran over a big black piece of something that magically appeared from under the car in front of me. For some reason I decided to pull over and went back to pull it off the road. It ended up being one of those mats, approx. 3' x 6', and I can definitely attest to the weight after having drug it across three lanes of traffic. Probably blew out of some horse trailer.
It's been the best mat I've had, and there is no destroying it, it's tough as nails. And once you put it somewhere it definitely stays there.