Anti-Fatigue Mats

[hman]

I bought some interlocking gray 2' square mats from someplace (Home Depot?) years ago. I do like them - easy to put together and make pathways between the tables and equipment, easy to custom cut, easy to sweep, etc.


So, last year I decided to try extending the covered area. Bought 6 packages of similar looking mats from Harbor Fraud. BIG MISTAKE. First off, the HF mats have "continuous" edges ... the originals have an oddly shaped interlock point in the middle of the 2 foot span, so you can join the mats halfway across. No real problem. It was fixable with just a bit of creative knife work. And the different pattern (fine-pitch ripples vs "diamond plate") was not really an issue.

But then the )&$$&%##@!!!@#@#$$ showed up. The HF mats are about 1/2" shorter than the originals!!! They just refuse to play nicely with the others - buckling, gaposis, etc. I ended up returning 5 of the packages.

Guess I'll have to go back to HD - WITH a sample of the original border, just to make sure things fit together. Bother!

 

[chuckorlando]

I stole my kids mats. He never used them so I put the red, blue, etc side down and left the dark grey up. Use a shop vac to clean up chips around them.

 

[mattthemuppet2]

same here Chuck, but I like the colours! They're a real boon in winter, but I like them all year round - reduces the back ache I can get and my legs/ feet are much fresher after a few hours than without them. I'm not particularly anal about cleanliness in the shop, so I just sweep them and hoover round them occasionally.

 

[chuckorlando]

Yea I can walk for 10hrs while running my landscape comp. On grass ad dirt no issues. Give me 30min in a walmart and my knees are done. I have also been known to pull up a stool.

 

[catoctin]

This is a totally off the wall solution. During my college days, I worked in automobile plants and at the end of the day my feet and legs were beat. Folks tell me it was because the concrete floors are extra thick to support heavy machinery. My dad suggested using double athletic socks for shock absorption and it really worked. Nowadays there are gel inserts. Most modern running shoes use either gel or an air waffles. Just a thought.

 

[Jim Dobson]

My wife recently bought me four (4) anti fatigue mats. one for the lathe, mill and two other work areas I usually stand at. I was sceptical but have found them to be great and now wouldn't be without them.

These aren't the cheap foam ones that you see at the big box stores or the auto shops that the swarf just eats into and they are really soft. These are industrial quality rubber that are swarf proof. They are super comfortable to stand on and you can really feel the give that's in them.

 

[Jim Dobson]

edit: Just felt I needed to add....yes that can be a PITA sometimes, I lift them out to shopvac when I need to. It's not as convenient as straight concrete, but a bad back, bad knees and hips can be a whole lot more inconvenient.

 

[darkzero]

I have some pricier anti-fatigue mats but they were well worth the price for me. They're made by Wearwell & come in different grades, thicknesses, & textures. I liked the one I got for my lathe so much I had to get another for my mill when I got the mill. The one for my mill is an off the shelf size, the one for my lathe was custom cut to size. The edges are beveled so no trip hazard at all & makes cleaning easy. I just vacuum or sweep them.


(The 4 dimples are from my vacuum sitting on it)

 

[dave2176]

This may sound odd but in our wood turning club we have a retired doctor that has the same ailment. He turned a series of beads and coves on wood shaft that I believe were spaced about 1/2" apart. Place it on the floor and roll your sore foot across it first thing in the morning for several minutes. He claimed there was significant relief right away and that after a few days the pain subsidies and he would use it to keep things going after.

I also like the mats but mine are simple ones from Woodcraft.

Dave

P.S. Mike, if you like i can make a wood one and bring it by early next week. I work not far from you.

 

[Lucky 13]

I bought these 3 foot square interlocking mats at Lowe's for $22.00 each. They are not as cushy as the foam ones, but these will last decades longer. This is my buddy Rob demonstrating while playing on my mill.

The Harbor Freight mats are dangerous in a machine shop. If you get coolant, oil or chips under them, they are like walking on ice in dress shoes. I speak from experience.

[/URL]