Workbench protector

[kmanuele]

Anyone have experience with those cut-resistant, multilayer, workbench protectors. The ones with the rules on the surface?

Won't be doing much cutting on it, but disassembling equipment, maneuvering heavy things on it, etc.

Wondering how those inner foam layers hold up over time.

Thanks

K

 

[Mini Cooper S]

I can't speak to how those would work but I can tell you about what we use. I have two Formica desk tops that we put on two of our benches. They work great! We service my son's Vintage Racing Triumph GT6 on both of them. Rebuilding differentials, gearboxes, engines etc. They don't soak up oil and you can slide heavy parts around easily on them. I also made a table top for my drill press out of our old kitchen counter, works great there also.

Richard

 

[C-Bag]

I can't speak to how those would work but I can tell you about what we use. I have two Formica desk tops that we put on two of our benches. They work great! We service my son's Vintage Racing Triumph GT6 on both of them. Rebuilding differentials, gearboxes, engines etc. They don't soak up oil and you can slide heavy parts around easily on them. I also made a table top for my drill press out of our old kitchen counter, works great there also.

Richard

If the OP is talking about the Olfa mats I have one that I use for cutting leather and bubble wrap. It’s great for clean stuff but not made for doing machinery where oil, grease and dirt are concerned as it’s not made for that. It’s “grippy” for cutting cloth for sewing so it’s not easy to clean. I also have a Formica top on my workstation out in the shop and I love it for dirty stuff as things slide without messing up the part and it’s super easy to clean. It’s also fairly cheap especially compared to a cutting mat.

 

[ChazzC]

If the OP is talking about the Olfa mats I have one that I use for cutting leather and bubble wrap. It’s great for clean stuff but not made for doing machinery where oil, grease and dirt are concerned as it’s not made for that. It’s “grippy” for cutting cloth for sewing so it’s not easy to clean. I also have a Formica top on my workstation out in the shop and I love it for dirty stuff as things slide without messing up the part and it’s super easy to clean. It’s also fairly cheap especially compared to a cutting mat.

I have an older version of a self-healing mat (30-ish years old and intended for drafting boards) that started showing signs of wear so I added an inexpensive (relatively) craft mat from JoAnn Fabrics. Unlike the Olfa and similar mats it has a smooth glossy surface that resists cuts and cleans up easily. The craft mats’ surface has some “tooth” to prevent materials slipping while being cut with knives or Olfa and similar disk cutters - smooth surfaces work better for fabric cutting with shears.

 

[Boswell]

I use both a "cutting" matt and a silicone matt for my electronics bench but agree with C-Bag that they would not be ideal for the metal shop. I use MDF for my work surface there and just replace the top layer when it gets too ugly to use anymore. Of course, I don't particularly care about how it looks just so long as it is easy to work on.

 

[CJ5Dave]

I have the cutting mats for leather. Cut resistant, not resistan5 to much else. Might try pvc board. Not cut resistant(did not work out for my leather cutting) but pretty tough for what you want I think. Would be cheaper too I think.

 

[matthewsx]

Masonite

Hardboard Tempered Panel (Common: 3/16 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft.; Actual: 0.175 in. x 48 in. x 96 in.) 832780 - The Home Depot

This is a premium hardboard with high internal bond, exceptional stability and smoothness ideal for paneling, furniture, fixtures, toys, general manufacturing and applications where painting or die cutting

www.homedepot.com

That’s what’s on top of the workbench my dad built 60+ years ago and when it finally wears out I’ll put another piece in its place.

John

 

[GeneT45]

I have both Olfa and a JoAnn fabric mats. They both stain, which does't bother me. I like the handy measurement grid and they are cut resistant. My small Olfa mat has cracked - not sure why (heat, light, oil?). The JoAnn mat, which is translucent white, seems to be holding up fine, though it's a bit newer.

GsT

 

[keeena]

I use Alvin cutting mats for a portion of one of my workbenches. They are durable when it comes to dropping stuff parts and stuff on them; they are pretty dense. I do get oil, WD40, etc...incidentally when working and doesn't seem to affect them. Mine aren't soaked in oils though.

Some downsides: solvents (especially strong ones like acetone) will immediately dissolve the ink and soften PVC material until cleaned up. The mats will slide around with weight on them unless you do something to prevent that (mine are on a hardboard bench). PVC mats warp bad with heat.

 

[ChazzC]

Masonite

Hardboard Tempered Panel (Common: 3/16 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft.; Actual: 0.175 in. x 48 in. x 96 in.) 832780 - The Home Depot

This is a premium hardboard with high internal bond, exceptional stability and smoothness ideal for paneling, furniture, fixtures, toys, general manufacturing and applications where painting or die cutting

www.homedepot.com

That’s what’s on top of the workbench my dad built 60+ years ago and when it finally wears out I’ll put another piece in its place.

John

I used Masonite on previous wood-top benches, but back then (also when your Dad built his) it was durable and (somewhat) stain resistant (probably loaded with Formaldehyde resin). I have JoAnn/Dritz translucent mats on two of my work surfaces in the shop (one tacked down since it's on a 5/4 finger-joint pine top, the other one is on a Formica-ish top and kept in place by a smaller Kennedy box). My favorite is a Craftsman worktop that is made of dense MDF with an even denser laminated surface (they stopped making these tops years ago): I sealed the surface with multiple thin coats Polyurethane before use and regularly give it a coat of Johnson's Paste Wax.