# Polypropylene table cover



## Eyerelief (May 5, 2022)

Been going back and forth over what I wanted to cover the mill table with, or if I wanted to cover it at all.  Didn't want to pay for aluminum or stainless.  Didn't want to use a porous material that might hold moisture or stain.  If it is liquid, I will spill it............often.  That's just how I role.
I settled on polypropylene.  Scratches easy, but a little more chemical resistant than other sheet plastics and so far wipes really clean with WD-40.  WD-40 even gets down in the scratches and cleans them out with no effort.  $20 for two 24"x12"x.250" seemed like a reasonable gamble.  Added 1"x.500" border.
I know this makes a "well" to catch chips, but the way I figure it, I either have to clean them up off the table, or clean them up off the floor, the table seems more convenient.  The "well" will hopefully retain parts and tools, and not just the chips.  The recesses in the border were an after thought so they are all limited to 3.5" in length.  Had to do this to avoid the blind screws coming up from the bottom.  These little trays will hopefully keep me a little more organized (an F5 tornado would be more organized than I am with most projects) and keep me from storing cutters, screws and drill bits in the shop vac.   All the trays have a radius on the inside corners which I hope will make them easier to fetch little parts out of and easier to clean.  
Added a couple short SHCS's to hang off the far edge for the drawbar wrench and a paint brush.
For now, I will leave the left side plain.  I know for sure I want a couple hooks on that side, one for air, one for vacuum.  
Might go looking for one of those swiveling metal basket boat drink holders if I can find a way to keep the swarf out of my thinkin juice.


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## Brento (May 5, 2022)

I love the idea of the slots for tools to hold. Me i am going to be doing something like you except i am doing a whole base plate on my mill. Im gonna buy a sheet of 5/8 thick aluminum and make a base plate and hold that down with 6 low head cap screws. My vice i use on my mill is a 4" screwless vice so i am going to make a sub plate that can sit on and pretty much stay permanent to that plate and make that plate interchangeable so i can rotate it on my base plate.


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## jarhead (May 10, 2022)

great idea on the poly and the slots !


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## woodchucker (May 10, 2022)

Eyerelief said:


> Been going back and forth over what I wanted to cover the mill table with, or if I wanted to cover it at all.  Didn't want to pay for aluminum or stainless.  Didn't want to use a porous material that might hold moisture or stain.  If it is liquid, I will spill it............often.  That's just how I role.
> I settled on polypropylene.  Scratches easy, but a little more chemical resistant than other sheet plastics and so far wipes really clean with WD-40.  WD-40 even gets down in the scratches and cleans them out with no effort.  $20 for two 24"x12"x.250" seemed like a reasonable gamble.  Added 1"x.500" border.
> I know this makes a "well" to catch chips, but the way I figure it, I either have to clean them up off the table, or clean them up off the floor, the table seems more convenient.  The "well" will hopefully retain parts and tools, and not just the chips.  The recesses in the border were an after thought so they are all limited to 3.5" in length.  Had to do this to avoid the blind screws coming up from the bottom.  These little trays will hopefully keep me a little more organized (an F5 tornado would be more organized than I am with most projects) and keep me from storing cutters, screws and drill bits in the shop vac.   All the trays have a radius on the inside corners which I hope will make them easier to fetch little parts out of and easier to clean.
> Added a couple short SHCS's to hang off the far edge for the drawbar wrench and a paint brush.
> ...


looks great, did you put something on the bottom to key into your tableslots?  if not How do you keep it from moving?


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## Eyerelief (May 10, 2022)

woodchucker said:


> looks great, did you put something on the bottom to key into your tableslots?  if not How do you keep it from moving?



Yes I did.  I started with an aluminum T nut out on the end of the table.  I still had a tiny bit of movement around the vise so I added some small weatherstrip between the vise and the poly.  Better but still a little movement.  Then the O.C.D. started raging and I ended up running some snug fitting AL bar stock into the center T slot.  No movement now.


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## woodchucker (May 10, 2022)

Eyerelief said:


> Yes I did.  I started with an aluminum T nut out on the end of the table.  I still had a tiny bit of movement around the vise so I added some small weatherstrip between the vise and the poly.  Better but still a little movement.  Then the O.C.D. started raging and I ended up running some snug fitting AL bar stock into the center T slot.  No movement now.
> View attachment 406661


I would have probably used the polyprop as a full length T slot filler, no need for the T, just a key...  But AL works good too.

Looks great, and should function great.


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