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Yup, 1 x 3s with a 3/4 gap between boards. Ours were 6' long to match the lathe, and 2' wide; they had 3' between supports. Worked out perfect for 8' boards. Chips go right between boards, and at 1.5" high, can't really "fall" off when not paying attention. Also enough room to get your fingers underneath to stand it up to clean underneath.

I have HF mats in front of mill and surface grinder, but wil probably use buckboard for lathe.
 
I use the Harbor Freight cheap ones with a piece of thin, durable mat on top. That keeps the HF ones from wearing too fast, but still has a little cushion.
 

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I have the Harbor Freight mats as well. I have both the long mat and the sections. They moved around on me to so I hot glued them to the concrete floor. They haven't moved in 4 years and are holding up very well. I have even dropped an AXA tool holder on one and it didn't penetrate the rubber.
Nogoingback said:
I have two kinds: A couple of interlocking Harbor Freight mats, which are soft and comfortable, but are so light
that they won't stay put. I'm constantly kicking them out of position. I would not buy them again for that reason.
I have a couple of heavier mats I bought years ago: I have no idea where I bought them. Not as plush as the HF
mats (though that doesn't seem to matter comfort wise), but they have lasted and don't move at all.
Were I buying today, I would spend a bit more and get a heavier, quality mat that chips can be broomed off
easily.
Click to expand...
 
I have used thick conveyor belts cut to length for a bunch of years. Back still gets tired after a long day but i think that's because I'm getting old. LOL
 
A couple weeks ago I decided the HF mats had served their purpose and it was time for retirement. They were getting to the point that they wouldn't stay interlocked, and I was constantly kicking them back into place.

I replaced them with a couple from Grizzly. The new ones are a bit narrower and shorter at 24" x 60". They are however single piece and quite comfortable when standing at the lathe or mill for hours on end. They also clean up quite nicely as compared to the old HF ones.

Here's a link to the ones i purchased:

www.grizzly.com

Anti-Fatigue Mats - 24" x 60" - Grizzly Industrial

Reduce work-related aches and pains by up to 50% with these closed-cell vinyl floor mats. These sure-grip ribbed foam mats insulate against heat and cold, while providing a 3/8" thick cushion. Beveled edges minimize tripping. Black.<p>Made in the U.S.A.
www.grizzly.com www.grizzly.com
 
I got tired of the HF mats (after about 10 years of service!) and bought a couple of "wash rack" mats from Ace Hardware. They're about 3'x3', pretty thick, with big holes that the chips can get swept into. They're very comfortable. Every so often I lift up the pad and sweep up. So far so good.
 
I do use the softer honeycomb mats in front of the lathe and mill. Menards has decent 3'x3' interlocking ones currently for $18.99, and is currently running an 11% off sale, so we grabbed 10 of them. For my three workbenches, where I alternately stand or sit, I use the horse mats as a good compromise between some padding while still firm enough to allow a tall stool to be used.

I also use cut up sections of horse mat as pads on mill table. Given that I have several horses, scrapped out horse mats are plentiful. The stallions often will wear one through in a couple of years at a point where they turn around while pacing.
 
@DavidR8 Almost anything is better than concrete. however here's what I've learned about mats:

- make sure there's room for chips to go through. walking on chips only spreads them to the house.
- It should give, but only a little. I've gotten foot problems from some industrial mats that were too soft.
- duck boards work really well, especially if you make sure they give a little.

What I use, because I'm lazy, and I need a little softer surface than a duck board:


It should be available locally, and cheaper than materials for a duckboard
 
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