For the fifteenth-thousandth time, I dropped a small part on the floor and it bounced away never to be seen again. Who hasn’t this happened to? I’m finally committed to doing something about this problem, like putting down some type of anti-bounce flooring. Unfortunately, if you search for “no bounce” flooring, all you get are tips on how to remove the bounce from your floors.
After spending more time than I want to admit searching for a solution, Google gave me a few related products that I thought would be interesting to share.
Duratrax Pit Mat
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One combination of search terms led me to the Duratrax Pit Mat. The Pit Mat is a 29″x 19″ heavy duty rubber mat designed for working on RC cars. RC cars can have a lot of small parts and fasteners, and so it makes sense that there’s a workmat that helps prevent dropped parts from bouncing away.
This solvent and fuel resistant mat has recessed areas to help keep parts and tools from rolling away while you’re working. It’s meant to be rolled up and carried with you to races so that you don’t lose any parts or make a mess of the pit area while servicing your car.
Obviously, you don’t have to be into RC racing to appreciate a mat like this. I can see it being useful for working on or taking apart any number of things, such as small engines, laptops, or even your camera — anything with small parts that can roll away or release messy fluids.
Tim — don’t you wish you had a mat like this when working with the 35 pieces of your girlfriend’s camera?
So next time you want to take apart a carburetor on the coffee table, maybe pick up the Duratrax Pit Mat first, for $25-30 at Amazon.
Buy Now (via Amazon)
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Pro Circuit Pit Rug
After trying my luck with different search keywords, I found the Pro Circuit Pit Rug. While looking cool, the rug is a “high-tech” blend of materials that absorbs liquids spilled on, it including oil — saving the floor. So rather than throwing an old cardboard refrigerator box under the car to catch the dripping oil, you can hide your shame with a stylish rug.
The Pit Rug measures approximately 43″ x 94″, about the right size to fit under your bike while you’re working on it. The low-cut pile is made from “PA bcf or PA mono” (a type of nylon yarn) and backed with black vinyl. In addition to its liquid-absorbing properties, the mat is also non-slip and cushioning, while should make it comfortable to stand on during long work sessions. Don’t worry if the rug gets a little grimy and gross, as it’s said to be washable.
The Pro Circuit Pit Rug runs for $190 at their online store.
Buy Now (via Pro Circuit)
Final Thoughs
When I was an intern at Quantum Corporation, we had a no-bounce floor in the lab. My mentor demonstrated it to me by grabbing a handful of small screws and dropping them on the floor from a countertop height. All of the screws landed on the floor, bounced once about half an inch up, and landed in a pattern about 12 inches in diameter.
The floor wasn’t made of fly paper or shag carpeting either, it was some form of rubberized tile that was hard enough for chairs to roll easily over it.
The workbench where I usually take stuff apart on is in the basement laundry room, which has a painted concrete floor. I’d like to either put some flooring down or find a large mat to put under my work area, but I’m still not any closer to my goal of finding a “no-bounce” flooring or mat.
I suppose I could just work on a Pit Mat and be really careful not to drop parts or use some type of anti-fatigue floor mat under my desk and hope that worked, but if anybody has any lead on “no-bounce” flooring, please let me know in the comments.
If you use a different workshop mat for similar reasons, which would you recommend?
jeff_williams
You could add a small gutter like trough (or a lip) on the leading edge of your bench to catch items before they fall.
Benjamen
That is a really good idea. You got me thinking about routing a tray right into the front of my desk. I just need to clean it off and pull the top off so I can do it in shop rather coat everything in the laundry room with 1/2″ of dust.
Another thing to add to my list.
BikerDad
Search on laboratory flooring, You might want to pick up a couple pieces of cork flooring and test with them, it seems as though it should be pretty low bounce.
SawdustTX
So basically you want a “dead-blow” floor. I wonder, when you trip and fall on it, is it more or less painful than bouncing? 🙂
justin
I have all ways wanted to get one of there magnetic pit mats or one of the small parts trays they have
http://www.cowrc.com
Benjamen
I saw those, when I was searching. Very cool. I haven’t had a RC truck for almost 20 years…the things you can buy now for RC racing blow me away.
I use the iFixit Mat all the time.
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/ifixit-magnetic-project-mat-review/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Jerry
Try googling ‘watchmakers mat’ and a bunch of bounce resistant mats will pop up in different sizes, many if not most have anti bounce properties. Not sure where to go for flooring.
Bruce
I think you’ll find most the interlocking tile foam rubber floors will be low/no bounce.
Benjamen
I’m not sure how well chairs are going to roll over foam rubber which is a requirement I implied. I know I can’t roll a chair the ones I have elsewhere. Some of the hard rubber tiles might work.
Like I told Stuart, I think I’m going to have to bring a pocket full of small screws with me to the store and just test a bunch of surfaces.
I also found they had a bunch of commercial VCT at my local ReStore. That might be promising, but I didn’t have anything with me for test drops.
Huu
No idea about better solutions, but you can get similar products as the Pro Circuit mat for a lot less. Those kinds of mats are required on most motocross tracks so they are available from whole host of motorcycle part supliers for reasonable price.
Ian
These would seem to be quite handy. Unfortunately, dropped parts and fasteners regularly defy the laws of physics. The reason theoretical physicists have not yet found a unifying theory, is that they have regularly failed to incorporate the “small parts force” into their calculations.
SteveR
Ben–A rubber mat underfoot is a good idea for saving your back in the long-run. A good brand to consider is “WELLNESSmats”; we have one in the kitchen at the sink for comfort while washing dishes. They’re available in various sizes; ours is 24″x36″, which was about $100. Another nice feature is that the edges are beveled, so it’s a gradual change from the mat back down to the floor, preventing “fall-off” or tripping. If I recall, they come in chocolate brown, dark tan, burgundy and black.
Another rubber mat that WILL hold dropped parts so they can be retrieved is a Heavy-Duty Shoe-Scraper Mat, from Consolidated Plastics, 4700 Prosper Drive, Stow, Ohio 44224, or consolidatedplastics.com. I recently bought one to scrub the dirt from my shoes after coming in from the yard. They have a large number of “fingers” (2,500 per square foot) that pull the dirt from your shoes. I performed a drop test, and they catch falling parts, suspending them so they can easily be picked up. I bought a 32″x39″ mat for $68.90; with shipping, it was just under $100.00. The edges on these mats are beveled.
Parts trays (magnetic or otherwise) are a good investment, and don’t harm the environment. In addition to preventing loss of parts, they keep them organized for rebuilding items like carburetors, R/C motors, etc. Or, you could buy a roll of double-sided tape to temporarily adhere parts to so they don’t roll off your counter top. In a pinch, you can use a sheet of tape from a lint roller; it doesn’t have a strong adhesive, so it will release the parts easily.
I’m not sure I’d want to spend $190.00+ for a mat that soaks up oil. I’m more inclined to (a) Find the source of the oil leak(s) and stop it (them), (b) Replace the cardboard periodically; or c) Invest in some oil absorbent mats, cat litter or sweeping compound. The mats and absorbent material are available from industrial suppliers like Grainger; Lowe’s and HD may carry them, as well. Dirt from your back yard or even a little left-over dry QuikCrete cement will do the trick, too. Don’t forget to dispose of these properly once they’ve become saturated with oil.
RICHARD DECKERT
find a piece of rain gutter and attach it to the front of your bench. it will catch lots of stuff. and it’s cheap. used is ok. or a scrap- what ever.
Rubber Mats in London
I want this. This is seems really helpful.
http://www.rubbergymflooruk.co.uk/