Surface covering for Work bench. Help!!

[diy didi]

Hi All!
I have been doing electronic repairs for about 4 years now. Thing is, many times I end up scratching peoples stuff due to debris on my bench, leftover from previous repairs. Little pieces of solder or wire etc.
What could I use as a surface covering. Carpet perhaps?
Any ideas will be appreciated.

[Enzo]

Yes. I always have a carpet surface on my bench top for working on customer goods. I also carpet my selves for storing completed repairs.

I have permanently installed carpet, but a piece of carpet is fine if it is large enough. And you can take it up and shake debris from it between jobs.

[Conrad Hoffman]

I use an old bath towel.

[epicyclic]

Thick newspaper opened out in the middle , carefully remove the middle page complete with debris after each repair .

[bear]

Ask a carpet shop for some old "sample" squares - they often throw out piles of it when the mill changes the line.

I put that or a cut scrap of industrial *closed loop pile* on my bench where I work. When it gets icky, I throw it out and put another one there. Also, carpet tiles will work too, they have the rubber side on the bottom, which is sometimes good to have up instead of down.

Formica makes a good basic surface, easy to clean up. I prefer a light color, no texture. White is my favorite, although a beige is ok too... grey not bad. etc.

_-_-bear

[simon7000]

The trick I like is you put an edge around your bench top. This should leave the top slightly less than 1/4" below the edging. I use 1/4" birch or oak for the edge. Now you can cut a top out of masonite (pressboard.) Masonite has a soft side and a smooth finish side, take your pick. This can be changed out for a carpet top. So you can have a solid top when needed or a soft top. When the get ugly you just drop a new one in.

[bear]

you leave a lip sitting up, behind which you lay in the masonite?

The lip has to have some strength or it will get bashed I would think?

_-_-bear

[simon7000]

Originally Posted by bear

you leave a lip sitting up, behind which you lay in the masonite?

The lip has to have some strength or it will get bashed I would think?

_-_-bear

Top of edge is flush or lower.

[cihtog]

My bench is a Mayline Ranger steel drafting table from the local university - covered with the original BORCO self healing top. Works great as an electronics bench - one giant shallow drawer for prints and such, and one narrower full depth drawer for tools and what not.

The thickness of table top is great for clamp-on lights, parts trays, vises.... etc.

Borco/Vyco is kind of expensive, but as a work surface I couldn't be happier. I'm sure I can find an alternative if I ever decide to replace the top.

The thought has crossed my mind to use rubber roofing as a bench covering as well.

Or... UHMW... it's cheap and durable as hell.

[tvrgeek]

I don't like carpet as it holds things. Fne on the shelves though. I use a piece of anti-static mat. Soft rubber. Easy to clean and, anti-static.