Good Work Surface

[Phostenix]

Home Depot sells a shelf liner that I'm finding makes a nice work surface for electronics. It's got enough grip that things don't slide around while I'm working on them & it won't scratch painted surfaces. The downside is that it will collect debris, so I have to shake it out from time to time, but overall I'd say it's been great. It also makes a decent surface to take pictures on.

Here's the product:
Con-Tact 18 In. x 4 Ft. Black Solid Grip Liner - 04F-C6U51-06 at The Home Depot

Photos of what it looks like rolled out & a sample pedal picture:

[Phostenix]

The liner material is 4 ft long, so you can make bigger work surfaces, too. I use a basic drafting table for larger items. Room for an amp head plus tools.

Oh, and if you put dummy load resistors on this material, they will melt it....

[Enzo]

My bench top has always been carpeted.

[pontiacpete]

I like the little vise

[Phostenix]

My bench top has always been carpeted.

Yeah, but you're a professional. I don't have dedicated work benches.

[Phostenix]

I like the little vise

That's not the little vise. THIS is the little vise.

[Mars Amp Repair]

Well,
I'll have to look into that matt. I like the idea esp if it has some grab & strength to it. My only concern would be how static active it is.

I used to have carpeted benches, but kinda decided to change once I started using a lazy susan with a non-stat mat on it. the lazy susan is heavy duty enough to accommodate SVTVR's & heavier chassis like that, but when placed on carpet got a bit rickety.
I use a 4x10 carpeted cab that is perpendicular to my bench for initially placing the head or the combo on until I pull the chassis. Then I transfer the chassis to the lazy susan on my bench.
I do think however that this material if tough enough, could be a good thing for the top of the bench. Right now it is the bare wood the bench came with. g

[Enzo]

Yeah, well... And my carpet is worn through in front of me now.

But you are doing the right thing cushioning the work to protect the finish.

A small bathroom throw rug or an outdated carpet sample square from the home center are other options.

[Enzo]

Oh yes, a lazy susan can be very useful.

I tend to use my shop cart for that, it is like this:



I can spin it around in front of me near the bench, then I can lift out the amp chassis and sit that on my bench. or pull a sub-assembly.

[Mars Amp Repair]

that looks good, too. In my limited space per tech, I use the 4x10 cabs w/wheels to perform a dual purpose...test speaks & side work table for amps & keyboards too long for the main bench.

g

[Enzo]

Oh I often use a PA cab on wheels for that when I am out in the warehouse. Just because it wasn;t built to be a table doesn;t mean it can;t be used as one.

Of course part of my shop's needs is to be accessible for large mixers and keyboards as well as amplifiers. Not everyone does that. I hate when I have an 88-key keyboard in here.... too long.

[Phostenix]

I haven't noticed any static issues with the mat on my desk yet & we're into the extra dry fall months now - single digit humidity. I've had this piece here for several months now. I poked around some lint & cat hairs that are on it & they don't seem to have any attraction to it.

[Enzo]

I like to be aware of static, but I don;t think of it as so much an issue. Especially on guitar amps. I used to work mostly on digital stuff in another industry, and I used a static free surface a lot, but many times I just worked on the plywood surface. I only had a static parts fatality once.

I was working on the logic board for some early video arcade game - I forget what, late 1970s. My shop room had the building's gas furnace in one corner. It was warm and REAL dry in there. And we had a shop cat. Little friendly furry creature, helped keep mice out of the vending machine candy stocks. Cat's name was Dave.

One day I was repairing this logic board and I had just replaced a bad RAM chip. Was about to do final test, when little furry Dave brushed up against my leg, then hopped up on the bench and plopped his charged little furry self right down on top of this nice warm logic board. ZAP. Blew out every RAM in it.

I find nowdays here in pro audio, I do work on digital stuff, but I think most of it winds up still sitting in its metal rack chassis while I do so.

If you are wondering as to the static properties, rub a balloon on your sweater and see if it likes the mat.

Back in the days of Pac Man, Galaxians, Asteroids, static was sometimes a problem in the arcades, especially when carpeted. Walk up and touch the machine to coin it, and discharge from your body sparks a reset of the CPU. Solution was to dilute some Downy fabric softner in a spray bottle and spray the carpet. If your work area seems staticky, do that. Spray the rug, the upholstery of your chair, a nearby curtain, whatever. Plus your work room will become April fresh.


And remember for static free work surfaces, it is not enough the mat be non-static, ie conductive, YOU have to be grounded to it. They make wrist straps for that.

[Mars Amp Repair]

I'm with ya enzo...
I recall zapping a number of VCR processors back in the 80's by merely having static build-up. I finally convinced the folks were I worked at the time to invest in the blue static mats & to get rid of the carpetted benches, too. I will say that in the very beginning of processor driven home electronics, they didn't quite have the protection that they incorporated later.

I will admit I haven't zapped anything & killed it lately but working on keyboards & digital recording stations now, I just can't take the chance.

Interesting you mention it, I to this day I still spray the Downey & water solultion on the carpet in the tech areas. It is also very dry in the winter in Denver.

I like the idea of the mouser cat shop mascot...g

[Phostenix]

I've never managed to destroy anything with static discharge yet. I tend to regularly touch grounded things to discharge myself. I noticed recently that I even do this walking around the building - touching door frames & wall corners (sheetmetal corners will discharge static through the paint usually).

I have many frequent cat visits in the man cave (my electronics shop & music room), but so far they've stayed off the desk. I've got one who likes to jump up on the Ampeg that is on an amp stand & then go up to the Crate which is on top of a 19" mini rack on top of a stereo cabinet (the highest point in the room). I'm concerned she's going to start tearing up the tolex on that anp, so this grip liner material is going on top of that next.