Table tops

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JayRay

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Oct 15, 2002
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Mich
Hi all,
I was wondering what all of you use for your work table tops? I currently have a work table made from 1/2 inch plywood with a tightly woven carpet attached to the top. I am having problems with little hairs from the carpet getting in the pieces and I'm looking for a change. Thanks , Jay
 
Coroplast/Polyflute/corrugated plastic.

It is slightly cushioning, attractive-enough that I am using it even on my design counters and very easy to keep clean. (I wipe it off with one of those 3M cleaning cloths.) Plus, it's cheap-enough that, when it gets beat-up, you just replace it.

Carpeting is risky. Among other things, it traps little glass shards that can injure you or the items you're working on.
 
Hi Jay,
I have a keencut storage bench with a 25mm MDF board. On top of that I use 3mm ribbed rubber matting, it's really good for several reasons: The dust falls between the ribs, it grips glass, frames and self healing cutting mats really well, & protects items from knocks etc. When it gets full of dust etc, I just take it off the bench and shake off the bits.

However you must be careful with matboards as it will mark, so I always use a spare piece of card to protect stuff when mountcutting etc. I also put a piece of carpet on top of the ribbed matting when cutting glass for obvious reasons, then this too can be shaken to remove any shards.

Im not sure where you can source this matting, maybe someone your side of the pond might know, but it's brilliant and when you get some you will wonder how you ever managed before!

all the best

Stan
 
Like Ron I routinely use coroplast but I also keep several pieces of the thickest carpet padding handy. No shedding, lightweight, plenty of cushioning and inexpensive. Roll it up and put it aside easily.
 
Originally posted by tnframer408:
Ron: what thickness? 1/8? 1/4?
Click to expand...
Doesn't matter. I use 4mm most places cause it's cheaper than 6mm. But I've got a piece of 6mm "clear" (frosted, really) on my fitting table where I have a built-in light table. The clear lets the light shine through and it's amazing how often this comes in handy.

There was something on the PPFA HH a while back about using large, self-healing mats on the fitting table. That woould often be useful, but the big ones are expensive and I don't believe they'd be as easy to clean as Coroplast. I keep a 24x36 cutting mat handy to use with a rotary knife for trimming papers.
 
At my work station, I use a couple pieces of triple X glued together. When the top piece becomes unusable, I turn it over. When the whole thing is unusable I add another piece of triple X or if it is too thick, I start over.

Under the triple X is a board I made covered with contact paper that has a grid on it. I can use it as a square. This is the surface on which I do x-stitches because I can wash it. The contact paper has a seam in it, so it is covered with a thick clear plastic from a roll of plastic from Walmart. I make no cuts that could hurt cut this surface.

If I am cleaning glass on top of the triple X and it is fussy about getting clean, I put a piece of black matboard unter the glass and all of its sins show up and it speed us my cleaning.
 
I have for 20 years used a clean sheet on top of our table. We keep several around and this way we always have a clean one. It is convenient if you need to turn the frame, you just move the sheet around. It has worked for us.
 
On our work tables, I use .165" white coroplast. Its easy to clean and lasts quite a while. When it gets messed-up...just turn it over. Sign shops sell 4x8 sheets for about ten bucks. Our design counters up front are carpeted.
 
I use a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" plywood with a 1/2" hardwood band around the perimeter, raised about 1/8" higher than the plywood. I then place a 4x8 sheet of white tile board on top of the plywood. The tile board (masonite with finished surface used typically as cheap panelling) has a smooth surface that shows any flaws that might harm your work and is inexpensive to replace when worn. I use kraft paper when working with mats and fillets and 1/8" foam packing whe working with frames that are face down. This system fits nicely on top of two plywood boxes that have vertical slots for mats on one end and horizontal shelves on the other.

I have replaced the tile board 3 times in eight years.

Pat
 
I have found that at one end of my worktable I have a piece of glass!!! I have it taped around the edges to the dimension of the underneath pressboard (whatever they call it - about 3/4" thick) - It works fantastic for trimming around pieces and that is the end that is near my glass cutter so I have a piece of old mat board with bumpers strategically placed that I keep on the shelf underneath and I can put up on the counter top when I need to clean a piece of glass. The other areas I keep covered with either kraft paper which is easily removed/replaced when dirty, cut... and then I have foam cushioning that I use under frames while fitting - all is easily replaced if dirty, torn or has glass chards.

Bear in mind I am working in a small space so I have everything so it is moveable for what my needs are any given project/day!!
 
I, too, have carpet on my work table. The problem of debris in it etc. caused me to come up with a couple of solutions.

The first thing I did was buy a roll of fabric - I use cheap suiting material so that it has some "slide" to it. Then I used some elastic with garter hooks (3 on each side of the table) to hold the fabric in place. As it gets glue drips, accidental cuts, etc. on it I just unhook the fabric and turn it over or around to a better spot. Change as needed. This keeps my surface cushioned to protect frames and art but allows for quick and easy cleaning. Just brush off or vacuum.

The second thing I did was buy a "Lite Grip" (www.tapgallery.com). This thing is a gem
. No need for a dedicated place for glass cleaning or to meticulously clean your workspace before setting glass down. Open it, clean your glass (slide your metal frame on - EASY) and close it up. Time saver and space saver. I got mine at the Atlanta show for, I think, $125.

Anyway, that's how I do things.

Cyndi
 
I had a couple of small laminated (Formica) tabletops at my previous location. I loved working on them. When I put together my current shop, I had my two 4'x 6' (back to back) workbench's laminated with white Formica. It cleans easy and glue pops right off.

If I need to trim something, I use a slip-sheet.
 
Ron, I use Unseal to clean my small self-healing mats. Works well and the stuff soaks into the "cuts" made by the X-acto
 
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