Should I cover my workbench with carpet?

[TheGoodTexan]

I like the way the OP thinks - out of the box. If you carpet your workbench it will be a good place to grab a quick nap!

I try not to limit myself to out-of-the-box thinking.

 

[memorex]

Get a rubber-backed shag bathroom mat and don't fasten it to the table. Then you can use or not as needed. At least that's what I do.

 

[Peegoo]

Carpet is fantastic for working on guitars, so long as you don't attach it to the surface. I use it on my bench, but my approach is this:

I have a small stack of 24" x 24" short loop carpet tiles that have a hard thick rubber backing. These tiles are pretty stiff, almost like wood panels. The rubber side faces up most of the time; perfect for doing electronics and other small stuff. Any time I'm working on a guitar body on the bench, I flip it so the carpet side is facing up. And it faces up only for guitar work, which means it stays really clean.

Most carpet tile available these days has a peel-n-stick backing. The stuff I have is the old-school type that was applied with troweled adhesive.

 

[Old Deaf Roadie]

I have 2 workbenches. In the garage, the bench is bare and where dirty work happens. In my man cave, I have a small carpeted bench exclusively for setup work. I have a big towel I can fold up and pad the garage bench with when needed.

 

[watercaster]

Between my basement shop (where I do my guitar work), my garage and my polebarn shop,
I have built at lease 50 linear feet of benchtop out of 3/4" melamine. I always edge it with some 3/4" x 1" hardwood strips to hide and protect the exposed fragile edge. This material cleans up from most anything spilled on it and its white so easy to spot errant screws and parts. Whenever I work on a guitar I just use a fairly new packing blanket that I buy cheap from Harbor Freight. Just roll it up, bring it outside and give it a good shake to clean it.

 

[Killing Floor]

Yes. Movie theater carpet.

 

[PhoenixBill]

I try not to limit myself to out-of-the-box thinking.

I tried to think out-of-the-box at work once, but the boss told me to roll my chair back into my cubicle.

 

[kuch]

+1 on the NO carpet

I also use a rubber mat and cover it with a thick beach towel. I use the towel because I can wash it between projects and get rid of anything that might have gotten on/in it.

 

[Jakedog]

Ok, so "no" on the carpet.

But what about elephant hide?

If an elephant can hide in your workbench carpet, the shag is too thick.

 

[archetype]

Is that where Nah-gahide comes from?

Nope. It's the hide of a Nauga.

nauga picture at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

 

[Freeman Keller]

My main workbench has a well used piece of 3/4 plywood for a top. I keep a 2 x 3 piece of 3/4 MDF for when I want a smooth hard surface. Both the work bench and MDF can be brushed off onto the floor or vacuumed as needed. When I want a surface that won't damage finish I lay one or two thicknesses of old bath towel on the top. I can shake it out and periodically wash it as needed.

 

[Flaneur]

Shag... Thick luxurious 70's shag....

I do the rubber mat thing. You can buy a roll for cheap on Amazon. I roll it up when not in use.

 

[Peegoo]

It appears they stole the concept for the Nauga from the Rankin-Bass character Bumbles.

 

[radtz]

It appears they stole the concept for the Nauga from the Rankin-Bass character Bumbles.

Do Naugas bounce, too?

 

[bullfrogblues]

I use something similar to these on one bench.

I have one of these Music Nomad pads on the other

both work very well.

 

[stxrus]

I would say no to the permanent carpet.
A rubber pad and some flannel material for when you need a soft, scratch resistant surface.

 

[Ted Keane]

A yoga mat.They work great.

 

[pixeljammer]

I would not. Too much stuff would get lodged in there, like metal shavings etc. that could scratch a guitar set on there.

Unless you’re doing the Relic thing.

 

[pixeljammer]

Nope. It's the hide of a Nauga.

nauga picture at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

You have to be extra sneaky when Nauga hunting, as they use the sharp-eyed Snipe as lookouts.

 

[archetype]

You have to be extra sneaky when Nauga hunting, as they use the sharp-eyed Snipe as lookouts.

Flusher and Bagger are also very specialized roles in the process.