In Search Of ..... the "ultimate" pit (or home workbench) mat

[Panther6834]

As part of this incredible hobby, there's one piece of 'equipment' at all need/use - a pit mat. It didn't matter whether it's only for home use, or whether it's something we take with us everywhere we go with our RCs. Heck, many of us have more than one...one for home, one for "one the road", and maybe even 1-2 for use as 'loaners', or those times when we need a larger "protective" workspace. The point is (as mentioned above), it's something we ALL need, and we all use (ok, so there's probably solve who don't bother...but, let me ask those, "How many parts have you lost and/or scraped up, because you didn't have/use a mat?").

Many of us avoid black mats, primarily because many parts (especially plastic) are black, and they blend in too easily. I'll admit, I have a black mat, but only because of was the only color the LHS I went to had (truthfully, there are several other LHSs I could have gone to, including two others in the same city). Once they got more in, I also picked up a blue one (probably the second most-common color). But, this isn't about black or blue pit mats...it's for all the "unusual" ones people might have.

So, what is a pit mat? I mean, what is a pit mat really? Truthfully, it's nothing more than a yoga mat, cut down in size to smaller dimensions. And, when you think about that point, it's kinda funny. Why? Most pit mats sell in the $20-35 price range, whereas most yoga mats sell for $20, or sell. In other words, when buying a "pit mat", we're actually paying 'more for less'. As such, I decided to just get a yoga mat...and, one of a different (brighter) color, so as to help parts "stand out" more...in this case, teal.


~ More peace, love, and kindness would make the world a much better place

[JatoTheRipper]

Yes, it’s insane that people overpay for yoga mats. I use the Cow RC Pro Mag XL Screw Catcher Work Mat. It’s great unless you use stainless steel hardware. But, the white isn’t stain resistant which is a huge oversight IMO.

https://www.cowrc.com/PRO-MAG-XL-Scr...-Mat-p13941524

[mikemcE]

I use mainly SS so magnetic mats are a waste for me. That said, I’ve been a bench technician for my adult life, I have habits for disassembly, and prefer a non maring soft surface, so things don’t move. My bench top is plywood so I lay this over, I can also cover the kitchen table if needed.......

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/675244-REG


Hang up and Drive

[Honeyman108]

Aloha as a professional Ashtanga Yogi I agree a lot of the Pit mats out there are made of mainstream Yoga mats like Poly Vinyl and rubber and Latex and for the most part can work and probably natural rubber the best but the light weight and slippage can be a problem now the best mat I have used is the Traxxas pit mat I honestly have to say as much as I dislike Traxxas as company they do have some things that work well like the TRX4 and Ez-peak chargers and some of their Cars and Trucks but their Pit Mat really works we'll it sticks down to the surface and has good weight it is also thick and sturdy with hex wedges for different parts etc.... for $30 usd you can't beat it.... BUZZZ.....

[Panther6834]

Originally Posted by Honeyman108

Aloha as a professional Ashtanga Yogi I agree a lot of the Pit mats out there are made of mainstream Yoga mats like Poly Vinyl and rubber and Latex and for the most part can work and probably natural rubber the best but the light weight and slippage can be a problem now the best mat I have used is the Traxxas pit mat I honestly have to say as much as I dislike Traxxas as company they do have some things that work well like the TRX4 and Ez-peak chargers and some of their Cars and Trucks but their Pit Mat really works we'll it sticks down to the surface and has good weight it is also thick and sturdy with hex wedges for different parts etc.... for $30 usd you can't beat it.... BUZZZ.....

I'm NOT laughing at it, but it kinda reminds me of a badly-indented industrial/commercial kitchen floor mat. I do like the built-in parts holders...however, I'm not so keen on their hexagonal shape. Besides, I have other parts holders - one somewhat-small aluminum w/ square & round cubbies, one medium silicone w/ several size & shape cubbies, and one somewhat-large magnetic w/ square cubbies.

The nice thing about having separate "part-holding mats" is that I can move them around as needed, placing them exactly where I need them. With the Traxxas mat, the cubbies are where they are...if you need parts in a different location, you have to move them around, and around, and around.


~ More peace, love, and kindness would make the world a much better place

[Honeyman108]

Originally Posted by Panther6834

I'm NOT laughing at it, but it kinda reminds me of a badly-indented industrial/commercial kitchen floor mat. I do like the built-in parts holders...however, I'm not so keen on their octagonal shape. Besides, I have other parts holders - one somewhat-small aluminum w/ square & round cubbies, one medium silicone w/ several size & shape cubbies, and one somewhat-large magnetic w/ square cubbies.

The nice thing about having separate "part-holding mats" is that I can move them around as needed, placing them exactly where I need them. With the Traxxas mat, the cubbies are where they are...if you need parts in a different location, you have to move them around, and around, and around.


~ More peace, love, and kindness would make the world a much better place

No Insult taken at all...
First they are Hexagons not Octagons and they are pretty shallow I usually have some magnetic trays I use to put parts in as I agree if all your parts screws etc are on the mat can make it cumbersome those are stock photos... BUZZZZ......

[Panther6834]

Originally Posted by Honeyman108

No Insult taken at all...

First they are Hexagons not Octagons.

Brain meant hexagonal...finger swapped octagonal...lol. And, to no insult was ever meant. Promise. In general, I like the mat...but, I also like the "yoga" mats (much more portable).


~ More peace, love, and kindness would make the world a much better place

[Honeyman108]

Originally Posted by panther6834

brain meant hexagonal...finger swapped octagonal...lol. And, to no insult was ever meant. Promise. In general, i like the mat...but, i also like the "yoga" mats (much more portable).


~ more peace, love, and kindness would make the world a much better place

lol.... Buzzz....

[Phildirt]

I am also using yoga mat. I made a pad, lined a little box with it, various lids with magnet bottoms cut out of old car magnets. This is my tiny truck surgery center. Everything I frequently grab is within reach. Only problem is keeping dust/sand down since it’s in the garage.

[Phildirt]

The rigs sit on the other side. It’s a cozy little area. Pretty much every shelf, storage piece, even the lighting is diy/scrounged parts. Those are bare 100 watt LED bulbs from old lamps with license plates in front of them for ‘shades’.

[Phildirt]

Another section of yoga mat on the other side of the work area. The 2 dressers are full of tools segregated by general use. I also have a large rolling mechanics chest for automotive tools on the “grownup” side of the garage

[Phildirt]

The gray box is a fastener storage system for aircraft bits. Pretty cool, I’m able to store 90% of my crap in it. Airbrush compressor on the other side, this doubles as a painting area.

Sorry to hijack thread with random garage pics but I like the yoga mats. Cheap, can be washed, screws don’t bounce or roll.

[Honeyman108]

Originally Posted by Phildirt

The gray box is a fastener storage system for aircraft bits. Pretty cool, I’m able to store 90% of my crap in it. Airbrush compressor on the other side, this doubles as a painting area.

Sorry to hijack thread with random garage pics but I like the yoga mats. Cheap, can be washed, screws don’t bounce or roll.

DAMN BUZZZ PHIL you got quite the workshop area I’m in awe of all the cool setups you have!!! Looking forward one day to having a real RC workshop! lots of inspiration there for me BUZZZ......

[high plains drifter]

Sorry for the hijack but seemed an appropriate place to share another mat idea.

I once used my ex-girlfriend's pretty pink yoga mat to lay on in order to change the oil in my Jeep and then to sit on as I changed out some ball-joints and brake rotors. She did not want it back . Since then it has stayed in my Jeep for impromptu roadside/ trail-side inspections or repairs to save my knees and back. Definitely on the thin side but it's easier than dragging out my huge tarp.

On my RC work-table I use a $4 rubber door mat from Walmart and it's been great. Any little hardware that falls onto it instantly becomes captured which is the main reason I haven't replaced it yet. Being black, it does take a few seconds to find tiny dark or heavily soiled parts but it beats searching the floor. I also like that it catches all the dirt/ debris from my rigs and that keeps the work-table and floor a lot cleaner.

[tdlosinc]

I use a Prometheus Design Werx benchtop work mat v2. It’s a carryover from my other hobby of pocket knives and other EDC gear. It works perfectly for the scx24 that I’m currently obsessing over. It’s $29 and we’ll worth it.
https://prometheusdesignwerx.com/pro...op-work-mat-v2

[Panther6834]

Originally Posted by tdlosinc

I use a Prometheus Design Werx benchtop work mat v2. It’s a carryover from my other hobby of pocket knives and other EDC gear. It works perfectly for the scx24 that I’m currently obsessing over. It’s $29 and we’ll worth it.
https://prometheusdesignwerx.com/pro...op-work-mat-v2

Although they are way too small for most RC usage I definitely like the design layout...and, I REALLY like that "toxic green" color option.


~ More peace, love, and kindness would make the world a much better place

[Topher Builds]

Originally Posted by Phildirt

The rigs sit on the other side. It’s a cozy little area. Pretty much every shelf, storage piece, even the lighting is diy/scrounged parts. Those are bare 100 watt LED bulbs from old lamps with license plates in front of them for ‘shades’.

I like this idea because it would be easy to find hardware. I had a dynamite pit mat once upon a time but it was black, and most hardware I use is black so it made it challenging at times to find small screws that I’d drop.

I’d like one of the cow Rc magnetic white pit mats some day but the $70 price tag for the XL has held me back from making the leap.

[B-MOW71]

I use a green self-healing hobby mat over top of a black rubber mat that I found at Menards. It's nice that it has rulers in both SAE and Metric printed on it to use as a quick glance to check screw lengths. It also has other scaling details printed on it to help with drawing angles, etc. Down side is that tiny screws like to bounce and roll off it onto the floor. Once the screws hit the floor they instantly vaporize becoming almost impossible to find them!

I like the idea of the colored yoga mats. It would definitely be easier to see tiny black screws and parts and may help in keeping the screws from rolling off the bench.

I'm going to pick one up to try out.

Thanks for the yoga mat tip!

Sorry for the messy workbench pic! It is the only recent pic I have of it on my phone. The bench has since been cleaned and organized!

[nathanotis]

Anyone use Grypmat (or the like)? They make really nice, formed, compartmentalized silicone trays. They aren't cheap! I use a small one for small tools and screws. Mechanics in the shop I work in love 'em.

You said "Ultimate". If it works for you, I think this might fit the bill.

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

We had a spare roll of kitchen cabinet liner, so I used it. It's not even close to self-healing, but oh well, I don't mind a few Xacto knife cuts. I just doubled it up and used shoe goo to attach the two pieces. Plus, it's white so screws stand out like a sore thumb.

Not the "ultimate" or best looking, but it works for me and a roll of liner is only a few bucks.

I'm also going to pick up a yoga mat and try it out!

That's a really nice spot Phil!