Fabric work top cover

[Hutchcox]

Good morning,

Just building a new workbench and need some sort of soft fabric cover, just curious what people are using.

In the past I've gone to large fabric sellers and asked for their damaged felt rolls. Had no such luck this morning.

Cheers,

[Zac]

The one I learned on was just covered in brown kraft paper, but the one I inherited was covered with short-pile carpet, which I've since replaced with something similar from a carpet shop up the road who sell off their end of roll stock cheap. I have to vacuum it every day but seems to do the job.

[JFeig]

If you are performing dis-assembly as well as assembly on the same table, I would not be in favor of any fabric covering, even carpet. A smooth surface is definitely easier to clean than a surface with pits and valleys.

There is just to big a chance of getting bits from the dis-assembly process imbedded into the surface that will be missed with a vacuum. EX: broken off staple parts, tacks, nails, and chards of glass. These can be very small and not noticeable upon casual inspection when they are imbedded into the pile.

Many years ago I took several scraps of construction 2x4's about 25-30 cm long, and covered them with a layer of foam padding and covered it with some scrap velvet fabric. The fabric was stapled to the sides of the timber. These pads were then placed under the corners of the frame to protect the corners which was specifically useful when the corners had raised decorations as in 18th and 19 century frames.

In this way you have the best of both worlds. In todays world of specialized coated glass, even a microscopic bit can ruin your day.

[JKX]

I prefer something you can cut on, you can wipe clean and is disposable/sacrificial. Lino was good but eventually got wrecked and I ended up using grey board covered in gkass interleaving paper. The paper was changed at least once a day and the board maybe once a week, it had come from being used as a CMC slip mat so did get a fair bit of use before being tossed in to recycling.

We had a couple of large bits of fabric "throws" for more delicate work, linen and calico for needlework and an old bedspread for most else. The glass cleaning/fitting surface was painted black and covered in staggered lines of domed plastic bumpers.

[Justintime]

I use flotex flooring.

[prospero]

I have two benches. A mucky bench and a clean bench.

The mucky one has the sheet of MDF on which gets replaced when it gets too mucky. I use this bench for making
and hand-finishing frames. I have roll of 'conservatory' carpet (£3 of LDL) which I put over when I want something
a bit softer.

My other bench is two plan chests back-back. These are covered with Flotex carpet. This stuff is the best I have found
for the purpose. It doesn't shed hairs and is easy to sweep bits off. It also does not harbour particles. It's quite expensive but
worth it. * I got a big roll-end from an online remnant company for half-price. It's woodgrain pattern.

I also have a drawing board with an A0 cutting mat on for mount cutting and suchlike.

[Gesso&Bole]

I also have 2 benches.

One is plywood covered with grey framers board - I then put 2 or 3 coats of Polyvine matt varnish over it, hoping it would last a few months. It's been on there for at least a couple of years now, and it is still good.

The other one is covered in CUT PILE carpet tiles (not the looped ones they trap all the sharp bits ready to scratch the next frame) which I use for glass cleaning and assembly.

[F91W]

Does anyone have experience of a roll out or stored fabric top for assembly?

I only have space for one bench but would like something like Flotex to roll onto the bench when needed.

Thanks

[Justintime]

I'm not sure what you're asking. Yes flotex does roll up. I have a spare piece rolled up.