So What Do You Stand On?

[Cheeseking]

I haven't used anything to stand on in the past 26+ years as an industrial maintenance mechanic other than bare concrete with good quality work boots. Last year I developed a case of plantar fasciitis that hurt like hell and I had to do something. My wife recommended the rubber mats and I think they helped. Now I am paranoid to work without them as I don't want to go through that pain again.

These are the same ones I have been looking at recently. I currently have some 3'x5' el cheapo mats from Home Depot but the chips melt into them very, very easily then are a PITA to sweep.

Do you just lift them up to sweep and let the swarf fall through the holes?

Mike.

Yep. Sometimes i shop vac the individual holes ( that kinda one of those popping bubble wrap type habits) or ya roll it up, sweep and unroll. Depends on the type of swarf. Stringy lathe stuff obviously no but the small stuff collects nicely in the holes off yout feet until cleanup. It's nice not to crunch on swarf and have it embed in shoes. I still have the HF foam mats around my band saw. Before I upgraded I had them by the lathe and BP also. Nowhere near as nice but for the very economical price they aren't bad. The fact that the chips are all on top and melt/embed from foot pressure is a little annoying.

 

[kingmt01]

I used to buy Red Wings but they ended up getting very uncomfortable. I tried several inserts including gel which didn't help at all. Padding helped some but I had to move my feet often & bend them in different ways in my shoes popping them like popping your knuckles. None of that really helped. I ended up going to the doctor & he molded me some inserts which isn't exactly comfortable but they help greatly. A wooden platform that has some give helps the most but throw a nice pad on it is even better.