Best Floor Surface For Model Building?

When I finished my basement and build in workbench, I went with the lick em and stick em tiles in a medium to dark brown color(kinda like wood), figuring that most kits seem to be done in light grey. It's a hell of a lot better than the beige carpet I was working over before.  Locating lost parts is quite easy, after sifting through all the other bits of sprue and shavings.

I have one of those clear vinyl office mats under the bench & chair...

I put an old bedsheet under the desk and chair. If I drop a part, I can easily find the part.

Unless the tweezerpault flings it too far. Then all bets are off!

Bgrigg

I put an old bedsheet under the desk and chair. If I drop a part, I can easily find the part.

Unless the tweezerpault flings it too far. Then all bets are off!

LOL

I'm a "kitchen table builder", so I've got a laminate hardwood underfoot. Good news: I can often hear where the part went to start with. Bad news: the light brown does a surprisingly good job of hiding light gray plastic. Not enough contrast I guess? The solid surface makes it easy to watch for shadows if using the flashlight-on-the-floor trick though.

(See, I can on occasion be serious!  )

My bench is in the basement, and there was a large piece of brownish-tan area carpet on that side of the basement, when I moved in.  Small parts disappeared into it.

Just before Christmas 2008, four days, in fact, my hot water heater finally rusted through and leaked all over the place.  So, I had a reason to rip out that carpet.  That left the cement slab floor, which was painted a medium gray.  Parts still disappear, viewed from the eyeball's normal operating range of about 4 feet off the ground (no, I'm not a hobbit, that's roughly the elevation when I'm seated at the bench).

Whatever the floor surface, I use a small flashlight, laid on the floor, so that small objects on the floor will cast shadows and be easier to find.

I've seen jeweler's aprons, which attach to the bench to catch small bits that fall from your work.  Putting a sheet down is roughly equivalent.

Probably no way to eliminate losing parts altogether, but maybe a workspace lined, floors and walls, with panels faced with opaque white plexiglass, with lights embedded, would give us more favorable odds.

Well the best surface I've experience for modeling was also the least convenient. I used to model in my unfinished basement which had a cement floor. The floor itself wasn't bad for retaining parts as there was no carpet for the piece to spring board off into eternity. However, it gets better. When it would rain a great deal my basement would take on water. Not a problem really as it was unfinished and everything was raised above the floor any how. It wouldn't flood the entire volume of the floor, instead, it would puddle right beneath the chair and work bench where I would do my modeling. So, if I was to lose control of a piece it would fall into the water (only about a 16nth of an inch deep) and would sit there. I could simply look down, see a ripple in the water, pick up the piece and dry it off. So, even though I had to wear my high water pants and waders while I modeled, it sure kept me from losing any pieces. I don't however, recommend flooding your work room if you can keep from it...

This past weekend I had a bit more than that in my modelshop. I had about 6" of water in there. I'm also in NJ. That was a bit much to model in lol.. Took 2 sump pumps and a shop vac plus 14 hours non stop to keep up with it then to get ahead of it. Now its just damp and I have my dehumidifier going down there. Put a damper on things I'm trying to get ready for Mosquitocon in early April(3rd).Hopefully I'll get atleast one done I had wanted to get 3 done by then oh well......

John

The Jersey boys are getting flooded out! It would be great if you're building ships...

I've got a crawl-space basemen, in a townhouse style setup. Great for storage as long as everything is off the floor, as it has taken on water every spring since we've been there - except this year. After much digging & patchwork in the back yard, she's dry this year. The next step is to set up some sort of fume hood so I can at least paint down there. I don't think I'll go so far as too set up a building table though, far too cave-like to be comfy.

Jtrace, I know what you mean. Though I didn't ever get up to six inches worth of water, it would definitely keep me from getting work done. Its fairly demotivating to work in a space where I have to keep my feet off the floor to keep from getting trench foot. Sorry to here its killing your momentum. I'll see you at MosquitoCon though I probably won't be bringing anything. I've not reached competitive quality yet.

I no you'll find this hard to believe but my dog retrives any parts that I drop on the floor.I'm legally blind so I use a lot of magnifying equipment to model with but out of everything my dog is the best asset I have

Oddman,I should be working the door,just look for the big guy with the black and yellow "P" hat its normally a Pitts. Pirates hat but my American Legion softball team uses it being from Piscataway lol... Have you ever gone to MosquitoCon? Last year was my 1st year then the next month I joined the club,if its not too far from you (Garwood) I highly reccomened joining as it is a great group of guys Wing_Nut got me to join. The only time I get water like that is crazy storms like we had this weekend. I'm just glad I didn't get the job I was supposed to get working at a landscaping co. as a mechanic (they had over 10' of water in their shop (BoundBrook) I would have lost over $150,000 worth of tools and equipment........

John

John, I'll keep my eye out for ya! I'll probably show up in my usual model show garb, a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare t-shirt. This will be my first trip to the show but I hear its a really good time. I went to MarauderCon a year or two ago. Is it comparable? Unfortunately, I'm down south, about 25 minutes from Atlantic City so heading up to Garwood for each meeting would be, well, less than convenient. Although my mother is from the Cranford/Winfield area so I'm familiar with the neighborhood.

Fortunately you didn't lose any equipment in the storm. As for me, I no longer live in that house so flooding isn't a problem. What I face now is a lack of a dedicated model room. I use the kitchen table now and stash all my tools and other goodies in a few cabinets. Again, less than convenient but I gotta do what I gotta do.

I'll cast my vote for the hard flat surface.  Like Hans I have the hard vinyl chair mat.  It has saved me several small parts.  My next mat will be the large rectangular style, rather than the smaller mat that has the tongue that fits up into the foot space.  So many times that little piece goes right for the open carpet space.  I've also been tempted to either put a lamp on the floor under the desk, or keep a strong flashlight handy.  If you can put a strong beam of light across the floor from a low angle the small parts will for sure show up if it is on the hard flat surface.  If it makes the carpet, all bets are off.  I wonder if you were to buy a box or two of interlocking laminate flooring, and assemble it as a floor mat under your workspace, would it be durable enough to serve as a good pad?  Rick.

My vote for the worse has to be that 70's era green shag carpet. Unfortunately, it is what came with my 70's era mobile home. I thought about taking up the carpet, but because it is a mobile, the floors can get extremely cold in the winter. The spare bedroom/model workshop is also the furthest from the furnace, compounding the problem. I am considering one of those hard mats under my desk/work station-although not a perfect solution,it might help, don't you think? I also seem to manage to spill paints on it, and this might prevent further damage.

I am considering one of those hard mats under my desk/work station-although not a perfect solution,it might help, don't you think? I also seem to manage to spill paints on it, and this might prevent further damage.

It's what I use now, and I wonder why I never had one before...  Just be sure to get a BIG one...

Hans von Hammer

 

I am considering one of those hard mats under my desk/work station-although not a perfect solution,it might help, don't you think? I also seem to manage to spill paints on it, and this might prevent further damage.

 

It's what I use now, and I wonder why I never had one before...  Just be sure to get a BIG one...

Hans, I like your idea of the desk mat. I will drag home a big one for the future work space.

Cool... Like I said, you'll probably wonder how you lived without one before...

When we finished the basement a couple of years, instead of a carpet we installed interlocking foam mats (www.greatmats.com). A little over a buck per square foot. They have a textured surface thats soft enough for bare feet but smooth enough the flashlight trick works. I needed an office chair mat so my chair would roll. This is the best surface I have seen.

Danger

That's what I use, and they're black. Grey and tan parts have nowhere to hide.

I use something similar called garage tiles. They are hard plastic, interlocking and cut on a wood saw. Just put the puzzle together on top of the concrete floor in the basement. About a buck a square foot. Spill paint or anything else just clean it off. Drop a part, just use a flashlight and no problem.

After each build I vacuum and give it a quick mopping. Looks great, does not eat parts and wears great.

Rounds Complete!!

redleg12

I use something similar called garage tiles. They are hard plastic, interlocking and cut on a wood saw. Just put the puzzle together on top of the concrete floor in the basement. About a buck a square foot. Spill paint or anything else just clean it off. Drop a part, just use a flashlight and no problem.

After each build I vacuum and give it a quick mopping. Looks great, does not eat parts and wears great.

Rounds Complete!!

I've seen something similar but in different colors-red, yellow, blue - meant for play rooms.......or is that just another name for hobby rooms....

Danger

When we finished the basement a couple of years, instead of a carpet we installed interlocking foam mats (www.greatmats.com). A little over a buck per square foot. They have a textured surface thats soft enough for bare feet but smooth enough the flashlight trick works. I needed an office chair mat so my chair would roll. This is the best surface I have seen.

Danger

Flashlight trick??

On topic, how are those mats for rolling-type office chairs?

Great ideas!

Agreed any type of carpet has to go, or at least covered with a drop sheet. Between the split second the part falls hold your breath and listen for it to hit the floor, even the smallest part will make a sound landing on a hard surface. If no sound is heard assume it landed on something soft like your socks or pant legs. Check these areas before assuming the dreaded position and breaking out a flash light. Anymore than a 15 minute search is not helping the cause. Regardless everyone will loose a part or two, this is a good time to try scratch building as replacements take weeks or months to find you from the manufacture.

Productive time is spent on the bench, not under it hopelessly searching for a small part lost to the fourth dimension.