Mobile Bench with Melamine Top

[George Bokros]

I had a piece of melamine kicking around so I made myself a small work station using it for a top. I thought it would be good since glue would scrap off easily and it would be easy to keep clean. What I found is that it is extremely slippery when using it to sand project parts. Wondering what if anything I could to to make it less slippery.

I have one of the mats that are sold for use under a router or for sanding and it does not help. Any ideas thought on what I could do?

Thanks

[Doug Garson]

Maybe drill a few dog holes in it so you can secure the workpiece when sanding. If you box it in and add a connection for either your dust collector or shop vac it could act as a downdraft table as well.

[George Bokros]

I thought about adding some additional t-tracks but the gizmos from rockler for their t-track top are quite pricey.

[Ted Derryberry]

I use this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C2LMKTO/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I35JUYBPO3U0Q1&colid=WVIACVX0T7N6&psc=1 cut to the length of my table as a sanding pad and clip it to my table on the ends and along the edge if necessary with these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N90X7RL/ref=twister_B0746VHNM4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 My table is 3/4" MDF with a few coats of water based poly so it's relatively slick. The top overhangs the frame on all sides so I can clamp and clip to it easily. The shelf liner gets less "grippy" with age, but if you vacuum it with a brush when you're done it helps. It's cheap enough that I just replace it when necessary.

[William A Johnston]

For what it's worth I use carpet padding to sand on. I also have a router Matt that is black but when I use it the Matt dimples seem to transfer to my work surface. That's why I switched to the carpet pad.

Bill

[Ted Derryberry]

I've noticed the pattern of the shelf liner on my material when I'm through sanding, but I think it's just the dust. I've never had it show after finishing.

[Martin Wasner]

Carpet, carpet padding, the foam floor tiles work well.

My down draft table is coated with what looks like spray on bed liner material

[George Bokros]

All these suggestions sound fine but will they slide on the surface? My problem is that the mats I am using slide on the bench top the project on the pad.

[Jeff Dorau]

Double sided tape then peel off when finished.

[Greg Hines, MD]

Dave Stanton on Youtube made a clever little table, and inset the friction strips from the edging of a track saw across his table, so that when you set something down, it does not move, but yet, it is easily moved around when you need it to be. He cut very shallow dados across the panel to inset each strip.

Doc

[Nick Decker]

For what it's worth I use carpet padding to sand on. I also have a router Matt that is black but when I use it the Matt dimples seem to transfer to my work surface. That's why I switched to the carpet pad.

Bill

I'll share a story about that mesh-shaped matt stuff. I had bought a roll of it to line some drawer bottoms in a tool box. Had some left over, and after making a smallish plywood box for my LV block plane, I thought what the hell, I'll put that mesh liner in there to provide a little cushioning. Stored the plane away, lying on its side, until a few weeks later when I took it out to use it. The mesh had attached itself to the side of the plane, and I had to peel it away. It also left behind a nice mesh image of itself on the metal.

Acetone had no effect on it and it ended up taking fine grit sandpaper to remove it. Maybe it was just that brand (bought it at the Sears store), but I'm pretty sure it's all some kind of silicone predator that belongs in a Japanese horror movie. I've removed all traces of it from my shop. I hope.