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Electronics workbench coating, what would you recommend?

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ballsystemlord:
There's a similar thread here: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/electronics-workbench-material-recommendations/
But my case is a bit different.
I wanted something that is non-conductive, non-flammable, and not concrete or something very permanent. It should be like a mat or something that can be taken up and placed down. Preferably, not expensive as I'm just a hobbyist. It doesn't have to be any size, I'll cut or overlap it as needed.

Thanks!

PS: I asked my parents. Mom recommended aluminum foil. I'm still laughing.

thm_w:
Normally people would buy a high temp ESD mat but don't know if thats in your budget as you have not posted one: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/where-to-buy-esd-mat/

The cheaper option is a silicone mat, you can get a baking mat or one specific to electronics: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Weller-Soldering-Work-Station-Mat-WLACCWSM2-02/314638551 But its smaller, so would only cover a portion of the bench.

ballsystemlord:
Interesting that none of the datasheets I consulted from digikey, one of each material, didn't mention flame/spark resistance, which is one of the requirements I have. I expect I'm not the only person in the world working with electronics that might cause a spark to happen, or might have a piece of equipment that would temporarily catch on fire.

Personally, after thinking about it, I'm of the opinion that silicone rubber would be a good choice. Unlike vinyl or PVC, it will not emit any toxic fumes if exposed to sparks or flame.

It's unclear to me if an Elastomer, Polymer, or Laminate has suitable resistance to sparks/flame.

EPAIII:
I have had ESD mats at several of the companies where I have worked. When I was setting up shops I did not worry about ESD and things worked just as well. Frankly, I don't think it is really needed if you have a small, grounded surface you can touch before handling static sensitive parts. And a conductive surface on the bench top, that is grounded can be problematic when working with breadboards or circuits tacked together in mid air. It can also provide a ground path if you come in contact with an energized circuit so it can be a shock hazard. I don't really like using ESD mats on any workbenches.

As for sparks and fire, I have worked in electronics for over 45 years. Much of that time I worked with high power TV and radio transmitters. I was in in college labs and home workshops for at least ten more years before and after that professional career, so about 65 years total. I have seen exactly ONE electrical fire which was in a tube type, professional, color monitor. It was confined to the inside of the steel outer enclosure so it did no damage to anything around it and it went out when power was turned off. On ONE other occasion I was close to an electrolytic capacitor that more or less erupted in my face. No sparks or fire and I was lucky that a steel member was between it and my eyes. Oh, and ONCE I accidentally placed a screw driver across a 24 VDC circuit that was capable of many Amps. The screw driver tip was vaporized and sparks did fly. But it was real brief and there was zero chance of a fire. Perhaps these few incidents could have ignited something like news paper, but not even a bare wood bench would have been at risk.

But in all of my 65+ years, that is about the sum total of sparks and fire that I have seen. This is real life, not Hollywood. I also do metal work and have shop grinders that can throw a much more impressive shower of sparks than any electronic device that I or you will ever work with. Still, as long as they don't hit an open container of gasoline, they do no harm. If you are reasonably careful, I don't really think you need to worry too much about sparks or fire.

I have set up two electronic benches in my home office and garage shops. The one here in the office is just an inexpensive, folding table as sold in home supply centers like Lowes or Home Depot. I did not add anything to the top. In the garage shop I installed an oak plywood top with solid oak borders on top of two purchased cabinets for drawer and shelf storage below. The top is finished with several coats of Water Based Polyurethane Wood Finish. I have used this on other benches and it is a durable surface, but not scratch proof. I have purchased what is called a self healing mat for the top. These are available at hardware and hobby stores among other places. It is almost a perfect for the custom sized top so I got lucky there. I need to clear the top of the bench to install it.

NOTE: Self healing mats are intended for cutting thin things like paper, cardboard, plastic sheet, etc with hobby (Xacto) or similar knives. The knife only penetrates a short distance into them and they show no signs of damage after many cuts. In addition, they usually have an X-Y grid of lines with dimensions along the edges to serve as cutting guides. I often make use of that grid. And they are NOT conductive. IMHO, they make excellent tops for work benches.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=self+healing+mats

dobsonr741:
Local Daiso has great cooking silicon mats, if you are in this neck of the woods. https://daisous.com

Otherwise I have a white glass desk, love it, can not leave ugly burnt solder marks and cleans great with IPA. I use silicon mats (Daiso ones) if I want no slip. I also have a proper blue antistatic mat, collecting dust, never use it. I hate when soldering on it messing it up. Also gets dull after cleaning flux residues with IPA.

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