very great between materials that only last a couple years, and padding that will be good for a decade. Another option is carpet tile, which usually has its own pad or underlayment attached. It’s available from carpet specialists and big-box home stores. Tiles have the advantage of being easy to replace if a disaster happens. Home Depot’s website lists several varieties, from $1.19 to almost $5 a square foot. Also try searching for “anti-fatigue mats” (designed for work stations), or “commercial entry mats,” that can be moved around to wherever you are working.
Reader Feedback (click here)
GET $25 PER TIP We pay $25 USD for each tip we publish. Send your modeling tips to Model Railroad Hobbyist and we’ll get payment to you upon acceptance. Just think, for only a few minutes effort, you could fund your next piece of rolling stock – or even pay for an entire train if you send in several tips and we publish them! If you include any photos with your tip, we pay a bonus of $10 per photo we use with the tip.
There are a couple of mat types. One is rubber with a diamond or waffle pattern on the bottom for cushioning. The others are either a high-density foam, or a foam core with a harder rubber skin. Look for something that is resilient, but not mushy. Foam floor pads are also sold in 2x2 foot squares that interlock to form large mats. They are easy to install, less expensive than carpet, and are easy to custom-cut with a knife or scissors. These foam floor pads are very easy on the knees and very kind to falling objects. 48 square feet sell for about $30 and they go on sale fairly often. The same material can be found in pads without the jigsaw-puzzle edges. Laminate floors also have some spring to them, are easier to clean than carpet, and are less annoying if you like to keep your tools and materials on roll-around carts. They don’t gobble up coupler springs and other small parts, either. Believe it or not, eating bananas is a good way to get rid of leg aches. www.ehow.com/facts_5685321_ foods-can-aching-legs_.html. Also, take a look at your shoes.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Run-down deck shoes from years ago might not be the smartest choice for a couple of hours’ standing on concrete. Cross-trainers or a light hiking shoe will be a lot more comfortable. – MRH Don’t forget to leave comments and questions using the feedback button, and please rate the Q-A-T column.
Page 20 • May 2012 MRH MRH Questions, Answers, and Tips, page 5
Visit MTH website
Tell a friend ...
Contents
Index