Kick pallet, redux

[neilbourjaily]

I first saw this kind of thing at a machine shop my Pop took me to in about 1958. I do think the most important tool in the shop, after eye protection, is back protection fatigue being the father of injury and error. Rubber mats, no matter how dense, thick, or fluffy, laid over concrete still leave you on concrete, and they put you at the mercy of the manufacturer. As you can see in the pic, I do not stand on concrete. I have shared these with others who work on concrete (a punishment to mankind), and to a man or woman they all are amazed at how they immediately can feel the beneficial difference on their back and their feet vs "anti-fatigue mats." I made one for my daughter, who works in retail and overlaid the stringers with vinyl so as not to scratch the floor. I stand straight on the pallet or partially or one foot on and one foot off.

The treads are 3/16 oak, the pine stringers are planed to 1/2". I am 11/16" off the floor and never standing on concrete. It's 14" X 22" X 11/16". 1/4" crown staples 7/8" long leave a tail on the underside and are clinched for a durable tool. The finished product weighs about 1lb 10oz. I kick it effortlessly from machine to machine in my shop. The one in the background is about 30 years old and now has a few cracked or missing treads. I decided I needed a new one, which gave me the excuse to build several of them. I might offer them for sale to the public.
I agree it'd be better if my measurements were metric.

My apologies for the previous post without pics. I couldn't get the pics to go from my phone to the post. My thanks to BuffaloJohn.

[neilbourjaily]

A brick set makes a fine tool for bending the tails. Add a sharp rap with the hammer and finished.

[Floradawg]

As much as I move around in my shop, I would need to carpet the floor with them. I do have rubber anti-fatigue mats at my mill and my drill press.

[DIYer]

Thanks neilbourjaily! We've added your Kick Pallet to our Miscellaneous category,
as well as to your builder page: neilbourjaily's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Kick Pallet by neilbourjaily

tags: safety, stand

[tonyfoale]

I am often told that I need to get out more to see the wider world. Within my cloistered viewport I have always thought that everybody used similar pallets in front of lathes, mills and drills. It is a revelation to learn that there are those who have never tried them.

[Hans Pearson]

I made one of those about 20 years ago, more for the cold of the concrete than any other reason. I copied the idea of a duckboard which was the accepted name then. It was larger to allow for movement in front of that particular grinding machine. I personally use a mat made of rubber tyre strips with a rubber mat over it to stop swarf from the lathe getting between the strips.

[carl blum]

Hi Gang:
Here is a photo of a section of my shop floor. I was left with 4'x4' dance floor modules and the dance group didn't want them back. Since I was retired and knew I would be spending more time in the shop I decided to put them down. The plywood is 3/4 CDX and has 3/4" plywood tabs on the underside to lock them together. I also stapled 2" squares of carpet on the bottom. The unexpected plus is I can screw projects to the floor during construction and then just unscrew them when finished.

I did stain and vanish the plywood that makes is easier to sweep.
Carl.

[neilbourjaily]

I am often told that I need to get out more to see the wider world. Within my cloistered viewport I have always thought that everybody used similar pallets in front of lathes, mills and drills. It is a revelation to learn that there are those who have never tried them.

Tony, I think the anti-fatigue mat mfrs (manufacturers) have so flooded the market that the notion we can build our own superior anti-fatigue platforms has left our collective conscious. I have also seen similar pallets larger and custom fitted with curves and cutouts around the operating areas of machine tools.

[uv8452]

Thank you for reminding us. Thinking of 50 years ago: Every machine and vise had a grating (about 30x60x2inches) of rugged yet lightweight wood (ash?). Could be that the main reason was not to collect swarf in the soles. Welding, forging, assembly, quality control didn't have gratings.

[carl blum]

Hi UV:
Swarf: That reminds me, when I worked as a tool maker Friday night was when I would pick swarf out of my shoes, and use a nail clipper to cut the small metal splinters from my hands. Tiny black specks, just below the surface of my skin. We did a lot of surface grinding and the roll over burrs were easy to pick up.
Carl.