Under the Slab

[Gosut]

A slab for tooling, I understand. What, though, should I put under it to protect both the bottom surface and what I put it on? First thought: old towel. Second thought: cardboard. Third thought: Poundo board. The latter raises another question: Poundo board on top of slab to protect it when punching, i understand. I'm currently using old magazines and a plastic cutting board on a synthetic countertop surface, but wondering if the cutting board could mar the slab under impact.

[Littlef]

I have one of those green self healing mats I keep on my work surface.  It just stays on the work surface 95% of the time.  Then I just put the granite slab on that.   Depending  on what I’m doing and how much noise it’s making, I also have a 1/4” thick piece of that rubbery pondo board.  Sometimes I put that under the granite slab to absorb some noise.  
 

if I’m punching holes I put a cutting board on top of the granite.  You definitely don’t want a hole punch hitting the granite..  Sometimes I don’t even use the granite when punching holes. — unless I have a lot to punch.   I primarily use the granite for stamping.  If I’m setting rivets I actually have a little anvil.  The steel anvil makes quick work of rivet setting, cause it’s designed to be struck.  Good energy transference.  

[DieselTech]

I see alot of these famous/well experienced leather guys put a cut up cereal box under their slab, lol most of the time it is a beer box thou. 

Some I have seen put a piece of upolstery leather under their slab. Like 1mm thick. 

[bruce johnson]

On 9/21/2024 at 7:35 AM, DieselTech said:

I see alot of these famous/well experienced leather guys put a cut up cereal box under their slab, lol most of the time it is a beer box thou. 

Some I have seen put a piece of upolstery leather under their slab. Like 1mm thick. 

You bet. Most of those old stamp rocks were  not smooth or surfaced on the bottom. I was taught early on the put it on something besides a bare tabletop. One reason is to muffle sound but you don’t want something that absorbs a lot of the stamp force . One common suggestion is a sand bed. I had one bench I could do that with - worked great. I’ve also used poster board. My current rock is a granite inspection plate inlet into the bench. It sits on a matching size piece of 4 oz chrome tan leather underneath. It’ll never be pulled out but absorbs sound and stamp bounce. 

[DieselTech]

17 minutes ago, bruce johnson said:

You bet. Most of those old stamp rocks were  not smooth or surfaced on the bottom. I was taught early on the put it on something besides a bare tabletop. One reason is to muffle sound but you don’t want something that absorbs a lot of the stamp force . One common suggestion is a sand bed. I had one bench I could that with - worked great. I’ve also used poster board. My current rock is a granite inspection plate inlet into the bench. It sits on a matching size piece of 4 oz chrome tan leather underneath. It’ll never be pulled out but absorbs sound and stamp bounce. 

Yeah I should have added that to my comment, that I put it under my slab to reduce noise.  

Guy will be amazed at how much it helps to tame the noise.