Best (And Many) Uses for Anti Vibration Pads
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been working on a project and have wondered to myself, “I wish there was something that would stabilize this”, or “lift is slightly off the ground”, or “keep my project from slipping.”
It is commonly thought that anti vibration pads made for washing machines and dryers are a one trick pony, but today I am here to examine and acknowledge the many ways these heavy duty rubber pads can be used. Below I will outline just a few of the best ways I’ve personally used anti vibration pads. There are plenty cool ideas and with a little creativity I’m sure you’ll be able to come up with some great uses as well.
Bench Cookie: If you don’t already know what a bench cookie is, this may be a great new addition to your workbench. Bench cookies are high traction rubber pucks that provide a grip from your project to your workbench or shop floor. For example, imagine building a birdhouse or a wooden box on your workbench and you’re needing to sand it. If you don’t have something that can help you grip it to your workbench, your project will slide all over the place. Not only are Steady-Pad Anti Vibration Pads heavier in construction and have a stronger gripping surface than most bench cookies on the market, they are also less expensive than most bench cookies. It’s a win win, folks!
Painting Blocks: Have you ever been painting or staining a project such as a chair or a table? There’s always the awkward point where you get to the bottom of the legs and you want to paint all the way to the bottom, but you don’t want to paint your floor. Anti-Vibration pads do a great job of working as a small riser to lift your project off the ground. If you get paint on the pad, no worries! That’s what it’s there for.
Air Compressor Anti-Vibration: I had a big air compressor in my shop that had a serious vibration issue. Nothing was mechanically wrong with the compressor, but when it would crank up to pressurize the canister, it would shake so vigorously that its own rubber feet weren’t enough to keep it from slowly shuffling across the floor. Not only that, the heavy vibrations transferring to the ground caused a low hum that you could hear in my house. After I put these anti vibration pads under the air compressor, it didn’t walk across my floor and also reduced the humming sound as well.
Subwoofer Anti-Vibration: The subwoofer is easily my favorite part of my sound system. When the bass hits, you can feel it. You know who doesn’t love that? My wife when she is trying to enjoy some peace and quiet on the other side of the house. I found that if I set some of these anti vibration pads under my subwoofer, I still get that nice deep bass sound in the room but the sound and vibration from the speaker doesn’t transfer to the floor which was causing my wife to hear it across the house. If you live in an apartment or a condo, this will be a lifesaver for your relationships with your neighbors.
Box riser for basement: This one may seem odd, but when I was in a pinch it worked great. Like many homeowners out there, my basement suffers from water issues every once in a while. Recently, I noticed water creeping toward some of my cardboard storage boxes sitting on the floor. In a panic, I had to act fast before my boxes got destroyed from water damage. Luckily, I had some of these pads laying around and voila! My box was lifted off the floor and out of harm’s way.
Furniture Grip/Anti-Scuff Pad: I had a couch that would slightly scoot backwards every time I sat down. Little by little, over time the couch would drift way out of its original position. I found that when I put anti vibration pads under the legs of the couch, the increased traction the pads provided allowed for my couch to stay put.
Bed Riser: Lastly, I have a bed frame that sits fairly low to the floor. My wife purchased one of those under bed storage boxes, but unfortunately our bed was just slightly too low to fit the box underneath. A light bulb went off in my head. I added one of these pads under each bedpost and it raised my bed just high enough that we could slide the storage box underneath. Also, a side benefit was that my bed no longer moved around from its place every time my big golden retriever jumps on it!
As you can see from the successes I’ve had above, there are so many ways to use Steady-Pad Anti-Vibration Pads. Hey, maybe you’ll be able to find a few more ways as well.
If you have found another unique way to use these pads, let me know. I’d love to hear!
In the market for a new washing machine? Check out our guide to washing machines with agitators versus without agitators. We'll help you make an informed decision.