You can build this wooden mat in a couple of hours, and it will serve you well for many years. The segmented design lets the mat lay flat, even on irregular surfaces. I used teak because of its beautiful grain and durability. For a more economical alternative consider white oak or ash.
Making the Segments
Begin by ripping 1"-thick material into 1 1/2"-wide strips. Crosscut these to make the 50 mat segments using a chop saw or the mitre gauge on a tablesaw. A short board clamped to the saw's fence serves as a stop block, but be careful; it's important that your work piece must be clear of the stop block as it encounters the tablesaw blade. If not, the workpiece could bind between the stop block and blade, causing a kickback. Number the segments as they were cut to maintain the original grain pattern in the finished mat.
Sand the segments and apply a 1/8"-wide bevel to all edges using a table-mounted router and a 45° bearing-equipped chamfer bit. Since the segments are small, use a push block or hold them in a wooden clamp to keep fingers safe.
Holes for the brass rods come next. A simple drill press jig speeds things up and ensures that all holes are aligned.
Line up the jig on the drill press table so the bit is centred 1" from the end of the segment. Then clamp the jig to your drill press. To check alignment, drill a few 17/64" test holes in scrap segments; flip these over to see how the drill bit lines up with the inverted holes. If they're centered, the bit should slip right in. As an added precaution, always orient the face of the segments in the same direction so minor deviations in hole location will always be on the same side, ensuring the completed mat will be flat. Drill only one hole in each of the 12 end segments and one hole in both ends of the remaining segments.
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