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F-16 Mechanic Invents "The World's Best Tool Mat"

The flexible Grypmat stays put on challenging surfaces

By Rain Noe - January 12, 2017

in Hand Tools

Like all vehicles, F-16s require regular maintenance, and like all vehicles it wasn't designed with external tool holders. Air Force mechanic Tom Burden got sick of tools sliding off of the plane while he was fixing it—"Heck, I nearly fell off the jet once. I could have broken my neck!" he writes—and then spent two years prototyping the Grypmat:

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It's an intelligent use of materials and will reportedly stay put on angles up to 70 degrees…and in some cases more:

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I also like that it's bright orange, allowing you to easily spot it and making the tools visually stand out on it so you can grab the right one.

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It's already been successfully Kickstarted, and the three sizes cost $30, $35 and $60. Burden expects to ship by June.

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Abhijit Dey

7 years ago

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wonderful

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Brian Cherbak

7 years ago

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This is very cool. It's really cool to see folks pouring their own silicone (or whatever similar material) and making their own molds. You can make really professional and quality prototypes with just a few things.

I've never seen tools so clean. I really take care of my tools, but usually when I'm wrenching my tools are covered in dirt and at least some oil, if not just to prevent rusting. I wonder how the material performs in this situation.

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