Another helpful hint regarding something like a towel or other thick, textured fabric is that it can be useful in helping to hold onto a falling screw or part that is very small. Having any part of your machine bounce, fall, and roll away can make for a very bad day. I like having a surface that can help to catch items I don't want to lose. Its not totally fullproof, but far better than hard surfaces which allow small, lightweight items to fall away.