Cutting Mats

[dsmskyline]

Ive been using the self healing mat from Speedpress for a couple years.

It works well as a cutting mat but being that I only use Olfas or NT cutters for cutting, it is far from self healing.

I just hate spending the $165 plus shipping for a new one every 6-12 months as they are only single sided.

Anyone have any good recommendations on what to use?

Thanks in advance for the input!

 

[Mike F]

Just got a couple in today from ImageOne Impact, they're pretty nice and I believe you can flip'em over when one side gets too bad.

 

[njshorts]

Ive been using the self healing mat from Speedpress for a couple years.

It works well as a cutting mat but being that I only use Olfas or NT cutters for cutting, it is far from self healing.

I just hate spending the $165 plus shipping for a new one every 6-12 months as they are only single sided.

Anyone have any good recommendations on what to use?

Thanks in advance for the input!

yes, use less force! I've got an 8 year old one and two 6 month old ones... all 3 are usable.

 

[dsmskyline]

yes, use less force! I've got an 8 year old one and two 6 month old ones... all 3 are usable.

Using a fresh, sharp knife, even just lightly dragging it across the table will leave a scar that tracks.

Just got a couple in today from ImageOne Impact, they're pretty nice and I believe you can flip'em over when one side gets too bad.

Ill have to check them out.

 

[John Butto]

yellow tools has the clear flip ones

 

[Tony McD]

I've been using this one since 2002.
It's not in the greatest shape, but it has a couple more years in it.
Just flip it around and over once in a while.
For me, cutting pvc on it does the most damage.

Where I used to work, in the 90's we had a couple of these 4' x 8' Mega Mats
They have the grid printed on the mat, instead of a separate piece.
> > > http://www.quiltersrule.com/mats/sf-mats.html

 

[SightLine]

I priced one from them. They send me a small sample peice of it as well. Seems really nice but wow - 5x12 will cost me about $450 with the shipping. I can get an Extreme 5x12 for well under half that also shipped to our door.

I really do like the yello one but I just cannot bring myself to spend well over double for one.

yellow tools has the clear flip ones

 

[bayshorecreations]

I have the printed sign mart $99 special. Have had it for a few years now and still has lots of life left to it.

 

[dsmskyline]

What types of knives does everyone use? It seems most suppliers sell x-acto or equivalent knives for the sign industry.

We use them for cutting proofs in our EPP department, never tried one to see how sturdy they would be for what I cut.

 

[HulkSmash]

The Sign Specialist has some pretty killer deals for cutting matts.

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

Super sign mart 1-800-533-9099 has them for 99.95 printed, non printed 89.95

 

[Mike F]

What types of knives does everyone use? It seems most suppliers sell x-acto or equivalent knives for the sign industry.

We use them for cutting proofs in our EPP department, never tried one to see how sturdy they would be for what I cut.

OLFA Silver SVR-2 for paper & vinyl, and a Husky folding utility knife for substrates. Really need to talk the higher-ups into getting a proper trimmer...

 

[dsmskyline]

I use the olfa for everyday cutting of the light weight materials and if I have a small piece of fome core to cut. Otherwise all the rigid media are cut on my excalibur 3000.

 

[njshorts]

I priced one from them. They send me a small sample peice of it as well. Seems really nice but wow - 5x12 will cost me about $450 with the shipping. I can get an Extreme 5x12 for well under half that also shipped to our door.

I really do like the yello one but I just cannot bring myself to spend well over double for one.

isn't their shipping insane? saved 50$ in shipping by ordering from a company in atlanta. also, when calling about if they had a distributor closer, they said "i think so, you'll have to ask around" and more-or-less hung up on me... nice way to treat someone who buys from you regularly, and for as long as I can remember.

look up rhino mats elsewhere, same thing- just to get a good break on shipping. same grid mat, as well.

What types of knives does everyone use? It seems most suppliers sell x-acto or equivalent knives for the sign industry.

We use them for cutting proofs in our EPP department, never tried one to see how sturdy they would be for what I cut.

We use x-actos, specifically these: http://www.speedpress.com/products/1/125

 

[Spud Murphy]

Chop a small corner from your cutting mat and take it to a local plastics dealer. (Laird, GE Sabic, Piedmont in the Cleveland area) and you will be surprised how close they can match it with a similar 1/4" soft plastic suitable for cutting. They wont claim to be self healing but they can be 1/3 the price of "cutting mats". All of our 4x8 and 5x10 work tables are covered for cutting and dust free applications.

 

[dsmskyline]

I've been told before that 3mm sintra works fairly well as an inexpensive cutting mat.
The self healing part doesn't matter as the ones I have are supposedly self healing but aren't with an olfa.

 

[wes70]

I am using 1/4" Puck board... HDPE.

 

[Alti-Plotter]

If the cutting mats don't satisfy you, try cutting on glass. Not unusual here.

 

[OhioSignShop]

I think SpeedPress sent me a mat that was too old to heal. After 6 mos it still fails to lay flat on the ends, cuts get bigger and do not "heal" and the mat seems brittle compared to previous mats. Will switch vendors next time and not go back to SpeedPress.

 

[Salmoneye]

I am using a 3/4" piece of glass and it will last me a lifetime. Much more feel or feedback through the blade and it cost less than a matt.