Cutting Mats, recommendations

[tomustang]

Need some cutting mat recommendations, fire away!

[eightyeightfan1]

Oalfa makes a good one. You can get them in different sizes.
They are available at Walmart.

[BR60103]

I have 2.
My main mat is by Xacto and is 24"x18". It covers most of my workspace and so doesn't get moved when I do something other than cutting. (Spilled plastic cement will take the markings off.) It's served me well for years.
I have a second one that's 18"x12" and isn't out of the cellophane yet.
I had another one that was very thin -- it may have been for kitchen use as it was white and letter-sized. It didn't heal that well.

[Chuck]

I use a 12x14 piece of tempered glass as my cutting surface. One of the things I like about it is that I can put blueprints underneath the glass as cutting guides and build on top of them. If I spill glue or paint, it usually comes right off -- sometimes it needs a little encouraging with a blade. The glass doesn't scratch, and I can pick it up and move the entire model I am working on (without disturbing it) if I want to switch projects. One of the best things is that the glass surface is flat and level, which makes it easier to keep things square. Just my two cents...

Chuck

[tetters]

I use a 12x14 piece of tempered glass as my cutting surface. One of the things I like about it is that I can put blueprints underneath the glass as cutting guides and build on top of them. If I spill glue or paint, it usually comes right off -- sometimes it needs a little encouraging with a blade. The glass doesn't scratch, and I can pick it up and move the entire model I am working on (without disturbing it) if I want to switch projects. One of the best things is that the glass surface is flat and level, which makes it easier to keep things square. Just my two cents...

Chuck

One wonders where a person can get a piece of tempered glass suitable for the hobbiest? I haven't the faintest clue where to start. :oops:

[fwwrmodeler]

I got a piece of tempered glass that was a scrap from a glass shop. I told them what I was looking for a piece that was approx 11 x 17, they polished the edges, all for about 10 bucks, this was about 12 years ago. Works great for model building.

[doctorwayne]

Even regular glass works well for a work surface, although the glass I'm using now is a shelf out of an old refrigerator - pre-finished edges and fairly thick. Spilled paint or glue is easily cleaned-up, and it's an ideal surface on which to cut small-diameter brass wire using a knife.
When using ca to attach small details, I place a small puddle of it on the glass, then dip the tip of an X-Acto #11 blade into it - a precise applicator with a reach long enough to get to grabirons inside of a boxcar. When finished, wipe-up any leftover ca with a tissue, then scrape away the residue with a #19 blade.
The glass is also a nice surface to use when applying decals. I dip them in water, then set them on the glass to soak. Smaller pieces, like single digits for dimensional data, can also be done without fear of losing them: simply use your fingertip to place a drop of water on the glass, then, using tweezers, place the small decal bits on the droplet.
I do have a cutting mat, but it's on a different workbench, and not much used.

Wayne

[Chuck]

One wonders where a person can get a piece of tempered glass suitable for the hobbiest? I haven't the faintest clue where to start. :oops:[/quote]

You should be able to pick up a piece at a hardware store or possibly a scrap dealer. I would recommend tempered glass as it is hard to crack or break. Regular glass can break quite easily and generally will have sharp edges unless they have been ground down a bit.

Chuck

[tomustang]

Using glass would run the predicament of dulling blades down faster though

[doctorwayne]

Using glass would run the predicament of dulling blades down faster though

You're right, it does dull blades faster. However, they're easy to re-sharpen and some cuts are better done on an ungiving (solid) surface. Another benefit is that glass is impervious to paints, glues, and solvents.
The best choice is probably to use both a cutting mat and a sheet of glass, and use the one best suited to each particular task.

Wayne

[Chuck]

Using glass would run the predicament of dulling blades down faster though

It may dull the blades a little faster, but I can pick up a pack of #7 blades for $1.57 at Wally World. It is also fairly easy to resharpen blades.

Chuck