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Your next cutting mat
Hi All,
A tip for your next cutting mat…we were not able to find a large cutting mat and on top of that they are horrendously expensive…so we located a supplier of plastic sheets and purchased a large sheet of Rigid PVC 3mm thick (usually comes in grey, black or white). We used our Excelam laminating mchine (but it can also be applied manually) to apply double sided adhesive transparent sheeting to the PVC and then applied a sheet of soft PVC (2mm thick) to the ahesive. Its the best cutting mat we’ve ever had, measures 2m x 1m and cost less than £70.
If any of you want more details please don’t hesitate… (hot)
Tony
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21 Replies
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Thanks for the tip. I’ll stick to my glass table top tho. Only needed to replace my 1220 x 3660 sheet twice in 12 years.
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Hi Tony
sounds good.
where did you buy the rigid and soft PVC sheets?
John
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What’s better than PVC is 3mm Polypropylene. It’s virtually indestructable, doesn’t blunt your blades and lasts for years and years.
An 8×4 (2440×1220)sheet from a plastics supplier will run you under £30 including VAT.
I used one sheet for two years (turned over after a year) then bought another one (now got a 16’x4′ (4880×1220) cutting mat – and still going strong).Seriously – this stuff is amazing as a long term cutting mat. It’s fairly non-stick so little bits of vinyl & tape don’t adhere, but you can still tape things to it for positioning. Also means that if you glue / tape to your bench it’s not impossible to remove!!
I find PVC MUCH less durable, and glass a bit too hard.
Dave
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quote David Rogers:What’s better than PVC is 3mm Polypropylene. It’s virtually indestructable, doesn’t blunt your blades and lasts for years and years.An 8×4 (2440×1220)sheet from a plastics supplier will run you under £30 including VAT.
I used one sheet for two years (turned over after a year) then bought another one (now got a 16’x4′ (4880×1220) cutting mat – and still going strong).Seriously – this stuff is amazing as a long term cutting mat. It’s fairly non-stick so little bits of vinyl & tape don’t adhere, but you can still tape things to it for positioning. Also means that if you glue / tape to your bench it’s not impossible to remove
I find PVC MUCH less durable, and glass a bit too hard.
Dave
£30 plus vat …..£30 plus vat …you charged me £320.00 for a bit 610×610 😀 😀
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eh that was just a personal bit of fun i was having with my chum dave there folks and not to be taken seriously in the least ……it was a fabricated lie in the name of fun …no i think the real price (id have to look back on this) was …ah here it is £284 plus vat
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Lies!! All lies!! :lol1:
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Dave
where can I buy the 3mm polypropylene?
John
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Most (industrial) Plastics suppliers will stock it, including a few ‘signage’ ones, but as it’s kinda non-stick…not much call for it in our industry!!
I buy mine (3mm White PolyProp) from Stockline Plastics, (they will courier deliver) but I’m sure lots of others will do it too. Price will vary depending on discount structure & destination.
ps. it’s NOT the same as PTFE (mega-buck$) or HDPE (High Density PolyEthylene).
Dave
http://www.yell.com/quickclicks/SP/P/Pl … /Scotland/
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Thanks Dave
Regards
John
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Hi John,
David has already got you on the right track…an industrial plastics supplier will be much cheaper than a signage supply company.
I do agree with David concerning glass being too hard and I can’t imagine the screeching noise of the blade against the glass…don’t know how you’ve put up with the noise for 12 years Shawn…!!! and the number of blades you must get through…!!!
However there is a point I would like to take up with you David and that is you say that PVC is not as durable as polypropylene…are you refering to rigid PVC or soft PVC ? I agree that rigid PVC is not durable, but this why we bond soft PVC on top…its self-healable…and when it is beyond use you can peel it off the rigid PVC and replace it. Basically the rigid PVC, just as its name infers, creates a rigid base for the much softer "soft PVC"
How long do your polypro mats last…?
Tony
PS I dont have shares in any PVC industries… :lol1: -
I go with glass toughened (spelling) it does blunt your blades quite fast it is (trust me I’m a sign maker) absolutly silent other wise it wouldn’t have bench room, been using it for well over 12 months not a mark on it 😎
Lynn
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Hi Lynn,
Thanks for your comments re glass…would never have thought them to be silent…will have to try this next week as I have some toughened glass lying around somewhere…
Have a nice evening
Tony -
plasticol steel sheet, use the rear… have been using this for as long as i can remember… we buy bulk cheaper, but costs about £30 a sheet for 120 x 49 inches if bought individually i think.
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now I recon you would get a screech from steel 🙄
Lynn
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im not sure if it is actually steel as such lynn… but i can gaurantee you get no skreetches :lol1:
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well I don’t know what you are talking about but I can’t imagine any of us putting up with screetcs when cutting apart from the masocists amoungst us us 😀 😀 😀
Lynn
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screeeeeeeeeech
screeeeeeeeeeeeeeech
screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech
don’t you just luv em 😀
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quote Tony Stanwell:How long do your polypro mats last…?
Every day for two years…and it’s still fine.
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quote David Rogers:Most (industrial) Plastics suppliers will stock it, including a few ‘signage’ ones, but as it’s kinda non-stick…not much call for it in our industry!!
I buy mine (3mm White PolyProp) from Stockline Plastics, (they will courier deliver) but I’m sure lots of others will do it too. Price will vary depending on discount structure & destination.
ps. it’s NOT the same as PTFE (mega-buck$) or HDPE (High Density PolyEthylene).
Dave
http://www.yell.com/quickclicks/SP/P/Pl … /Scotland/
Thanks for the link mate, but the freight is a killer!! 😉
Tony, no screeching mate, and I use quality blades, stainless when I can get ’em.
The secret to using glass is than angle you cut at. The higher the angle of the blade, the more damage you do to the glass and the speed in which you blunt the blade. Trust me, 12 years and no one can convince me there is a better surface to cut on.
I buy 500 blades at a time, lasts me about 2 years I suppose. I always start each job with a fresh cutting edge, makes life easier. Trouble is, when you cut yourself, the damage is more substanial 😕 😳
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quote :plasticol steel sheet, use the rear… have been using this for as long as i can remember… we buy bulk cheaper, but costs about £30 a sheet for 120 x 49 inches if bought individually i think.
Robert, where do you get this from…do you have a reference number please ?
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Hiya People,
I use 2 tables for production. A small 30" x 8 ‘ for weeding and taping of vinyl and a 4′ x 8’ for production and fabrication.
I’ll use glass and prefer not to use anything else for weeding, graphic prep & trimming.
IMHO, the best (and cheapest) production table surface is an old acrylic sign face. They’ll last for years and your client would normally pay you to acquire them 🙂 Plus, you don’t have to worry about them breaking if you drop something on them. When they get nicked or grooved from cutting on them, you can flip them over or sand them down to get a smooth surface.Checkers
a.k.a. Brian Born
Harrisburg, PA USA
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