Self healing mats? What are they and where are they?

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Self healing mats? What are they and where are they?

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 1:11 PM

Ok, I hate to ask such a pointless question but I'm having a hard time finding them. I know "most" of them are green and have various line markings on them. So I actually know what they look like in theory. I've seen them in MicroMark's catalogue but the price seemed a bit steep for something I would think should be readily available at almost any decent craft store.

I was at Wal-Mart yesterday with the wife picking up a few things and I looked in the "craft" section. All I found there was a mat by Fiskars while it matched the above description ( of being green in color and having line markings ) it was really hard with a "transparent layer of plastic" over it, which didn't seem like packaging to me. It was so hard that the first run down something like this with a hobby knife would instantly render the blade dull and useless.

I've also checked at Hobby Lobby, I looked in the "sewing/cloth" section but couldn't find anything, so I "bothered" an employee by asking her, who just gave me a dumbfounded, confused look and said she'd never heard of one.

I haven't been to Michael's yet as it's quite away from the house...

So what do these mats look like? Are they soft or hard? Where might I find one, besides Micro-Mark.

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions, and sorry again for asking something so petty as this.
Rob

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Triarius

Member since
January 2003
From: Peoples Socialist Democratic Republic of Illinois

Posted by Triarius on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 1:20 PM

They are green, usually ruled, about 1/8 inch thick, and edge on have one or two obvious layers. The surface can be deformed slightly with a fingernail, and they are fairly stiff.

The mats sold for sewing are not intended for cutting use, but rather for marking and sliding scissors along.

Drafting and some craft stores carry them—ask for a cutting mat, rather than for a self-healing mat.

Ross Martinek A little strangeness, now and then, is a good thing… Wink

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Yann Solo

Member since
March 2006
From: Drummondville, Quebec, Canada

Posted by Yann Solo on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 1:21 PM

Stapples! Ask for a cutting mat. They always have plenty of them.

No matter where you go ....... there you are.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 1:27 PM

Triarius wrote:
They are green, usually ruled, about 1/8 inch thick, and edge on have one or two obvious layers. The surface can be deformed slightly with a fingernail, and they are fairly stiff.

The mats sold for sewing are not intended for cutting use, but rather for marking and sliding scissors along.

Drafting and some craft stores carry them—ask for a cutting mat, rather than for a self-healing mat.

So the Fiskars mat that I passed on at Wal-Mart was more than likely it....DOH. I just really expected it to be softer....

Well if that's what I passed on, I'm gonna have to go back and get it as it was quite a bit larger than Micro-Marks largest size and about half the price.

Thanks Triarus....

Yann, I only wish we had a staples here in town...I sure do miss em.

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Triarius

Member since
January 2003
From: Peoples Socialist Democratic Republic of Illinois

Posted by Triarius on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 1:32 PM

H2O_MARK wrote:
So the Fiskars mat that I passed on at Wal-Mart was more than likely it....DOH. I just really expected it to be softer....

Well if that's what I passed on, I'm gonna have to go back and get it as it was quite a bit larger than Micro-Marks largest size and about half the price.

Thanks Triarus....

Yann, I only wish we had a staples here in town...I sure do miss em.

I'm not entirely sure the Fiskars mat is what you want… last I saw at the fabric store was not a self healing mat. It should say so, clearly, if it is.

Ross Martinek A little strangeness, now and then, is a good thing… Wink

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Yann Solo

Member since
March 2006
From: Drummondville, Quebec, Canada

Posted by Yann Solo on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 1:37 PM

H2O_MARK wrote:

I passed on at Wal-Mart was more than likely it....DOH. I just really expected it to be softer....

Nope! This is not a "self healing" cutting mat, this is working mat simply. What you should look for is an ESSELTE cutting mat and it is not covered with any plastic and the texture is rather hard.

X-Acto also makes a self-healing mat for about $20 (12" x 18")

No matter where you go ....... there you are.

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gulfstreamV

Member since
October 2005

Posted by gulfstreamV on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 2:48 PM

So the Fiskars mat that I passed on at Wal-Mart was more than likely it....DOH. I just really expected it to be softer....
I recently got a Fiskars self- healing at Wal-Mart, 12"X18" for about $10. And I spilled Tenax on it the next day. It's gray w/orange grid.

Stay XX Thirsty, My Fellow Modelers.

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Triarius

Member since
January 2003
From: Peoples Socialist Democratic Republic of Illinois

Posted by Triarius on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 3:55 PM

gulfstreamV wrote:
So the Fiskars mat that I passed on at Wal-Mart was more than likely it....DOH. I just really expected it to be softer....
I recently got a Fiskars self- healing at Wal-Mart, 12"X18" for about $10. And I spilled Tenax on it the next day. It's gray w/orange grid.

What effect did the Tenax have on it?

Ross Martinek A little strangeness, now and then, is a good thing… Wink

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jhande

Member since
November 2005
From: White Mountains, NH

Posted by jhande on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 3:56 PM

H2O_MARK wrote:

So the Fiskars mat that I passed on at Wal-Mart was more than likely it....DOH. I just really expected it to be softer....

Well if that's what I passed on, I'm gonna have to go back and get it as it was quite a bit larger than Micro-Marks largest size and about half the price.

I picked up a Fiskars 12" x 18" cutting mat - [use with rotary cutters and hobby knives; durable, self-healing surface] at Wal*Mart for around $10 or $12.
The front is a dark gray with orange ruler markings. The center looks white, the back is a light grey and it's really thin. Item # : 8611. Hope that helps some.

Oh one word of caution! Darn thing smells like a skunk Yuck [yuck]

-- Jim --
"Put the pedal down & shake the ground!"

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gulfstreamV

Member since
October 2005

Posted by gulfstreamV on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 5:04 PM

Triarius wrote:
gulfstreamV wrote:
So the Fiskars mat that I passed on at Wal-Mart was more than likely it....DOH. I just really expected it to be softer....
I recently got a Fiskars self- healing at Wal-Mart, 12"X18" for about $10. And I spilled Tenax on it the next day. It's gray w/orange grid.

What effect did the Tenax have on it?

When I grabbed a rag and did the first wipe up the orange grid came off. Should have wicked it up with a paper towel. Oh well stuff happens.

Stay XX Thirsty, My Fellow Modelers.

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MortarMagnet

Member since
May 2006

Posted by MortarMagnet on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 5:10 PM

Triarius wrote:
They are green, usually ruled, about 1/8 inch thick, and edge on have one or two obvious layers. The surface can be deformed slightly with a fingernail, and they are fairly stiff.

The mats sold for sewing are not intended for cutting use, but rather for marking and sliding scissors along.

Drafting and some craft stores carry them—ask for a cutting mat, rather than for a self-healing mat.

When I was young, I used my mothers Quilting mat for building a model. They are not self-healing and react poorly to chemicals and sharp objects.

Brian

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 1, 2006 2:11 PM

michael's does have them. try the drafting-type section.

never even thought about ruining the markings on mine, haven't used them yet. then again i barely use the mat. just cut things on the desk. (it doesn't look so hot now but oh well Smile [:)]

)

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jtilley

Member since
May 2003
From: Greenville, NC

Posted by jtilley on Thursday, June 1, 2006 5:43 PM

If you have access to a store that sells drafting/mechanical drawing supplies, see if it can sell you a drafting board cover. The one I bought seems to be made of the same material that the "self-healing mats" are, but board covers come in big sheets for much less money. The typical old-fashioned draftsman fastened his board cover down to his drafting board (frequently, as in my case, made from a low-priced wood door) with double-sided tape. Such a surface would be pretty good for building models.

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

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Phil_H

Member since
August 2005
From: Sydney, Australia

Posted by Phil_H on Thursday, June 1, 2006 11:41 PM

Check out those cheap discount clearing stores (like the ones they call "$2 shops" here in Aus) too. I picked up one of those green A4 size cutting mats, much the same as the "name brand" ones for A$2.95 (ok, so it wasn't exactly $2 Tongue [:P]

)

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jhande

Member since
November 2005
From: White Mountains, NH

Posted by jhande on Friday, June 2, 2006 11:01 AM

jtilley wrote:
If you have access to a store that sells drafting/mechanical drawing supplies, see if it can sell you a drafting board cover. The one I bought seems to be made of the same material that the "self-healing mats" are, but board covers come in big sheets for much less money. The typical old-fashioned draftsman fastened his board cover down to his drafting board (frequently, as in my case, made from a low-priced wood door) with double-sided tape. Such a surface would be pretty good for building models.

I bought a roll of that long ago from Charrette to cover my old drafting board. Guess I could have search for that somewhere in all our storage boxes. Dunce [D)]

-- Jim --
"Put the pedal down & shake the ground!"

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, June 3, 2006 6:20 PM

Well I got my mat...24x24 for $16 here locally today so my search is over.

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MortarMagnet

Member since
May 2006

Posted by MortarMagnet on Sunday, June 4, 2006 7:42 PM

So much discussion for something so simple! Smile [:)]

Brian

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 12:45 AM

I got my mat from tandy leather 10 years ago for less then 20$. Its meant to pound holes through leather and not damage the tool.. It is about 16 x 16 It works rather well for simply cutting on. Not sure how it would react to Tenax and honestly I dont want to find out. Ive pounded atleast a 1000 holes on this matt and it could easily do 1000 more. I would highly recommend 1 of these.

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