Hey crafters, cutting mat? (Necro post)
1I’m looking at getting a cutting mat for a rotary cutter or a small craft knife for paper crafts.
I have a 50% off coupon at Michaels so I was looking at the Olfa mats. They say they are specifically for rotary cutters and can be ruined with a fixed blade. I guess I could find a tiny rotary cutter to use with paper?
Just looking for some guidance. Trying to see if the Olfa mat is worth the price. I had my eye on the 24x36 size, but maybe the 18x24.
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Fixed blades can scar far below the “self-healing” surface.
Many years back and before finding a giant 36x60 cutting mat from a thrift store, I used a flexible cutting board from the 99 cents store. It worked, but it’s definitely a poorer choice than a proper cutting mat.
I’m still using my cutting board, but I’m space-limited on my crafting hoarding, um I mean hobbies.
@shampshire Why’s there glitter in my salad?
I have large Fiskers mat for the rolling cutter when sewing, but use a smaller, cheaper mat from Blicks when cutting foam with my straight Ofla blade. The cheaper mat is a much tougher plastic or silicone material.
This looks like it might be the Blick one? It has really good reviews. I would go with something like this and Xacto knives, because those rotary cutter blades get dull quickly on paper, and they’re pretty expensive. I do both paper and fabric cutting and a mat is a wonderfully useful tool.
https://www.dickblick.com/products/dahle-self-healing-cutting-mats/
@Kyeh this is the Blick one that I have https://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-self-healing-cutting-mats/
Not very nice, but only $4 for letter size. So no worries if I wreck it.
@fibrs86 That’s a great price!
@fibrs86 @Kyeh I was looking at that site for that mat. I think I’ll get that one for paper. The shipping is $5 so I started to look to see if there’s anything else I need so I can make it worth it. Even though the price isn’t bad with shipping.
@fibrs86 @RiotDemon Blick is a great site.
@Kyeh I’m a bit frustrated at the shopping experience, honestly. Maybe it’s cause I’m on mobile.
Also, it helps when you’re cutting with a straight blade if you don’t press down hard, but instead just draw the knife down lightly and smoothly, and repeat it if necessary.
With an xacto I just usually use some cardboard that I have laying around. Maybe that’s not the best but it works for me?
I do need to get a mat for rotary cutting, but I don’t cut fabric more than maybe a couple times a year so it hasn’t been a high priority.
Leave Mat alone. Stop cutting him.
@mike808 He and Will seem to be targeted all too often.
Just some advice when ordering mats online, last time I ordered one, it came rolled up and was impossible to get it to flatten out even with days of books sitting on top of it. I had to return it.
Ended up getting the Olfa mat to use with my rotary cutter. I’ll probably get the blick mat for paper. That wasn’t as important. The cutting mat will help me now since I’m making more facemasks.
Thanks for the suggestions.
What does one do with a “rotary cutter”? In my world, this is a rotary cutter and I was stumped how it would be used with a cutting mat.
@ruouttaurmind these: https://www.joann.com/sewing/cutting-tools/rotary-cutting/rotary-cutters/
Like yours it has a guard, but will cut you real good if you let it.
@fibrs86 So it’s used for cutting fabric for sewing mostly?
@fibrs86 @ruouttaurmind Yes. They work well for cutting corrugated plastic too, the kind used for road signs.
@ruouttaurmind that’s a rotary tool.