Cheapest place to buy a sticky-mat?

[Kev Williams]

Anything less than $80 a square foot would be nice, sheesh!

[Gary Hair]

I got mine at Johnson Plastics, I think it was about $125 for 12x24 - make sure you get the double sided one or, like me, you'll have a single sided one sitting around gathering dust...

[Kev Williams]

I have 2 double sided mats now, and single sided wouldn't bother me at all. I still tape stuff down all the time that won't stick to a sticky mat (like plex with the paper still on it). I machine small plastic pieces all the time and the mats are great for that. I need 24x24" worth for my new IS7000...

[Bert Kemp]

Don't know if these will work for you but their cheaper
http://www.americanfloormats.com/clean-room-sticky-mats/?gclid=CJnCkLGRwrsCFY49QgodG0sAEg

[Kev Williams]

Afraid those won't work, each mat has 30 disposable layers, and (as I understand it) the tack is very light. Silicone sticky mats are washable and will last for years. What's hard for me to swallow about $165+ for a 12x24 mat is that I can buy 3 of those tacky silicone hair and lint rollers for less than $20 and at 8" x 2-1/2" diameter there's over 192 square inches of material on them. What I'd really like to find is a supplier for the silicone sheeting itself...

[David Somers]

Kev, Would double sided tape work for you? We use that in wood turning all the time.

Dave

[Dan Hintz]

Kev,

If you can give me a few days, I have my feelers out for supplier info. I know what those mats are made of, and my belief is they can be had for significantly less. I'll let you know...

[Bert Kemp]

Kev, Would double sided tape work for you? We use that in wood turning all the time.

DaveI think he's looking for a reusable product. These silicone mats like he said are reusable and washable. I have a small one on the dash of my truck, I put my cell up there, the phone sticks to the mat and keeps it from flying around the cab.When it gets dirty or dusty I just wash it with a little soap and water and its as god as new again.

[Kev Williams]

I still use tape all the time on certain material. For just ENGRAVING tape is fine. But I cut lots of various holes out of lots of various plastics, and sometimes the holes leave very little needed material behind. I have to insure that the needed-area of the material is taped well, because if not tool chatter or end mill 'lift' can ruin the cut. Also, cutting into tape creates goo on the cut edges. And then removing the pieces and removing the tape, and tape residue left behind, can get very time consuming, plus I've broken many parts just pulling them off the table because sometimes the tape sticks too well. The stickymats are a godsend, because they hold the entire piece down, I can clear thru it and the cutter does little if any damage to the mat, especially if the down-side still has the plastic masking. I don't have to create stencil cuts, no gooey residue, no tape and tape residue to remove, no tape to replace to do the next job, the mat just works great!

I'll be watching Dan, thank you! :)

[David Somers]

Thanks Kev! It is interesting noting the differences in the way things I am used to using in turning affect things in the laser. I appreciate everyone being willing to talk about this stuff when I throw out these thoughts.

Dave

[Kev Williams]

I should clarify, I don't uses the mats in the laser, I use them on the tables of my spindle-n-tool engraving machines...

[Mark Sipes]

http://www.visionengravers.com/store/p_multimat.html Seklema

http://www.newing-hall.com/ProductManager/publish/tables.shtml Dynagrip

http://www.laserbits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=315 Multi Mat


I use magnets to hold my material in place in the laser and a dynagrip on my rotary.

[David Somers]

Thanks Kevin! That makes more sense to me. I was gonna spend some time looking more into the matts to see what it was about them that prevented the lasers from cutting them as well when you did a cut through of a material that was sitting on them! Saved me some time. <grin>

Dave

[David Somers]

Mark,

Dynagrip? As in the adhesive roofing sheet?

Dave

[Glen Monaghan]

Did you ever come up with an economical solution, Kev?

[Kev Williams]

Nope, nothing economical, but I did find a GREAT mat-- my NH rep sold me 20x24" piece of Rowmark Seklema Tablemat for the price of a 12x24... And for those who've only used the pink silicone mats or never tried this, the Seklema is about 1000% better. It's actually a job to pry stuff off of it. Where I used to worry about 1/8" thick acrylic pieces moving when doing cutouts, not with this. The sticky is like a crystal clear stiff gel, extremely grabby. and pretty forgiving, it can handle light cuts better than the pink stuff, it seems to 'move' rather than cut, so an hour afterward the cut just fills back in. Getting too deep will leave a mark though.

It holds the 3M taped stuff and any metal plates I've tried great. Papered plex is a bit iffy but it does hold it well enough to engrave it. My pink mat is like a post-it note compared to this :) But it ain't cheap.