Slip Mats

Share your CMC experiences.
Or seek help and advice
Post Reply
Roboframer

Slip Mats

Post by Roboframer »

Sure I've brought this up before - can't find it, maybe it was on skype.

Val blades aren't cheap - about 50p each - so you want it to just scratch the slip mat as indeed you would for a manual cutter anyway - not just for minimum blade wear but for the best cut.

I have the mat pro 150 CMC to take jumbo board so I wanted a cheap jumbo slip mat. I tried Arqadia's Eco board, which is classed as 'conservation quality' - it does the job, but not too well it turns out.

It's only £1:64 a sheet - JUMBO! But dense and very very floppy and wears blades fast - doesn't lay too flat either but that doesn't seem a problem and for the amount of times I actually need an oversized slip mat - it's fine.

Plus of course, seeing as I don't need a jumbo slip mat that often, what's wrong with just using whatever I have in stock artcare-wise in jumbo size face down as a slip mat? - A few scratches on the back won't render it useless by any means.

If I had a demand for large amounts of mounts cut from jumbo boards though, which is what I'd want to do for both speed and economy, then I would really like to source a good jumbo slip mat at a good price. Either that or the slip mat would be used once and then turned over to make the next batch of mounts from.

But anyway - I have found a non-jumbo slip mat that I like - I've not had to change my blade for 3 days with it and I've been really busy.

It's Arqadia's whitecore backing board - 1.1mm thick version - ref No LLL 008 950 - list price is £2.43 per sheet but was and hopefully still is on offer (all their backing boards are/were) at £1.75 in packs of 25 - I bought 2 packs! 'Conservation quality' again - so - good for undermounts as well. Not as thick as Simons 'keyline' or whatever they call it, but you can still use both sides no problem and it's very easy on the blade.

Wish it came in jumbo size.
User avatar
Merlin
Posts: 1538
Joined: Thu 05 Jun, 2003 5:50 pm
Location: Cornwall
Organisation: Merlin Mounts
Interests: Aviation

Re: Slip Mats

Post by Merlin »

I cannot see the need to have conservation board as a slip mat as it is a sacrificial board.

Even at 50pence per blade, I do not think this is excessive. I factor this into the mount cost anyway.

I use the Simons Key range of board as my standard slip mat at £2.20 a board.

Try ringing the distributors and see if they have any discontinued / damaged / clearance boards going cheap. I have done quite well with one of my suppliers.

However, like yourself, I am always on the look out for non expensive slip mats.
John GCF
Roboframer

Re: Slip Mats

Post by Roboframer »

Merlin wrote:I cannot see the need to have conservation board as a slip mat as it is a sacrificial board.
If I could have got standard board for less I would have, and maybe I can if I buy a pallet! At least I can use this board for other things as well.

Merlin wrote: Try ringing the distributors and see if they have any discontinued / damaged / clearance boards going cheap. I have done quite well with one of my suppliers.
Exactly - Arqadia have, well, I hope they still have, a promotion on all their backing boards - so you could buy a pack of this stuff for less than you nornally pay for slip mats. Maybe when the offer ends someone else will be having a promo on something else that suits.
Post Reply