I've been looking through some of the member's galeries and I keep seeing those nifty green work mats. I've noticed they have the grids on them too, which would be useful. Can anybody tell me about these mats? For example, what are they constructed of? What other pupose are they good for? How much do they cost? And where can I get one?

Thanks, Jay

I got one from an eBay seller, details are in this thread

They're 'self-healing' and give a good, flat surface for cutting on - saves damaging whatever's underneath. You should be able to get one from any arts & crafts type supplier

I bought my Tamiya cutting mat in my LHS. It is in A-4 size and works perfectly.

Erik

I got my mat from Micro Mark http://www.micromark.com/

They work great.. Careful where you buy them though... They can get a bit expensive.. And the grids dont stay on when you spill a bottle of liqud cement on it...

Dave
AKA
Glue boy...

Those mats are essentially cutting mats. They are self-healing as someone has posted. All cutting mats I know of have the grids. You can pruchase them at local art stores and hobby shops as far as I know of.

Besides the usual hobby shops etc mentioned, you can pick them up at craft shops, and office supply stores, like AC Moore, and Staples. The larger the mat, the more it will cost. And yes, most aren't solvent resistant, which means liquid cement, and lacquer thinner will remove the grids, and dots. Just ask for "self-healing" cutting mats. They also come in different colors, but most stores usually carry just one brand, so you get what ever color they carry....
I have a grey one, and a green one.

I got mine at Michael's (arts & crafts chain). Mine is 24" x 18", and cost me about $30Cdn.

I got my 11 x 17 inch matte at Hobby Lobby. Keep on the lookout in their weekly advertisements (available online). They go on sale for 40-50% off on occasion. I also just saw them last week at Office Depot with the drafting/engineering supplies. Oh, and mine is kind of a frosted opaque blue color which I like because it contrasts the color of my normally dark colored modeling materials.

Oh that green thing with the grid lines? I stole mine from the office. :-) :-)

I bought a new A3 size matt. The old A4 was getting too small. But spill tamiyas thin glue and it erases the grid lines.

Thanks everybody for all the good advice!

Jay