Can we use Silhouette or Circuit mats for paper in GF?

[nancielaing]

Can we use Silhouette or Circut mats for paper in GF? I have seen matts mentioned that are very expensive. The Circut mats are much cheaper. I was just wondering if these mats work as well and are free of PVC?

[Jules]

No they are not good candidates for this…they are sliced up completely by the laser. Buy the laser one, it is designed to use with this.

(Or create your own with a sheet of flat scrap plywood and a can of Krylon Easy Tack #7020 Repositionable Spray Adhesive.)

[nancielaing]

Thanks. I will most likely go with the spray for now. But what is the name of the laser one?

[Jules]

Seklema. (They are worth it.)

[evansd2]

Eh, mats are a drag. I say build a vacuum table or use a fan reducer

Vacuum tray replacement for cutting lightweight materials

The chase: [image] So I made a fullsize tray replacement vacuum table. The idea is that it allows me to cut very lightweight materials without worrying about flyaways. A quick disclaimer: It’s possible that this is a fire risk, airflow and contained spaces and all. I feel as though it isn’t, but I’m just a dude with a laser who thinks he’s got decent risk assessment skills. Use your noodle if you try something like this Say you wanted to cut some rolled trace paper: [imag…

How to manually control the air assist fan power

Disclaimer: If you are unsure of either of the following: “why would you want to do this?” “what problems could this cause?” … then turn around and walk away, this isn’t for you (I am only half kidding!) The bottom line is that this may elevate your fire risk, reduce your air assist fan life, or cause a change to the fumes generated by your cuts. It may not do these things too, there’s just not enough data to say for sure either way. I’ve been using them for some time wit…

In the time since I posted this originally the fan reducers have proven to be very effective and have caused zero issues. Strongly recommend them, but all warnings apply.

[djfb]

Good to know