For unmasked materials, I had been using cardstock on the bed to prevent flashback burns, but it turns out the thinner brown paper masking that painters use (available in 12" wide rolls) works fine.
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Thanks for this information! I HATE flashback! Such a mess… I have been trying to mask everything, but that is not always an option.
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I have a big roll intended to protect the work surface of the table my GF lives on, use it all the time behind unmasked material. Works like a charm.
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I still prefer masking because it keeps the smoke off the material, personally I think it’s best to keep
It smoke-free from the start rather than try to clean it.
But in the odd case where I don’t care about smoke but do care about flashback this is a good solution.
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Question for clarification, are you talking about just that brown Kraft paper as opposed to masking with adhesive?
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Good tip, thanks! i hate flashback!
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Yes, like the picture eflyguy showed. Plain thin, untreated brown paper that a house painter might use to mask around areas. Cheap and effective.
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Cheap copier/printer paper also works great for preventing flashback, especially 11x17 size. Raid your office supply cabinets for that sad ream with the torn package! (I have a few old reams that picked up just enough moisture or smashed corners that they won’t feed well in finicky printers)
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Newspaper works as well. I’m old school and still get a daily paper. 
Quick to tear it into GF sized sheets which makes it easy to use vs piecing together multiple sheets of copy paper (which I also use when I run out of newspaper).
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That’s a great idea. I like to mask most things, but it’s such a waste to do both sides. I don’t think I’d have thought of just putting paper underneath and just masking the top when I need it. Guess I figured it would have little pieces of paper flying around and cause a fire hazard. Does it work with plexiglass as well as wood?
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Paper below works especially well with Plexi/acrylic - while the bits below don’t blow around, keep a close eye on intricate cuts for fires as usual. Small vacuum or ball of tape works great to pick up paper bits from the crumb tray after.
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I’ve got a whole roll of kraft paper in a cabinet somewhere! woohoo! lol
@jamesdhatch ohhh and I almost forgot that I have the end of a giant roll of blank newspaper!
Growing up, we used to get the end of a roll for free at the newspaper and use them to make birthday signs and all kinds of things. It was harder to get one now but luckily a friend hooked us up. 
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Definitely. I use it mostly for acrylic.
Depending on how well you dial in your power/speed settings you can end up with mostly intact paper that removes pretty easily. Worst case tape or a small vac takes care of it.
I forgot one time too many and decided a gentle reminder was called for. The button was the perfect placement.
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@ekla - Great to know, thanks! We had to go to Lowe’s yesterday, so I picked up two rolls of it, that way I can also use it below my projects I’m painting on instead of more expensive freezer paper! Now my hubby needs to make me another dispenser for it like he did for my masking tape roll. Yay!
@jamesdhatch - thanks! @PrintToLaser - that’s great!! Made me laugh!
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Bahaha! Omg, that is awesome! 
I recently posted, asking for creative inspiration for the button guard thingy (what do people call them?). This inspired me! Thinking now of which friendly (or not-so-friendly) 
reminder I’d like to make for myself….
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Thank you! That’s the key word I was missing in my searches. 
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I have a confession.
.
.
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wait for it.
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I’ve never made an escutcheon. (gasp!)
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(me either 
)
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