Seklema mat laser with a laser

Hi. I am doing a lot of paper cutting. If I buy a Seklema mat, does the laser damage it? How long will it last? Is it sticky? Does it lose its stickness? Thanks!

The laser marks it, just like a blade marks those self-healing mats. It is sticky and I’m sure it will lose its stickiness, but the mats are double-sided. I imagine they’ll last a good long while, but that depends on how much you use them and what you’re sticking down. Some paper sheds more fiber when stuck than others.

I would think that you can minimize marks on the Seklema by carefully calibrating your cut settings so they just barely go through the paper. Also, the Seklema mat stickiness is the kind that you can restore to new by washing it with water and maybe a little soap.

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That makes sense. They’re sort of jelly-like.

Sweet! Thank you!

I am a pretty heavy Seklema mat user. I’ve done a few hundred sheets on them so far.

The laser will mark the mat and leave ash stuck to it, reducing the stickiness. Optimizing power and speed as @cynd11 suggests will help slow that process.

I clean mine regularly with isopropyl alcohol and paper towels. It’s more effective more quickly than soap and water. I see no signs that it is damaging the mat.

A clean mat can sometimes be too sticky. You can adjust by sticking down an old T-shirt and removing it to add a light layer of lint.

The mat can also warp some over time and, may require additional hold down (e.g., with magnets).

There have been some previous discussions about all this. e.g.,

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Good thinking, I’ve had trouble with mine being too sticky.
I’m not a heavy user but I can see it lasting for years.

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