I’ve been doing some research on getting a self healing mat with grid for the surface of the craft table. So far the best deal is getting one off Amazon. It’s a Rhino Self Healing Mat. It’s 4’x8’ and 1/4” thick. It’s often used in sign shops for cutting vinyl so can handle wear and tear with rotary cutters and exacto knives. Useful for all craft projects as makes fabric cutting, foam cutting, leather and other craft projects easier to work on in a space more precisely and being it’s self healing it doesn’t get all gouged up like a wood table or HDPE surface.
Self Healing 4’x8’ Rhino Cutting Mat with Grid Sheet Amazon.com
Of course here’s with the topic of how to fund this. Very open to ideas of funding as we had to trash the surface for the table from the last space so we need to look at how to fund quickly and all. Crowdfund? Take to QGM? Thoughts?
I think we should probably follow up on this after the move.
I’d suggest having a removable, permanent cover for when the actual cutting surface needs to be used, and put warning signs of the threat of death for using that to paint/glue things on it.
Yup, for the time being i’m pondering what to do about sewing workshops. I had hoped late February however without a cutting surface I can’t hold any sewing or crafting workshops so I guess postpone till figured out?
Makes sense to me to put paper/newspaper down on any surface you’re gonna mess up. That way it’s easy to clean. However you do it - would expect paint/stain/epoxy glue to not be on any surface after your project.
That requires everyone to make the effort to replace the paper when needed, both on the table and on the roll. We had a roll in there a while back and it quickly ran out and was never replaced.
I think extra work space is always good, and separating what usually happens on that table from clean, flat patterning would be useful. Maybe the key is to instead build a table and say “Be Messy Here” It’d easier to build a table as “Clean space only, no glitter, no paint, no glue” which would live wherever the sewing machines live.
I don’t think it is unreasonable to expect people to put a dropcloth or other material down if they are doing something that can make a mess. That’s “common” courtesy and well in line with Rule 0. The space isn’t obligated to supply materials. If there was no paper, thats on the user to take precautions. Newspaper, cardboard, whatever…
Agreed, messy projects shouldn’t make any mess that can’t be cleaned up, though there are lots of times where something large and pointy gets dragged across that table, or something with glitter shows up. I feel like fabric crafters would love a “clean room” style table to avoid any amounts of grit or contaminants.
I always put cardboard or plastic down on a surface when using paint or glue and I think this should be a general rule. The issue with the surface from cook street is that it was damaged beyond repair due to woodworking, large heavy projects, solvents, metalwork and stains done to the surface of the craft table and that’s lasting damage that can’t be cleaned. The previous surface is unuseable for cutting fabric. For a new surface i’d like that people use for cutting crafting and sewing projects and if people want to paint then cover the area so that they can easily clean without damaging the surface of the table
I took a look today at new space and craft table is in a good location but absolutely needs a new surface strictly for crafting, cutting foam and fabrics. There are 2 to 3 big other tables in the space that can be used for other projects that are not related to crafts or sewing.
Being that we have a table now to be used for it’s sole purpose. We need that new cutting surface for it.
In it’s current location it is a de facto multipurpose table, for better or worse. Every time I’ve been there organizing, we’ve attempted to clean stuff off it, and by the next day it’s full again!
Try as we might, I think it may be inevitable that any surface in such a central location will attract random stuff of all kinds. It might not be a good place for a sensitive surface.
There used to be a random bin in past times and the Tidy Space Policy specifies that we have a wut zone. Once we get general work areas going, I’m sure that stuff will mostly go there and that any stuff left on the table can just be moved to the wut zone.
I do think it would be a good idea to build a removable cover for the craft table.
I want to believe a cover would work but I think it’ll just get trashed and then left off, and then the tabletop will get trashed again. If it’s in a common area it gonna get trashed imo.
Other off the top of the head ideas besides my bikeshed :D:
put it in the office with a carpet (if table will fit) and make that the dedicated cutting/sewing area
rebuild a craft table with a smaller surface are that is still useful for cutting, in a dedicated office like a front one.
have a fold down cutting surface attached to a wall in a dedicated sewing room (fold down for cutting, fold up to get out of way for working).
install electric shock device that shocks folks using resin, paint, grease, oil, varnish, etc, on the dedicated cutting table.
I like all of them except for #3 as when fabric cutting need ability to walk around table. Arms don’t reach 60” across. I need stretchy arms lol
Folding out can work just not attached to wall. Would a fold out table also work for leather, vinyl and foam cutting? Needs a surface that can use for an exacto blade or rotary blade. Many people at vhs I have seen using workspace for foam and leather and great to accommodate that
Basically 4 pieces of hardboard 1/4" or even 1/8" would work fine (that solid brown stuff with the white top you make clipboards out of) that will sit directly on the table surface and held in place by magnets in their corners that stick to screws installed in the table.
This will give you a good working surface for times its not being used for crafts and its easy for one person to remove and swap over.
You do have an issue where the sheets join, but that could be solved by laying a sheet of thin plastic sheet over the table before installing the sections, or gluing vinyl to the back of the hardboard to bridge the cracks.
Weight should be around 28 pounds for all pieces at 1/4", so about 7 pound for each leaf which should be manageable. If we get into hinges and such we then need structural supports and extra weight.
