Poly cutting boards (formula)?

[mhein68]

Quick question: Is there any difference between Tandy poly cutting board and a cutting board from any store? The salesman at the Tandy store convinced me that Tandy's was better (different compound) ? Thanks

[Hildebrand]

I use the cheapest one from Joanns fabric, they have a limited lifespan and it hurts less to toss the cheap ones.  I can't tell you if there is a difference in the compounds but I have never seen anyone on here point out a difference in cutting board material.

Todd

[Dwight]

I've got a 36 by 60 mat on the same sized table . . . the mat is about 15 yrs old . . . I finally cut a couple small holes in it . . . so I had to pull it off the table and re-orient it 180 degrees.

It self heals . . . mostly . . . and is wonderful for layout.  

Probably . . . and 79 yrs old . . . will just let this one out live me . . . bought off the floor at Joann Fabric

May God bless,

Dwight

[badhatter1005]

I use a cutting board and a mat. I will tell you about the cutting boards having bought one from Tandy. And please don't think that I am disrespecting Tandy because I do a lot of business with him. However I got one for a quarter of the price off of eBay same size and what seemed to be the same material as a replacement. It works absolutely perfectly. I do like the mat as well and just like the others on here I bought mine at Jo-Ann fabric. I think hobby lobby sells them as well maybe a little more expensive. Depending on your needs as to which one you will use. I do not recommend using a mat for punching holes with hammer punches. But the poly cutting board is good for keeping blade cuts and scratches off of your surface.

[kgg]

2 hours ago, mhein68 said:

Is there any difference between Tandy poly cutting board and a cutting board from any store?

My take on this:

Tandy Poly Cutting Board: ( https://tandyleather.ca/products/poly-cutting-boards?_pos=1&_psq=cutting+boards&_ss=e&_v=1.0 )

It depends on two basic things i) the material whether it is LDPE ( Low Density Polyethylene) or HDPE ( High Density Polyethylene ) as HDPE is about 3 times more dense then LDPE for the same thickness and obviously more heavy. The more dense the stronger it is and it's ability to withstand sudden shock. Most cutting boards you get at a regular store are really made for normal food prep cutting and are probably made of LDPE. They really don't like to be used as chopping blocks and often split when you use a cleaver on them.

If you are just going to be using it as cutting surface and willing to replace it when the cut marks pose problems then they would probably do quite nicely as they can be had pretty cheap at your dollar store.

If you want to cut, punch holes, use it in a clicker press or otherwise abuse it you really need to go to a HDPE board.

In Canada you can get 12" x 12" x 3/8" Natural HDPE piece ( https://plasticworld.ca/product/natural-hdpe/ ) for about $13 CAD ($9.50 USD) whereas Tandy would charge about $26 CAD ( $19 USD ). Since Tandy does not give specs on the material other then "Poly" I would suspect it is probably LDPE.

I had to buy some 4' x 8' x 1/8" HDPE sheets for our boarding kennel more commonly know as puck board. This what is used in lining the hockey rink walls except those sheets are much thicker. So I went to a manufacturer and while I was there we had a discussion about what would be a good material for a clicker press. The bottom line answer was HDPE and the thickness would depend on the tonnage.

kgg

 

[fredk]

When Tandy had a store in England I visited it once to pick up supplies. I had heard of the Tandy cutting board and I checked it out. I choose to use a cheap cutting board from Ikea which I thought was the same material and thickness but larger than the Tandy one for a lot less ££/$$

[SUP]

I have completely stopped using poly cutting boards. For actually cutting leather, I use self healing mats. For punching, thick pieces of splits ( pretty inexpensive) which do the least damage to punches and stitching chisels. The split pieces are placed, usually on a thick block of wax in a large pan, which is placed on a piece of granite. Works for me.

[Littlef]

I have a big self-healing mat that covers my whole workspace that I cut on.  Then, I use a cheap poly cutting board for punching holes and cutting straps, etc.  Is there a difference in the fancy plastic from a leather store, versus what is sold for kitchen use?  Probably. --- Does the exact type of plastic make a difference?  Not that I can tell.  The Tandy cutting boards are nice, but I don't know how they would yield better leather work, or make the process any more efficient than using cheaper options.    They are typically thicker, but if I need a more solid subsurface, (when stamping), I have a 12 x 18 sample piece of granite I bought cheap from a granite counter top supplier.   Perspective:  Of course the salesman is going to say their product is better.  The deeper question is what constitutes "better" and are you getting the right bang for your buck.

[Cattleman]

As a machinist I have a little professional incite on this matter...

For a cutting board you will have easier cuts and longer life from a UHMW (Ultra High Molecular weight) board. It's hard enough that blades glide along the surface without damaging the blade and the blades only cut into the board a very minimal amount, thus reducing drag on the blade.

For punching with drive punches a softer surface is preferable to allow the punch to fully penetrate your work piece without damaging the punch. An inexpensive option is a rubber mud flap, but a better option is something along the lines of pondo board, which is slightly harder than rubber (and cleaner).

[bruce johnson]

I’m with Cattleman (and many leather knife makers) - cut on HDPE or UHMW, knives glide, don’t dig in and will turn easily. I probably fix 2 round knives a month that someone has twisted off the point trying to turn on self healing mats or LDPE. I like LDPE for a punch surface. Allows the edge to penetrate for a clean cut without damaging the edge. My opinion 

[MAK67]

I highly recommend Acetal Copolymer Plastic Sheet it is the best surface I have ever seen to not dull your blade or roll your edge and hold up for years. It is a little pricey but the time it saves by not having to sharpen or replace blades is worth it to me. Here is a YouTube video of a guy that does an excellent job of testing multiple cutting surfaces and comes to the same conclusion I have about this product. I hope this helps.

Best Leathercraft Cutting Surface? What I Chose & Why (youtube.com)

 

Edited August 26 by MAK67