What Surface Do You Cut On On To Make Long Cuts?

[tanda4]

For example cutting the first straight edge on a side?

[thunter9]

I'm going to build my self a leather layout table that I can walk around . the top will be double 1/2 inch plywood with a lot of cross member support . make it strong . i'll get come 1/4 inch low density poly ethylene plastic . you can find it at your local orthotic and prosthetic shop that does there own fab work . to cut it all you need to do is cut with a razor knife and bent it away from the cut. And she'll break right off.

[thunter9]

now I see where your at go down town and ask them at north western o & p school its over by the Marriott and water thing looks medieval lol can't remember what its called

[TinkerTailor]

now I see where your at go down town and ask them at north western o & p school its over by the Marriott and water thing looks medieval lol can't remember what its called

This is a good tip, however i had to read it 3 times to get the meaning. It would make it much easier to read if you used punctuation in your posts.

[Sonydaze]

My cutting table is 4' x 8', topped with a 1/4" sheet of cutting board like plastic. If you are building a table make a solid, well braced frame and take the time to both glue and screw it together. Otherwise it will get wobbly with time. Also make the frame smaller than the top so you have an edge for clamping. Under my sheet of plastic are two layers of 5/8" plywood for rigidity..it stands up to some hammering and doesn't flex when you are doing long cuts. I went to a metal shop and got a couple of pieces of 1/8" x 2" x 8' aluminum straps for straight edges (use quick clamps to fasten your 8' 'rulers' to the table when cutting). My $.02 on cutting tables.

If you have room, make your table 4' x 10'....the only thing I would like to change on my table, as some hides are over 8' long.

http://www.sabicpolymershapes.com/ has many locations in north america and is likely the most cost effective place to buy your cutting top sheet. They will want to know the technical name of the plastic you want but if you explain what you want it for, they will figure it out. Sabic is a supplier to many plastic shops.

Having a large, cut anywhere table saves a lot of time. You do a lot less moving of things and it is easier to keep your edge straight with softer leathers.

[TinkerTailor]

Get stick on tape measures for all the edges.

I have seen someone use an 8' long piece of plywood 6" wide with thin plastic glued on it on a regular table. He could stand it up out of the way in a corner behind the door. I think he got the plastic at a horse stable supply place for stall walls. Hockey arena suppliers have it as well. In fact, hockey arenas may even have marked up pieces of scrap boards laying around... I think trucking and warehouse supply places sell it as well for loading docks and such

Edited January 15, 2016 by TinkerTailor

[thunter9]

oh! so critical . you could use the floor but kind of hard on carpets. . Concretes kind of tuff on the new blades . wood is good ,but walking barefoot you'll need the watch out for splinters after a time. now ,as I spoke earlier the LDPE is good because its not to ruff on the razor knives and such. and poly pro is to hard blades will dull quick . only thing I see that been left out is building a spot on the end or on a corner ,a place to do your skiving. I'd recess it in so everything's the same height.

[Sonydaze]

I think most posts here are not meant to be critical but helpful. Sharing what works for you can save many from having to learn the hard way. This forum has a great spirit that way. Taking a bit of extra time to use good punctuation makes posts easier to read and understand.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Sonydaze

[billybopp]

I have a really big self-healing cutting matt (3'x4') that I lay out on the kitchen floor for long cuts. It's not quite big enough, but I couldn't fit too much more in the available space!

Bill