Several years ago I bought a very large mat at Joanns with a coupon.. 58 x 33 I seem to be going thru Alot of blades.. Does anyone know if I might need a new mat.. Would it be causing the problem?

It could be the problem, have you grooves and it is no longer "healing"? if so time for a new mat.
I have looked at my Mom's mat , and it has REALLY big grooves in it as she uses the lines on the mat for the cutting line. It no longer heals and she has the same issue with blades. But I just can not seem to get her to buy or use a new mat she Says "there still some life in that mat".

what color and brand is your mat? some are just not good.

It is a white .. I have no idea what the brand is. It was not printed anywhere on it.

I think in the next few weeks I will have to replace th larger mat I use in my sewing room. I just bought a smaller one that is easy to take with in my quilt tote. I'm having the same problem, dulling blades quickly and I do think my cutting mat is part of the problem.

So what do you do with an old used cutting mat?

I've never had luck with those large white plastic cutting mats. I see people at quilt shows carrying them around all the time but I just did not like the feel of them when I used one at a retreat once. I will stick to my Fiskars

A new mat makes a world of difference. My old mat still "looked" good
(except for a few small grooves) but after I changed it. Wow. Cuts like
butter. If you think you need a new mat this means you definitely need
one. :D If you've used that mat for several years and think it's still good
but you have to change blade often, this means you probably need a
new mat also. :-D

yep, white ones seem to be very hard. i never got the mat for JoAnn's folding table due to that. i have to large Olfa mats on my cutting table. use the folding table to baste my quilts.

This is why I love this board. I'm changing blades all the time and now I think it's probably the large white mat on my JoAnns cutting table. I've had it for years so I guess I'll have to let it go. Maybe a use could be under the chair instead of those other mats. Something nonslip on the carpet side maybe?? Thoughts???

I've had the expensive ones and the less expensive ones. I really can't tell the difference except in price. I try not to cut in the same place each time. I've heard turning it over helps extend the life, but I never have. I'm on my third mat and when it gets to old I'll buy another inexpensive one. I recylce my old mats by cutting them up.

I have that one because it goes with the table..I just recently had to turn it around and start cutting on the other side but mine is still fine and I've had it abt 4 yrs.

That mat is on sale for 50% off until Sat. I just replaced mine. The first one lasted probably 10 years. I haven't noticed that the white one is any harder on blades than the green one.

I don't like the white ones. They don't seem to be "self-healing. I've had a gray Fiskars for several years and love it. I don't use the lines on the mat to measure.

I won't tell how old my mat is. (shy of 20 years) It is the original from when I first started using rotary cutter and mat. Must be I am not using it near enough if you are replacing after several years. I rotate it for different projects and do not use the markings for the most part. I think it is due to be replaced soon though, before I start my next big project.

To recycle I would cut it up to use for bottoms/bases in purses or totes. Of course, I would make a fabric cover for it.

You might try refreshing your mat by wrapping a block of wood with a medium grit sandpaper and seeing if it will smooth it, then if it does, use a finer grit to get it smooth. I have done that and it has worked for me. My mat was 20+ years and still working fine until I warped it. Then I cut it into pieces and used it for other things.

What a great idea!

This is a excellent idea... Thanks

I just may try this before I start cutting it up
Thanks for the tip

i would just turn it over and get some more years out of it :-)

That's what I do. I just turned my big green mat over and will use the back side for a while and then some time after the holidays I will replace it. But for now it is working great on the back.

i have the same mat and I don't think it is a healing mat. I find it very hard to cut on.. I usually have so much stacked on it because i would rather use my olfa.

If the mat is a healing mat, I think I read you put it in the bathtub in water to heal it. Don't take my word but something like that.

My friend gave me a piece of her translucent white mat and it is just awful. I just wanted a small piece to sit in front of my sewing machine. I would rather get up and cut on an Olfa or a Omni mat then to use that!! They cut like butter. I hardly have to change my blade but once a year and I do a lot of fabric cutting.... :lol:

Cut it up for bottom of purses

That sure sounds like it is your problem. Cut the old one up into smaller mats to use the relatively unused areas, & recycle the rest as suggested for purse bottoms, etc.

What do you use to cut the mat...just regular scissors?

Sounds like a real good idea for a Christmas present to me :)

My mother suggested years ago to cut up the old mat into smaller pieces to use when working on paper piecing and quick trimming. I also like to use them when I am drawing applique pieces on fabrics as they keep the fabric from distorting. When you cut up the old mat, you end up with pieces that don't have big grooves in them where you use them the most. It works well for me!

I use Olfa mats, they seem to last longer.
What an awesome idea for the use of your mat that needs
replacing. I would never have thought of that.

I had one of the large white mats and i didnt like it. mine was not self healing. you can use them for purses or cut them up for templates.

I bought one of those and it is more for measuring than cutting, I only use mine to cut batting and backing fabric then spend a long time trying to clean it after each use.

I wonder if the used pieces can be used as templates? I only made one purses so far so, I am not sure what to use old mat for.

Bottoms for bags or totes.

I would get largest rotating green mat I could afford. I saw some time ago a puzzle mat that intersected like a jigsaw. Anyone have this? How does it work?

That is a wonderful idea - thanks for the tip! I've just begun making totes and purses and was wonderful the best thing to use. I have two old mats that have been taking up space - now they will have a new purpose!!

Several years ago, I bought a large mat, it was white, too--it was mine for about a month, until I figured out it was dulling blades way too fast. Those mats are meant for some other use, believe me. Olfa is the only mat I buy, now, and they last a very long time. piecefully, the old one

Great idea!

I bought one of those extra large white mats a good many years ago when I had a 4 x 8 foot table and it was supposed to be pinable as well. I never liked it and blades cut grooves in it way too easy. I gave it away and have stuck to the smaller self-healing mats ever since. I put two on a table if I need a larger space.

If you have self cleaning mats, such as olfa, they can be soaked in a bath tub, and a soft brush can be used.
I used distilled water and a drop of dawn dish detergent. I lay my large mat on a towel on a folding table I use. I have a dish brush (kind you fill with soap) I use that. When scrubbed lightly. I go over it with clear distilled water and then allow it to dry. Then go over it with a quilting mat smoother (not sure of the correct name). The board is like new.