Table top surface. What to use.

[Shadowglen]

OK I finished my table a couple weeks ago it is 12'x8' so three sheets of smooth plywood top. I laid down a 4'x8' grid marked cutting mat on one end. In the past I have used thrifty White 1/8" Masonite with white surface. only problem is with time it wears and scratches I may still use that on the other 2 sheets just wondering what are others using?

 

[tsgstl]

you are already 33.3333% of the way there

 

[CS-SignSupply-TT]

What about a white concrete paint and reapply every six months?

 

[Letterbox Mike]

I'm partial to the self-healing mats from Speed Press. They last forever and won't dull your knife tips.

 

[Gino]

We do everything on our works tables from writing, to cutting, weeding, leaning on our elbows, drinking, building signs to whatever needs to be done. We use a product called Duron. It a lot like Masonite, but tempered far harder. We use the 1/4" version and put it down with mostly finishing nails. Varnish 3 or 4 costs and we're done. Our present table tops have been on about 10 years in this shop and about 5 in our old shop. They were made in 1984 and we're now on our second set. They'll still go another 5 or 10 years. We don't cut near as much as we used to, now that we have digital and flatbed printers.

 

[thewvsignguy]

We use White 1/8" acrylic over MDF. You can flip it when it gets to scratched from cutting, its fairly soft so it does not tear up blades to bad. We have had one piece on a table for 2 years now and have yet to flip so it lasts a pretty good while and it's fairly cheap. I also like the fact that it has a bit of static to help "hold" down vinyl sheets that don't move when it's being masked.

I've attached a picture of the smaller 18' X 4' table. In the next few weeks I'll be building a 5' X 20' table with more storage using the same materials.

 

[fresh]

We do everything on our works tables from writing, to cutting, weeding, leaning on our elbows, drinking, building signs to whatever needs to be done. We use a product called Duron. It a lot like Masonite, but tempered far harder. We use the 1/4" version and put it down with mostly finishing nails. Varnish 3 or 4 costs and we're done. Our present table tops have been on about 10 years in this shop and about 5 in our old shop. They were made in 1984 and we're now on our second set. They'll still go another 5 or 10 years. We don't cut near as much as we used to, now that we have digital and flatbed printers.

Where do you purchase this magical product?

 

[Mike Paul]

Definitely the cutting mats.
Acrylic can work for a short while but will start to leave small slivers of material all over to spoil production, masking etc..

 

[IGD]

Where do you purchase this magical product?

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