I use the kitchen mats from time to time and they seem to work OK.

 

me too...
it these are the ones he's taking about...
use them for drawer liners too... stuff doesn't slide around so much..

Buy Kitchen Shelf Liners from Bed Bath & Beyond

 

Hi Don

More than likely not but that's what I have always used

Don

 

Probably not but that is what I use. Most likely lots of others do too.

 

I use the non-slip drawer liners from the dollar store - rolls of 12" x 60" for $1.00 - don't get much cheaper than that.

Griprite Non-Slip Shelf Liner - Assorted Colors - Kitchen Essentials & Tools - Dollar General

 

I bought two different ones, one with larger nodules and gaps between them, the other a finer pattern. I can't tell which is better.

 

I can`t tell if that stuff is the same thing mechanics use to line their tool box drawers but I have that and what Lee Valley sells for a router mat and the one from Lee Valley is superior to what I use in my tool boxes.

 

I'm confused.
Why does a router need a non slip mat?

 

Bob
If you put your work piece on a non slip mat (say to do edges) you don't need to clamp the work piece down. The mat prevents the piece from sliding around. I've done this a number of times. The only thing you have to ensure is that the router bit depth is shorter than the thickness of the workpiece so it doesn't bottom out on your table or surface

 

I use the drawer liner from Harbor Freight. 18" x 72" Mesh Nonslip Drawer Liner
Works great for me and cheap.

 

The Router Mats are thicker/better quality than the shelf material. Unfortunately for me I bought a router mat a few years back with not knowing this.

Occasionally I use it but it hasn't been used much. I actually cut out a few pieces of it to put on the bottom of some Shop Made push blocks... works great for that.

 

oh, I see. havent done any freehand routing yet. Just the table and my router sled thicknesser.
i see I have more lessons to come.

 

Like lots of others, I use the shelf lining for a router mat. Frankly, it helps some but I really prefer to clamp the piece down. Lately, I've been using double sided tape to hold smaller pieces down and it works fantastic.

 

I don't fully trust in a router mat either..... even if I use it as a mat for sanding.

Safety first!. Plus 1 on the double sided tape

 

You can also get the mats at a restaurant supply store. It's know as Bartender's Friend. It's used to place cleaned glasses upside down to drain and dry plus there is minimal chance of chipping. The $$$ Tree or HF mat is the same. Big Lot's also has it.

 

Don, you are on the best forum there is to get tips and instructions.

Be brave, have fun....but work safe.

And post pictures!!!

 

I use the shelf mat material for all my freehand sign carving and it works just fine. Since I change the position of the stock frequently while carving, it's convenient not having it anchored down. When I need to raise the the work off the table so the bit doesn't dig in — like when cutting a chamfer or roundover — I often use those Rockler bench cookies.

 

RV'ers use the mats to keep things in cabinets from moving while on the road. We put them between stacked dishes and they stay in place with no rattling. Lots of uses.

 

I've used it too, many times!

 

By the way, I use the liner stuff as work piece protection when sanding, fitting, dry assembly and so on. It's not grippy enough to allow sanding without holding the piece. But, it really does help to prevent those little nicks and scratches that you can pick up along the way. I'm looking at the rockler silicone mat for small glue ups as well. Keeping small pieces pristine is worth a lot to me.

 

Best Router mat

One of the very best router mats is a beige 2 ft x 3 ft x 3/8" thick open cell foam mat made in the USA and sold on line by Supergrit Abrasives.
These mats are twice as twice and sturdy than the kitchen drawer liners.
For $11.00 you get a non slip surface for your work bench and it can double as an anti-fatigue mat to stand on.

Arturo Ottolenghi
Gettysburg, PA

 

My original mat was a "genuine" one. For my kind of routing it was far from perfect and regular washing was essential. Then one day I saw advertised rolls of draw liners the cost of which was peanuts. In use I found it no different to the original. In fact I prefer clamping, some of my projects are labour intensive and so I don't risk movement of the work-piece.

 

Arturo the website says 3/16" and not 3/8". The one I bought years ago from Lee Valley fits that description.

Harry do you find your mat any stickier after you wash it? I don't find it sticky enough to route without clamping, at least not anymore, but I do use it when sanding something and I don't want burnish marks on the backside from rubbing on my workbench.

 

The original one did seem to loose some of it's stickiness and the cheapies were not worth washing, I would just cut a new one from the roll.