# Non slip router mats.



## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Are the non slip router mats the same as the mats you buy to put on kitchen cabinet shelves?


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

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


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## donald_archer (May 24, 2012)

Hi Don

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

Don


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

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


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

DesertRatTom said:


> 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


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

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


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

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.


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## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

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


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## tvman44 (Jun 25, 2013)

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


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

sunnybob said:


> 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


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

sunnybob said:


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


it goes under the piece you are routing so it doesn't scoot around...


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

hawkeye10 said:


> Are the non slip router mats the same as the mats you buy to put on kitchen cabinet shelves?


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.


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## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

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.


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## PhilBa (Sep 25, 2014)

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.


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## Knothead47 (Feb 10, 2010)

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.


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## Frankj3 (Oct 6, 2014)

sunnybob said:


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


Bob,

I use my mat all the time. Periodically you need to clean it.....rinse with a water hose, shake it out and let it dry. Like anything else, a build up of sawdust causes it to lose its grip.

I can't compare it to drawer liner material. I've only used the mat sold for router use. I've used the same mat for 2 years now.

Here's a picture of my "shop".....and yes, I cut all of these crosses using the mat and no clamps.


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Frankj3 said:


> Bob,
> 
> I use my mat all the time. Periodically you need to clean it.....rinse with a water hose, shake it out and let it dry. Like anything else, a build up of sawdust causes it to lose its grip.
> 
> ...


Frank I love your sign work. This is something I want to start doing.


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## Frankj3 (Oct 6, 2014)

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

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

And post pictures!!!


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

PhilBa said:


> 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


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

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.


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## Garyk (Dec 29, 2011)

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.


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

I've used it too, many times!


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

vchiarelli said:


> 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.


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## PhilBa (Sep 25, 2014)

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.


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## supergrit (Sep 8, 2018)

*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


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

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.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

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.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> 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.


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