12x14 Cutting Mat

[Jana]

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I've had my SB 24" since the middle of May. The 12x14 mat is curling on the edges. What have I done wrong now? The upward curl is where the pinch arms are making contact with the grip rollers on the mat. Can I straighten this out? I don't mind buying another mat (and a few other things) but please help me avoid this in the future!

[Gigi]

If you search for conversations on here you will see many about mat curling. The best way to keep that to a minimum is rotate your mat so you are not always running your pinch wheels over the same spot. You can roll it backwards (like you do when you get something rolled up - you reverse roll it to straighten it out) - put a rubber band around it overnight on the edge that is curling. And then rotate it between every cut or every few cuts (that's what I do) going forward. I also rotate mats for what I am cutting. I have a smaller mat for little things and various other sizes that I have collected over time. Switching mats helps the wear and tear as well, but rotating will make a big difference.

[Jana]

Thank you Gigi! I will try all you mentioned and remember to search the forum before posting. Have a great weekend! Thanks Again!

[Gigi]

Oops- didnt mean you HAD to search first - just wanted to assure you that you were not doing anything wrong..... that it's an issue that many have had who are running the pinch wheels over and over on the same spot - the material will eventually give under the pressure and you don't want less pressure or the mat will skew! So it's a trick we have all learned over time - just keep it moving!

You are doing NOTHING wrong!

And you are welcome!

[PennyDuncan]

Hey Jana something else you can try as well...as set your mat in the sun......like a bright window and then the mat heats up it will flatten out as well.....