warped cutting mat

[Higgo]

Has this ever happened to any one out there and is there any way of fixing it? I have a large and small cutting mat, the large one is on the floor and the small one is always on the table but it is under a skylight, would this have anything to do with it? How can i fix them. Please help

[Hulamoon]

I had one too and I read they like moisture. So since it needed cleaning (kids using it for art projects) I washed it and put it out in the sun. Didn't help. I found out one of my shop owners did the same thing and felt embarresed. lol I bought a new one, off limits to everything but fabric!

[SisterDi]

I have a warped mat that I used to cut several quilts, and I looked around to find the same answer. I can't remember where I found it, but one of the Olfa people posted a possible solution.

He said that you should lay it outside in the sun on a flat surface, like a concrete patio, then cover it with a large heavy piece of glass to weigh it down. No guarantees were made, but that was his idea for fixing the problem. I think I remember him saying that it should be left out there for several hours, in warm weather.

Good luck, and let us know if it works for you. I bought myself a larger mat, but I'd love to salvage my warped one.

[Lisapc]

My big one got warped when we moved 4 yrs ago. It was put behind a dresser and stayed their for a couple of years. I simply put it on my dining room table and covered it in books for a few days. It straightened right out. I don't know if this would do anything for something that got dried out or had water damage.

[MRoy]

My large mat was slightly warped. I put a cloth on the "hump", used a hot iron on the cloth to heat up the mat, then set a concrete block on top for a day. I did this a couple of times and it flattened out.

[Higgo]

so is it that it gets to dry or too much moisture??

[madampolo]

One of my mats has a hump in it. I don't know what caused it as it is not exposed to sun or heat. I think I will try to flatten the hump out using the iron/concrete block method. Couldn't hurt.

[Patrice]

I did this a few months ago. Left mine in the car and it was warped big time. I layed it in the driveway with glass on top of it. Where it could sit in the sun. It worked but I was afraid it wouldn't be accurate anymore so got a new one. I keep the old one for smaller things

[SisterDi]

I found the place where I found the answer I tried to post above. I thought I had missed a step.

http://www.generations-quilt-pattern...tting-mat.html



Charlie Hanney, owner of Olfa Deals, has been in the business since 1974. You've seen him at many of the large quilt shows in his Olfa booth. To visit his website go to Olfa Deals, his toll free phone number 1-800-735 8656.

I posed the question to him, "Can a quilter fix a warped Olfa cutting mat?"

Before going further, he asked me to make the following perfectly clear:

The method he proposes will work about 85% of the time. It is not perfect. It is not guaranteed. But it is what he does and has had good results.

NOTE:This is NOT recommended by Olfa, the manufacturer. Olfa is not in the "fix-a-mat" business.

And now for Charlie's answer...

Step 1 Get a piece of heavy plywood 3/8" to 1/2" thick. Make sure it is not warped.

Step 2 Lay the plywood on concrete, and ONLY concrete, in a totally all day sunny area. The concrete is important!

Step 3 Put the damaged mat on the plywood.

Step 4 Using heavy plate glass (NOT WINDOW GLASS) which you may find on a table top, a dresser top, or shelf glass. Any combo, and cover the mat so that mat is completely covered. Not just the affected area...THE WHOLE MAT. The glass can extend over the edges of the mat.

Step 5 leave this set up in the totally sunny area all day. No moving, no peeking, just leave it alone.

Step 6 Early the next day, after the mat has cooled over night, your mat should be straight.
Again, remember, this method works about 85% of the time to straighten a warped Olfa cutting mat. It is not guaranteed.

[countrywench]

I just found this ..
http://tulip-patch.blogspot.co.uk/20...-quilting.html

Worth a try !