Spin and Cut, Spin and Cut

A review of Olfa Rotating Rotary Mat from Olfa

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Reviewed by Sharon Darling

Olfa makes a Rotating Rotary Mat that revolves so you can change the angle in which you use your rotary cutter without having to change your location in relation to the cutting table. I've always liked the idea of a revolving cutting mat because it makes squaring up blocks so much faster and easier.

In my studio, this is a big benefit since I don't have much room to move around. I used to move my fabric and spend a lot of time making sure that my fabric was placed properly for my next cut. With the 12-inch Rotating Rotary Mat, I just spin it around so I can easily make my next cuts.

Elegant Design

Olfa has designed an elegant, simple and clever revolving mat. The mat comes in two parts. One side of the top part is like their regular cutting mats made of green self-healing material with yellow measuring lines. On the reverse side of this piece is a white shiny surface with a 2-1/4 inch black plastic circle applied to the center as pivot point.

The base is a second mat with a 2-1/4 inch circular hole cut in it to accommodate the plastic circle of the other mat. This mat is black on both sides but the texture is different. The bottom side has a non-skid surface so that the mat doesn't slide on the table. The reverse side is smooth so the white shiny surface of the cutting mat slides easily but doesn't slip at all.

Design Considerations

At first, I was a little concerned that the corners when spun from the lower mat's matching corners position would make the mat a little unstable but it didn't. Its long, low center of gravity makes it very stable.

The measurements handle up to a 12" unfinished block but won't accommodate the extra 1/2 inch of seam allowance. I would have liked it a little better if it measured 12-1/2 inches on a 13-inch board so I could square up the larger blocks too.

The only real downside of the Rotating Rotary Mat is that skunk-like smell which is noticeable when the two sections of the mat are separated. If you keep the sections together, it isn't a problem. But you can get rid of the smell by soaking the mat sections in the bathtub with water and vinegar for ten minutes at a time. I did that and noticed some improvement. So I did it a second time and the mats had lost most of the smell.

I like the square shape since most of the blocks I make are square or rectangular. The round mats have a lot of wasted space making the mat bigger than it needs to be.

I like the way the Rotating Rotary Mat hugs the cutting table with lots of stability. And I like the small amount of space it takes to store. I'm very happy with the way the Rotating Rotary Mat revolves easily but doesn't slip during use. Olfa does it again with another really good product.

Olfa Pink Rotary Cutter

Where To Buy: Olfa Rotating Rotary Mat

Clotilde

Jo-Ann's

Fabric.com

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the Cutting Mats - Olfa forum.