Flip-O-Mat

This is the invention of a lifetime. Have you even wanted to cut something on a table but just not had the right mat? Or has the mat been too far away and you just didn't want to walk across the room? Well this is perfect for you! We encountered this problem while working on a project that required a lot of x-acto knife cutting and there were not enough cutting mats to go around. It was also a big concern that the table would be ruined with cuts and scratches.This handy invention makes it so you can easily access a cutting mat at the tips of your fingers. We have attached a cutting mat to the side of the work table with hinges and a detachable 3D printed base so that it can easily be removed.

To complete this project, you will need only 3 essential materials!

• (1) cutting mat (if it does not exactly fit the table, you can use a strong pair of scissors to cut it) Our link: http://www.amazon.com/Alvin-Professional-Cutting-G...
• (2) hinges (ours were 3 1/2" x 1 1/2") Our link: http://www.amazon.com/Design-House-202457-6-Hole-3...
• (1) 3D printer note: if you cannot afford or find hinges, we also made 3D printed hinges and included our file. They will not be quite as sturdy but they work very well

In addition, you might need these tools and supplies:

• Scissors
• Sharpie
• Ruler
• Sandpaper
• Hot glue gun
• Vinyl Tape
• Drill (if you are 3D printing your own hinges)

Safety Equipment:

• Goggles
• Gloves

Measure the length and width of the table that you will be using so that the cutting mat will fit perfectly. If you cutting mat is not the correct size, you can use a strong pair of scissors to trim it.

If you cannot get your hands on a couple of metal hinges, we have included the file for the 3D printed hinges that we used for our prototype. Depending on the size of your table and the weight of your cutting mat, they should be durable enough to support the mat.

We suggest using the butt hinge for a couple different reasons. It looks like two rectangular pieces with screw holes that are connected by a pin or metal rod. For our 3D printed hinges, we used a paperclip. This is useful because as soon as you remove the metal rod (or paper clip) the hinge will separate. These hinges are the strongest and most reliable.

The problem that we encountered while creating this invention was how to attach the cutting mat to the table. If you are positive that you want the cutting mat attached to the table forever, simply screw the hinges directly to the table. But we needed to come up with a way to make the cutting mat detachable and movable. We created a 3D printed slidable base that fit perfectly along the edge of the table. Simply measure the edge of the table and leave a little wiggle room for the base. You want it to be tight enough so that it doesn't fall off, but loose enough that it can be removed and moved around. If it is too big for the table, you can put a thin layer of hot glue on the inside. Once it dries, the interior sides of the base will be able to stick to the table. We used a vinyl sticker that made the base a little tighter and slightly sticky.

The last step is to attach the mat to the hinges and the hinges to the 3D base. We used hot glue but other glue would suffice as long as it is strong enough and will not fall apart.

Now you have a cutting mat that is attached to the table! Thanks for reading!

Enjoy