Stained Glass Supplies 12" X 12" Heat Resistant Stained Glass Work Surface,1/2" Thick (1Pack)

I've been using one mat so far since I bought these closer to the beginning of the year for soldering stained glass and I haven't even needed to flip it over yet. Takes heat well and the solder drippings come right off. I'd recommend it for anyone getting into stained glass and just wants to make little pieces to start off with, as it's only a small square.

I actually like these better than the classic stained glass soldering boards. They are much cheaper, and they can be used all together for larger projects. There is no need to struggle with push pins on these boards. They slide in like butter easily securing your glass pieces. I am very happy that I purchased them.

Worked as intended. Worth the money

This Homasote board is great for working with stained glass.

These 12x12 inch pads are made of a dense cork material that is slightly flexible. The edges are straight and smoothly cut so the pieces can be laid side by side to make a large work surface with no gaps. They are thick enough to provide excellent protection to your work surface. I rubbed my fingernails along the raw edges and no material flaked off or crumbled. They will be great for working with stained glass, resin, metal work, wire work, leather stamping or any craft that has a potential for damaging the work surface. They look durable enough to withstand some abuse without falling apart. While they don't really slide very much, you could use a small amount of double stick tape to adhere them to the surface.

I did not find these very useful for stained glass projects. While pins go in the cork easily, they can also be pushed aside easily because the cork is very soft. I do lead came stain glass And I find the surface is too soft for cutting lead came on. You may find this useful for other projects as the cork is uniform and cut straight, but it really doesn’t work too well for stained glass using came. It would probably be OK for stained glass projects using Copper foil.

This is a review of ARTIMUSES Stained Glass Supplies 12" X 12" Heat Resistant Stained Glass Work Surface,1/2" Thick (4Pack) This thick cork is impressive. I had not realized that such thick cork was available. As I was waiting for the cork to arrive, I kept thinking, ‘you already have a cork board, just use that.’ But these cork pieces are different than cork boards, being much thicker. These cork surfaces are really useful for most of my hobbies. For crafts that include heated elements, the cork is particularly good because it protects my work table from the heat. I put a cork piece on top of some other portable surface, usually an old rimmed cookie sheet. If I use more than one, I affix them to a piece of plywood. Some push pins came with the cork, and push pins hold the work in place, whether it be stained glass pieces or wood to be etched or fabric to be painted. I like that the cork came in a pack of four. Sometimes I use one piece, other times I put several pieces together. The pack of four is easier to store than one really large piece of cork would be. I’m very pleased with these cork surfaces.

My “cut-to-the-chase results” tested with two heating tools in direct, sustained, unmoving contact with the mat:Domestic dry iron will leave a light, permanent singe mark somewhere between 25 and 30 seconds at the highest setting (cotton / linen at 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit).Photographer’s tack iron (also used for collage work) will leave a faint singe mark at 20 seconds.Based on the above info I concluded that this mat probably has many more uses than stained glass, especially if you don’t mind it getting singe marks–continue reading if you’re interested.More info including additional possible applications:While this surface will probably protect your surfaces from tools which come into momentary contact, it’s better to use the special stands that usually come with them. The same goes for very high temp items such as raku, enamel or torched precious metal / clay pieces. Also remember that heated items including stained glass panels being soldered may singe the pad but still protect your tabletop.I decided to test this item on more than just a stained glass soldering gun or other tool which may only have an on/off or high/low designation. All of the temperature designations, which I sourced from the internet, are in degrees Fahrenheit.Remember that tool temperatures are affected by their wattage and are often much higher than the actual piece being made (which is what actually comes in contact with the mat). Here are some approximate temperature ranges for you to judge your own items:Quilter’s Mini Iron: 200-400 (Quilters “press” with a non-moving iron and “iron” while moving it.)Photographer’s Tack Iron (also used in collage work): 200-425Domestic Dry Iron: 225-400Melted wax use (egg decorating, batik, encaustic painting: 220Wood Burning tool: 390-850Stained Glass Soldering Iron: 120-900 (pieces 375)Raku pottery firing: 800-1000 (pot pulled from kiln for horse hair decorating 600-650)Enamel: 1450-1500While this mat will probably also work for a variety of textile uses, such as blocking or ironing lacy motifs (because it can take pins) you will probably still want to buy wool mats, wooden pegboards or other tools specifically designed for these purposes.If you don't mind possible singe marks, this is probably a good option for crafters who work with hot processes.