gets his DNA results, and starts thinking about wargaming.
That slogan about bringing your hobby in from the garage really struck a chord with me - so my first experiment was to try the SlipGrip for my next spray-painting project.
I had some metal bases that I wanted to prime, so I got to work. First, following the directions, I gave the mat a quick wash-and-dry before use. Then I spread out some newspapers (in case of over-spray!), set the mat on top, spaced the bases out on the mat, and put a box in back (again, to protect my dining room table from overspray...).
Now, I give the bases a shot of Krylon Primer (1317 Ruddy Brown). As the photo shows, the spray tends to bead up on the mat itself.
When the bases are dry, I flip them over...
...and prime again.
After the first priming, two of the bases in the corner had some of the primer run beneath the bases (I think due to a slight curl in that corner of the mat). After the second priming, a good number of the bases have problems with a little of the paint seeping under the bottom edge - then pulling off when I try to pick them up. So, to fix the imperfections, I do another round of priming...
When I'm all done, the SlipGrip looks like this:
According to the directions, I should be able to "wipe away spills or mess while wet or dry." Taking a sponge, I wipe at the dried paint... no result.
The instruction sheet says the mat is "...easily cleaned with soap and water or a simple wipe down by hand." So I add soap and water to my sponge. Still no result.
It says I can put the mat in the dishwasher. I try immersing it in the sink, instead, and scrub at it with the soapy sponge. I don't see any progress, but the sponge is picking up a bit of the primer color.
Scraping the mat with my fingernails, however, easily removes the dried primer - but is too time-consuming. Scraping with a wooden ruler is somewhat faster.
Even after scraping all of the primer off, however, I can still see the faint ghost outlines of the bases. (The non-slip surface also picks up the ink from the newspaper...)