"He who marches out of step hears another drum." ~ Ken Kesey
I use Wetsuit neoprene for my vacuum blankets. It is cheap enough and seems to be more durable than the neoprene blanket material that came with my NuArc. It has fabric on one side, like a mouse pad, and I leave it pretty loose, because it doesn't stretch quite as easily as the real deal. I buy it from a local fabric store. I also use it for my shirtboards that need a spongy surface, like when printing over seams and collars.Someone might be able to convince me it doesn't hold a very deep vacuum due to surface porosity, and so I shouldn't use it. But if it's a bad idea, I sure don't see why.....