My local dollar store sells these thin plastic cutting mats that work even better than cardstock. They're basically indestructible and wipe clean if you get ink on them.

My old boss had the full eleven-scale one and I used maybe four of them regularly. The rest were for super specific old school details or checking other people's weird drawings. It's handy to have them all on there just in case, but overkill for day to day work lol.

Ever tried the TandemKross polymer housing as a tougher drop-in fix?

Man, I swapped a water pump once and the old belt tension somehow kept the front seal from leaking, learned that the hard way lol.

Ever think these places could just be torn down for something new? I used to believe every old mall should be saved, but seeing one rot like that changed my mind. It's not just sad, it's a waste of good land. Maybe letting go is better than watching them slowly fall apart.