I'm looking at making a mouse pad, by layering a peice of transparent acrylic or polycarbonate over something else. My first question would be, how does a mouse glide on acrylic / polycarb? As for the underlying material, I'm looking at possibly either satin finish aluminum, or rigid carbon fiber. The clear top layer would be about 1/16" thick, transparent. The second layer would be either 1/8" thick aluminum, or 1/32" thick carbon fiber. Price-wise, the acrylic and the polycarb are about the same price (under $4 for 12"x12"), the aluminum is about $25 for 12x12, and the carbon fiber is ~$34. I think the price is ruling out the CF...... If I go with the aluminum, I'd probably spray it with Duplicolor Metalcast red paint, which will give something of a anodized look to it. As for the mouse I'd be using, it's a Logitech MX700. I know a clear surface won't work, as the LED has nothing to "bounce" off of, which is why I'm looking to put something beneath, and use a thin peice of plastic.
