playing records smaller than an LP on an acrylic platter

[drewpeabottom]

I have a Pro-Ject DC EVO turntable and found that I had horrible problems with static in my house.  I splurged for the acrylic platter upgrade rather than the cork mat.  Everything's great for playing LPs; however, playing anything smaller like a 7" or 10" has been making me nervous.  As recommended, I'm not using a mat on the platter.  Removing an LP is easy because the record is a little bit wider than the platter.  It's trickier when it comes to removing smaller records from the platter.  It's almost like I have to slide my fingernails underneath the record and gently lift it up.  I'm worried that doing anything harsher could scratch the vinyl, since the platter is harder than the record and there's no mat.  Does anyone else have this problem?  If so, what works for you?  I've tried a Google search and didn't find anything.  I could use a mat, but that would defeat the purpose of the acrylic platter.