Hate cutting foam with a jig saw

[atahoekid]

If I can find those blades, I'll give them a try. Thanks for the info

[Wobbly Wheels]

I usually take the old package with me to convince the clerk that they really do make such a thing and then they have to order them in for me. I think that pack was about $12 and they seem to last forever on foam.
My foam is 1" and they work great, not sure about thicker stuff. They're 4" blades so it might come down to the stroke on your saw.

[atahoekid]

A blade that long should work. Since I don't have a package, I'm hoping they're in stock so I don't have to beg and plead. Maybe an internet search could help me find it. Your pics should help. Thanks. I also realized why the electric cutting knife won't work for me. I already glued on the lauan interior paneling.

[Wobbly Wheels]

D'Oh !
I forgot you had glued your panels (that whole 'delaminating wall panels' thing: good memory, just short. Really, really short, lol)

So your blade was canting with the luan glued on already ?
Did it make a difference whether you cut from the foam side or the ply side ?
I haven't tried those blades on glass yet but I don't think they'll work. I doubt they would work on luan.
I see a test in my future....

At any rate, McMaster Carr has them if anyone wants to order them. $12.18 for a 3-pack and the p/n is 4131A17

[GPW]

Just FYI, whenever I have to cut thin ply or paneling , I Always score it first , the blade follows the score ... for ply over foam , best cut it from the scored ply side , foam underneath , and don’t PUSH it , let the saw do the work ... keep the base perfectly flat ...

[Wobbly Wheels]

If you score the good side of your cut line, it keeps the cut nice and sharp as well.

[atahoekid]

I decided to give my crappy jig saw one more go. Going as slow as possible made things better. I noticed that when I got off line and tried to correct, the blade would just bend and leave me with an angled cut. I got the cuts done within acceptable limits but it wasn't easy. (Thankfully I have trim pieces to cover the errors). My opinion about jig saws is that they are in some cases a necessary evil but if you must use one, try to find one with a wide sole plate to provide adequate stability, use a thick blade that resists bending, go as slow as possible and remember thicker materials magnify any out of plumb cuts. I think that a great Fathers' Day present from my wife and kids would be a good jig saw. (translated that means buy me gift cards, I'll figure out which one I want)

[Postal_Dave]

Hey guys,
I have Never done this before, but I'm told by Model airplane guys that you can sculpt foam with nickel chromium wire.

Nickel chromium wire ( or Nichrome ) is the same thing they use in heating elements, hair driers, volume controls and all that. You can buy it at your local hobby shop, a little spool and it's less than $5. They tell me that you CAREFULLY connect the wire to a battery charger and it heats up, then you just run it where you want to cut it. It literally cuts through foam like a hot knife through butter.

Do the research before you try it.
Dave

[Wobbly Wheels]

Thx Dave. Like most things foamie-related, hot-wire cutting has been kicked around. There's a thread dedicated to just that in here somewhere with tons of great info. Definitely a worthwhile technique for the foamie toolbox.

[SteveW]

For anyone who's using a circular or table saw to make your cuts, try a masonry blade instead of a wood blade. Substantially less mess.

[atahoekid]

Now you tell me!!!! . My wife insists I wear a throw away painters suit when I cut foam 'cuz she's tired of the little pink pellets I drag into the house with me. This is after I brush myself off and I even change in the laundry room downstairs but to no avail. The little white suit stays in the garage and seems to have brought some domestic tranquility to our humble abode. I'm gonna try that masonry blade when I do my kerf cuts for the last roof panel. Thanks for sharing the good tip

[mezmo]

Hi Mel/atahoekid,

I guess this is an after-the-fact suggestion, but I just saw this on
the Harbor Freight website when I was looking up the seaming sheet
metal pliers I mentioned to bonnie.

I've never used one of these and am not promoting Harbor Freight but
I wonder if a hot knife would be useful for the foam cutting? Here's
the link:

http://www.harborfreight.com/130-watt-h ... 66182.html

There's a link to a video of it on the page. And on the bottom of the page
it says it has a guide attachment for it and they mention the use of it for/with
foam. It might be a useful possibility for Foamie foam cutting needs/use.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[GPW]

That should work !!! Cheap enough to try ....

[atahoekid]

When I first started reading this topic and people mentioned hot knife this is what I envisioned. But when you look, the tools are of the wire variety and I found it hard to get a straight true cut with the one I tried. I thought that maybe nobody made a knife like this one. Great to know somebody does make this kind of knife. Problem is the reviews are pretty bad. I may look some more for a hot knife to see if I can find one designed like this that holds up. thanks for the lead...