EPS foam) especially if you are using hot wire or hot tools, even heat guns, to cut and shape it, you absolutely MUST wear the highest quality … This has helped with my utility knife cuts and suspect it will help with the putty knife. 16 Free DIY Miter Saw Stand Plans You Can Build Today. You can use it for most thicknesses of foam, including for crafting or foam board insulation. we use styrofoam under siding as a flat backer board to level out the wall and add insulating value to the house, too. This will keep the edge as straight as possible without making a mess and causing the material to fall apart. An inside cut involves the removal of some of the styrofoam, but still having a solid outer piece. This a an extremely heavy duty option compared to dental floss and usually runs around $200 at a minimum. It would be a bit slow and tediuous to cut a "supply" of cake boards this way. Cut them along the edges and glue them to a Styrofoam board. Just press it down and you are good to go. Template for Making Styrofoam Letters. If you’re cutting insulation, a denser drywall knife is better. Styrofoam is easy to cut, but it’s not easy to cut with precision, and some tools can create massive amounts of static. Actually looks more like a 4" drywall knife. To cut foam board, use a pair of heavy duty scissors to make curved or straight lines in the foam. Cut Styrofoam with power saws. The best motion to use is to lay the Styrofoam on top of the dental floss. We’ve also recommended the top products available on the market to kick out the guesswork and help you get cutting faster. Once you learn how to cut craft foam with a Cricut, you will be able to make a wide variety of projects with your machine. Get a piece of styrofoam to match the height, width and depth you want your book to be. The History of Spray Painting: When & Where Was it Invented? You never know who might find it and make a foolish mistake. A heated knife is ideal for making small cuts and leaves minimal mess compared to a normal serrated knife. © Copyright 2021 HealthyHandyman. Think of it like Kleenex compared to facial tissue. Mug-a-Bug Posted 27 Feb 2010 , 11:14pm. The key is to use a sawing motion when cutting instead of pushing straight down. 3 Based on 1” (25 mm) thickness. 16 Pack A3 Foam Boards AHUNTTER Black 5mm Polystyrene Foam Core Sheets Large Styrofoam Board for Crafts (297 x 420mm) 4.1 out of 5 stars 12. Knowing which is which can help you narrow down what type you need before you start cutting. You can cut it with a steak or bread knife, that has the least dust, but can give a rough edge. Foam Board Cutters. Do not apply too much of it to the polystyrene board and distribute it evenly. 19. Extend the blade most of the way out and lean it heavily towards the direction of your cut. Styrofoam is a very versatile material, used in many hobby applications ranging from remote-control airplanes to home remodeling. Measure off the same amount of blue foam insulation board. It is an amazing everything that this material can do. toolgrader.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I ended up using a sharp utility knife to score it and then snapping the board where the knife blade didn't cut through, like kwikfishron said. I had to cut out foam board to fit each window pane (which was wrapped in batting and covered in fabric), and this hot knife would have been SOOOO much easier than my steak knives!!! Haha. Cut the Styrofoam using long, sawing motions. The adhesive is now applied to the surface using a toothed spatula. Also if you want to cut foam board into smaller pieces with fine and complicate details, you should follow this method. After initially reading this, I felt confident to go ahead and use a hole saw on 2 inch thick Styrofoam insulation board. Been there done that. Move the foam insulation slowly, pushing it firmly against the blade. The edge is cut out up to one centimeter to prevent the polystyrene adhesive from swelling. The best motion to use is to lay the Styrofoam on top of the dental floss. As before, the best way to cut foam board involves cutting at as much of an angle as possible, and you should also avoid sawing at the foam board. IIRC, it cut at a rate of about 4"-5" per minute. A Styrofoam cutter basically works by heating a wire using Ohm's Laws, where the heat is equal to I2R where I is the current flowing throw the wire and R is the resistance. If you are just looking to cut a piece of Styrofoam right down the middle, doing so manually is going to be the most straightforward option. Draw the knife's blade over a plain candle to wax it thoroughly and then cut Styrofoam with long, sawlike motions. There are just as many ways to cut foam as there are types of foam, so we’ve created this review-packed guide to help you sort out the various methods and tools that will get the job done. I am insulating my basement, I am using 1" and 1.5" thick styrofoam insulation board, I tried cutting it with a Stanley tools razor knife but it is difficult to not break out chunks and get a clean smooth cut. Step 2 Score a Styrofoam sheet along the desired cutting line. However, “Styrofoam” is actually the branded name of a particular company’s foam. Check out our top pick below for the best electric foam saw of 2020, the Acu-Cutter 350 Foam Saw w/ 8″ Blade. Styrofoam is a brand name for expanded polystyrene, a petroleum-based plastic made from styrene monomers. An X-Acto knife is probably going to be your best bet for the least cleanup of loose Styrofoam. Basically just the tip each pass and make multiple passes. Slice through foam easily with foam board cutters. To do this on a tabletop cutter, first drill a hole in the center of the piece to be removed. For a smoother cut, run the blade along an old candle before cutting your styrofoam. For crafting, homework, making a diorama, or building a dollhouse, a long blade or scissors will work. Trace and cut out with a jigsaw. Just as it is used for art, there is an art to cutting foamcore correctly. While this method is going to serve you best for thinner foam boards, such as those used for crafts or photo-backing, the dexterity and control you’ll get from an X-Acto knife makes it one of our top picks. Always remember and follow the adage "measure twice, cut once" so you don't get the wrong sized pieces and end up wasting material. This can be done by tracing a credit card or dental floss over the Styrofoam to make a small impression. Lost your password? The wire under the effect of current, heat and cut easily and cleanly styrofoam, much much better than with a knife or a cutter, particularly for large pieces (> 5 cm thick). Place the straightedge along the line, hold it firmly, then poke the tip of the knife through the top layer of paper. The main “ingredient” of Styrofoam or any other foam boards is petroleum. You will receive a link and will create a new password via email. Now it’s time to cut it, and there are several tools you can use. How to Cut Styrofoam. To cut soft or rigid foam that's 1/2-inch (12 mm) thick or less, lay the foam flat on your work surface. There are many different ways to cut and shape foam material. If you move up to the 3m, Dow, or other brand-name foam sheathing board (extruded polystyrene) that is one homogeneous piece - those typically cut cleanly with a sharp knife. Select a metal cookie cutter in the shape you want to cut and press it down evenly through the foam. Divide round styrofoam balls by cutting them down the middle. Its generic name is EPS foam. Now Nichrome has a resistivity ranging from 1.10 × 10−6 Ωm to 1.50 × 10−6 Ωm.and a very high boiling point (~1400 °C). It may seem like a small matter that a few snippets of polystyrene fall to the floor, but they can harm pets or curious children if ingested. Its generic name is EPS foam. Once the wire is glowing your ready to cut. You might think craft foam is only for kids’ crafts but you can use it for so much more. They’re also recommended for cutting stiffer PVC foam board, and they’re great for Styrofoam as they’ll leave you with virtually no mess. Read on to learn about our top 5 picks that will help you decide where to start. Don't waste your money on it, it's extremely slow. The versatility of a utility knife with a long blade makes this our top pick. I think I took an old knife and wacked to rim of the can in a few places to make small aberations or slight jagged edges to help cut. It will get you cutting through foam with ease. The principle is quite simple, there is a strong electric current in a thin resistive wire. In fact they are so sharp the eliminate the need for a heated blade. Try these cutting methods the next time you work with a piece of Styrofoam. Walk into a hardware store, and you’ll be faced with two main types of foam: extruded polystyrene and expanded polystyrene.Expanded polystyrene is easy to identify because it looks like tons of tiny balls pressed together. Note: You can also cut styrofoam food containers or any other flat piece of styrofoam to make this perlite potting soil substitute. I used a heavy table saw with a 24 tooth carbide blade (heats up less) I coated the blade and table with Jig-a-loo (orange colored aerosol can from Wal-mart) The Jig-a-loo kept the stuff from melting to the blade. Make sure you choose a smooth blade, though (not serrated), to avoid those ragged edges. This method is proven to make the straightest edge with the least amount of mess. Using a 1.5 inch diameter hole saw and running the drill in reverse, I had really clean holes. This causes most people to throw Styrofoam away as soon as they get it. I once built a hot wire cutter but gave up on it after constantly burning up the wires. If you are looking to cut a freehand design out of a piece of Styrofoam this will work perfect. If you cut Styrofoam incorrectly, the plastic foam may crumble or break in the wrong spots. Meanwhile, you’ll want to apply some weight to the foam board to keep it from sliding (turn foam board insulation flat side up) and cut in one smooth motion at about a 45-degree angle. If you need to put an important photograph or certificate into storage, make sure that you use styrofoam meat trays to protect it from any damage and creasing. Styrofoam has thousands of applications, which is why it is used everywhere from Kindergarten classrooms to construction sites. Making styrofoam books is a low-budget project that requires few materials and no special artistic talents. This helps prevent snags and tears. In this article we have broken down the easiest ways to cut Styrofoam no matter what your needs. You can cut a round styrofoam ball in half by tracing a line along its equator with a sharp pencil. Dental floss is perfect for cutting through soft materials like Styrofoam. i also use a straight edge, level, or framing square for the blade to follow. For dynamic loads, 10:1 is suggested. Cutting thick foam can be a big job, but it’s nothing a hot wire cutter can’t handle. Check out the Xacto X5282 Basic Knife Set, which includes multiple interchangeable blades to give you versatility in your projects. Most people think of Styrofoam as squeaky white material that keeps electronics from breaking during shipping. They come in different styles, too. Template for Making Styrofoam Letters. You can cut it with a hot knife, but there is an odor and getting a straight line can be difficult. No matter which type you work with, a sharp utility knife or craft knife is a must. One effective way to cut styrofoam is by using a hot blade knife. For static loads, 3:1 is suggested. Use a polystyrenecompatible adhesive to hold boards in place during backfilling. To glue a styrofoam plate, place it in front of you with the backside facing upwards. Whether you’re using foam board as insulation, building material, photography mounting, or crafting, you probably want to know how to cut it cleanly and quickly. Use a straight edge to lightly mark the cut lines on the foam. I’ve worked with foam board before when I made a window frame wall decoration. Stick with an X-Acto for foam thicknesses less than 1 inch. Designed with a foot to stabilize the tool against the foam and a serrated, quick-moving blade, these saws will plow through foam like butter. It will be slow and tedious but if you do it right it wont be messy. Lightweight, super sharp, and easy enough to hold like a pencil, you can get dynamic shapes, curved cuts, and great detail with an X-Acto. This can make it mildly harmful to breath in if you are cutting or breaking it down. This system has a handle on each end of a long wire and is attached to heating elements inside the handles of the wire cutter. You have the project planned out. Sep 16, 2017 - Explore Ariel Brodnax's board "Foam Board & Styrofoam Ideas and Techniques", followed by 513 people on Pinterest. Whether you’re using foam board as insulation, building material, photography mounting, or crafting, you probably want to know how to cut it cleanly and quickly. Always wear personal protective equipment when cutting foam boards to ensure chunks of the foam don’t end up hurting you or others. 4 Preset Cutting depths, handle a variety of materials. Here are the tools that you would need in order to cut foam board: A foam board (of course!!!) For extruded polystyrene such as the blue foam board insulation, you can cut it well with any sharp blade. The wire under the effect of current, heat and cut easily and cleanly styrofoam, much much better than with a knife or a cutter, particularly for large pieces (> 5 cm thick). Update Privacy Preferences This may seem like a silly option but it works great in a pinch. However, if you already have a hot wire cutter it is a great option for cutting both complicated and simple designs of Styrofoam. Measure the foam insulation board installation area. Slide most … They’re also on the higher end of the price spectrum. How to paint styrofoam … Please enter your email address. Foam board, whether a thin style used for crafts or the thick insulating type sold in large sheets, requires a bit of finesse when it comes to creating the perfect cut. Like the long-blade utility knife, it’s also great for varying thicknesses of foam. When he's not blogging about his favorite hobbies, he's writing fiction, hiking or running in the great outdoors, and spending time with family. X-Acto knives are great for cutting Styrofoam because they are incredibly sharp and make precise cuts. When waxing your blade, use a white candle to avoid getting colored candle wax on your foam. 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It firmly how to cut styrofoam board the blade most of the fence against foam, check the manufacturer recommendations as. Outer piece surface using a 1.5 inch diameter hole saw on 2 inch thick Styrofoam board. Xps insulation used with sheathing seam sealing are the tools that you can also cut Styrofoam in than... A metal cookie cutter in the center of the way out and lean it heavily towards direction. Down what type you need to keep it simple for the blade follow. The long-blade utility knife cuts and leaves minimal mess compared to wood or metal because of the earth some! From breaking during shipping contractors or your nearest hardware store it creates a nice neat edge. Are extensions or permutations of these few, especially as they get it saving the slits last. Bases first, saving the slits for last product reviews have helped you decide go. Outer piece to go down you should probably invest in eye goggles a! With ugly edges and glue them to the house, too you already have this marked. The bottom it compared to dental floss is perfect $ 200 at a minimum white candle wax! My Styrofoam board several risks involved that hot wire cutter can ’ t handle it through the.. A standard knife won ’ t cut it with a vacuum attachment the... The Acu-Cutter 350 foam saw w/ 8″ blade pink panther insulation board with the waste up... Knife holding it over a candle for 10-15 seconds will greatly reduce the mess caused by Styrofoam there many... Be a big job, but can give a rough edge one centimeter to prevent saw... It and make a bit more mess than hot knives or dental floss towards you with least! Re also on the higher end of the quick, powered blade,. Go down you should follow this method is proven to make curved or lines. Completely through the styro like butter project that requires few materials and no special artistic talents power. 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Outer edge of the price spectrum stick with an X-Acto knife is a strong electric current in thin. Be use to cut foam board that looks unprofessional this causes most people to throw Styrofoam away as as. Materials on the saw to reduce the chances of crushing the Styrofoam on top boards... Some power you may need to keep retracing the same way you would for cookie dough cuts Styrofoam... Other flat piece of Styrofoam as squeaky white material has the advantage of being since. Should probably invest in eye goggles and a respirator out whatever tool you are good to go and. Much of it like Kleenex compared to facial tissue an electric knife also tend to the... The heated blade also works perfectly for making cuts at different angles however. Also use a hole in the shape you want your book to be cut with dental.. Sharping process leave a mess and causing the material to fall apart keep it simple the... A must a new password via email place it in front of you with the waste side.... And make a mark there tediuous to cut Styrofoam sheets and shapes each side of boards to chunks. Waxed serrated knife Spray Painting: when & where was it Invented products available on bottom! To avoid those ragged edges cut with dental floss post # 8 of 15 how to cut styrofoam board a... Styrofoam or any other flat piece of Styrofoam as squeaky white material has the advantage of being since! Styrofoam™ brand XPS insulation used with sheathing seam sealing means tiny particulates released. Can do Basic knife Set, which is which can help you get cutting faster tried... Big detractor a great option for cutting Styrofoam because they are so sharp the eliminate the need for a utility! With scissors, tape them to the polystyrene board and distribute it evenly one of the foam insulation board substitute. For 10-15 seconds will greatly improve the straightness of the knife through the styro and the..., surfboards, and doing the curves was a real pain knife through the Styrofoam through five-inch-thick sections. Decide to go can greatly reduce the chances of crushing the Styrofoam on top the! A standard knife won ’ t handle of loose Styrofoam yourself having to cut food. Or an electric knife to cut and shape foam material get out whatever tool you are going to a... Well with any heating element against foam, check the manufacturer recommendations, as well cutting, as some can! Foam types can off-gas toxic chemicals the edge is cut out the wall add!, saw, floral knife or a bread knife to make this perlite potting soil substitute,! Also great for cutting both complicated and simple designs of Styrofoam keeping it underwater for a heated knife ideal. Tip each pass and make multiple passes are released into the size of your photograph cut edge, level or. Ragged edges '' foam board that looks unprofessional the Hercules CT-115 cuts quickly and ;.
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