Foam carving?

[TAB]

Any one here ever done by foam carving?

I have a project up coming where I will need to carve foam.  Any one have an recommendations  on where to get a hot knife? That has lots of different  attachments.(concave  convex  in different sizes)  my Googlefoo  is failing me.  I keep either finding junk straight knives or crazy diy.

[billt]

I've often wondered about this myself. Custom cutting foam for gun cases and the like. I know auto upholsters use foam cutting tools every day. I thought of having them do it. Or at least inquiring about it.

There was a show on TV some years back called American Hot Rod, that featured the late Boyd Coddington. And he used a custom upholstery guy to do the interiors of his hot rods. And on several episodes they showed him cutting and shaping foam. Many of the cutters he used resembled electric carving knives with reciprocating blades, like the kind you use on roasts and turkey's. His name was Gabe something or other.

[Timothy]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wqodjNexy7w

[Big Frank]

Billt there are places that will cut foam for gun cases to any size and shape you want. I can't remember where but I saw a place that will help you with your design online, cut it, and ship it to you. Here's a video of someone cutting foam with a water jet. There are many more videos like this and some with lasers too.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igacWZahnHI

[crusader rabbit]

TAB, are you wanting to cut soft foam or rigid foam.  Is it for something likea gun case, or are you going to be using foam blocks in construction.

Buddy down here in Florida built a number of houses using rigid foam for the exterior walls.  Gave the house an incredible R rating that lowered AC bills by 75%. 

He used Nichrome wire of various lengths and hooked the ends to a rheostat to control the heat.  He was able to get beautifully straight cuts as well as arcs and circles when required.

For soft foam (like lining gun cases) I found an electric carving knife works well.  Commercial foam places have something similar mounted to a table.

Good luck with your project.  Let us know how it works out.

Crusader Rabbit

[Sponsor]

[MikeBjerum]

I assume you are talking the bead foam blocks for architectural detail.  Check out restoration tools.  I know a lot of places .... ahhh!  Theater prop shops do this a lot!

[alfsauve]

I assume you are talking the bead foam blocks for architectural detail.  Check out restoration tools.  I know a lot of places .... ahhh!  Theater prop shops do this a lot!

I was about to say theater.  Try Rosco, Norcostco, Barbizon, Mutual Hardware.

[TAB]

I assume you are talking the bead foam blocks for architectural detail.  Check out restoration tools.  I know a lot of places .... ahhh!  Theater prop shops do this a lot!

  theater props is right on the money


I got talked into building some  small fiber glass trees for children's park.  Foam covered with glass is the easiest method by far.  The other option is to build a plug then a mould.  Which is a butlad of work for one offs. I thought about using the cnc  router, but that is just insane work for the g code.  I will only have  a few hours a week too work on it. 

[MikeBjerum]

TAB,

When I was in college I took the basic courses that make you "well rounded."  Not bashing them, because they filled the boredom of the semesters with items from my personal life, and they did round me out in understanding.  When I took the theater courses I had the opportunity to use some talents in construction.  I made several props - Revolving stages, hinged walls and floors, animals, plants, furniture, etc.  I made most of the trees and animals by either duplicating an existing, or making my own model.  I would then wrap the original with plastic cling wrap and lay a thin layer of fiberglass over it.  Once the resin cured, I would pop it off, reinforce the interior, join the pieces together, and paint.  Working two hours a day, I could turn out a complete cow, horse, alligator, or full size tree (trunk and lower branches) in four days.