Basics: How to get good, clean, straight cuts in XPS Foam (Black Magic Craft Episode 030)

[@lizpollock6534]

Based on my quilting experience - which involves lots of detailed and "fussy" cutting, I'd suggest cutting while standing rather than sitting. I find it easier to get accurate cuts on many layers of fabric by standing over it.

[@acmaurer50]

When you're standing, you get more leverage from your upper body.

[@deadinside4372]

Yes because sitting is not standing

[@jamesmikulski1183]

Just a little tip to add to your knife technique. If you do end up with a slight bevel, put the smaller side down. That way the top surfaces will still butt tight together.

[@Xerock]

Having cut thick material for a living, i would recommend getting a weighted ruler, or if they are too expensive, get an iron bar cut down to match the length of your ruler and adhere it to the ruler using epoxy or some other adhesive. This prevents the knife from pushing the ruler around as you cut.

[@VikingFyre]

I keep a sharpener on hand to get the most out of my blades. Thank you Bill Doran and Evil Ted for teaching me that trick haha

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

yea, I actually sharpen my blade on my jeans after ever few cuts (an oldschool technique for razors), but I didnt want to show that and have some person try it incorrectly and slice open their leg.

[@VikingFyre]

I use a 4 dollar dual sharpener I got from Smiths grocery store. Works in all blades really well

[@strandednseattle]

I use Jewelers Rouge and a piece of leather on a board to polish the blade. keeps it razor sharp.

[@theexchipmunk]

I can recommend the Zwilling Kitchen knife sharpener. That thing is normally for high quality kitchen knifes but turns my cutters razor sharp again and again.

[@richardmorris6425]

Drafters/artist want that cork strip or thick tape on the back of the ruler so when they run a marker across the ruler, the ink does not bleed under the ruler.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

very interesting, did not know!

[@theexchipmunk]

I can always recommend one of these kitchen knife sharpeners (those round ones made from metal) if you do a lot of work with the cutter knife. If the blade gets a bit dull, use it and you are ready to go again. Makes your blades last longer and you won't have to change them as often. Withe the added benefit that it saves you some money, especially if you use more expensive blades. (which I always recommend as the cheap ones simply don't work that well with foam)

[@tain-uwelemmer4489]

a good trick to make a 90°-Cut on thick material: use a strait, well sanded block of hardwood, instead of a ruler and keep the knife strait at the side of the block. (does not work with too flexible knifes). Hobbyknifes doesn't cut so easy in hardwood, so it works.

[@mattott4274]

If you want a REALLY cheap hot wire cutter and like to get inventive... you can actually run a current to an olfa knife/blade and heat it up to make your cuts. I wouldn't say it's necessarily "better" but I've found it's faster and seems to help the blade stay sharper longer.

[@Zeoinx69]

Menards Local Store, I got three quarter inch thick XPS for 12 dollars for 4 foot by 8 foot sheet. They also cut down the sheet into 4 feet by 1 foot slabs for me, so I could get it home without being blown away by the wind.

[@laranettle9252]

Burnings in New Zealand also stock the same brand of xps as they sell in Australia.

[@TheUserInterface]

Thanks was about to go looking for some in NZ

[@PossumMedic]

I had been planning on making dungeon tiles as a thank you gift for the people who volunteer as DMs at my local comic shop. Thanks to your videos they are now getting double sided 1/2" foam tiles instead of the 1/4" printed and mod-podged foam tiles I was planning on making! Instead of just giving them a functional gift now I think they will be getting something they can really appreciate and integrate into their own games. Thanks man! :)

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

That's actually really cool to hear. And if any of them are interested in how to make more, make sure to send em over here :)

[@GeneralKetchup57]

Nice video, glad I'm not the only one having problems with angle cuts:) Just ordered the table and your razor set from your shop. Hopefully, the fee amazon pays you compensates for the beating I'm going to get from my wife ...LOL Seriously, it was the best price I found:)

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Yea, I don't think you can beat the amazon price.....and if you craft a lot it totally pays for itself with the time saved. I mostly want lots of crafters to get it so I can use it more on tutorials without making people feel left out, lol. For the record, because I'm all about transparency, I get a $7 cut for every proxxon table sold through my shop....so not quitting my job anytime soon, but it's actually an amount that adds up with a lot of purchases (and hey $7 for the channel is better than it going to amazon's pocket, they have enough $). People have bout 15 of them through my shop over the past month, so that's a lot of extra business for proxxon. I'm going to be reaching out to them to see if they can send me some of their other tools to test out for you guys.

[@GeneralKetchup57]

Great, looking forward to the next video:) Finally, going to attempt some of your killer buildings!

[@WylochsArmory]

Rockin! I have also done some mitered cuts with the Proxxon table. You need a protractor to set it up, but works aces.

[@Scar589]

I use a serrated steak knife. I like the 'rough' looking edge as it makes it look more like stone.Will probably use the box cutter for things I want more refined or nicer looking.

[@tonymin1555]

Man I should have done my homework. I’ve been a fan but I never thought to start from the beginning with your basics. I donated and did the Dice Tower build. It is a very cool project, but I was butchering some XPS with a $20 craft store foam cutter, a PVC saw and one pass cuts with a ratcheting blade. I made three bases. The one I covered so far ended looking nice, but a bit rough, almost like a goblin tower. The multi pass cut I just tried (even with a dull blade) is so much smoother. It would have saved me a lot of time and heartache. Now I know. Keep up the good crafting! Thanks again for working with St. Jude!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Yup the basics vids are here for a reason :) glad to help.

[@xXKyledkXx]

I was just trying this and it works perfectly with lining up my metal ruler with the cutting mat to get great pieces using a razor blade! Thanks, I was so frustrated trying to get the cuts right!

[@terrymyers699]

Great tute. Heres a quick FYI for your safety. I highly recommend investing in a chef's/meat cutters Cut Glove. They are gloves made from Kevlar that will not let a knife penetrate or slice thru to your hand. There are also chain male gloves that meat cutters use to keep all their fingers Intact. You can find them for like $5 or $6US on eBay. You get one good slip of the knife you can seriously gouge you can loose fingers. These gloves have helped save my hands for over 30 years of modeling.

[@theexchipmunk]

Yeah, thats a good recommendation. Its also why I stopped using cutters for the bigger stuff and got me a Proxxon. Had a few close calls that I will remember the rest of my live.

[@AVspectre]

When I first read this comment I thought you were saying you were saving your hands for a hand modelling career. :)

[@TimMcMahon80]

The taller your straight edge the more perfectly vertical your cut will be i.e. if you use a half-inch square rod as your straight edge you can keep the knife flush with the edge and be vertical.

[@ericmallory3050]

Olfa +1. I first came across an Olfa cutter while working for a sign company, and the yellow plastic had a whole bunch of red acrylic paint on it, made me remember to be careful to not cut any fingers off...lol Olfa blades are amazing, but first time users...safety tip, go real slow, these things are extremely sharp, and try not to work alone, because if you do cut yourself, you can do some serious damage if you are not paying attention... (Raises hand, shows scars) Why is it Olfa cutters always seem to be some of the ugliest, beat up, misused, tools? They pretty much last forever...looks like you're using one with a black handle almost, but I could see the yellow peek they in some spots... I think you almost have me convinced on the proxxon, but I doubt it will happen before xmas...rock on.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Yea a fresh olfa blade can cut right through your finger nail and you wont even feel it....I know from experience. I manage and see many different trades in my job and I've only ever seen olfa knives on site. They are the best. The one I have in the videos I spray painted black a while ago to designate it as the "black magic craft" one, ie it stays at the crafting table and doesn't end up in a pocket, tool pouch, or at work.....I've said elsewhere, I've never had an olfa knife break on me (no matter how many times dropped or used to open paint cans, lol), they only end their life with me when I loose them.

[@StrongholdCrafterKev]

Great stuff. I mainly use a hot wire tool for cutting large pieces of foam. Only foam core is cut with my hobby knife. I like that blade you demonstrated in the video as well as the method of cutting it.

[@dolfinmagikpro]

Any pointers on cutting curves with a blade? Like doorway arches, for example. Great video! Keep up the great work!

[@3create432]

"Let's cut to the chase" Lol.....I love it!

[@joshmercer8980]

I took 1d6 psychic damage from that xD

[@Runehammer1]

that cutter is amazers

[@josht9518]

We are still waiting for you guys to make a mini Guillotine to do the same job though... or behead some miniatures.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Its the absolute best crafting tool ever made. Hands down. No question.

[@Katniss218]

Hankerin'.... Hello there. ;)

[@theexchipmunk]

I the stuff hard to get in other countrys? In Germany you can by the foam in nearly every hardware-store. (except for room but thats given as it is a pretty shitty hardware-store)

[@BlueSparrow23]

I realize this is an old video and people are unlikely to see this, but it's worth a shot. Does anyone know of a left-handed version of that knife? As a leftie crafter, I'm always dismayed by seemingly simple tools that I either have to use with my non-dominant hand, or just go without. If anyone knows of a good place or site to buy quality left-handed tools, let me know. I've yet to find one that's more than novelty.

[@jirhonarmstrong4107]

Once again awesome video, I've been having alot of issues cutting the pink foam cuz all I have is a knife. But you have given me some great tips. Now I feel better on it. Thank you my friend

[@beavisemojihere]

Thanks for this. I WAS trying to cut foam with an xacto knife, which was tearing, and I wondered what I was doing wrong. Will try using a razor utility knife and see if that works better. Thanks again!

[@xaxzander4633]

do you have to peel off the plastic on the face with the lettering?

[@PannkakaMedSylt]

Keeping your blades sharp is the most important factor, BUT I suggest getting something like a sharpening stone, I have one next to me when ever I'm cutting things and do a light pass on the stone every 4-5 min while cutting something that dulls the blade fast like Styrofoam. that said I still use a hotwire cutter pridominatly when dealing with styrofoam.

[@chd64]

in Europe, one manufacture is called stryodur and make 3000cs to 5000cs, variety of depths, in uk the only manufacture is in birmingham

[@chd64]

company called FoamTech

[@matthewwilkins7463]

Don't be afraid to haunt house construction sites! I've gotten TONS of this pink foam for free!!

[@ColonelIzabelleThorn]

B&Q has different types of XPS foam in the UK, though can potentially be a little pricey depending on shop location.

[@XRPDegen]

Builders skips sometimes are a treasure trove ... 😉👍🏻

[@shiroidaruma5046]

Thanks for the list with good XPS suppliers! I've literally been searching for days, but to no avail. Recently came across your channel and there's a lot of great stuff on there, so I subbed straight away and pretty lucky that you covered this subject now.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Hopefully you can track some stuff down now

[@shiroidaruma5046]

Thanks! Yes, I'll be driving down to either Germany or Belgium today immediately, haha. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@bullswoodworks8398]

3:26 At this moment Proxxon should give you a promocode....I am buying one.

[@TheFlapper666]

Is there an easy way you can cut a thick plate into 2 or 3 thinner ones without using the thermo cutter ? I cant get the 1 or 2 cm ones here.

[@Penz0id]

I wish I could get one of these tables, but $200 on Amazon Canada is pretty steep for me. Maybe someday!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Yea, we get pretty screwed up here when it comes to amazon....for me the 200 is still totally worth it.

[@___Chris___]

I own a proxxon wirecutter, but it turned out being too slow for big parts (I was building big foamcore/fibreglass sandwich parts for the interior in my selfmade RV). I ultimately ended up using a jigsaw with a thin aluminum blade - works like a charm. As far as I've heard, a bandsaw with a thin blade does the job, too (and also with perfectly straight angles). I once was cutting with one of those larger knives like shown in your video and ended up in the ER to get some stiches: The knife got stuck for a microsecond and when it quickly got free again I ended up swinging it towards my other hand that was holding the part and cut a good cm deep, down to the bone. Oops.

[@dragonpjb]

Why does no one remember you can just snap the dull part of those blades off. It is why they have the score lines on the blade. They even have a snapping tool built into the handle!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Who’s forgetting? I’m not (I’ve used thousands of olfa blades as a contractor) it’s just then when cutting foam you are often dulling across a large section of blade. If you are lucky, or only cutting thin foam, you can snap in half once and still have a sharp portion.

[@jasonraper3864]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

so.....i guess this was a helpful video then :)

[@wildvortex4565]

I got so XPS foam from my local hardware store but the only stuff they had was 1 inch thick. How could I reduce the thickness without sutting it up into small peices? BTW I do not have a wire cutter.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Unfortunately it is very difficult, near impossible to make foam thinner without a good hotwire tool. Your better of trying to work around the thickness you have, and make projects that work at that size.

[@wildvortex4565]

Ok. I'll just make thick dungeon tiles. Thanks for the quick reply!

[@mikeet207]

I went cheap and bought a Styro Cutter for about $9.00 from Hobby Loppy. Does the same job as the foam cutter youre talking about. That being said i mostly just cut with my blade and yes good blades matter a lot.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Yea, handheld hot cutters are great for a lot of things, especially organic shapes. Personally I find them to be a pain to use for repetitive straight cuts without building a jig....and I'd rather save the time and use a table cutter.

[@mikeet207]

Yea it's basically useless for straight cuts.

[@manuelurdaneta8649]

To make 90 degree cuts, instead of a ruler, I use a 1 "x 1" aluminum angle.

[@Mikey__R]

Cheers! It's funny that, whilst it's easy with practice to cut a 2x4 square with a hand saw, even easier to cut thinner timber with a back saw, and cut a mortice plumb with a chisel, it does seem odd that a knife tends to angle like that in softer material. Do you think it might be because of body mechanics? We often cut timber whilst bearing over the board with our body, looking down on the cut, and chop with a mortice chisel whilst standing back to judge plumb. My woodworking bench is quite low, my sawhorse is even lower. Do you think crafting whilst hunched at a desk might be to blame for off square cuts?

[@seanooley7377]

For your standard dungeon tiles, do you use 1/4", 1/2", or 3/4" XPS? I also found that my contractor's table saw cut through the 1/2" foam with no problem and it came out very smooth.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

1/2" for all my tiles!

[@seanooley7377]

Thanks, that's what my local Lowe's has for $9.94 for a 4' x 8' sheet. The 1/4" stuff is much more expensive because you buy almost a wall of it and they won't sell it in smaller amounts. However, the 1/4" stuff probably has its uses in craft.

[@rubenvor]

Let's cut the crap! Thanks for sharing such useful information! Exactly what I was linking for. Working on a boat project.

[@workingTchr]

For a perpendicular cut using the razor knife, I'd try taking the blade out of the knife and clamping it to a known right angle object (say, a piece of wood) and using that along with a straight edge.

[@AxelAllieu]

I forgot to like this one, sorry! Error corrected. Sometimes, going back to basics helps a lot. Thank you!

[@areshseptango9619]

couldn't you place a block of something on top of the square to guide a straight cut through the foam with a knife?

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

you could. A jig of some sort would help....it's just...a lot of effort and if you are doing a bunch of cuts a foam cutter is worth the investment. For me my time is valuable.

[@reneestanko6707]

This is so great! I'm taking an architecture class and getting ready to model a rammed earth structure. Amazing tips. Thank you!

[@gurfuzle]

What is the best way to make cuts on a large sheet? If I have a 2" x 4' x 8' sheet, what is my best method for cutting it down to more usable sizes? (I've been using a circular saw and guide, not sure it's the best though)

[@solarsynapse]

Don't breathe the dust a circular saw makes! There is a foam cutting blade for jigsaws and oscillating saws that you may like.

[@cheywoollum3681]

What do you do with all the models and terrains you make?

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Use them.

[@jesternario]

I've seen a lot of those ratcheted blade have grooves. Are they break away?

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Yea

[@jesternario]

cool.

[@kickford]

Outside of a hot wire, I can tell you the absolute easiest way to cut foam board, is with a small, quality fillet knife. It's way better than any other knife you'll ever use, hands down.

[@ryancarter6876]

I've been using a crappy exacto knife and getting rough edges, but honestly, I have been making it work quite well IMO. It creates a rocky effect around the edge of the dungeon tiles, wouldn't be good for more detailed things, but for the ground beneath a layer of stone in a dungeon, it works. Also, I used 1 inch instead of 1/2 inch material for those tiles, and it was my first try.

[@TheGalacticWest]

he said never use an exacto blade and started to feel some real guilt.

[@charliehodges3940]

Would I be able to cut a piece of foam to 12" x 12" using the fence?

[@rexmundi8154]

A bandsaw makes quick work of thick foam and the mess is containable if you use a saw with a dust collector. The hot knife can make a closed shop’s air quality pretty dismal.

[@LUC1DBOX]

Love all of your videos dude, I've been watching you almost daily for about 3 weeks now and have found all of your content suuuper inspiring keep it up! In regards to purchasing and acquiring XPS I was wondering if there were any alternatives that won't just crumble and make a mess like styrofoam? I am struggling to find where to get XPS foam here in New Zealand. I have seen that it's available at bunnings in Australia, but there is limited stock of this here in NZ, I've tried using styrofoam but all I end up doing is making a mess and crumbling tiny foam balls everywhere. Any NZ crafters whom know where to get good quality foam? Specifically in Hamilton.

[@LUC1DBOX]

(Have watched your video on finding XPS foam and what it is, just struggling in NZ)

[@LUC1DBOX]

Knauf Supplies, has also named their stuff Climafoam. Think I may have answered my own Question, will update this for other NZ crafters once I get myself some ;)

[@Spenxaz]

Sorry for noob question but Ive see many people add foam terrain to wood base and the wood base are easy to cutting or shape with knives. May I know what the wood base is?

[@De_rare]

Hi, I've been watching a whole bunch of your videos, including the whole beginner 'track'. Love it! And I started working on my own tiles to practice. I also made a water well as the first centerpiece during my previous D&D session. The players loved it, although it was a very simple piece. Now, why do I reply to this specific 2 your old video? Because I'm stuck on making a specific cut: a 6x6 tile piece... For my 3x3, I was able to use my proxxon to halve my 2cm foam I could find here in Belgium down to 1cm tiles. But how in the world am I supposed to make the thinning cut on a 6" block? It doesn't fit the cutter. Let alone the 12x12 piece you sometimes mention. How do you do it? Or do you keep the original block thickness? I appreciate all the work you've done recording all of this inspirational footage over the years!!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Tiles of that size must be made out of foam that is the thickness you want. I make mine out of 1/2" foam. If you can not get appropriate thickness foam, make a bunch of 3x3 tiles and simply glue them together to create larger tiles. You can glue a thin bit of cardstock paper to the underside if you don't trust just the side gluing.

[@De_rare]

@@BlackMagicCraftOfficial Wow, I did not expect such a quick answer! Makes sense to give gluing a bunch of them together, will do! Thanks!

[@CGRTist]

I notice that insulation foam is quite soft and can be damaged just by scratching with a fingernail. Even pressing on the foam can leave dents. After priming and painting, is this still the case? I plan on using the foam as wall panels, (like that of the interior of a ship from a popular Sci-Fi).

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Don’t decorate large areas of walls with foam. It’s a fire hazard and most likely illegal according to your local building code. Foam can not be used as a finished wall covering, it must be covered by non combustible material. If your walls are covered in large quantities of polystyrene and you have a fire you will end up with a room full of napalm. Don’t do it.

[@alan262]

I'm considering putting a piece of pink XPS in my interior window in order to reduce the noise associated with my AC unit. Do you know if weather stripping (MD with adhesive) will stick to the sides of the cut XPS? Of course, I'll need the weatherstripping so that the XPS will fit snugly into the window cavity. Thank you. Alan

[@Stuff-i-Like]

WHAT GUAGE WIRE DO I NEED TO SLICE THIS STUFF, XPS 35 kg/m3, INTO 3 & 5 MM SHEETS, FROM 1200 X 600 MM X 30 MM SHEETS!? ALSO, HOW MUCH POWER DO I REQUIRE FOR A 12/24 V, 1, 2, & 5 AMP PSU I AM ABOUT TO BUILD. Thank You.

[@grinpick]

Good informative video. One thing you could do better, at least for me, is spell out the brand names of the tools/equipment that you recommend. For example, it sounded to me like you were saying "Holfa" for the brand of the utility knife. Turns out it's "Olfa." Might be that my hearing is deficient, but spelling the word out would help. Thanks for telling me stuff I've been wanting to know.

[@thingsilikeful]

just commenting on the most recent video so it can be seen. painting tile pieces ( like your dungeon tile) for outdoor like grass or sandy, is it the same process?

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

sure, whatever you want....i don't do tiles for outside, or a grid. I just have one big 2'x2' grass square

[@greatclams6425]

You can tell he's a real contractor because he tells you how many years he's been a contractor. Never worked with a contractor that didn't tell me how many years they've been a contractor. Any argument among contractors will eventually lead to someone yelling how many years they've been doing contract work. "Don't talk to me about VAT removal. I've been in abatement 26 fucking years and I've removed more fucking vinyl tile...etc"

[@FoEDekker]

Just messing around, I tried this foam in some of my woodworking tools. My table saw cuts this to a factory finish with no tearing, so I decided to step up a notch. Believe it or not, you can feed this stuff through a thickness planer with zero issues. The only things I find don't work well are spinning bits. Drill presses and routers tear it apart.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

I’ve also run it through a table saw. Gives a nice cut but the foam dust is a nightmare.

[@davidgates1122]

I regularly use the table saw with a carbide blade and a good dust collection system.

[@playwow2670]

I went to go get some XPS today at home depot but they only had 2 inch thick 8 ft by 4 ft sheets and they don't cut it there, has anyone bought this from them specificly before for hobby before? I'm completely unsure how I would even get the thing to the register let alone home and its really stopped my projects dead in their tracks. Any advice?

[@heidim6468]

I see your cutting xps foam but that is easy with thin foam. Could you tell me what tool is best to cut 2in xps purple foam that is 2foot by 4foot. I need to cut into the foam 14 inches and across.P.S. I do have a proxon but this is deep cut proxon won’t work.

[@emveedee]

You hit the nail right on the head. I made my first batch of dungeon tiles using a box cutter and although it did work, it was a lot of work, and getting the tiles nicely square was just a pain in the ass. Making a whole bunch of squares at the same time (4 x 4) did help speed it up a bit though. I did have lots of jagged edges since my knife wasn't very good, but you couldn't really see it in the end because you roughen up the tile anyways. When I got a hot wire tool it was suddenly so much easier. The end result does indeed not look very different, but it saved me so much time. Making squares you only need to set the distance right once, then you can just first cut long strokes of foam, give them a quarter turn and cut again. Cutting thin strips is really difficult to get done nicely imo, but with a hot wire table it is a piece of cake. Great advice, I fully endorse this :)

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

One you go proxxon you never go back!

[@emveedee]

I built mine myself as a hobby project but it's very similar to the one you have. Definitely don't want to go back!

[@necronsplayer]

I misread the title. I thought it said "how to get the goods" and I was a tad concerned, especially after seeing the thumbnail :U

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

haha, lol

[@rstollenwerk]

hardware store nearby only has the pink foam in 1x24x24, and without a hot wire I'm learning 1 inch is way too thick, and the hobby knife isn't long enough to slice it in half. any ideas?

[@692ALBANNACH]

I have a proxxon but can't use in in my room at the moment will set off the alarms.I do use knives but they can dull up and I go through a far number of blades ! Until I get a place to use my machine will use a variety of sharp knives!

[@peterbuckley3877]

It looks to be a nice table but at $300 AUD it’s a bit on the pricey side, the other problem is that XPS foam is impossible to by in Sydney unless you buy in bulk and at a super premium price.

[@soreg666alex]

What if the thinnest XPS I can find is 20 mm? It's too thick to build nice dungeon floors. I'm not sure how to cut large panels in half by thickness.

[@justinhamrick384]

How do you recommend working with the XPS if you get a 4x8' sheet from a store? What is the best method to cut these? Do you recommend cutting them into a certain size so you can work with them on the hot wire table?

[@hawkeyesplace7442]

Do you need to remove the paper from the foam? I’m am brand new to this. Bought my first xps and want to learn. I like your manner., and methods.

[@WarpKL]

Any good ways to cut 1 inch board in half? All my store has is 1 inch board. My proxxon is 5 inches tall, But i need a solid piece that is 10 inche s wide.

[@bulldogstrut1]

I just bought 3 pieces of 4' x 8' x 1" from Home Depot for $26.97 USD yesterday.

[@arvetis]

My problem is that 8' by 4' sheets won't fit in my car, and Home Depot won't cut them in-store because the dust is too static.

[@felmarg8840]

Is that one xps 500-L? If yes can some one tell me from where i can buy it in Europe in 30mm or 2mm or 1inc?

[@TattooBull]

I recently bought a aluminum fishing boat and I have been seeing videos of people using this to help make flooring to stand up easier in the boat .. my question is .. if you took a two-by-four and put it under each outer edge and stood on the middle so that the foamular board bent about 2" like the letter U , how much pressure would it take before the board snapped .. how much can it Bend before breaking more or less .. the reason I am asking is because the bottom of the boat has a little bit of a V shape and isn't perfectly flat .. I'm sure I can use something to fill in the center to make it where the board wouldn't bend much but I think it would still have a little Bend to it .. also how well can you sand the edges to round them off

[@goldiesincity8005]

I was wondering how to cut a design out of this foam , not a straight line , i carved out a design out of this foam using a exacto blade and your right it dulled it and the exacto blade wasn't 2 inches long anyway to finish , so i had to use a really sharp thin kitchen knife to cut the rest i took my time and it came out pretty good a little rough around the edges , i didn't think i could sand this foam with out destroying it , but you can actually sand it , i sanded out all the rough edges and any other imperfections , and it looked perfect . But it was a lot of work and i was thinking if i had a rotary type tool or something to make the cutting easier and more precise would be better for a future project , i now have a Dremel but not sure if it would work you really have to have a steady hand but the Dremel works for carving design into the project , haven't tried it yet , that's what brought me here to your video .

[@royalwapiti]

I just need 14.5" strips to go in between wall studs? What's best? I'm no artist or need little pieces.

[@giotabiol1895]

XPS Foam: For Greece, you can find it as "θερμομονωτικό φελιζόλ", "Εξηλασμένη Πολυστερίνη", "Styropan XPS", "φελιζόλ styropan" etc. Its available at almost relatively big craft stores (I get it in a local one), including Practicer, Leroy Merlin etc. If researching for prices, pages like skroutz. gr can compare prices from physical shops & e-shops all over the country.

[@foxtrotmusic4179]

Xps is available in the netherlands at a hardware store called: GAMMA

[@jonathanp1621]

Bedankt!

[@ozzyosmond1]

Great videos - I bought the Proxxon on your rec for cutting XPS and it's great but I'm wondering if you have tips for cutting a curve (like a large arch). I have some ideas, but I'm wondering if theres a way to use a template that doesn't get cut with the foam or another method. Does making a shallow blade cut first help? (I know I should be experimenting but I thought I'd ask a pro) Freehand is way too impossible for me.

[@dorrisgonnawreckyou7111]

i can find xos foam no problem but its super expensive! a 20cm square is like 10 pounds in the UK.. is there any cheaper foams available?

[@dhh7501]

A good sharp bread knife, with a curvy serated blade works wonders. Especially if it has a "flat" side to the left side of the blade.. like this : left side -> |/

[@CloydRoyal]

Yep, came here AFTER trying to cut my foam with an exactoknife....

[@tomusannonymous]

Im having trouble with xps foam available in australia (knauf brand from bunnings) its yellow. I cant find pink or blue, from videos it seems like those are much better than what ive got and easier to cut. Mine is harder and more brittle, often splitting rather than cutting when using a knife. If i draw brick detail into it with a pen it causes lots of little splits along the line, even with an exacto knife ive got to be careful to try and cut without tearing. Anyone had similar problems? Has the foam gone bad?

[@jordanpark5533]

Hey man, love the videos and I love the work you create. It's opened up a whole new experience for me and a very nerd hobby. I do not have the space for a hotwire table though, as much as I would like one. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind eventually making a few videos based purely when using a knife. A hot wire table is clearly the more efficient and precise way but it'd be good to watch and learn from purely knife based techniques. Either way, inspirational shit man

[@tommyagami8155]

Are you not wearing a mask ? Ive read that the foam releases toxic gas when cut with hot wire.

[@cheeseymann]

I'd say a knife is fine for the average joe just trying to make things here and there. The proxon is definitely more consistent and a lot quicker, so if your planning to make a lot of tiles or just a ton of the same things, youd probly benefit from a hotwire table.

[@malcolmfitzgerald6801]

I'm a bit clumsy should I bother with burn resistant gloves for a hot wire cutter? Also if you accidentally cut slightly at an angle could you just cut a little thicker than the final idea and just sand one side down?

[@King-ci8sk]

holy hell my man. ive been practicing and racking my brain about why my frickin cuts are just never perfectly straight for a couple days now. glad to know it isnt exactly all me

[@benamisai-kham5892]

I had no idea hot wire tables existed! I know what i wanna get myself for christmas now! I was making shabby cuts with a saw blade and xacto knife and smoothing them with a mini belt sander, terrifyingly 😂

[@fuzzywigschickenemporium]

Guess I know what I need to ask for for Christmas...lol

[@gerrygardiner5179]

It seems when you kept getting a slight angle when cutting with a blade the angle is always the same slant. Instead of trying to make a perfectly square cut you might try purposely slant your knife inward a bit. See if the bias evens things out.

[@manp1039]

It just occured to me to use a piec of 2/4 ontop of the metal straight edge as a guide to keep the angle of the cut uniform along each pass. the metal straight edge would still keep the blad on target. and the 2x4 would be where the blade handle would ride along?