I had a foam mattress that I’ve just replaced. After opening it up (like any good hacker does) I found that the memory foam was only the top few inches. I’ve disposed of that (was pretty gross) but I’ve carved up the bottom layer into quarters.
I’d like to make a few things, such as a dog bed for my dog, and possibly a couple pillows. I’m looking for a good way to cut the foam, and I’d happily share a few square feet with anyone willing to show me how (not sure if it is suitable for the bandsaw, or if there is some sort of wire cutter).
I know there were puppet workshops awhile back, so I imagine there is some expertise out there.
Or you can get cutting blades for a skillsaw. Have to have a blade that’s much longer then the foam so that it was ways stays in contact with 100% of the depth of the foam
I have seen where someone compressed the foam to make it easier to cut through. So boards on top on either side of the cut and clamps to compress and hold the boards down while cutting.
DON’T use the band saw. Very high risk the foam will get caught and wreck the blade, the foam or you.
Yeah, no on the bandsaw. The problem isn’t so much catching as it is the foam KILLS the temper on the blade (foam insulates heat, the blade gets really warm), and as a bonus it also causes the weld to fail, usually spectacularly shooting the blade sideways from the machine. Worked at a shop, this happened about once a week.
Best way? Olfa knife, get the H series black blades. XH-1 handle is the best. Cut with the blade fully extended and angled at 45 degrees or more so it cuts with a sliding action. Foam will still dull these, start with a brand new sharp one so you get a feel for what it should cut like and have spares. Use caution with putting side load on the blade as it may cause it to snap (they make non snapable versions of these blades specifically for foam workers and the like but they are hard to source).
Alternative is a hot wire cutter which is faster and you can google how to build, but it depends on your tolerance to fumes like cyanide and the like. I like knives more.
Re: bandsaw, I’ve never worked on one (obviously would have gotten trained on one prior to use, but clearly not the right tool for this job), so it was just thrown out there, good to know what sort of horrible ways it could fail.
Good to know on off-gassing on wire; I’ll stay away from that. @dbynoe is an Olfa just a utility knife, or is it specifically different.
@Daniel_DeGagne good idea on the compress; I’ll certainly try this to see if it helps!
@TomKeddie if all else fails, I’ll swing down to the local thrift store and buy a cheap breadknife; rather not pain my cooking knife, but excellent idea.
Olfa is a high end brand name for those common snappable blades. The handles are a lot more expensive then the dollar store knock offs. For a good reason. Though the black blades are much sharper and keep there edge better so usually worth it. Just hard to find in the small 5mm sizes.
Home Depot is the place for those blades in a great variety including that long straight blade that doesn’t have the score lines for snapping.