Topic

How to score thin foam


Forum Posting

A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!

Home Forums Gear Forums Make Your Own Gear How to score thin foam

  • This topic is empty.
Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #1323360
    Christopher *
    Spectator

    @cfrey-0

    Locale: US East Coast

    I am trying to score 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch closed cell foam for the purpose of folding. For my application I need a clean score line for folding (rolling or just folding on itself will not work for what I need).

    I have watched Steve Evans videos on using a wood-burner/heat -etcher with an attached tip to score foam without punching through to the other side, but the foam I am working with is much thinner than what he uses in his tutorials … so I basically just keep cutting it into pieces.

    Any advice on a repeatable method to make clean score lines with a consistent depth on thin CC foam sheets?

    Thanks!

    #2154088
    peter vacco
    Member

    @fluffinreach-com

    Locale: no. california

    so : if perhaps you made a little sliding foot device that holds the soldering iron to a set depth, then it could only cut xyz deep.

    or : you could push a single edge razor blade thru a stiff piece of postboard, epoxy it in place, and it would do the same thing.

    either way, you going to probably want to build yourself a guide/tool/jig sort of a device that keeps the tool from going too deep.

    or : if you have a table saw, you would set it to cut only xyz deep, and run the foam across the top of it.

    or : maybe you could heat a metal straight edge (like a framing square) hella hot, set some blocks up to limit the depth, and it could melt you a very sweet indentation line.

    consult the nearest model builder at work for any questions such as this. model builders can invent ways to make almost anything. you'll need cookies. they love cookies.

    cheers,
    v.

    #2154101
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Two metal rulers put together with an open slit between them, and a box cutter with the blade retracted some?

    #2154107
    Nick Smolinske
    BPL Member

    @smo

    Locale: Rogue Panda Designs

    I know you said folding on itself won't work. But have you tried folding it on itself and then leaving a heavy weight on top of it for a day or two? I did that with 3/8" foam a year back to make a torso pad fold nicely and it's worked very well and held up great.

    #2154122
    Franco Darioli
    Spectator

    @franco

    Locale: Gauche, CU.

    You may want to try something like this :
    Scoring foam
    I heated two pole sections (no cord inside…) and then placed them over the mat putting some pressure there with a brick.
    The scoring is about 2-3 mm deep but you can get more or less .
    It was done very quickly so it is uneven bit you should get the idea.

    #2154144
    Christopher *
    Spectator

    @cfrey-0

    Locale: US East Coast

    Sweet.

    Thanks for all the ideas. My brain was stalled but the "idea-juices" are flowing again.

    #2154167
    Bill Townsend
    BPL Member

    @olmanwilly

    Locale: Midwest

    Man, ask and ye shall receive.

    I was thinking about that the other day for a backpack backpad- I think I'd try a cheap aluminum yardstick- chop an inch off each side for a "stop" then heat an edge and set it down.

    That said-
    I occasionally sew foam- that in and of itself does a decent job of giving you a break, if not a full fold. I have done it with 3/8" foam on the center of a hipbelt to get a bit of curve in it.

    #2154174
    BlackHatGuy
    Spectator

    @sleeping

    Locale: The Cascades

    I think you should just get a gun and shoot it at the foam.

    He shoots! He scores!

    (yeah, sad. well it's late so leave me alone).

    #2154182
    Franco Darioli
    Spectator

    @franco

    Locale: Gauche, CU.

    If you cat/saw a thin line into it ,when you then fold it (concertina style) the cut will become deeper and eventually completely separate.

    #2154187
    Nick Smolinske
    BPL Member

    @smo

    Locale: Rogue Panda Designs

    Bill,

    For a backpack backpad I'd really recommend just folding it carefully the way you want it, then leaving a heavy weight on top of it for a day or two. I left a crate full of climbing gear (probably 40-50 pounds worth) on top of mine and it worked great and didn't leave any weaknesses in the pad.

    #2154198
    Christopher *
    Spectator

    @cfrey-0

    Locale: US East Coast

    "If you cut/saw a thin line into it ,when you then fold it (concertina style) the cut will become deeper and eventually completely separate."

    I kinda figured that this would be the result of cutting, but I am assuming a heat scored/melted fold will act more like a living hinge and be resilient to repeated bending back and forth.

    Something I failed to note with regards to the "fold and weight" technique for my particular needs is that my score lines will be intermittent and not a continuous line across the material. I'm working on a crazy idea. If it works, I'll post. If it doesn't, this never happened. I have a lot of "never happened" in my work shed.

    #2154202
    Christopher *
    Spectator

    @cfrey-0

    Locale: US East Coast

    "I think you should just get a gun and shoot it at the foam."

    I was actually expecting at least one person to suggest a pick-up line. LOL!

    Is it wrong I go into every thread expecting chaff-drift!

    #2155006
    Daryl and Daryl
    BPL Member

    @lyrad1

    Locale: Pacific Northwest, USA, Earth

    Would something like this work?

    here

    Hmmmm, if I help you score does this make me a pimp? A foam pimp?

    Has kind of a magical Christmas sound to it. "Cue the foam pimp to dance in from stage left…….wearing the traditional red and green holiday colors used by the ever popular channel markers in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

    #2155042
    Christopher *
    Spectator

    @cfrey-0

    Locale: US East Coast

    Thanks Daryl.

    I was just assuming a rotary tool would result in tear-out. I have all the required pieces, so I'll have to give this a try!!!

    … and I think you have the "foam-pimp" title all shored up. You are afterall the only one with a white shiny foam coat.

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Forum Posting

A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!

Get the Newsletter

Get our free Handbook and Receive our weekly newsletter to see what's new at Backpacking Light!

Gear Research & Discovery Tools


Loading...