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grandmom
Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 08, 2006
Posts: 561
Location: Frankfort, KY
Birthday: Jan 14
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 Posted:
Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:08 pm |
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Well, most of us would rather eat sand than cut foamboard. I, like many others, had a very hard time getting a 90 degree edge when cutting circles.
Earlier I bought an X-Acto product touted for making up to 9/16" 90 or 45 degree cuts through foamboard. Pffff. It did not make cuts that deep, not even 1/2' deep. However, with practice, it did make 90 degree cuts, nice and straight, just not through 1/2" board.
The knife has double blades; we only need one, so I removed the left one so I could see my mark as I cut right-handed. I also switched the screw that holds the blade to the right side for a better view. One must concentrate on keeping the blade buried and the "foot" of the knife pressed firmly against the board as the cut is made. The foot is what keeps the blade at 90 degrees.
All that is fine and good, but it still didn't cut through the 1/2" board. I tried using a #2 X-Acto knife and a couple of other blades to finish the job, but always butchered the straight cut the first blade started.
Today I used a hot knife to finish the cut the special X-Acto blade started, just taking my time and going very slowly, allowing the heat to finish the cut. I turned the board over and made sure the paper was cut through, then popped the circle out. The end result was a nearly perfect 90 degree edge! And no scraggly pieces sticking out either! See the blurry close-up photo below.
http://www.dickblick.com/produ.....escription |
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Cakepro
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jul 09, 2005
Posts: 3630
Location: Houston
Birthday: Dec 10
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Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:06 pm |
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Welcome to the wonderful world of the hot knife! Had I not discovered that amazing tool a couple of years ago, I would never use foamcore. LOL
Just be very careful with it ~ I have melted several things unintentionally.
Happy cutting!  |
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bcake1960
Frequent Member
Joined: Mar 16, 2007
Posts: 299
Location: Northern California
Birthday: May 08
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Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:21 pm |
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Wow thats great.. where do you purchase something like that.. I have been using a band saw (only used for cake boards.) works great just have to trim a bit of paper edges off not bad though and my BIL is making me a jig for circles.. that will be really nice.. but always striving for that nice clean edge.. Thanks for sharing |
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cylstrial
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Aug 12, 2008
Posts: 5339
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Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:27 pm |
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Awesome! Thanks for sharing! I hate cutting foam board for that very reason. |
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MaryAllison
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 30, 2007
Posts: 50
Location: Spring, Texas
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Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:35 pm |
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Congratulations! Thank you so much for sharing you technique! |
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tiggy2
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Oct 07, 2005
Posts: 3828
Location: Omaha, NE
Birthday: Aug 13
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Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:48 pm |
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bcake1960
Frequent Member
Joined: Mar 16, 2007
Posts: 299
Location: Northern California
Birthday: May 08
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Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:56 pm |
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Price
Forum Fanatic
Joined: Sep 04, 2005
Posts: 1252
Location: Maryland
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Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:08 pm |
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I use a hot knife too. I got mine at Michael's. If I remember right, it's in the section near the woodburning kits. |
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splash2splat
Regular Member
Joined: May 30, 2006
Posts: 196
Birthday: Jun 08
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Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:29 pm |
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I like - thanks for sharing |
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tiggy2
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Oct 07, 2005
Posts: 3828
Location: Omaha, NE
Birthday: Aug 13
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Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:42 pm |
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| bcake1960 wrote: | | Thanks Tiggy2 !! |
You're welcome! |
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tatorchip
Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 15, 2009
Posts: 962
Location: Louisiana
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Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:48 pm |
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My hubby cuts all of mine lol |
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grandmom
Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 08, 2006
Posts: 561
Location: Frankfort, KY
Birthday: Jan 14
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Wed Nov 04, 2009 2:30 am |
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bcake1960, both a hotknife and the special X-Acto knife can be bought at www.dickblick.com. There is a link to the X-Acto in the first post.
One can use the hotknife by itself, but I'm unable to get a 90 degree edge freehanded. Starting with the X-Acto really helped me with that. |
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PinkLisa
Frequent Member
Joined: Mar 31, 2009
Posts: 248
Location: New Jersey
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Wed Nov 04, 2009 3:53 am |
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I bought a hot knife a few months ago but couldn't get it to cut through the paper of the foamboard. It just sort of burned it. How do you handle that? |
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grandmom
Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 08, 2006
Posts: 561
Location: Frankfort, KY
Birthday: Jan 14
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Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:37 am |
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Did it fail to cut the top layer of paper, or the bottom?
I cut the top with the X-Acto, and the hot knife cut almost all the way through the bottom layer. I just had to work loose a few tiny spots it missed.
Maybe the blade on your hot knife isn't large enough to cut through? The blade in mine is about the size of an X-Acto #2.
Or if it's not cutting through the top, then, maybe the hotknife doesn't get hot enough, or isn't sharp enough, or defective in some way? Even with a hot knife, I still have to push the blade through the paper to get started, but it's really very easy to get it through.
I'm baffled! |
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PinkLisa
Frequent Member
Joined: Mar 31, 2009
Posts: 248
Location: New Jersey
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Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:40 am |
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I haven't looked at it for a few months, but it wasn't really a blade. It was a hot wire sort of thing. I got it at Michaels. It worked great with the foam but not the paper. Maybe I need to get the knife kind. Thanks for you help. |
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