Monday, May 18, 2009

cutting foam core board

Hi, Everyone. I've just made my first attempt at cutting foam core board and made something of a mess. I used a utility knife and it's possible the blade wasn't as sharp as it should be. Any of you have any suggestions for getting a good, clean cut? I'll be using this for mounting my small tapestry piece, so it may not be important to get a clean cut, since I'll be covering the board with batting and background cloth. I'll appreciate any and all ideas about this.

4 comments:

  1. Hey Janice. I have often used a utility knife with cutting foam board and it does require a sharp blade. My husband is the best at it - he puts the board on a cutting surface and then brings out a T square to use as a straight edge. He then runs the utility knife along the T-square and it's a great cut. The key is to do it in multiple passes - i.e. cut the top cardstock, but the foam, cut the bottom cardstock.

    Most people don't have a T-square - it's typically used by designers and engineers. Here's a picture:
    http://www.staples.com/office/supplies/p1_Staedtler-Fairgate-trade-12-Aluminum-T-Square_134437_Business_Supplies_10051_SEARCH
    The main purpose is to have a straight edge to push against. The top "T" is good to help keep the straight edge from sliding, but it's not necessary.

    Hope this helps!

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  2. Thanks, Jennifer. I think I'll try replacing the blade in my utility knife. I was able to get a good square by using my square quilting ruler, but I tried to cut all the way through all 3 layers in one pass, and that also probably threw me off. Maybe the cloth will hide the raggedness of the cut.

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  3. Hi Janice,
    Jennifer is so right! Thanks for the tips, Jennifer.

    Good blade and several passes through the layers. For your mounting board, the fabric coverings will work to hide the raggedness.

    Tommye

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