how to cut foam core, plexi glass, and chip board?

Question

I need something that can cut foam core, thin plexiglass, and chipboard....

I was looking at a matt cutter....

i want to be sure that i can cut a 4' x 8' piece of foam core in half while being perfectly square....

I'll be doing very little plexi glasscutting...


any suggestions???

Answer 1

A Mat cutter will cut foamcore as long as you can adjust the blade to 1/4" cut, as foamcore is 3/16". It will also cut chip board though you may have to make a few passes, and it eats up blades quickly. You can use a utility knife with a metal ruler, but the mat cutter saves so much time and the cuts are always square. One that will handle a 48" cut is going to be a hefty investment though. You might consider just getting foamcore in 32 X 40" or other size cartons.

I believe plexiglas requires a special cutter or saw that would be separate from the mat cutter. Anyway, we've decided it's cheaper to have it pre-cut by the local glass guy (they cut glass for windows etc) than to order it in all one size, cut it yourself and deal with the mess & the waste.

Answer 2

electric jigsaws work, but very messy with all the white stuff flying around (not good for your lungs!) for foamcore...

same tool for plexi, but again, wear a mask and goggles (the little shards fly!) also, you need to cut it very slowly, taking frequent breaks, as the jigsaw will heat up and start to melt the plexi.

chipboard cuts fine with the jigsaw. use the same protection.

if you've never used a jigsaw, (it's not hard, but if this is really important, you may not want to learn on this project) take the whole shebang to home depot, or a lumberyard, and have them cut it for you. cheap, and less hassle!

good luck!

good luck to you!

Answer 3

in terms of foam core, use one of those cheap xacto blades with snap off blades. the key is to keep the blade sharp and that should make a precise cut. not sure about the plexi.

Answer 4

I think you're going to need different tools to cut all of these materials. I know I work with foamcore and chipboard, and I use an x-acto knife for the foamcore and a small handsaw for the chipboard.

Answer 5

A dremel tool will take care of it.

Tho, if I were to do a lot of it I'd buy a small band saw.

And look up "sawsawl" or "saws awl" -- it's a very cool cutter that you pull and the blade swivels.

Answer 6

Use a router with a straight template and a downward cut spiral bit.

Answer 7

Use a skillsaw just turn the blade around backwards.