How do I cut foam?

[BWBlackett]

I managed to get a box and some foam to keep my eyepieces safe.

Any tips/ideas on how to make round hole in the foam for the eyepieces?

Thanks,

Brian.

[Macavity]

(Untried!) suggestion: Saturate with water. Place in FREEZER.

Use low speed drill bits / hole cutters? Do let me/us know...

[BWBlackett]

Excellent idea!

I've a couple of spare bits - so will try it.

[Akyra]

Cut a cross shape in the foam so that when you push the eyepiece down in the center, it will hold the EP firmly

[proflight2000]

put the eyepiece on the foam, mark around it, then use a really good surgeons blade to cut the hole. Dont know about soaking the foam but that may be a prime disaster for fungal attraction afterwards.

[GordonCopestake]

I used a stanley knife with a fresh/SHARP blade. Have a vacuum cleaner at hand cause this method makes a lot of bits. Dont have your eyepieces anywhere near by and make sure you clean the foam after.

The freeze method seems the easiest/cleanest but I dont know about fungi after

[regulus]

A hot wire cutter cuts foam well

[The Warthog]

I use a sharp utility knife, and do it outside. The hole only has to be approximately round.

[George]

Get your most expensive eyepiece, put in oven till glowing red then carefully using molegrips (be careful not to damaged the EP) push gentley in foam to required depth

[themos]

round? I cut mine in rectangles and laid the e/ps on their beds. I cut the foam with my Swiss Army scalpel knife.

[BWBlackett]

Get your most expensive eyepiece, put in oven till glowing red then carefully using molegrips (be careful not to damaged the EP) push gentley in foam to required depth

Thanks Upgrader - that worked really well, unfortunately my eyepiece doesn't work anymore, it melted a bit around the rubber eyeguard and wont fit in my focuser anymore. Anymore useful ideas on where I go from here?

[BWBlackett]

Found this :-

http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=362

[daz]

I used pick-pluck foam from ebay. Worked very well.

[barkis]

Compress it between two pieces of plywood using nuts and bolts at each corner, then cut with a fine toothed hole saw.

Experiment with a smaller piece first.

Ron.

[jcm]

My case came with the foam partly pre-cut. All you had to do was pull the foam squares to make the shape you wanted. Is it not possible to buy this pre-cut foam ????

PS If you already have the foam - compress it down , use a very sharp (new) stanley type knife , take small cuts , use paper outlines of all your stuff to get the best arrangement , cut round them.

I put mine flat - a Baader Hyperion is quite tall - no need for round holes.

John