How do you cut the foam in a flight case?

[StuartT]

I just bought a nice aluminium flight case for all my bits and pieces (eyepieces, right angles, etc) but I can't decide the best method of cutting neat holes in the foam block it came with. A Stanley knife is just going to make a mess!

I've heard that some people sharpen the end of a piece of copper pipe and 'drill' into it with that. Any other suggestions?

[paul mc c]

A surgical knife....can get them easy enough,with blades,nice and accurate.https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=surgical+scalpel&hvadid=80745417101873&hvbmt=be&hvdev=t&hvqmt=e&tag=mh0a9-21&ref=pd_sl_4k5r4zcsh6_e

Edited March 16, 2021 by paul mc c

[Alien 13]

If you want a nice neat hole then use one of those multi purpose hole cutters but run the drill in reverse...

Alan

[tonylumley]

29 minutes ago, StuartT said:

I just bought a nice aluminium flight case for all my bits and pieces (eyepieces, right angles, etc) but I can't decide the best method of cutting neat holes in the foam block it came with. A Stanley knife is just going to make a mess!

I've heard that some people sharpen the end of a piece of copper pipe and 'drill' into it with that. Any other suggestions?

we used to heat up a piece of copper pipe to melt through the water tanks to fit the float valve and tank connectors, so might work for the eye pieces, if you can get the right size copper tube, but would suggest trying on a piece of spare piece of foam first, just don't get the pipe too hot either

Edited March 16, 2021 by tonylumley

[Louis D]

You could try using an electric hot knife.  I'm sure there's a UK retailer of these things.

[Robindonne]

I made a drawing of the scope and accessories and ordered all the puzzle parts from some online “custom foam shop”.  Results were better than my own cutting I guess.   Im not sure about the costs in the UK but i spend around €6,- for the inlay for a box 1000x300x400 mm. There is just no way to make a nice and smooth cutted inlay where stuff is nested perfectly. When chosen a semi black foam, its nice to be able to combine it with that pluck foam if needed.    

All the cut-it-yourself efforts ive seen are really...%{>}*$]😬

Save the massive block you have and order some parts to fill it nicely.  
 

For eyepieces i would suggest to use a piece of pvc pipe with a sharpened or toothed end.

Edited March 17, 2021 by Robindonne

[Andy0306]

Just buy some pick & pluck foam, much easier.

 

This is one seller on ebay, but loads of others if they don't have the size you need. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pick-and-Pluck-Foam-Storage-Tray-Select-Your-Depth-Great-for-G-W-Tabletop/183525502055?

 

 

[John]

4 minutes ago, Andy0306 said:

Just buy some pick & pluck foam, much easier.

 

This is one seller on ebay, but loads of others if they don't have the size you need. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pick-and-Pluck-Foam-Storage-Tray-Select-Your-Depth-Great-for-G-W-Tabletop/183525502055?

 

 

That's what I use.

Don't need to cut it. Just break the cube joins around the shape you need then push the item in. After a short while the item has created a depression just the right size and the foam spikes in the lid of the case keep it in place. If you change the item you can pull the block of foam cubes back up and re-size the hole.

This is one of my cases from a few years back without the contents:

[StuartT]

16 hours ago, Robindonne said:

I made a drawing of the scope and accessories and ordered all the puzzle parts from some online “custom foam shop”.  

I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean. What are puzzle parts? You mean the custom foam shop do the cutting for you?

[Robindonne]

33 minutes ago, StuartT said:

I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean. What are puzzle parts? You mean the custom foam shop do the cutting for you?

I ordered a bottom layer from 2 cm thick and on top of that i combined all different sizes rectangular blocks of foam. So instead of cutting foam out of a massive block, i followed the contours by combining small parts. 
You can see the part parallel with the hinges where i planned diagonals and eyepieces, i temp used some pluck foam. Wasn’t sure about the exact places for accesories. But when all foam parts put on the right place, the scope fits nicely.   
 

ps. The main reason to do this was to let the diagonal and handle attached when storing the scope.  The original inlay didnt have room for that.  The plus side of the new inlay was softer, cheap and nice straight nested. 

Edited March 17, 2021 by Robindonne

[Pixies]

I fund that a disposable plastic knife, blunt pencil and the fossilized jawbone of a cro-magnon man are best.

Well, that's what it looks like I've used whenever I've tried to cut it myself!

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, Pixies said:

I fund that a disposable plastic knife, blunt pencil and the fossilized jawbone of a cro-magnon man are best.

Well, that's what it looks like I've used whenever I've tried to cut it myself!

That made me laugh.

I also wondered if this was the first reference to cro-magnon man on SGL. Turns out there are 3 others. I always find the words enchantingly pithy.

[StuartT]

19 hours ago, Pixies said:

I fund that a disposable plastic knife, blunt pencil and the fossilized jawbone of a cro-magnon man are best.

Well, that's what it looks like I've used whenever I've tried to cut it myself!

Yes, this is exactly what I'm afraid of! I am positive that the moment I start cutting I'm going to make a right old dog's breakfast of my nice pristine foam!

Problem is... I have to do it, otherwise I can't use the damn thing!

[Davey-T]

I use an old thin steak knife heated with a blow torch, one straight and one with the end bent at right angles, takes a bit of practice to get it heated just right and need to be out doors as the fumes are bad for you.

A steel straight edge helps to keep straight.

Others use Nichrome wire heated with a battery I believe.

Dave

Edited March 18, 2021 by Davey-T

[Louis D]

1 hour ago, Davey-T said:

Others use Nichrome wire heated with a battery I believe.

Most of those don't allow for plunge cuts, though.

I like the heated steak knife idea.  One could probably find a set for cheap at a thrift store to experiment with.  I'd probably learn the technique on discarded foam first, though.

[Alien 13]

A normal bread knife is very good at cutting foam.

Alan

[dave_tucker]

I'm I'm the same boat as I've just bought a case. My local foam shop appears to offer CNC cutting so I might have a go at that. I don't trust myself to produce a decent result with a bread knife.

[StuartT]

Thanks everyone! I actually ended up using one of these and it worked a treat. So I now have a safe and comfy home for all my bits and pieces 😊

Edited March 21, 2021 by StuartT

[Louis D]

4 hours ago, StuartT said:

Thanks everyone! I actually ended up using one of these and it worked a treat. So I now have a safe and comfy home for all my bits and pieces 😊

Nice find.  I didn't come across those in my searches.

[Ouroboros]

9 hours ago, StuartT said:

Thanks everyone! I actually ended up using one of these and it worked a treat. So I now have a safe and comfy home for all my bits and pieces 😊

I can see how you can make vertical cuts into the foam. But how do you cut underneath the plug of foam you have made? Or are you cutting all the way through? 

[Louis D]

7 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

I can see how you can make vertical cuts into the foam. But how do you cut underneath the plug of foam you have made? Or are you cutting all the way through? 

I would assume so since most foam sheets for smaller cases don't exceed 2" in thickness.  To get more thickness, more sheets of foam are stacked together.

[StuartT]

13 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

I can see how you can make vertical cuts into the foam. But how do you cut underneath the plug of foam you have made? Or are you cutting all the way through? 

I actually cut all the way through. For any eyepieces shorter that the full depth of the foam, I simply cut the cylinder of waste foam and then poked it back down the hole to plug part of the depth. (I was quite pleased with that idea 😊)

 

[Louis D]

17 hours ago, StuartT said:

I actually cut all the way through. For any eyepieces shorter that the full depth of the foam, I simply cut the cylinder of waste foam and then poked it back down the hole to plug part of the depth. (I was quite pleased with that idea 😊)

 

I also do that with pick&pluck foam to prop up shorter eyepieces.  I just shove some plucked pieces into the bottom of the hole.