unlocking this staff-researched answer. Home Depot exchanged the first one because it wasn?t able to finish cuts. - M.K. A saw blade normally burns the foam and gunks up. It's better for your markings to be a few inches or centimeters too large at first than too small. We sprayed both sides of a thin-blade of a circular saw with Pam or other cooking spray. Metal-Cut™ circular blade cutters for metal reinforced profiles. Start your subscription today and save up to 52%. After cutting the insulation, use a vacuum to get rid of any residual foam dust left on the piece. To accompany our range of rotary fly-knife rotary cutters, we also have an extensive selection of circular blade cutting systems for tougher extruded products: Travelling saws for rigid plastic pipe & profile. Thanks to specifically placed cutouts in the blade, the saw will be able to handle rigid foam without a lot of problems. The dust free foam cutting line of CenterFire blades will keep the "snowman" (and blueman and pinkman) away. I cannot imagine a better way to do it, thanks! Lui is trained and educated as an industrial engineer and specializes in carpentry, painting, and general handyman work such as mounting TVs, doorknob and deadbolt installation, furniture assembly, tile repair, and grouting. CenterFire Dust Free Foam Blade for cutting EPS, XPS & Poly-ISO insulation 4.2 out of 5 stars 59 $47.99 $ 47 . Similar to what happens when your battery is low, except mine were fully charged. Cut EPS, XPS, and Poly-ISO Boards. Foam beneath circular saw. Support wikiHow by Wear a dust mask if cutting EPS and of course its best to do this outside. Cutting with a utility knife would have been too slow and tedious. Handy NYC prides itself on quality work performed with speed, skill, and punctuality. Expert Interview. Handyman. Now I will try it.". Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 69,265 times. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Z. Circular blade cutters & saws. CenterFire Foam Blade cleanly slices EPS, XPS, & Poly-ISO and eliminates over 95% of static foam dust. I was surprised to find such a clear "grain" in the foam; it can be sliced up very easily length-wise but across the foam it's always trickier. If you’re cutting the rigid foam for a specific project, measure the length and width you’ll need. A lot less mess than a regular saw blade and the edges are nice and sharp. Make a second cut to fully cut through the foam. Cut it outside, it can make a mess. For a regular straight cut, the shoe and the blade are at a 90-degree angle. Now with new high-tech ceramic coating for even cleaner cutting! They have a knife edge instead of saw teeth and are designed to make swift, factory-smooth cuts in foam panels and insulating concrete forms while eliminating 95% of the dust. Always keep your hands at least 6 inches (15 cm) away from the blade at all times. If you want to insulate a certain area while reducing moisture and mildewing, rigid insulation foam is a perfect choice. I?m on my second 5x generation cordless circular saw in 3 months. Install a 7 ¼" plastic cutting saw blade in the circular saw. putty knife with a sharpened blade cuts through the foam like butter. 2. Handy NYC prides itself on quality work performed with speed, skill, and punctuality. Set the saw’s blade to the desired depth. The blade would get stuck. "I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. Archived. Rigid PVC foam or expanded PVC is a high quality material used for sign construction and craft projects. If you need a more precise cut, use an electric saw to cut your rigid foam. This article was co-authored by Lui Colmenares. I'd cut on the concrete floor using a thin piece of plywood as the straight edge. thick piece of rigid foam. HOW WE USE COOKIES: We use cookies and similar technologies to improve our website, to personalize website content to you, and to deliver advertising messages and offers on content that are relevant to you. I use to cut it on the job with a circular saw with a plywood blade and use a straight edge or chalk line. They are available in corded and cordless versions. The sample cuts in chip-prone oak plywood show the difference a good blade can make. Place the acrylic sheet on top of the rigid foam insulation, and mark the line to be cut. If you heat the knife beforehand, use safety precautions around the fire. References. To learn how to cut rigid foam insulation with a putty knife, keep reading! Shipping USA Only This article was co-authored by Lui Colmenares. As long as you cut the foam carefully and with the right tools, any amateur home repairman can make a precise incision in rigid insulation foam. You can purchase segmented blades online or at most hardware stores. Unlike some insulating materials, rigid insulation foam is simple to cut. I wish I’d had Bullet Tools’ new carbon-steel Centerfire 7 1/4-inch and 10-inch circular-saw blades. When I need a perfect cut with a circular saw, I use a guide. Last Updated: August 24, 2020 Like it! Table saws are, however, a pricier option—their cost can range anywhere from $150-400+ USD. An expert shows how to escape. This tool features a carbon steel body in your choice of either a 7 ¼” or 8 ¼” size. I cut long piece using my battery operated circular saw. Although most table saws work well for cutting foam, you can purchase a specialized foam cutting saw online or at many home improvement stores. Depending on the blade installed – a circular saw can cut plywood, lumber, rigid foam board, concrete, or metal. The material is similar to a Styrofoam cup not the blue foam sheets. I cut several sheets with a circular saw before this and the sharp putty knife is cleaner (no dust), quieter, and much faster, not to mention more accurate, too. Posted by 3 years ago. Mark the factory edge of one of the 8' lengths of the hardboard with some arrows and mark a cut line 3" from that edge. I want to keep the mess down so I don't want to hand saw it, plus I … Feeling trapped by your life and career? Anyway, the sharper the knife the better. DUST-FREE FOAM BLADES PRT-MKT-1500.Rev.F.7.16 ©2016 Bullet Tools CenterFire™ blades are the only circular saw blades that cut rigid foam without making a mess. For more precise measurements, check the length and width 2-3 times. The dust free foam cutting line of CenterFire blades will keep the snowman (and blue man and pink man) away. Gillard can give advice based on many years of experience in cutting rigid plastics with fly-knife cutters. The methods used to cut rigid PVC foam are similar to cutting standard PVC sheets, and like standard PVC, cutting methods vary depending on the thickness of the material. I have a lot of cutting to do in 4' x 8' Styrofoam sheets. Otherwise, a sharp utility knife and a metal straight edge works well. Mr. The CenterFire Circular Rigid Foam Blade has razor sharp edges that cleanly cuts through rigid foam board, blue or pink XPS, white EPS, and foil-faced polyiso while eliminating 95% of static foam dust. The base of the circular saw, called the shoe, rests on top of the material being cut. The 7.25 in. So Chris created something that works beautifully. Set the depth of cut on the circular saw to just over 1/4" (the thickness of the panel) and cut along the line. Thanks for the options. Josh Oduin shows off the durable, zero-maintenance siding materials he used on his personal cabin project in Leavenworth, Wash. No math, no measuring—just a simple jig made from an elastic band is all you need to lay out a good-looking deck railing. It is tested to cut roughly 25,000 feet before sharpening is required. This foam cutting saw has a base that rides on tiny wheels to prevent friction, and the large area of the base keeps the blade straight up and down. Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox. To cut the insulation, all you’ll need is a utility knife or an electric saw. New - More sizes Available in my Other Listings . Also, to avoid ripping the top when cutting across, score a thin trench first, then deeper on each pass. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Melt through an insulation sheet, such as one made from polystyrene using a heated cutting tool or … I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." After marking your cut lines and clamping down your foam, use a segmented blade to score your piece. Unlock premium answers by supporting wikiHow, https://www.styro.net/PDF/Flyers/Install/InstallRigidFoam.pdf, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuFWRTEULD0&feature=youtu.be&t=53, https://www.proremodeler.com/how-install-exterior-rigid-foam-part-1, https://www.greenandgrowing.org/rigid-foam-insulation-101/, http://www.core77.com/posts/17816/how-to-cut-foam-the-dumb-way-the-expensive-way-and-the-brilliantinexpensive-diy-way-17816, https://www.tru.ca/hsafety/workinglearningsafely/work/tablesaw.html, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGcCvd0qnQg&feature=youtu.be&t=125, http://www.finehomebuilding.com/2009/01/29/theres-a-better-way-cutting-rigid-insulation, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezi7FTcW_vY&feature=youtu.be&t=3, https://hackaday.com/2018/02/08/build-a-tiny-hot-wire-foam-cutter/, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. You can use an ordinary circular saw, equipped with a diamond blade, to wet-cut your marble. Z. A handheld circular saw, one with a 4 to 4.5 inches (10 to 11 cm) blade, can also be used to cut through the insulation. ! If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Protect your marble slab by placing it on a 2-in. The second saw worked If you don't have a way of making a perfectly straight cut don't worry, we'll only be using the factory edge. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. If you're cutting the rigid foam for a specific project, measure the length and width you will need it to be. Best way to cut pink insulation foam board? I used a cheap harbor freight cutoff wheel tool to grind down one edge into a pretty sharp blade. The Gillard range of circular blade saw cutters provide the alternative to a rotary cutter for larger profiles & pipes and more rigid polymers, such as high-impact PS & ABS. How do you cut a 2-inch rigid foam insulation? CenterFire Foam Blade cleanly slices EPS, XPS, and Poly-Iso and eliminates over 95% of static foam dust. I tried different batteries but got the same result. Micro-Adjust Deck-Baluster Spacing for an Eye-Deceiving Layout, Podcast 315: Perfect Roofs, Heated Decks, and Multifamily High Performance, What We Need To Leave Behind To Build Better in 2021, Podcast 313: Pony Studs, Cold Floors, and Hiding Foundation Insulation, Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20, Simple Way to Make Old Walls Straight and Plumb, Expert insights on techniques and principles. What is the best way to cut foam board insulation? Support wikiHow by Segmented blades are also known as box cutters. All you need is either a utility knife or an electric saw to make clean cuts. % of people told us that this article helped them. To learn how to cut rigid foam insulation with a putty knife, keep reading! Cutting through the tar material and sheathing will typically require a depth of 1 to 1 1/4 inches. ... or if you only plan to cut foam once and want a simpler set up then use a car battery and adjust the length and/or gage of wire to get the heat right. Thinner sheets of rigid PVC foam require no power tools to produce a sharp clean cut, but thicker materials require power saws with blades designed for cutting plastic. Did you know you can read premium answers for this article? Step 3 Handy NYC based in New York City, New York. 99 $59.99 $59.99 You can always cut more foam later, if necessary. Compare these dimensions to the length and width that your rigid foam insulation currently has to make sure it's long and wide enough. After watching this vid a little while ago I used the sharpened putty knife to do my basement in November going through a few dozen 2" sheets of extruded foam and the approach works very well. None of those options worked especially well. We did come up with another idea when we had to cut a LOT of foam board. Cut rigid foam to size without making a mess. Cut rigid foam to size without making a mess. The average price range for a circular saw varies from $40 to $100 making it a very affordable starter saw. Avoid wearing long sleeves, ties, jewelry, or loose-fitting clothes while using the saw. "Wasn't sure how to start this project. Read your electric saw's instructions before using the saw to make sure you use it safely. Because this will be a messy job and you’ll need your garden hose, you’ll want to work outdoors. When Chris Ellis of Brewster, Mass., was looking for the right tool to cut rigid-foam insulation, he tried a utility knife, a kitchen knife, and a saw. 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