I'm installing a swing gate on my layout. The benchwork top is 1/2 inch birch plywood. The top of the swing gate is 2 inch thick foam insulation board (the pink stuff). the cut on the foam board has to be exact, so as not to leave a large gap between the foam and the plywood. What kind of tool would be best for cutting the foam board so I can get a clean, smooth cut?
E-L man tomThe top of the swing gate is 2 inch thick foam insulation board
I would suggest making the mating edge of the swing gate a nice, clean piece of wood, then mate the foam board up to it. This would prevent nicks and dings from misaligning the track and you can better secure the track ends to the moving part of the swing gate.
Cheers, Ed
You can score and snap foam, but in my experience 2" won't snap perfectly square.
I've not tried an electric carving knife (kitchen type) but I have used a big French knife (don't tell my wife) The kind that is 10" long and 2" wide at the hilt.
Hot Wire has a foam tool that look like a giant skewer. I wonder how that would work against a straight edge, either metal or a piece of lumber?
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
You need a perfectly steady hand to get a square edge with a hot wire cutter. Even with the Hot Wire Foam Factory's miter box, perfect was near impossible.
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I like Ed's suggestion of making the edges with plywood and filling the gate with foam.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Planning a tip-up gate, hadn't gotten as far as thinking of the mating edge yet. Another agreement with Ed's solid edge and fill.
Good luck,
Richard
I also like Ed's suggestion. I used a long kitchen knive, with a serated blade, like a long steak knive. I was cutting 2" foam. It worked great for carving and shaping.
Anyway you deal with cutting foam is not clean, keep a shop vac handy.
Mike.
My You Tube
The first thing that comes to mind; Why are you useing foam for a gate when the rest is plywood?.
IMO it would be a pretty good trick to get any kind of a square cut with a hand held knifeor hot wire.
My first choice would be some kind of power tool. Skil saw,table saw ect. where both items are somewhat stable. Next would be a hand saw . Hold a 2X4 on top of foam and use it as a guide to keep saw square with top.
Other then that ,Ed has a good idea. You could glue/caulk a thin piese of something on the end to help protect it.
I free handed my whole cookie cutter cutout with a full size one to one plan using Owens Corning pink extruded foam and a fine toothed jigsaw blade to cut it out.
That was a quite a while ago in my beginning phases but it worked great.
I deleted the 3 O-Clock one going to the right after l changed my mind and added some after thoughts later in the game.
Nothing is over a 2% grade or under an 18 inch radius curve visible. 16 inch that will be hidden.
N Scale
TF
Clamp a 1x4 to the foam and use a hot wire, perfectly straight.
Put a fine-tooth blade on your table saw or a side guide on your circle saw or measure from the blade to the side of your fence on your circle saw and clamp a straightedge on your foam and rip it.
Circle saws can be a bit dangerous on foam though. I'm sure a jig saw along a straightedge would work fine.
I agree with Ed's suggestion, but would go further and make the whole shebang outa wood, as it's a more solid surface on which to securely attach the track. You don't want it squirmin' around every time you open or close the gate.
Fer cuttin' yer foam, I use either a machete or a chainsaw, but the wife won't let me do it in the kitchen no more. Now the neighbours is bellowin' about the mess in their yard...it's enough to make ya wanna git a hobby.
Wayne
I failed to mention that the non-hinged side of the joint between the plywood and the foam is an arc, not a straight edge. This makes the cut more difficult. I thought of doing a rough cut, slightly outside the arc, say, 1/4" or so, then rasping it off so that it matches, but I can visualize some imperfections/nicks that willcause gaps. I don't have a band saw, but have a friend and model railroader who does. I thought of having him cut it on that.
Cutting 2" Foam? ???
Busting it over my knee seems to work good enough for me.
Some of this stuff is fiberglass roofing insulation with tar paper on each side. I get this stuf at the nearest dumpster were a roofing crew is working. I but it over my knee to make it fit in the car, and to carry it upstairs. There I can cut it with a jig saw because both sides are clad with tar paper.
I suppose you could ask a roofing supply company where you can buy the stuff, but a roofer's establishment may just give you scraps that otherwise qwould have been tossed.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
E-L man tom I failed to mention that the non-hinged side of the joint between the plywood and the foam is an arc, not a straight edge. This makes the cut more difficult. I thought of doing a rough cut, slightly outside the arc, say, 1/4" or so, then rasping it off so that it matches, but I can visualize some imperfections/nicks that willcause gaps. I don't have a band saw, but have a friend and model railroader who does. I thought of having him cut it on that.
Cut your blank to fit first, then cut the curve.
I don't think a few nicks would mater. You may still need to add somekind of end piece to protect it
I would cut the foam with a hot knife or bread knife slightly oversize. Bond the foam to the wood securely and then sand to final fit with a bondo file and drywall sanding block (hopefully outside as it will be messy). Expect issues over time with the track walking on the foam if you do not figure out a way to secure the track to the plywood base. I have made 3-4 swing gates in the past and with the seasonal movement of the wood and wear on the hinges, it has always moved enough to make drama when trying to run trains through the cuts in the track. I finally made a liftout located with metal to metal pins and so far it works well. In any event good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Since your gate has a curved end, hhow about attavhing a strip of 1/8 masonitr? If you had it attached at each end and one or two places around the curve, I would think it would holld it.x shape.
Good luck ,
a hot knife can do an excellent job, especially with a fence that holds the foam steady, and there's no cleanup with a vacumn cleaner, lol ...
that's what I used to do a 15 x 16 layout, worked well ..
If you are going to use a table or circular saw put the blade in backwords as it will creat less of a mess.