Cutting On Foam

[Birdhunter]

Got it. I’ve made my share of “oops” errors.

Just replaced the blade on my Kapex. Darn blade wouldn’t cut balsa. Guess why.

 

[JMcFly]

[attachimg=1]

I like the use of dominos here......

 

[jeffinsgf]

The thing I like about cutting on foam is that the cut piece has zero chance of tipping or falling when the cut finishes. I always make a "foam sandwich". Full sheet of ply or MDF on the bottom, 1-inch foam in the middle and the sheet to be cut on top. It clamps firm and lays flat. I sympathize with those with tight storage. I've been there in the past.

 

[Cheese]

I like the use of dominos here......

Thanks...If you decide to go that route, make sure you use caulk made for foam board to retain them. I think it's PL 300.

 

[08G8V8]

I am new to woodworking and recently bought a Makita saw and tracks and a sheet of 2" foam from HomeDepot and cut it in half for breaking down sheets.  They are harder to store.

I like the idea of the Lee Valley Veritas system, but the question I have is I thought the benefit of the foam or sacrificial sheet was to prevent breakout on the bottom side of the cut.  Is this not an issue when using the Veritas system?

 

[Mario Turcot]

[welcome] to the FOG

I like the idea of the Lee Valley Veritas system, but the question I have is I thought the benefit of the foam or sacrificial sheet was to prevent breakout on the bottom side of the cut.  Is this not an issue when using the Veritas system?

Yes, the foam will prevent some tearout. The foam also provide a better capture of the sawdust. The advantage of the L.V. system is that it takes virtually no room to store, easy to setup in any environment.

The combination of a track saw and a well sharpened & clean blade will reduce considerably tearout. for example ripping a sheet goods in piece with a gummy crosscut blade, will result in a maximum (Keep in mind everything is relative) tearout  [crying].

 

[Michael Kellough]

Tearout on the bottom seldom occurs because the teeth are pushing against the wood, the opposite of how the teeth interact with the top of the wood.

The main benefit of cutting on foam or any other full contact sacrificial surface is that the vacuum “circuit” remains closed so dust collection is greatly improved compared to cutting on intermittent risers supporting the work.

 

[08G8V8]

Thanks for the replys....I am going to order a Veritas support set.

 

[RussellS]

I have moved away from foam ...  Secondly, my shop space doesn't allow for storage very well even when cut into sections.

I use the Lee valley system and like it very much.

Where do you store those folding tables the Lee Valley grid system sits on?  You wrote you don't have enough shop space to store a sheet of foam, yet you have enough shop/garage space to store two folding tables?  Seems to me you cold just put the foam sheet alongside the tables.

 

[jarbroen]

Another pink panther foam user here.
First time I started using foam I didn't have any Festool(s).  I used the 2" 48"x96" on the floor of my garage and my terdy old $40 Skillsaw.  Worked fairly well as a surface for chopping up a sheet of plywood.

I've upgraded since then(tool by tool) and use a 1" pink panther foam cut into sections to fit MFT's. 
I have 1 MFT with CMS-VL and I use 2 foam pieces at 16"x64".  Then I have two shorties at 16"x32" if I want to make an 8' long surface with two tables running lengthwise.
With the smaller pieces I can make my cutting surface fit the work.  Sometimes I just have small pieces to whittle down, other times I'm cutting a full sheet.
With the 32" wide (total) foam surface I can also use rail clamps on the MFT profiles.  If I did a full 48" I'd just be clamping to foam.
Also, the smaller pieces make it easier to stick them in a corner somewhere.
I know, you guys all fell asleep 3 or 4 sentences ago... lol

I think the versatility and flexibility of the MFT is awesome.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Earlier I said the main benefit of cutting on foam was dust collection but really (maybe I thought it too obvious) the benefit is full support of all the parts you cut, especially pocket cutouts.

 

[CarrieCarpenterChick]

As you can see from my attached photos, my cut station was built with foam in mind.

It breaks down and sets up in a few minutes. Rail and tool storage are built into it.

We process a couple hundered sheets a month, this is by far the best system for us.

Tried a sliding table saw, such an epic fail.

Tom

Tom- I love that set up. Is this your design or did you find it someplace? I would love to make that for my shop. We cut sooo much Ply and currently using the Hammer K3 Winner outfield table with a sacrificial melamine surface but would love to move it off that.

Carrie

 

[demographic]

Cutting on foam is ok if you're working in the same area a lot but I'm currently moving about a frequently and the foam takes up too much space in my van.
Consequently I use two sawhorses and put two eight foot long bits of 2x2 over them. Then some four foot lengths going across the long lengths.
Doesn't take much space up, my CTM extractor fits underneath and its flat enough.

I can move the cross pieces about to alter where its supported.

Plus every site I work on has a few bits of 2x2 that I can use for free, even on the sites that use the nice foam, they don't just give it away.

Just another option.

 

[tjbnwi]

[member=67045]HotSauce[/member],

My design. Thread with every thing you need to know for fabricating one;
https://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?pretty;board=workshops-and-mobile-vehicle-based-shops;topic=bench-dimensions.msg422925#msg422925

Tom

 

[jcrowe1950]

You want extruded not expanded foam board. The edge of the extruded looks like a solid piece, expanded looks like little balls.

Foamular is my go to also.

Tom

I really like your setup for storing rails...kudos... [big grin]

 

[tjbnwi]

[member=39505]jcrowe1950[/member],

My brother tells me Chattanooga has a beautiful aquarium. I driven through there many times on my way to Atlanta. Some day hope to stop and tour the aquarium.

om

 

[jcrowe1950]

As you can see from my attached photos, my cut station was built with foam in mind.

It breaks down and sets up in a few minutes. Rail and tool storage are built into it.

We process a couple hundered sheets a month, this is by far the best system for us.

Tried a sliding table saw, such an epic fail.

Tom

Hi Tom,

    Gregory Paolini agrees on the sliding table saw. He told me the one he bought was the only tool purchase he really regrets. Of course, now he uses CNC to do all that repetitive sheet good breakdown and drilling LR32 holes.

 

[jcrowe1950]

[member=39505]jcrowe1950[/member],

My brother tells me Chattanooga has a beautiful aquarium. I driven through there many times on my way to Atlanta. Some day hope to stop and tour the aquarium.

om

  Yes indeed, the aquarium is pretty neat...two buildings one for fresh water and one for salt water....Chattanooga has redefined itself, like Birmingham, from being a dirty industrial town to being a tourist destination for all sorts of activities. If you make it through, be sure to stop at Woodcraft....if I'm working we can talk about Festool and other such arcania.....

BTW, is NW Indiana anywhere near Lebanon? I am going to a Festool class next week and then again in December.

 

[tjbnwi]

[member=39505]jcrowe1950[/member],

My home in Indiana is about 2 hours north if you obey the speed limit........ I'm currently in Colorado Springs, set up another shop here. Travel back and forth a few times a year until my wife retires next April.

If Sedge is teaching the class you won't learn anything [big grin] [big grin] [big grin](you can tell him I said that).

Tom