Cutting polystyrene: what to cut so that it does not crumble, like at home, cutting expanded polystyrene with a string

Expanded polystyrene is a versatile material that is used for heat and sound insulation of buildings under shock and noise loads. When carrying out repair work related to thermal insulation or redevelopment, it is necessary to cut out large sheets of insulation. In this regard, the question arises of how to cut the foam so that the line turns out to be even.

Consider equipment that is used for cutting foam at home. These include:

hacksaw for metal;
saw on wood with fine teeth;
Bulgarian;
soldering iron;
nichrome wire.

Before you start cutting, you need to mark the workpiece with a simple sharpened pencil. If a hacksaw or jigsaw is used as a cutting tool for Styrofoam, do not make quick movements. This is due to the good thermal insulation properties of the material, when when friction occurs, heat is not removed and it heats up, which complicates the process. Use a soldering iron if you need to quickly cut the workpiece. To do this, flatten its end with a hammer and fix a special part, for the manufacture of which you need to take the metal cap of the fountain pen and the blade. After warming up the device, start cutting the sheets.

Use a grinder to cut only very thin foam. It is unlikely that it will be possible to achieve a high quality cut, the result will be the same as when working with a jigsaw. In addition, with this method of processing the material, there will be a lot of debris and noise.

Choosing the right knife

To cut the foam, you can use an ordinary knife, which should be sharpened well and preheated. The stationery option is suitable for cutting soft material, it has a sufficiently flexible blade and it is not recommended to use it for processing slabs of significant thickness, since it is difficult to obtain an even vertical cut. The advantages will be a small amount of waste, availability and low cost of the tool. Remember that the thinner the sheet, the smoother the cut will be, the optimal thickness should be no more than 5 cm.

The most optimal way to cut

This method can be used if you have an elementary understanding of electrical engineering, for the manufacture of the device you will need to prepare:

wire;
transformer;
spring.

The table is placed at an angle (20-60˚), and a wire is pulled across, one end of which is fixed rigidly, and a spring is used to secure the other. The wires of the transformer connected to the electrical network are connected to them. The current is supplied, the workpiece is placed on the table. The sheets are cut by sliding under their own weight.

You can pass current from the power transformer of the old TV. Another option is to include a variable resistance (rheostat) in the electrical circuit. The strength of the current must be controlled so that there is no strong heating, which will result in the melting of the foam and the appearance of sag lines along the edges.

The attractive side of this method is the ability to cut fragments both in a straight line and along kinks and convolutions, which makes the process universal. It is important to remember that the wire should not be very hot. It will be enough if it just turns slightly red, otherwise the cut will turn out to be too wide.A strong spring should be selected, this will make it possible to adjust the length.

The widespread availability of massive, full-size foam boards has automatically led to a boom in the use of a relatively strong, soft, and at the same time easy-to-work material in the home. In fact, it became possible to manufacture a huge number of all kinds of useful things from a thick foam sheet, you just need to find a way how and how to cut the foam in order to prevent deformation, fracture or crumbling of the material.

Why is it difficult to cut styrofoam

The widespread use of foam material was largely constrained by a porous structure resembling a compressed layer of tiny polystyrene cells filled with a blowing agent.

If you have ever cut foam sheets, then you probably paid attention to the following feature:

The denser and heavier the material, the easier it is to cut it with sharpened tools. The thinner the cutting edge, the easier and faster it is to cut even the hardest carbamide foam;
Lightweight foam grades are easiest to cut with power tools. The higher the cutting edge speed, the cleaner the cut surface. In industrial conditions, thin foam plates are cut with a thin water jet, with practically no waste;
When trying to cut a slab with a sharp blade with several movements, a situation arises when each new cut increases the amount of foam sawdust and dust almost twice.

Advice! Craftsmen prefer to cut non-thick foam plates using the boot method. To do this, a sharp-cut wide blade with great effort makes a cut with a knife "towards itself", without changing the angle of inclination and depth of cut.

Most modelers and craftsmen who professionally work with foam will argue that cutting foam boards is not difficult at all, especially since the density and strength of the material is relatively low. And they will be right. Cutting styrofoam at home is not difficult, you just need to select the exact mode and equipment for cutting the styrofoam.

The number of options for the practical application and use of foam for those who know how to work with their own hands has long exceeded a hundred. Dozens of different models, injection molds, toys, stucco moldings, decorative elements, insulation, parts of acoustic systems and even refrigerators are made from foam material. The main problem that accompanies any attempts to process the material mechanically is the selection of the mode, how and how to cut the foam, so that it does not crumble, as a result, cutting is always accompanied by the formation of a large amount of waste.

If the tip of the cutting tool is not sharpened enough or moves at a low speed, when trying to cut the smallest gas-filled balls, the cutting edge does not cut them, but slides over the polystyrene foam, crushes and pulls out the foam from the compressed mass. It is possible to cut a foam sheet in this way, but a huge amount of waste is generated.

How to properly cut styrofoam with a knife so that it does not crumble

When in the process of warming walls, floors, roofs with their own hands, plates of polymer material are used, thermal cutters are not always justified. The designs, as a rule, have strictly geometric shapes, and it is quite possible to cut the material with a simple knife, the main thing is that the blade is thin, and its length exceeds the thickness of the insulation sheet. A good tool for this work is a clerical knife if you have to cut thin polystyrene foam.

Choose a long blade to cut foam with a knife

The fact is that the blade of such a tool is very thin and when cutting a sheet, a large thickness of a perfectly even cut is unlikely to be achieved, convolutions may form on the cut, which will not allow making a tight abutment of individual parts of the insulation. And this will lead to the formation of cold bridges.

In addition to the knife you will need:

Measuring rigid ruler or rod of ideal shape.
Roulette.
A simple pencil, marker.

Cut polystyrene on a solid base so that the sheet does not "play" in the hands. Marks of the desired size are made on the surface of the polystyrene plate, after which a rigid ruler or rail is laid, and a cut is made with a sharp knife. If the length of the knife blade is not enough, you can make cuts on two opposite sides of the sheet, the main thing is not to go astray. Then, along the cut, the sheet is simply broken. With proper dexterity, work will be done quickly, without unnecessary noise and electricity costs. There will be rubbish, of course, but not as much as from a hacksaw. The main thing is that the tool is very sharp and of the right length.

Before cutting the material, the tool must be heated and the blade must be sharpened periodically.

The foam is cut with a clerical knife and a thermal one - comparing the cut line

How to cut styrofoam without using thermal devices

The principle of cutting foam sheets with a hacksaw, regardless of whether it is a blade for metal or wood, is no different from cutting with a knife, the main thing is that the teeth are small and the blade is of sufficient length.

In this case, the cut will be smoother and a lot of fine debris will not form. Saw movements must be done smoothly, without jerking. But even with this cutting method, there will be a lot of expanded polystyrene crumbs.

You can cut the foam sheets using an electric jigsaw or an angle grinder (grinder). However, with this method, a huge amount of garbage is guaranteed.

Angle grinder for cutting foam

The high speed of rotation of the grinder's disk and sufficiently large teeth will provoke a strong destruction of the structure of the material at the cutting site. When using a jigsaw, it is also impossible to obtain a perfectly flat surface on the cut, due to the vibration of the file, which also leads to the formation of small polymer debris.

The least amount of foam crumbs is formed when cutting it, if you use a homemade foam cutter. The simplest form of such a device is an ordinary thin wire (string), to the ends of which handles are attached, for greater convenience. The diameter of the wire must be chosen as small as possible, no more than 0.5 mm. Here one person cannot cope; an assistant will be needed. The wire is set at the marked mark on the foam and uniform movements are made on both sides. As a result of friction of the metal wire on expanded polystyrene, it heats up and the material begins to melt at the cut.

Cutting foam with a string - the method is most effective in terms of generating the minimum amount of debris, but the time spent on such work is significantly longer than when cutting with other tools.

Technology, how to properly cut a sheet of foam

For home conditions, you can offer several proven methods:

With the help of a sharpened shoe or construction knife;
A hacksaw for metal with an improved hacksaw blade;
Powerful soldering iron with a razor blade attached to the tip;
Thermal cutter or hot nichrome spiral;
With a jigsaw or grinder.

Important! Any attempt to cut the foam sheet with hot blades, wires or a high-speed tool must be worked under an exhaust hood or outdoors, since a large amount of volatile toxic substances is released when the foam melts.

If you want to cut the foam with a jigsaw or grinder, you should definitely use a respirator and goggles. Foam dust during cutting is highly electrified and adheres with incredible force to the skin of the hands, face, gets into the eyes and lungs.

Mechanical cutting scheme for polystyrene foam

The easiest way is to cut a slab that is not thick, up to 50 mm, using an ordinary, even table knife. To do this, the foam plate is placed on the edge of the working table and a cut is made. The cutting edge of the knife should be as close to the reference plane as possible. Before cutting, the blade must be sharpened and refined with a polishing wheel.

The cut-off part of the sheet must be supported so as not to break off the material under load. To cut with maximum quality, the knife is moved with little effort in one direction - "away from you", the reverse motion of the blade is performed "idle". If you have to cut a sheet laid out on the table top with a boot knife, then the direction of application of the force changes to the opposite - "towards yourself".

It is strongly not recommended to cut thin-sheet foam material in weight or in a vertical position.

It is much easier to cut the foam with a hacksaw for metal. For dense grades, the hacksaw blade can be left unchanged; for highly porous foam sheets, the side surfaces of the blade are ground on a sharpener to remove the gap of the teeth. The hacksaw can cut in almost any position without restriction.

The most productive tool for cutting sheets is an angle machine or grinder. Depending on the diameter of the cutting wheel, the grinder can cut foam plastic with a thickness of up to 50 mm on the fly. In this case, the quality of the cut will be much higher than in the case of using a knife or saw. The disadvantage of this method is the large amount of dust and shavings. If you reduce the cutting speed of the foam to a minimum, the material will start to burn and melt, which is not always allowed by cutting conditions.

It is enough just to cut the foam sheet with a jigsaw. In terms of productivity and cut quality, the jigsaw is inferior to the grinder, but it has an invaluable advantage - it can be used to make curly cuts that are difficult to obtain by another method of mechanical cutting.

Thermal methods for cutting foam

The second most common method of cutting foam is a thermal cutter. In fact, this is a nichrome thread, laid on the frame in the form of a frame. When an electric current passes through a nichrome wire, the metal surface heats up and melts the foam. There are several design options for the torch. The simplest one looks like a nichrome string stretched over ceramic insulators installed at the ends of a wooden or metal frame.

With such a tool, you can cut not only foam sheets, but also wooden slats, plastic pipes, any material with a melting or decomposition temperature of up to 270 ° C.

If you need to cut slabs with a long cut, then it will be more convenient to use a machine in the form of a vertically stretched thread on a PCB support.

To control the heating of the nichrome string, a LATR or rheostat is used. Excessive surface temperatures can melt and even ignite the foam. A remarkable property of this cutting method is the complete absence of dust and chips, in addition, the cutting surface is melted, as if coated with alkyd varnish.

If only small pieces of the foam block need to be cut during the processing of the foam, for example, when making a sculpture or model, it is best to use a nozzle for a powerful electric soldering iron.

Separately, the most interesting way to cut foam plastic with a laser should be mentioned.Perhaps it will seem fantastic, even at home laser cutting of foam is possible, photo. A conventional LED laser with a power of 2-5 W allows you to cut a sheet of foam in a completely arbitrary path.

While such a tool is capable of cutting paper and polystyrene within 10-15 minutes, it will be very difficult to achieve large volumes of cutting on it.

Polyfoam is a versatile building material that has many advantages over other analogues.

In addition, this material is used for decorating and making volumetric structures that serve as decoration for holidays and events. Often letters and inscriptions are cut out of polystyrene.

The use of foam is widespread due to the low cost. At the same time, it retains heat well and completely insulates the room from the penetration of sounds. Therefore, this material is used for finishing the facades of houses - it is easy to paint and fix.

How to cut the foam perfectly straight?

Considering the insulation made of polyvinyl chloride, one can come to the conclusion that this material is quite warm, capable of retaining heat inside the building during the winter period. But in order to carry out the work on the insulation of the house, it is necessary to consider how to cut the foam and attach it to the front wall. To do this, you will need material and tools, thanks to which the work will be done. In order to cut the foam, most craftsmen use a clerical knife that has a very sharp blade.

As for the foam, it can have 5.5 and 35 densities, as well as a thickness that is 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 mm. The thicker and denser the material, the harder the cut is, so another option should be considered, indicating the cutting of polyvinyl chloride insulation. Considering the topic of how to insulate the facade with foam, you first need to cut it to size, using a string. The foam is stacked, after which markings are made along the side, then plates with a slot are installed on both sides and cutting is performed. All work is perfectly simple and done by one or two people.

In order to figure out how to insulate the balcony with foam, performing all the work from the front side of the house, you will need to cut the foam according to the previously prepared dimensions. This will require a sharp cutting tool, as well as a flat guide rail or metal plate, against which it is necessary to rest the cutter and guide it along its entire length, thereby obtaining the required cut. If you need to understand how to sheathe a house with foam, then for this you need to decide on the finishing material.

For example, this insulation will be a 35 density foam finish. Next, you need to understand how to fix the foam to the wall and for this, first of all, you need to cut the material into blanks. Thick foam is quite difficult to cut with a clerical knife, and a hacksaw for metal would be a more suitable tool. Usually a wide blade is used that has teeth on both sides. It is with this sheet of metal that you can easily cut through the foam, according to the previously marked markings.

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Cutting tools

Foam boards have impressive dimensions. Since this material is used not only for insulating the walls of a dwelling, but also for packaging during cargo transportation, finishing small parts, it often has to be cut.

This must be done carefully, because the foam is very fragile and can break in the wrong places.

To do this, you should select the tools with which the separation can be done efficiently:

If the sheet is no more than 5 millimeters thick, then a wallpaper or clerical knife can be used for cutting.This process is laborious and time-consuming, but it has a wonderful result - the edges are as smooth and even as possible.
To cut expanded polystyrene, you can use a metal hacksaw with fine teeth or a grinder with a thin disc. Cutting involves beveled corners and edges, so these tools are used as a last resort.
An electric jigsaw is used for sheets. But in the process of work, difficulties may arise with processing the edges of the product sheet.
It is rational to cut a large amount of foam with a hot wire. The cutting of building material is carried out quickly and efficiently.

Note:

any of the above tools must be sharp, as this can severely deform the edges of the product.

How to cut styrofoam correctly: tools and fixtures

Styrofoam is a building material used for both interior and exterior decoration. Today it is very popular among consumers due to the large number of advantages that it is endowed with. We will not only talk about its benefits, but also how to cut the foam exactly.

Benefits

Polyfoam has many advantages, including:

High level of heat and sound insulation.
Low weight.
Ease of installation, etc.

You can endlessly list all the positive properties of foam. It can be made from two materials: PVC or polystyrene. This material is very fragile and free flowing.

Before answering the question of how to cut the foam, it is worth saying that you need to cut it with a sharp tool. Since a dull blade can leave equal indentations.

How to trim styrofoam straight

Many users are interested in how to cut the styrofoam correctly. It is worth saying here that there are several ways to trim, let's look at the most popular of them:

1. Nichrome wire. In this case, the wire is pulled between two pins attached to a chipboard sheet. This is done in such a way as to easily change the distance between the chipboard surface and the wire. The ends of the wire are connected to a 12 V power supply. The foam is placed under the wire and passed, the glowing wire cuts the foam in the desired area. In this way, the cut is smooth, it allows you to quickly cut the required number of sheets.

2. With the help of a string heated by the current passing through it. Only it is worth passing through it not 220V, but 12-36V. You can use a spiral from an electric stove, but keep in mind that when heated, it heats up, so it should be spring-loaded in advance. The foam is cut in exactly the same way as in the previous case.

These trimming methods are suitable if you need to trim a large volume of Styrofoam.

(Video: What you need to cut styrofoam)

other methods

Otherwise, you can resort to safer methods:

1. An ordinary knife. In this situation, the knife must first be well sharpened and heated, as a result of which the blade will heat up and cut the sheets evenly. The material melts and the edges are perfectly flat. Please note that the knife will have to be warmed up periodically. Very important: this cutting method is only suitable for sheets up to 10 cm thick.

2. Using a hacksaw for wood. In this case, it is recommended to choose a hacksaw with fine teeth. Movements should be slow so that the material does not overheat, as, when heated, it can begin to "grab" the cutting tool.

3. Using a jigsaw, consisting of a frame and a filament stretched over it. With this pruning, no sawdust is produced. It is difficult to make such a cutting tool yourself, so it is better to use a regular soldering iron, just altering it a little.

To do this, you need to remove the tip from the soldering iron and replace it with a cutter made of copper wire 2 mm thick. The part of the wire that is inserted into the soldering iron must be bent into a spiral, and its outer diameter must be the same as the diameter of the socket itself.

(Video: DIY Styrofoam Cutting Tool in 5 Minutes)

4. Using a thin string made of steel with a diameter of 0.5 millimeters. Moreover, you need to attach wooden handles to its ends.

First, you need to make a markup where the cut will be carried out, then with your friend you can start moving back and forth in a fast rhythm. As a result of this, the place of contact of the foam with the string will heat up and slowly begin to melt, a cut appears in the cut.

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Which tools are better

Among all the above cutting tools, there are only a few that are suitable for a high-quality procedure.

Moreover, if the slicing is done at home.

Each tool is used in accordance with a specific technology:

You can cut the material efficiently and evenly using nichrome wire. For this, a device is assembled, consisting of a string through which an electric current passes. The simplest transformer is used to generate electric current. The device can be made portable. All you need to do is use a charger.
Figured cutting is provided using a special machine that can be purchased at a hardware store, or you can do it yourself. is a device consisting of a table, a metal frame and a blade. The device can be used in manual mode.

Worth considering

: for high-quality cutting of polystyrene, electrical devices are mainly used, therefore it is important to observe safety rules in the process of their use, to monitor the health of the wiring and the integrity of the wires.

Workplace preparation

In order for the cutting process to be carried out in accordance with all the rules, it is important to properly organize the workplace.

To do this, you should adhere to several basic rules:

The surface must be free of unnecessary objects and must be flat. For convenience, you can use an inclined surface in the form of a table for drawings. But it is suitable for curly cutting. Often tables are equipped with fasteners so that the sheet does not slip.
The workplace should be well lit, that is, be near a window or have all-round artificial lighting, which is located on the left hand.
Instruments must be prepared in advance. Do not forget about the tools for marking: a ruler and a pencil. Protective clothing also comes in handy. These are gloves, goggles and an apron.
To cut shapes, you need to make rigid cardboard templates. This will speed up the process as much as possible. And all the details will be the same in size and shape to each other.
Scraps should be removed from the surface immediately so that debris does not interfere with the cut. Even small particles should be removed; they can be swept away with a stiff brush.

If all points are followed, then the risk of damage to the material will decrease, and this will save finances that will be spent on replacement.

Cutting technology

The cutting technology is different for each tool, so it is worth considering them separately for each case.

The main features are represented by the following steps:

It is easiest to cut the foam with a clerical knife. For this, the sheet is fixed on a flat surface. The blade of the knife is at an angle of 45 ° to the surface of the sheet. Do not press hard on the handle, as this can affect the quality of the cut.

A carver who uses a machine with a nichrome string in his work does not make efforts. Due to the high temperature of the cutting part, the edges are processed and become smooth. In the places of the cut, the foam will definitely not crumble.
The installation, which is a machine for cutting foam sheets and blocks, is most effective for large volumes of work. The material does not crumble or break, and the cuts are neat.

The choice of the device depends on the quality of the building material and the number of sheets.

The further use of the parts is also a determining factor.

If they are stained or trimmed, then you don't have to worry about the quality of the cuts.

Styrofoam can be separated without problems at home using a huge number of tools. The main thing is to choose one according to the needs of the cutter, and also adhere to the technological aspects of the process.

Watch a video in which the master tells how to make a machine for cutting foam with your own hands in 5 minutes:

Polyfoam is used by builders for a variety of purposes. This material exhibits high thermal insulation qualities, therefore, building facades, floors and other objects are insulated with it. Also, various decorative elements are made from this material.

The foam is easy to process and easy to cut. But at the same time, the material can crumble strongly. Destruction of an array is a negative phenomenon. Therefore, it is necessary to properly handle this material, you need to find out before starting work. At the same time, it will be possible to create not only plates for insulation from an array of polystyrene, but also decorative products. Their appearance will be neat and the material will not deteriorate.

Ordinary foam - terminology and characteristics of the material

In a broad sense, foams are considered to be a wide class of cellular (foamed) plastics based on polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, urea, phenol and even formaldehyde. All these materials are united by the minimum density and internal structure in the form of frequently located and small gas cavities. However, in practice, you have to deal with the only type of foam - low pressure polystyrene foam, abbreviated PSV.

Only it has an affordable cost, all other cellular plastics in production are much more expensive and are rarely used in construction and repair business. The international name for low-pressure polystyrene foam (PSV) is the brand name styrofoam, patented by the development company BASF back in the 50s of the XX century. The abbreviation EPS is often used in the documentation for imported foam. For practical purposes, it is important to know that all these terms - styrofoam, PSV and EPS - denote ordinary and familiar foam plastic from childhood.

The structure in the form of small gas pores and the significant dimensions of the plates determine the main operational advantages of foam:

Excellent thermal insulation from any side of the house. You can perform foam insulation inside the room, you can carry out this procedure outside, you can combine external and internal thermal insulation, and the cost of such a "double" protection will still be lower than the estimate for a newfangled roll insulator;
Excellent acoustic protection of premises. In fact, sound comfort is achieved already during heat-insulating works - if frost cannot penetrate the foam layer, then loud sounds are all the more impossible;
Environmental Safety. Polyfoam is absolutely non-toxic, including on open cut lines and with prolonged use. Some varieties are allowed to come into contact with food, which is regulated by European quality standards (!). Moreover, the foam is safe for repairs, there is not the slightest need to try the walls pasted over with it;
High resistance to mold, moisture, microorganisms, fungi, algae and other unwanted companions of human life.In order to enhance the durability of such consumer qualities, cutting the foam with your own hands must be done accurately and competently;
Ease of installation due to the miniature weight. This quality greatly simplifies the transportation and laying of the foam, however, when working outdoors, you should pay attention to possible "wind difficulties" - the foam blank will easily be carried away by even a weak breath of breeze.

Of course, any complications must be considered before any use of foam. Firstly, this material is destroyed by the action of most technical fluids - from acetone and gasoline to white spirit and enamel solvents. This destruction is intense even with the vaporous action of industrial fluids on the foam.

Secondly, it is necessary to pay special attention to the expected operating temperature of the surface covered with foam. Already at +50 ˚C - +60 ˚C, some types of foam plates begin to crumble, their internal bubbles combine into extensive gaps and cavities. The painting of surfaces insulated with foam plastic must be thought out in advance, otherwise the thermal comfort of the entire room will suffer from toxic nitro paint.

For renovation of kitchens, saunas and brightly lit facades, foam plastic should be used with great care - high temperatures destroy it.

Features of foam

Styrofoam is a lightweight material in all respects. The polymer is miscible with air and foam filling components. Its structure is similar to glued balls. It is this feature that explains why we cut the foam, rather than break it. Otherwise, the cut is uneven.

In some types of material, the balls of the structure are held more tightly, do not crumble. But quite often the foam crumbles, and sometimes very strongly. Such destruction of the material is dangerous for the sheet. The brittleness of the foam leads to a change in shape, a decrease in properties and functional qualities.

If it is required to adjust the dimensions of the array, this operation is carried out using a special tool. In this case, the sheet will not collapse.

Types of tools

Studying the question of how to properly cut polystyrene at home, you need to pay attention to the types of tools. They are divided into mechanical and thermal. For self-cutting of the array, with a small amount of work, the first group of tools is preferred.

For home processing of foam, novice craftsmen are advised to choose a mechanical tool. Professional installers and designers prefer thermal cutting. In this case, it will be possible to create a high accuracy of the edge, create objects of any complexity.

A thermal cutter is quite expensive. Novice craftsmen who make repairs at home rarely purchase such equipment. But for large volumes of work, it is simply irreplaceable. Actions with a thermal cutter are performed quickly and efficiently.

Tool production method

Considering the question of how to properly cut the foam so that the sheet does not crumble, you should take a closer look at the method of making the tool. It can be factory-made or home-made.

Professional builders are required to purchase special certified equipment. Whether it is a mechanical or thermal tool, for such purposes it is necessary to perform work with factory-made equipment. The fact is that when creating such devices, the developers provided it with all the necessary qualities, safety and comfort as much as possible. This is very important when doing a lot of work.

But, making repairs with your own hands, it is unprofitable to purchase special equipment. In this case, you can create it yourself.It will be a more primitive device, but it will be able to cope with the tasks assigned to it.

Styrofoam properties

Cutting technology

This material, unique in its properties, is 95% air. Due to this structure, the specific gravity of the foam is very low.

If necessary, cutting the material can be done by hand with any sharp and hard object.

Polyfoam has the following properties:

light weight;
low thermal conductivity;
affordable cost.

Its use can significantly reduce the cost of building an object. It is important to emphasize that the material does not rot or be affected by microorganisms.

Possesses high soundproofing characteristics. It is most often used as a heat insulator.

Possessing a wide range of positive properties, foam plastic also has some disadvantages. The first thing that experts say is that the material is not resistant to open fire.

Video:

In such a situation, toxic compounds are released into the atmosphere, which are very harmful to the human body.

Another property that is negative is that the foam attracts mice.

These rodents make holes in the foam at high speed. To prevent such contacts, the foam must be reliably isolated from external influences.

Mechanical cutting

First of all, you should consider the main mechanical devices with which you can cut the foam. How to cut the material depends on the skills of the master and the amount of work. These tools include a knife, grinder, saw and jigsaw. For self-cutting slabs in the process of arranging a layer of insulation, it is better to use a knife. Its blade should be of medium hardness. Such a tool allows you to cut slabs up to 8 cm thick fairly efficiently and quickly.

A jigsaw, grinder or saw are used only for special work. Professional builders use such equipment. In this case, the tool differs in a number of parameters from conventional angle grinders, jigsaws or saws.

If a thick blade and high RPMs are used, the foam can easily deteriorate. Therefore, at home, a knife with replaceable blades is used for cutting.

Thermal cutter

Thermal equipment allows to achieve high cutting accuracy. It is purchased by professional craftsmen and designers. When carrying out a large amount of work at home, this type of equipment should also be considered. In this case, we cut the foam

The device is powered by the system or battery. Through the elements of this technique, electricity is supplied to the nichrome thread. At the same time, the metal heats up quickly and strongly. This allows you to qualitatively cut off excess foam, cut it in any direction.

The most accurate material processing is obtained using a thermal cutter. It should be noted that the foam does not respond well to heat, but in this case the cut is very fast. Therefore, its quality is high.

Cutting polystyrene foam with a soldering iron

Expanded polystyrene plates lend themselves well to processing using a soldering iron. This tool makes it possible to perform work in the shortest possible time. To carry out such work with a soldering iron, its end must be flattened with a hammer. It is necessary to put on a specially prepared part, which is pre-made from a blade, a fountain pen cap made of steel.

The blade is mounted on the end of the soldering iron. After heating the resulting tool, you can cut the material.

Expanded polystyrene lends itself well to coloring, so decorative elements obtained as a result of cutting can be painted. Each option for performing foam cutting has its own advantages, but it is recommended to choose the one that will be less difficult for you.

Homemade cutter

You can create a thermal cutter yourself. To do this, you need to collect a set of necessary parts. First you need a small transformer. You can take this part, for example, from an old TV.

In this case, you will also need to cut the foam with a nichrome string. It is pulled between two long screws. They need to be fixed to a wooden plank. This material is known to be non-conductive. Therefore, electricity from the transformer will only go to the screws and the string.

After connecting all the elements, the voltage must be corrected. It depends on the thickness. Too much hot wire will not allow to cut the material properly.

Easy way to cut

The presented approaches make it easy to cut the foam. How to cut such material, folk craftsmen give advice. They came up with another way. It will be quite effective, especially when cutting large foam sheets.

This requires a thin and strong string. Its ends are tied to wooden handles. If the sheet is large, you must do the work with an assistant. In this case, 2 people become on both sides of the array. Each one takes a wooden handle with a tied string. Further, along the markings drawn in advance, they move the thread. It heats up from friction.

The material is easily and quickly cut. If the sheet is small, you can perform this procedure yourself.

There are a few tips from professional installers for handling styrofoam. It will be easy to choose what to cut it. Experts say that each of the presented methods is suitable for cutting. It all depends on the skills of the master and the amount of work he does.

Before starting cutting, the material must be marked with a simple pencil. With the mechanical and thermal methods, the foam can get hot. In this case, it releases harmful substances into the environment. Therefore, the work is carried out in the open air.

In this case, special equipment is used. Otherwise, the material will stick to the blade when heated. The grinder or jigsaw works at low speeds. This allows the heat to be removed from the cutting zone.

Styrofoam is widely used as insulation for walls, floors or ceilings. The main thing when using it is the correct cutting of the material. It is important not to crush the expanded polystyrene and make the most accurate and smooth cut. For these purposes, there are various tools and methods that can be applied at home.

Knife cutting

When insulating the floor base or ceiling with foam plates, it is not at all necessary to use special equipment.

To cut polystyrene foam at home, you must have:

Nice knife.
A ruler more than one meter long.
Pencil.

The procedure for cutting polystyrene foam boards in this way is quite simple:

Preliminarily, on the surface of the material, the points of the beginning and end of the cut line are marked with a pencil.
Next, a ruler is applied to these marks, clamped, and an incision is carefully made along it with a painting knife (it is not necessary to completely cut off a piece of foam).
The expanded polystyrene board is turned over to the other side, and the cut is made in the same way, parallel to the cut already made.
After making the cuts, you just need to break the foam along the line.

This method of cutting material is the cheapest, quietest and fastest, and after the end of the work there is practically no debris. It is imperative to check the sharpness of the knife before starting cutting the foam.

Varieties of tools for cutting foam at home

Styrofoam cutting tools come in a variety of shapes. The type of cut determines the efficiency of the tool. There are 2 main types of devices.

Types of cutters:

Mechanical;
Thermal.

A mechanical tool is used to perform a small amount of work. Cutting under mechanical stress is easy. But at the same time, the cut may be of poor quality.

The thermal tool belongs to professional equipment. It is widely used by construction specialists.

The thermal cutter is used for different types of Styrofoam. With its help, you can quickly and efficiently perform a cut. The basis of a thermal tool is a glowing thread or wire.

By the type of assembly, tools are classified into branded and homemade. The first option is represented by cutters made in production. Professional equipment includes both knives and thermal cutters.

Ways to cut styrofoam at home with your own hands

Soft material up to 4 cm thick can be cut with a regular knife at home. In this case, the blade needs constant sharpening. Otherwise, the cut will come out uneven and crumble.

During operation, there will be a rather unpleasant cutting sound. It is advised to carry out the process with headphones or earplugs.

For a smoother and smoother cut, it is advised to heat the blade before cutting. You can also take a grinder or a jigsaw for cutting at home. But the edges will be uneven, too much noise from work and waste. Thicker foam (8-10 cm) is cut with a hacksaw. This is a fast and efficient way. The work should be carried out with a tool with small teeth. This will make the cut smooth.

The advantages of using a hacksaw:

The effectiveness of the method - less effort is made than when working with a knife;
Not traumatic;
Thick foam can be cut.

Steel wire is often used for cutting. You will need to attach the handles on both sides of the wire. And then, according to the marked marking, cutting is performed. During operation, the wire heats up and begins to melt the material. The edges are smooth and there is no debris. But there must be two people to perform the action.

How to cut styrofoam at home, how to cut styrofoam?

Polyfoam is a fairly popular building material. It is used for heat and sound insulation of premises. In the course of construction work, this material requires processing, in particular, cutting to the required parameters. There are many options for cutting styrofoam that are applicable at home.

The procedure for cutting polystyrene requires compliance with certain rules, since the material, if handled improperly, can break, crumble. A variety of tools are used to cut foam, for example, a good knife, a soldering iron, a file with fine teeth for wood, metal, nichrome wire, a grinder (only for thin foam).

Let's consider several ways of cutting polystyrene foam materials.

Wire cutting

You can make a special device for processing (cutting) foam plastic at home with your own hands. To do this, you need to purchase a step-down transformer, a string, springs with which the string will be pulled, a pipe with a thickness of 2 cm for lining. The thickness of the polystyrene foam plate itself, which will be cut, must be at least 2 cm.

To equip the countertop for this equipment, you need a table, a profiled sheet, a board. Making such a device for cutting polystyrene foam at home will not be difficult.

Curly cutting

Recently, figured cutting of polystyrene is quite popular, for which a thermal cutter is used. In this case, the cutting element is a nichrome wire fixed to an equipped handle made of insulating material. The thermo cutter makes it possible to make recesses of various shapes in expanded polystyrene.

After such treatment, a melted crust is formed on the surface of the material, which gives greater strength to the material, but also closes the pores. Therefore, it is necessary to use a step-down transformer, which is made by yourself. You just need to purchase specialized transformer iron.

To choose the correct current value, it is necessary to make a rheostat, for which you can use a previously stretched electric stove spiral. To make a winding frame, you can use a ceramic or asbestos-cement pipe (pipe parameters: thickness 1.5-2 cm, length 8 cm). Nichrome wire must be wound around the pipe until the frame is completely filled.

Knife cutting

When insulating the floor base or ceiling with foam plates, it is not at all necessary to use special equipment.

To cut polystyrene foam at home, you must have:

Nice knife.
A ruler more than one meter long.
Pencil.

The procedure for cutting polystyrene foam boards in this way is quite simple:

Preliminarily, on the surface of the material, the points of the beginning and end of the cut line are marked with a pencil.
Next, a ruler is applied to these marks, clamped, and an incision is carefully made along it with a painting knife (it is not necessary to completely cut off a piece of foam).
The expanded polystyrene board is turned over to the other side, and the cut is made in the same way, parallel to the cut already made.
After making the cuts, you just need to break the foam along the line.

Using a hand file

It will be very difficult and ineffective to cut a thicker foam slab over 50 mm with a knife. If you use an electric jigsaw, there will be a lot of debris, and the cut line will not work. Therefore, the best option for cutting polystyrene foam up to 10 cm thick at home with a hand file.

To carry out the work, it is recommended to purchase a file for wood with a length that will allow you to cut material with a thickness of 50-100 mm.

Foam Cutting Machine

Expanded polystyrene is a good insulation, an excellent raw material for various decorative elements, which you can make yourself. For decorative cutting of foam, you need a specialized machine. There are many options for such equipment, it all depends on the intended design of the product.

The material can be cut with tungsten filament.
It should be noted that this filament is hot, but its temperature can be adjusted.... In addition to polystyrene, other materials can be cut with such a thread. This is especially true in the manufacture of various components for stucco molding.
The required stencil is applied to the expanded polystyrene plate, and an object is created with the help of a tungsten thread. This procedure is not difficult, it does not take much time.

Also for the equipment, you can use a construction blade, a cutter. The device of the machines may differ, but the principle of operation remains the same - the use of tungsten filament, which is connected to the mains.With the help of such a device, you can independently make decorative elements from foam plastic of any configuration.

To perform cutting, it is recommended to purchase the following tool:

Tungsten filament.
String.
Thermal cutter.

If you assemble the cutting machine correctly, then there will be no difficulties in the process of work. The main thing is to use a quality tool, to show maximum diligence and attentiveness. And to perform such work, you will not need to contact experienced craftsmen.

Cutting polystyrene foam with a grinder

Cutting a polystyrene foam plate can be done with a grinder, using a metal disk for this work (you need to choose the thinnest disk).

This cutting option is not efficient and comfortable enough, since the work is accompanied by a lot of noise, and after they are completed, a large amount of debris remains.

Cutting polystyrene foam with a soldering iron

The blade is mounted on the end of the soldering iron. After heating the resulting tool, you can cut the material.

Expanded polystyrene lends itself well to coloring, therefore, decorative elements obtained as a result of cutting can be painted. Each option for performing foam cutting has its own advantages, but it is recommended to choose the one that will be less difficult for you.

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Professional foam cutter by yourself

If the volume of work is larger and at the same time curly processing is required, then you should pay attention to professional equipment. Experts use a soldering iron with a knife attachment. The incandescent blade helps create any cut.

During work, safety precautions should be observed so that hot oil does not get on the body or clothing.

At home, you can use homemade equipment with nichrome thread. The method has already shown its effectiveness and convenience. At the same time, there is little waste. The edges are sealed, and the material does not lose its properties.

Required materials to create a homemade tool:

Wire;
Long spoke;
Transformer;
Reastat;
Necessary electrical wires.

The knitting needle is fixed on the table and the thread is pulled between its ends. Then connect the serial connection of the elements. When the current is applied, the thread should only slightly redden. Too hot thread will cause an uneven and wide cut. If a large amount of work is planned, then it is better to purchase a special tool in the store. It heats up quickly and guarantees quality work. But it has a high cost.

Styrofoam cutting has some peculiarities at home. So in preparation, you need to make accurate markings with a sharp pencil. When performing work, you should cut the material from yourself to the side. Cutting should be done in a well-ventilated area or outdoors. When heated, the foam begins to release toxic substances.

Efficiently cutting foam with a string at home

There are many ways to cut polystyrene. But it is important not only to get the job done, but also to make an even smooth edge so that the material does not crumble. The best tool is wire cutting. You can make such a device with your own hands at home.

The manufacturing process requires care, no special skills are needed. Curly cutting is popular, so a thermal cutter is required for work. The cutting tool is a nichrome thread attached to the handle. But some cases do not require a special cutting device.

Necessary tools for work:

Metal ruler;
Pencil;
Stationery knife.

To begin with, using a pencil, a marking of the future cut is made. Further to the line, you need to attach a ruler and use a clerical knife. There is no need to try to get the knife to cut off the plate completely. Then turn the slab over and complete the cut. Then manually complete the incision.

Curly cutting

How to make a homemade foam cutting machine: steps

A machine with nichrome thread is considered the best option for cutting at home. It is quite simple to make it. It is enough to stock up on the necessary tools.

Materials and tools for work:

An old table or structure made of wooden blocks and plywood;
Spiral;
Spring;
Rheostat;
Low power transformer;
Wires;
Two bolts with nuts.

On both sides of the table in the center, you need to retreat 20 cm and drill holes. Then bolts are inserted into the holes and nuts are tightened. Other materials can also play the role of racks, it all depends on the availability of materials at hand. Then a nichrome thread is pulled on one rack at a height of 10 cm from the surface. We fasten the spiral to the second and only then connect the thread.

This attachment of the thread is due to the fact that when heated, the material begins to expand and sags. This reduces the quality of the cut.

Then the wires are brought to the racks. It is advised to connect from below so that they do not interfere with work. Then the wiring is connected to the transformer.

The choice of a transformer is due to many factors. This is influenced by the length, thickness and composition of the nichrome thread. In some cases, a rheostat is used for power supply. This solution is considered safer, since unregulated power can be supplied through the transformer.

The transformer is fixed under the worktop. On this, the homemade device is considered complete. The device is connected to the mains and you can start working.