Using Foam Cutters for Train Scenery and More

You can buy foam from foam stores if you are in an area with one of those places, I've seen a couple. And could be ordered from the internet too.

As a veteran eBayer I know where to get packing materials.

Instead go around to department stores and ask if they got any Styrofoam in with their shipment. Most workers at stores are glad to give you the big chunks that take up space in their dumpster, and are glad to see someone recycling the stuff.

Also check with your local UPS store. When packing stuff for people, they must use their own peanuts and boxes. Lots of times people will unpack their items there and leave the packaging assuming that UPS will reuse it.

Furniture stores get big chunks and wide flat pieces, pet stores also, and anything that gets in lamps, statues or breakables.

Another source is the free section of Craig's list, where recycle responsible people offer piles of foam up for eBayers.

The electric foam cutters have a safety. As soon as you let go of the button, the wire is cool again. The wire only melts the foam while the button is pushed on.

The foam cutter I have is a square Y shape with the wire going across the top, so I can only cut into a piece of foam about 5". What I do it take chunks off if I need to cut deeper.

Amazingly they recently came out with a foam cutting knife. Yahoo! You can carve away and shape foam any way you like.

When getting foam for free, they might not be desired shapes, have holes or not tall enough. The best thing to use to fill in space is the spray insulation foam that can be found at the hardware store. It makes strong glue for odd pieces, swells up and can be carved after it is dry.

Please be careful with the spray foam, it's the strongest adhesive I know. It will stick to your skin for a week. I have used it to hold together a fingernail that was broken too far back. It held up long enough for my nail to grow out to a safe clipping length.

The odd piece you see above that looks like pillars, I will be turning into a mountain by adding other chunks and spray foam, for a lens on Z scale. Keep an eye out for that.

Hot Wire Foam Cutter

CRAFTERS HOT KNIFE, Foam Cutter w/ 6" Blade, Gets up to 700 degrees F

Dow Chemical Co. 157854 Do it Best Triple Expanding Foam Sealant

We keep a small room just for eBay packing. It's full of peanuts, boxes and foam.

One day there was a huge crashing avalanche of packing material in the eBay room. We go over to the room and out walks Lulu with her mad face on, head down and bits of foam and peanuts all over her.

Another foam - Lulu bell funny:

Here's Lulu in a cut foam box. After she was given catnip, she tore up the box and got foam bits all over her self.