Home Forums Sign Making Discussions Neon, LED, Lighting how do i cut foamboard into an eclipse shape?

  • how do i cut foamboard into an eclipse shape?

    Posted by Lee Harris on 17 February 2005 at 12:49

    Hi All

    I have a 2440x1220mm sheet of 10mm Foamboard that I have to cut in to an eclipse for a customer..

    Long time since I left school. So what’s the best way to mark out the shape.

    Any & all help is welcome.

    Regards
    Lee

    John Singh replied 20 years, 7 months ago 9 Members · 13 Replies
  • 13 Replies
  • Shane Drew

    Member
    17 February 2005 at 13:06

    Lee, create a shape on my plotter and print it to paper, then spray the substrate with artists spray adhesive, lay the paper plot over the substrate, then jigsaw the shape out.

    hope that makes sense, coz it has just confused me 😕

  • hullitec

    Member
    17 February 2005 at 13:17

    Or as Shane said, use the plotter but cut some cheap vinyl and stick it on the face before cutting out.

    Mike

  • Peter Normington

    Member
    17 February 2005 at 13:23

    same way as I would do it ,but if you dont have a polotter wide enough,
    Cut the elipse into 4 in the software indside a box , and just use the outside corners, if you see what I mean, saves a lot of material
    Peter

  • Jill Marie Welsh

    Member
    17 February 2005 at 13:36

    Won’t the vinyl tear off the paper surface of the foamboard?
    Maybe yours is different from ours.
    I’d do as Shane suggested, and make sure you use
    a new snap-off razor knife and snap off a fresh blade frequently.
    When I cut that crap, it looks like the dog gnawed it!
    Good luck.
    Love…..Jill

  • Dennis Shepherd

    Member
    17 February 2005 at 14:13

    When I was at school I learned to cut an elipse by placing two nails at the ends of the elipse and tying string between them but slack enough to reach the width across the middle. Place a pencil inside the string and keeping it taught draw from nail to nail, it forms one side of the elipse and then do the bottom half ( if you see what I mean.) Get the length of the string right and you have an elipse – any size!

    I assume it still works.

    Deeks (Dennis)

  • Bill Dewison

    Member
    17 February 2005 at 14:35

    Personally I’d do it the way Peter described, seems easiest and in 651, cheap as chips 😀 (well northern chips anyway 😀 )

    Is that how you ment it Peter?

    Cheers, Dewi

  • Bill Dewison

    Member
    17 February 2005 at 14:47

    Forgot to add 😳 Leave the app tape on when you’ve applied it to the foamboard, and the vinyl shouldn’t lift or tear whilst you’re jigsawing it as long as you stay a couple of mil away from the vinyl.

    I make sign blanks this way, but I often leave the vinyl on and use it as a background.

    Cheers, Dewi

  • Richard Urquhart

    Member
    17 February 2005 at 14:59

    dewi mate your a bit of a pro good diagram thanks mate

  • Lee Harris

    Member
    17 February 2005 at 15:14

    Thanks for all of the suggestions, but I’ll be trying Dennis’s way. That’s the way I was taught, when I was at school.

    Once again, thanks for your help.
    Regards
    Lee

  • Peter Normington

    Member
    17 February 2005 at 18:30

    spot on dewi.
    I didnt realise i was in a file posting forum or would have done the diagram.
    Old fashoned way sounds good though, but for such a large oval, a steady hand would be needed.
    btw will get round to trying the samples soon.

  • Lee Harris

    Member
    21 February 2005 at 15:20

    Hi Dewi

    Went with your method in the end. CJ, my daughter just loves the numbers you put on……..’there groovey’…she said.

    I’ll tell Dewi what you said……’he’ll think I’m mad’ she said….you can make up your own mind ….she’s coming to SignUK with us.

    Thanks for the help

    Regards
    Lee

  • Bill Dewison

    Member
    21 February 2005 at 21:27

    If she is mad, she’ll fit right in! :lol1: This SignUK is going to be quite the gathering of the masses by the sounds of it!

    Glad the diagram helped though 😀

    Peter, its not a forum you can readily put piccies/attachments into, but if you have some hosting space, you can insert images using BBcode. Its not ideal as many ppl have done this in the past, then lost their hosting space, causing the dreaded red crossed box to appear, but sometimes a picture speaks a thousand words and it has to be done 🙄 I half-inched your idea myself as I’m trying to build a fancy schmancy sign at the moment with a rounded top 😀

    Cheers, Dewi

  • John Singh

    Member
    22 February 2005 at 00:42

    There you go Lee
    Just when your back was against the wall, Dewi had you cornered

    Jillbeans: I don’t think foamboard here is the same as the stuff you used by the sound of it. Vinyl is meant to be put on it and it can be removed without harm

    John

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