Cutting foam board…

[Phill Fenton]

Depends on what you call expensive.

I use a small Joiners (carpenters) table saw with an extension table and a straight edge. This allows me to cut forrex quickly, neatly and with ease – it also easily cuts acrylic.

Cost about 450 pounds (I think – must look up the receipts), a lot less expensive than a wall saw and some of the purpose built foam board cutters available that can’t handle other materials like acrylic.

The downside is it produces a lot of dust.

[Martin Pearson]

I can only suggest a table saw the same as Phill has, if you cant afford something just now Gavin then stick with the knife and straight edge and save up. I’m not trying to be funny Gavin but if you want to run a proffessional business sometimes the equipment is going to cost a little more than you would like to pay.
If you are trying to get money from customers for doing a proffessional job you have to look the part to a certain degree. A good quality table saw will last you a lifetime and pay for itself many times over.

[WP_Graphics]

I know what you are saying martin but I ususally get my supplier – Amari – to gut to the sizes I need and get them to send the off-cuts. I’ve already bought a graphtec plotter, Roland Colourcamm PC600, Software, Heat press, Guilatine, vinyl, spreaders, knifes…….oh it goes on and on! When does it stop – I’ve only been going a year!

Gav

[eddie cotter]

i know the feeling gav! i am only working out of a spare room at the moment & i get my supplier to do all my cutting as they do it free!
i am biulding a new workshop after christmas & the first thing i am getting is a good bench saw,,,,eddie

[WP_Graphics]

I’m the same eddie, I work out of home and my kitchen table 😆

A good bench saw would be good but I’m not sure how practical for my working area – I might look at one of these “Practik’s” at some point…

Gav

[Robert Lambie]

bench saws are probably the best way… make sure you get one with a swivel top. this allows you to flip it upside down and use it as a chop saw.. perfect for mitring panatrim and the like… make sure you are using a metal cutting blade for the likes of perspex, foamex and metal of course 😉
if you only buy perspex/foamex in for certain jobs then getting the supplier to cut it is probably the best solution.. the offcuts you are left with should be easily cut with a good stanley.
another method and one i use often is to have a metal cutting blade in our hand held rip saw… it easy cuts persex and the like.. nice finish too…
the downside i have come across in using a table saw is when you are trying cut, say a 3m x 2m sheet of foamex.. trying to guide this thing through without it running off just a tad can be a nightmare… it jams and can have a nasty kick-back when releasing itself.
to eliminate this its always good to build some add on table type supports for the front back and sides.. makes life easier. 😀

[Andrew Blackett]

if you are gonna use a stanley blade, dont make the mistake I made on friday afternoon………………

I was cutting down a board with a knife and metre rule, the rule slipped to one side as I put down full pressure with the knife……sadly my hand didnt slip with the ruler, and the knife went through my finger. It hit the middle finger, at an angle cut right through from my nail and out the other side, cutting all my nerve endings off, and missing the bone by just 2mm.

With luck, the end should heal fine, and I wont lose it. But apparantly I may never get any feeling back in the end because of the nerve damage.

Take care with knives, Ive invested in a safety ruler from jag signs (its the old scenario of “shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted” but I’ve learnt my lesson)

ANDY

Oh, and if you do sustain a similar injury, or indeed any nerve damage anywhere. DONT run it under the tap, no matter how tempted you may be. You make it ten times worse than it needs to be, as your hitting raw nerve endings. I ran mine under the tap, and the pain nearly knocked me over.

[Phill Fenton]

Andy – that’s awful. I’m so sorry to hear of this accident.

I hope you make a quick and full recovery.

I am always very fearful when using my table saw, which is probably a good thing as it keeps me on my guard when using it.

Accidents like this can happen so easily – just a moments lapse in concentration and you can do so much damage.

The same principles apply when working up ladders at heights – it’s so easy to become complacent and forget about the dangers involved.

All the best my friend.

[Martin Pearson]

Sorry to hear about your accident Andy, hope you make a full recovery soon. As well as a good safety rule if you are prone to accidents when using knives might be a chain mail glove, people like seaton sell them, I think they are mainly used in food prep type businesses like fish filleting. I have not used one myself but have been told they are very good, and they are fairly supple so you get good movement of the hand.