Foam cutting

[butchbird]

So I've begun to build-up my scenic and terrain selection for my wargaming table. Something I don't have and IS a must-have are hills.

A while back I found a big piece of insulation foam so I took out a few knives and tried cutting through it...nothing does the trick.

So I looked up on the zinternets and found out about foam cutting tools.

Anybody uses those? I'm looking into it but know nothing about it and very few stores hold any in my region. A quick search came up with just one flimsy-wismy foam cutter that looks like it only does small jobs, unfit for my needs, but amazon has quite the selection.

Of course, being a cash-strapped cheapskate and not going to need it so much, I'm not willing to pay much...foam cutting pens look like a good choice but I'M not sure they'd do the job.

Anybody can fill me in?

[CranstonSnord]

I've been using this as my workhorse for about 20 years. I had to replace the nichrome wire a couple of years ago, but that's after a ton of cutting.

https://www.dickblick.com/items/marvy-super-hotwire-foam-cutter-14-x-7-12-x-2-14/?clicktracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=57530-1001&country=us&currency=usd&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7NO7BhDsARIsADg_hIYOfECycp54Jh3aJK_3RcyuSbUvjBAGsgRjIPLHaT-VRIy6JePwxC8aAp0dEALw_wcB

[worktroll]

You want really cheap-ass? Get a box knife (one of those extendable ones) and a candle. Use a new blade. Extend the blade, slice it down the handle a few times, then cut through the foam until it starts to stick. Repeat the waxing as required.

That's how I did these:



Now I didn't want photo-realistic terrain; I wanted something that made it clear if something was up a level or not, and had no challenges with minis overbalancing on slopes. Depends what you're after.

[Charlie Tango]

You want really cheap-ass? Get a box knife (one of those extendable ones) and a candle. Use a new blade. Extend the blade, slice it down the handle a few times, then cut through the foam until it starts to stick. Repeat the waxing as required.

Do the technique with the candle, but use a serrated blade knife (like a cheap steak knife).  It will get stuck less.

Another tip for foam:  You can use things like white styrofoam and even floral foam as well for terrain, if after you cut the pieces you coat them in Gesso (the stuff artists use to prep canvases), or even cheap latex house paint.  It gives you a paintable surface.  I prefer Gesso (it takes a few coats of the cheap stuff) but since Gesso is acrylic paint you can pre-tint it with other acrylic paint. Once it has been Gessoed you can even use spray paint; I like to use the "rock look" spray paint.

[butchbird]

That knife & wax tip is the best cheap-arse trick I've been given, works much better then what I've been advised as of now for that kind of means. Many thanks all and Blake bless the BT community.

Testing it, it gives a much better cut then other tricks of the same kind, can make ok slopes , can make clear longitudinal cuts to get the "level 1" kind of height for a hill...

Will probably get a foam cutting pen nonetheless, it's been well recommended elsewhere and at 20 canadian bucks it's whithin my budget. As neat as the knife & wax trick is, making smallish hills for 15mm miniatures to have partial cover seems a bit too much to ask, my test piece wasn't liking it much.

[Pat Payne]

Do the technique with the candle, but use a serrated blade knife (like a cheap steak knife).  It will get stuck less.

Another tip for foam:  You can use things like white styrofoam and even floral foam as well for terrain, if after you cut the pieces you coat them in Gesso (the stuff artists use to prep canvases), or even cheap latex house paint.  It gives you a paintable surface.  I prefer Gesso (it takes a few coats of the cheap stuff) but since Gesso is acrylic paint you can pre-tint it with other acrylic paint. Once it has been Gessoed you can even use spray paint; I like to use the "rock look" spray paint.

Even better -- I've learned a technique off of the web that calls for mixing paint or gesso with a glue like Mod Podge or similar PVA glues (could work with bog-standard Elmer's too). I've been doing the mix (basically 3 parts  or so -- precision is NOT required -- Mod Podge to a part of paint of the color you want and then add sand to taste depending on the texture you're going for) and applying it to my pink foam terrain hills lately. The stuff is rock-hard tough, can be used to gap-fill seams in stepped hills and looks reasonably nice.

[Charlie Tango]

Even better -- I've learned a technique off of the web that calls for mixing paint or gesso with a glue like Mod Podge or similar PVA glues (could work with bog-standard Elmer's too). I've been doing the mix (basically 3 parts  or so -- precision is NOT required -- Mod Podge to a part of paint of the color you want and then add sand to taste depending on the texture you're going for) and applying it to my pink foam terrain hills lately. The stuff is rock-hard tough, can be used to gap-fill seams in stepped hills and looks reasonably nice.

That's a very good tip as well. Thanks!!