Finally I was able to track down the ever elusive (atleast for me) foam board that I see being used by modellers in this forum time to time again for making bases and other ruins at my hardware store. But the problem is the least thickness they carry is 1/2" 8X4 board. So the question is, How can I cut the board to a thickness less than 1/2" uniformly for pavements , sidewalks etc. I tried to cut it by drawin lines on the peripehery of the board , but soon realized the blade length is not long enought to go deeper and snapping it only gave me non uniform 1/4" slabs.. What am I doing wrong here...? Do I need any other tool like a long hacksaw blade or something? How can I guide it evenly to have a perfect unifrom thickness slab?
Thanks
V

A hot wire cutter is the best method. a longer saw could work as well.

Hi.
Some scratching with an old Jigsaw.
You need, as I said a jigsaw, a thin metal wire and an old adapter(old cellphone0
Make a plus and minus by insulation the wire from the jigsaw. Connect the adapter, or maybe a battery. Thin copper or metal thread will get warm and you can cut the foam very easy.
We did use such a selfmade tool at school long time ago.

Regards,

Robert Jan

Thanks Matt and Robert for a speedy reply. See I was sure I was missing some thing here. So I need to either build my own hot wire foam cutter or go buy one now.. Any cheap brand available in the market here in US?

Try Micro Mark, they usually have several

make an electric wire cutter. All you need is a DIY foam cutter, hot wire cutter.

Are you referring to foamboard which is generally 1/4" thick foam and faced on both sides with thick paper, or sheets of insulating foam (blue or pink)? If insulating foam, definately a hot knife, or hot wire, type cutter. It's faster, and doesn't make tons of foam 'sawdust', which gets statically charged and sticks everywhere .

Biggles,
I am talking about the pink insulation boards. Mine came with a clear sheet on the surface which I peeled off.
Thanks
V

Thanks a bunch for the videos Dave..
Regards
V

I also was unsure about what you meant by foamboard.
Here we have Micheals stores that sell foam cutters.
I'm sure in the States you have big box craft stores that will have them.One trick is to do a bit at a time and let the wire either burn the foam off it or wipe it clean.
Either way,it's very easy to sand any resadue off the piece you want.

Tom

If you use a hot wire foam cutter, don't glue sheets of insulating foam to make it thicker - especially not carpenter's glue. The wire won't like it as the bond is tougher than the foam, and you could wreck your wire . Speaking from experience .