Shaping HD foam for pedals

[fleabag]

I'm going to refit my pedal board with High Density foam, rather than what it came with.

But i want my  3 pedals to sit IN the foam and not ON  the foam, so i need to shape it. I've looked at hot knives but they seem to be more for cutting easy shapes

for cushions or whatnot, but i need some kind of hot knife that can cut the foam down to half its depth and scoop out the shape of the pedal. I will not be cutting

all the way through the foam, so i;m struggling to know what kind of tool this is called or if they exist.

Anyone know what i'm talking about ?

[keeponehandloose]

Get 2 layers of foam that are half thickness and cut right through one then put it on top of the uncut one...

[fleabag]

Great idea - cheers

Unfortunately,   the foam has been ordered already, and i dont have that luxury now.  Should have waited i suppose and now i;m doing it the hard way.

 

So a hot knife - do any of them have a kind of wire loop on them so that can cut down to a certain depth and then scoop along to cut the bottom ?

[lurksalot]

Hot knives , wow , that takes me back a bit 😉

A multitool might work , it's effectively a tool which will cut by vibrating a blade , though if you haven't got one or access to one with the relevant blades , it would be cheaper to buy new foam ! 

[Dad3353]

Cut through completely, then, then cut the cut-out pieces in half in thickness. A hot wire can do that pretty easily. There may be modellers near you that do foam 'planes..? They may well have hot wire equipment (although it's easily cobbled up, too; search t'web  for 'diy hot wire foam')... 

 

Edited June 14, 2018 by Dad3353

[fleabag]

That sounds like a great compromise,  ( and based on the what onehandloose said ) now that i've done it all back to front.

yes, cut through the whole foam in the shape i want, then slice the bit i've cut out in half, longways. I can then ' plug ' the hole with half of the shape i just cut.

Nice work daddy o.

It means i dont need a specialist cutter, just a plain old sharp knife

Edited June 14, 2018 by fleabag

[TrevorR]

I have one of these. They’re brilliant...

 

https://www.zoro.co.uk/shop/welding--brazing-and-soldering/soldering-irons-and-stations/8100udk-expert-soldering-kit/p/ZT1000919X?utm_campaign=pla-Welding%2c+Brazing+%26+Soldering+-+&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping-pla&utm_keyword=ZT1000919X&istCompanyId=6aa6787b-063e-4414-802d-129f235df603&istItemId=wtqiiqqapm&istBid=tztx&gclid=CjwKCAjwpIjZBRBsEiwA0TN1r_QHzI0nyvV2mp1Fw8lTt4RtDR8n6eP8BwbluRR50aAwsY5iiVweEhoCZy0QAvD_BwE

 

[mybass]

Electric bread cutter

 

[fleabag]

Thats the one Trevor..  with a heated loop  rather than just a hot blade - well found 

[TrevorR]

Had mine 20+ years. Still going strong!

[fleabag]

Its actually a soldering station but it should do the job