16 Feb Hot Knife

While insulation foam is a great option for creating backdrops and other elements of a set; cutting it into desired shapes can be tedious. We’ve found that a hot knife is the best option for carving shapes, letters and other curved pieces of the set. If you are looking for a straight, clean cut then it is best to cut with a sharp utility knife.

NOTE: You cannot use a hot knife on craft foam core because it will burn the paper that is attached to it. A sharp utility knife will work for craft foam core. In addition, when carving insulation foam with a hot knife, a respiratory mask should be worn to avoid inhaling toxic fumes.

Here is an example of the process we use to create set elements that require a hot knife:

Projected image onto insulation foam

Carving the image

Painting the image