Cutting Gun Case Foam (lots of photos) - Page 4

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Cutting Gun Case Foam (lots of photos) (Page 4 of 10)

Posted: 4/4/2007 9:09:58 PM EDT

[#1]

tag.

Posted: 4/4/2007 9:19:52 PM EDT

[#2]

Yeah, I finally started cuting the foam and it does cool down the wire once you unplug it. On that note it's really not that hard. I will say you have to be quite careful when cutting. If you don't keep the foam straight it's really easy to get off the straight line(the foam stretches). All in all it's not super bad ass like the OP but it gets the job done and looks decent.

Posted: 4/7/2007 9:07:59 PM EDT

[#3]

Bump

I'm shocked (shocked I tell you), that this has not been pinned yet...

Posted: 4/7/2007 11:48:52 PM EDT

[#4]

That's just sexy. Thanks for the new wallpaper for my desktop, hahaha.

Posted: 4/16/2007 11:34:10 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
Oh, I completely agree, and MFINGAR deserves all the credit in the world! My thanks go out to him for his excellent explanation of HOW to do all of this foam cutting. However, I am a lazy man, and would rather spend $60 on a pre-made hot wire cutting table than go through all of the effort of building one.

What the hell kind of Triple Tabber are you? Must be a 7th Group guy.

Posted: 5/2/2007 8:44:59 PM EDT

[#6]

thanks for this thread Mark...here's a candid shot of my first cuts...still have to get a 12th model to go in there

Posted: 5/3/2007 5:16:19 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
thanks for this thread Mark...here's a candid shot of my first cuts...still have to get a 12th model to go in there

img264.imageshack.us/img264/3964/200704251tl7.jpg

That looks perfect
very nice job

Posted: 5/3/2007 4:43:23 PM EDT

[#8]

ost

Posted: 5/5/2007 11:38:59 AM EDT

[#9]

Posted: 5/5/2007 11:56:00 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
ost

Posted: 5/11/2007 11:27:20 AM EDT

[#11]

I am trying to figure out which foam to buy, and having some trouble, i went to the site that mark suggested but his foam looks like charcoal however people are saying closed cell foam, i really would like to get some feedback so i know what foam to buy for my cases

Posted: 5/11/2007 5:55:00 PM EDT

[#12]

Great post!!

I wish I'd found this thread before I started on my Pelican for my Sig. I'll be ordering a new piece of foam and a hot wire cutter. Mine looks like crap!!

Posted: 5/14/2007 6:31:36 AM EDT

[#13]

Well......this is my first try at my Pelican 1720 :

Posted: 5/14/2007 12:03:30 PM EDT

[#14]

+1 on tacking this thread....great info!!!

Posted: 5/14/2007 2:06:52 PM EDT

[#15]

Finished this a few months ago and it is working great. I used surplus GI sleep mats and a slide blade to cut it...the biggest trick was keeping the blade perpendicular to the foam and switching blades when they became the least bit dull. I used 3M adhesive to glue the layers of foam together.

Posted: 5/17/2007 5:32:02 PM EDT

[#16]

Ok, so I am a dumbass and can't figure this out. I understand how you would cut a small piece of foam with this cutter, but how do you cut in the middle of a large sheet? For example, if my M4 is the center piece and it is located in the middle of the case with over 6" of foam on top and bottom, how does it fit under the arm of the cutter? do you fold the foam to get it under the arm?

I don't even know if I explained it well.

Posted: 5/17/2007 5:37:17 PM EDT

[#17]

I don't think that is a dumb question but if it is I am in the same boat as you are. I have been trying to figure out this same question with out asking it and like yourself I can only think of folding the foam.

Posted: 5/17/2007 6:06:46 PM EDT

[#18]

Thats the advantage of making (or modifying) one instead of using a bought one as-is.

I've used hot wire foam cutters for a long time, they're not hard to build, and if you already have one, modifying it for a bigger bite is easily done with some home-depot or lowes parts and a little brainpower to give you the size arm and platform you need.

I think I still have one I made many moons ago in high school from an old transformer and a light dimmer. Built that one to ride on wood templates to cut wings for RC planes.

Posted: 5/19/2007 8:43:28 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Ok, so I am a dumbass and can't figure this out. I understand how you would cut a small piece of foam with this cutter, but how do you cut in the middle of a large sheet?

Cut a small hole in the middle of the foam with a knife. Unhook the wire from the arm, feed it through the hole, and reattach it to the arm. You are now ready to cut in the middle.

Posted: 5/20/2007 8:17:05 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
I don't think that is a dumb question but if it is I am in the same boat as you are. I have been trying to figure out this same question with out asking it and like yourself I can only think of folding the foam.

Especially when it comes to the end of the opening and you still have 12 inches of foam to the end of the case but the foam is too wide to just go across and back down.

Posted: 5/22/2007 5:39:25 AM EDT

[#21]

bump for a sticky. Anyone want to sell their cutting rig yet???

Posted: 5/22/2007 5:51:03 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
bump for a sticky.

+1

Posted: 5/23/2007 11:21:55 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
I am trying to figure out which foam to buy, and having some trouble, i went to the site that mark suggested but his foam looks like charcoal however people are saying closed cell foam, i really would like to get some feedback so i know what foam to buy for my cases

Yeah, I'd like to know too. I'm just going to order the 1.5" dense foam in charcoal. I already have a cut foam case but I need to re-do it to fit my SPR upper in there, so i gotta re-do the whole thing. And I don't need the full replacement foam set from pelican either. Yeesh they want a lot for those.

Posted: 5/23/2007 8:36:07 PM EDT

[#24]

my pelican just came in and i'm going to try to cut some this weekend..

i dont get how all of you guys remore your sights/scopes etc ..

dont you have to re sight them everytime?

Posted: 5/24/2007 5:09:28 AM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
my pelican just came in and i'm going to try to cut some this weekend..

i dont get how all of you guys remore your sights/scopes etc ..

dont you have to re sight them everytime?

Nope.

ETA: LaRue QD mounts don't lose their zero.

Posted: 5/24/2007 9:32:02 AM EDT

[#26]

Well I'm glad I found this thread today. I JUST screwed up my foam yesterday. Awesome!

Posted: 5/24/2007 9:39:24 AM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:

ETA: LaRue QD mounts don't lose their zero.

Hard to belive but i'll take your word.

i'm going to try to buy just the wire and rig up my own jig, if not i'm going to use a nice 4" razor blade

Posted: 5/24/2007 4:57:56 PM EDT

[#28]

If you want to use a knife of some sort, X-acto sells some long straight wood carving blades that work pretty well. Another approach is to get one of the small knives with retracting breakoff blades.

The problem with using knives is that they must be SHARP. Any drag will distort the foam & give you poor results. A lot of the foam is amazingly hard on edges, and when I used to do this a lot I could only cut about a foot or two before I needed to swap out blades. I eventually got a large surgical grade hard Arkansas stone so I could re-sharpen them.

Posted: 5/24/2007 9:29:19 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:

Quoted:

ETA: LaRue QD mounts don't lose their zero.

Hard to belive but i'll take your word.

i'm going to try to buy just the wire and rig up my own jig, if not i'm going to use a nice 4" razor blade

take my word too, they don't, my Leupold has been on and off a few dozen times and has held MOA each and every trip to the range..i was a bit skeptical of this performance at first, but it has proven true each time....

Posted: 5/29/2007 3:46:33 PM EDT

[#30]

Tag.

Posted: 5/29/2007 3:56:59 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:

Quoted:

ETA: LaRue QD mounts don't lose their zero.

Hard to belive but i'll take your word.

The amount they lose is within their margin of error for MOA. A long range sub-MOA bolt gun would be a different story.

Posted: 5/29/2007 7:28:27 PM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:

Quoted:

ETA: LaRue QD mounts don't lose their zero.

Hard to belive but i'll take your word.

The amount they lose is within their margin of error for MOA. A long range sub-MOA bolt gun would be a different story.

Thanks, i'm going to mount a 1/8 moa scope on my AR.. i'll figure it out later..

back to the topic...

My 1720 case came in this week, and i also built a wire foam cutter from scratch.. i'll do a write up this weekend.. when i buy a new sheet of foam to play around with. (Local foam store was closed for the holiday)

Posted: 6/4/2007 9:15:30 AM EDT

[#33]

Tag to a great thread..........

Posted: 6/4/2007 11:32:11 AM EDT

[#34]

Hmmmm interestingly enough Ive been contemplating building my own carbon fiber cases.

You guys are a smart bunch..................anyone know where I can get all the accessories like hinges, clamp lips and handles from?

I dont really want to buy cases just to gut them and remake them.

Yeah its gucci but I own a carbon fiber shop so I kinda have an excuse.

Posted: 6/6/2007 5:38:58 PM EDT

[#35]

TAG

I want to get one of these cases just so I can cut the foam out

Posted: 6/8/2007 11:15:35 AM EDT

[#36]

Bump

Posted: 6/8/2007 2:25:30 PM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:
Hmmmm interestingly enough Ive been contemplating building my own carbon fiber cases.

You guys are a smart bunch..................anyone know where I can get all the accessories like hinges, clamp lips and handles from?

Check out Ohio Travel Bag

If they don't have it, it doesn't exist...

Warning: They don't like dealing with small customers. If you only need stuff for one or two cases, you will need to find a luggage repair shop in your area that has an account with them. Then you have to see if you can talk them into adding your stuff to their next order.

Posted: 6/10/2007 8:02:46 PM EDT

[#38]

I'd be so lost without the internet and forums like this. Thanks all for the tips and advice. After reading everything, I bought a Proxxon Hot Wire Cutter to use on my Pelican 1750. Made the templates as others suggested, which made cutting so much easier, and glued the bottom two pieces together with Aleene's Foamtastic glue that's just for foam bonding.

Here are my results, and I could not have done it without you all. THANKS!

Posted: 6/10/2007 9:00:43 PM EDT

[#39]

airsoft

Posted: 6/11/2007 6:19:18 AM EDT

[#40]

OK, who wants to sell me their wire cutter now???

Posted: 6/11/2007 8:34:17 AM EDT

[#41]

height=8

Quoted:
height=8

Quoted:
Hmmmm interestingly enough Ive been contemplating building my own carbon fiber cases.

You guys are a smart bunch..................anyone know where I can get all the accessories like hinges, clamp lips and handles from?

Check out Ohio Travel Bag

If they don't have it, it doesn't exist...

Warning: They don't like dealing with small customers. If you only need stuff for one or two cases, you will need to find a luggage repair shop in your area that has an account with them. Then you have to see if you can talk them into adding your stuff to their next order.

Hey thanks for the tip, unfortunately they dont make the "trim" (we couldnt figure out what it would be called) that the two "clamshell" halves would need to but up against one another. If you look at the pelican case or most any plastic case, a racetrack is run around the perimeters that seals up against each side. I cant reproduce that in carbon fiber but if I can find it in aluminum or plastic Ill be money.

And let me tell ya, I have some gucci carbon! hahahaa

Posted: 6/12/2007 12:57:23 PM EDT

[#42]

What if you bashed a toaster and stretched out the heating element to get the wire and used the controls to control the heat? I think my mom has an old one she doesnt use anymore.... or even pick one up at a thrift store for a few bucks? Necessity is the mother of invention!

Posted: 6/12/2007 1:06:11 PM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:
What if you bashed a toaster and stretched out the heating element to get the wire and used the controls to control the heat? I think my mom has an old one she doesnt use anymore.... or even pick one up at a thrift store for a few bucks? Necessity is the mother of invention!

your comparing a 110 volt toaster to a 2 D cell foam cutter. I wouldn't suggest it. Plus it probably gets too hot.

Posted: 6/12/2007 8:08:15 PM EDT

[#44]

Quoted:

Quoted:
What if you bashed a toaster and stretched out the heating element to get the wire and used the controls to control the heat? I think my mom has an old one she doesnt use anymore.... or even pick one up at a thrift store for a few bucks? Necessity is the mother of invention!

your comparing a 110 volt toaster to a 2 D cell foam cutter. I wouldn't suggest it. Plus it probably gets too hot.

+1 DON'T DO IT

Posted: 6/12/2007 9:10:34 PM EDT

[#45]

Cruise a thrift store or your local curbside garbage. Anyone throwing out a printer or phone or other item. It is bound to have a wall wart transformer that is anywhere from 5 to 12 volts. That is a much better hard wired soultion than a toaster.

Or better yet go to radio shack or another electronics type store and buy a transformer with selectable output from say 3-12 volts.

Posted: 6/13/2007 5:49:23 AM EDT

[#46]

I didnt say anything about a power supply, just the wire and control. You could use battery, solar, two horny fireflys going to town but I didn't say anything about no power supply!