Case Foam Cutting

[KS63]

I have a Pelican case that I'd like to cut the inner foam layer for my firearms while I travel. I've seen the YouTube videos and all the different ways one can accomplish this, electric knife, razor blade, hot wire etc. Have any of you done this and how did it turn out? Thanks for your help.

[StagLefty]

Yup-drew the outline on the foam and cut it with one of those snap off blades except I didn't snap off the blade I used it extended all the way.
Came out pretty good I thought.

[MarkCO]

I think the best solution is no foam at all. Get good soft cases, pack them in the pelican and fit around with other gear, clothing and some foam blocks. Most of the people who travel frequently with guns to matches use this method and it works great. Just got back from a Denver to Dulles and back trip and it worked like a charm. Now landing in Dulles last Monday around 1pm made me a tad bit nervous, but the guns were fine. Pulling the camo net and full size dummy out of the back of the car in the parking lot so I could get my guns in was another whole story!

[2XS]

I used a hot wire foam cutter draw an outline and get to work comes out really nice.

[cstone]

One of the guys at Atlas Cases off Santa Fe handed me a plastic knife, like you get at a fast food place. He said that it is what they use and if you take your time, it does an really good job on the pick and pluck in a Pelican.

The other suggestion he made was not to cut the foam at all but to layer the foam in the case. Make sure that you have enough tension in the case with the foam to keep the contents from shifting. Like MarkCo is saying, you are trying to keep the contents from shifting. If you cut inserts in the foam, all you are doing is limiting what you can carry in the case to what you have cut out. Pelicans are too expensive to only put a few things in. Local travel in vehicles, I use soft cases. Air travel gets me to pull out the Pelicans.

[Steps]

PM 00Tec. He has a case and cut his. It came out very nice and he might have some advice for you. I believe he used the hot wire method.

[00tec]

PM 00Tec. He has a case and cut his. It came out very nice and he might have some advice for you. I believe he used the hot wire method.
There you go, talking about me again. :D

I built a hot wire knife using some ni-chrome wire, a transformer, brass rod, dimmer switch,and other miscellaneous crap from the hardware store. Worked well, just have to run slow and low temp to get it right.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p302/mchl_wood/Droid/IMG_20111221_122324.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/mchl_wood/media/Droid/IMG_20111221_122324.jpg.html)

[KS63]

There you go, talking about me again. :D

I built a hot wire knife using some ni-chrome wire, a transformer, brass rod, dimmer switch,and other miscellaneous crap from the hardware store. Worked well, just have to run slow and low temp to get it right.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p302/mchl_wood/Droid/IMG_20111221_122324.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/mchl_wood/media/Droid/IMG_20111221_122324.jpg.html)

That's pretty much what I'd like to do. I like the clean cut lines. I'll probably end up buying a second foam liner for cutting patterns for different guns, too. Where did you get those parts from?

[james_bond_007]

Nice concise article that seems to describe and show pics of a DIY Hot Wire foam cutter.

From 00tec's BOM, it seems to be comprised of almost the same (or very similar) parts.

http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/firing-line/62547-pictoral-guide-home-made-hot-wire-foam-cutter.html

I like the use of the "loop", on the top connection, to let one easily enter it into cutouts.

[00tec]

That's pretty much what I'd like to do. I like the clean cut lines. I'll probably end up buying a second foam liner for cutting patterns for different guns, too. Where did you get those parts from?
The transformer came from radio shack, ni-chrome from ebay, the rest from ace/home depot/lowes/whatever.
I bought 1" foam, 4 pieces, so i could set different levels for everything. The glock is in one layer, the ammo is in 3 and the mags are in 3. I spray glued everything together when i was done cutting.