Cut Foam with Less Mess
A toothless blade will minimize cleanup of dust and debris.
A jigsaw makes quick work of cutting rigid-foam panels to size, but cleaning up those little foam crumbs is a frustrating endeavor. They get blown around by the slightest breeze, and the static makes them stick to everything but the inside of the dust pan. The best way to make cleanup easier is to reduce the mess in the first place. I do that by using a jigsaw blade without any teeth. A toothless blade still cuts through the foam like butter, but it leaves a tiny fraction of the mess. You can buy “knife edge” blades, but I make my own by using a bench grinder to remove the teeth on one of the old dull, standard blades I usually have rattling around in the bottom of my tool case. While grinding, I hold the blade secure with locking pliers.
—Denis Breedlove, Richmond, Ky.
Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller
Published in Fine Homebuilding #308
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Ya know, you can buy knife blades that'll fit most jigsaws. Saves the hassle of trying to grind the teeth off to provide a sharp edge.
https://www.amazon.com/Festool-493656-Foam-cutting-Jigsaw-3-pack/dp/B0033LBOJY/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3MHJIYJGNFDHR&keywords=jigsaw+knife+blade&qid=1654221024&sprefix=jigsaw+knife+blade%2Caps%2C76&sr=8-5
For $22 for a three pack of blades, for the time it takes to grind a used blade to a sharp edge, I save money, time and material to grind old worn out blades !