What is the best adhesive for gluing eva foam strips together or for eva inlays? Thanks!
David Spence

Some folks use 5 min. epoxy. However, I like regular old Dap Weldwood thinned to a very runny consistency. Done properly, there is no visible glue line at all, and I haven't had one come apart yet.

Dave

Contact cement - the Dap Weldwood mentioned above, is the stuff.

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Now if someone could tell me how to get good straight cross and rip cuts, I'd be a very happy camper.

So far the best cross cuts I can get are with a mitre box and razor saw, but I have to do a lot of dressing of the joints after the fact. As far as rip cuts, I've had no luck what so ever, so if anybody has any hints let me know.

Dave

A table saw with a fine tooth blade and good miter attachment makes nice cuts! (Obviously, you need to excercise caution with any power tool - danger is always only a complacent moment away.)

If you are using a miter box and fine tooth saw, dressing of the faces is easily done with a stationairy disk sander. Takes only seconds.

These are the methods I use and I realize having access to power tools makes the job somewhat easier. There are probably some other hand methods that work equally well and I am sure someone will chime in.

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And I wanna thank you!! My buddy has a nice table saw, but we had problems with the stock kicking back while trying to rip strips once the stock had progressed passed the width of the blade.

I suggested a fine tooth blade, and he looked at me like I was nuts, and since he knows a lot more than I do about saws and such, I just let it drop.

But I bet the fine tooth blade is the key right?? If so, does it have to be a really nice table saw, or can it be on of the off the shelf models they sell at the local hardware store?

Dave

Oh yeah, sorry David, I didn't mean to highjack your thread.

Dave

I'm not an expert at cutting foam grips on a table saw by any means. And I know one gentleman who cut his hand from between his index and middle finger back to his wrist while using a tablesaw to cut another type of foam on. So I don't want to come off as some expert on how to utilize a table saw for cutting EVA grips - I'm not. I just moved ahead with some basic idea of what blade would be required to cut a soft material such as EVA. It worked fine for me.

I have not ripped any lengthwise and would only do it if the EVA was in block form. It could be tricky with a round piece. For crosscuts and angle cuts though, a good miter should be fine and will work with block or round stock.

I have found it very easy to do, but would still urge you to use extreme caution.

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David,

I use a little $100 Black & Decker band saw I bought years ago. It cuts EVA, Hypalon, cork, even rod blanks just as clean as you would want.

Ray Alston

Jeeez Tom:
I'm still flinching just from reading that. Being accident prone myself, I can guarantee you that I use extreme caution in everything that I do. But man, every time I think of that I cringe!! Actually I don't think I'll ever use a table saw again without picturing that in my mind!! So I'll be even more cautious in the future.

Ray:
My buddy has a nice band saw, and I think I'll give it a shot. I'm also gonna try a fine tooth blade on his table saw, and if it works, I'll let you guys know.

Thanks Guys
Dave

ow, jeez, oh man, nightmares tonight for sure!!!

David,

Sorry, I wasn't out to cause anyone any nightmares. I just wanted to point out that all power tools can be dangerous if not used correctly and given the proper respect, and when we start using them to work with materials that I'm not sure they were designed for, well... there can be some surprises.

With a fine tooth blade and a good miter, I haven't had any problems with catches or kickbacks when cutting EVA and I used to do quite a bit of it.

The band saw sounds interesting and while I haven't used mine to do this sort of thing, it might be an even better choice.

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There is a type of saw made that consists of a fine wire for cutting. Sort of like a cheese cutter,that will make clean cuts in hypalon or eva materials. Looks kind of like a hacksaw or coping saw frame but the blade is a fine wire coated with fine abrasive grit. I have seen them at some hardward stores but got mine from a friend who is in the jewelry business.