Cutting styrofoam with a table saw

It works great. I have done it dozens of times. You will end up with little fuzzies all over the place.

Years ago the Styrofoam installers I saw were using a hot wire to cut it.

Doing tilt-up Concrete walls…the middle layer is foam board….had to set the rip fence a few times, to get a tight fit inside the forms….Blue Fuzz everywhere…but it works. As long as the blade's teeth are above the foam.

As above done it on 2" thick foam slabs used to insulate the garage doors. Cut on both table saw and bandsaw. Like they said fuzz everywhere. Easy to do.

Yes it cuts nicely on a TS but it can jam easily.

One word - blizzard

No idea about your application, but a hot knife is kind of nice to use. I've got a handheld commercial one, but Harbor Freight has them for $20. Again - no idea of your application though.

And yes, I've used power saws and have witnessed routers being used for decorative grooves on foam walls. It's why I recommend hot knives… be sure you're in a well ventilated area when using though, foam smoke can't be good for you.

It works great for ICF, and other foam products, just a mess to clean up after.

Bullet Tools makes a dustless blade for foam. My experience cutting Schluter Kerdi shower pans and curbs (foam covered with Kerdi waterproofing membrane is that there is very, very minimal cleanup.

https://www.amazon.com/Bullet-Tools-CenterFire-Poly-ISO-insulation/dp/B00KM0RLUU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?adgrpid=128521618693&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3v6SBhCsARIsACyrRAlfq-lSsv8lKjlGF-BXpwD9lt9pKJgxB6_K5tY5QcsBINxq7myeAYIaAgwyEALw_wcB&hvadid=555556880386&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9033263&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=5487526820210039734&hvtargid=kwd-304153313880&hydadcr=20377_9349067&keywords=foam+saw+blade&qid=1650507683&sr=8-3

I use these Dewalt blades, they cut a very thin kerf so you get much less of the snow globe effect. They make these in a number of iterations, from a very low number of teeth to many. They used to be really inexpensive, they are not too expensive now but they were a real barging if you purchased multi packs. These blades are also excellent for cutting/separating the top from the body during box builds where the sides have highly figured wood as the kerfs are so thin that you will hardly see the parting line, i.e. the grain patterns will flow well across the line.

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW3592B10-4-Inch-Carbide-Circular/dp/B000AQEIPC/ref=sr_1_18?crid=G2ZG9UJ3SA9Q&keywords=dewalt+7.25+circular+saw+blade&qid=1650507956&sprefix=dewalt+7.25+saw+blade%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-18

I've never done it and don't have a need to. However, a couple of thoughts: Would it be better to use a very fine tooth (90-120) plywood blade to minimize the "snow"? Also, I wonder if you could make the cut almost all the way though, but not quite (leave perhaps 1/4-1/2"), and then snap it or finish it with a knife?

The Bullet Tools blade HammerThumb shows is very interesting.

Foam doesn't "snap" all that clean.

Usually I was outside, in the middle of a job site….pile of blue flakes would be just swept over into the back-fill areas…then buried..adds a bit of insulation to the foundations…

Fine toothed( plywood blades) simply gummed up….and the gullets would just fill up.

One of those jobs was up in Kalida, OH…..was working on the day the Twin Towers fell…..

This is just a random thought, though maybe a little late 10 days later. John Heisz made a paper saw blade and actually cut some thin pieces of wood with it. I wonder if you could make one out of some cereal box cardboard and use it to cut through the foam little or now snow?

This is just a random thought, though maybe a little late 10 days later. John Heisz made a paper saw blade and actually cut some thin pieces of wood with it. I wonder if you could make one out of some cereal box cardboard and use it to cut through the foam little or now snow?

- Lazyman

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Already done. I used a standard Freud 10" blade. I can't get too fancy with blades because I have a SawStop saw.