Thursday I was watching Ace of Cakes and they were making a Tower of London cake. Only it wasn't going to be any cake, it was just a prop, so they were going to make the "cake" part out of foam core board. Well, it shows him cutting the foam core board on the band saw and everyone's going crazy because it makes a horrible noise. What I want to know is, is this some kind of special foam core board? The foam core that we used all through art school and that my students use (art teacher) would be a heck of a lot easier to cut on a mat cutter or with a carpet knife and yardstick. I see them using "foam core" all the time on cakes and I'm wondering if it's different than what you buy at Michaels or Hobby Lobby.

I use a mat knife or carpet knife or whatever they're called in the US. No problem.

probably no one has ever informed Duff that he can cut them with a scalpel or exacto knife.

That's the reason I don't watch that show... he does some ridiculous things. He seems like a nice enough guy, but why use a band saw when a mat cutter is so much more precise and gives such a clean cut? Do you really need all of those power tools in a cake shop? I will admit to finding alternate uses for tools at times when I'm in a pinch, but I am creative with that sort of thing out of necessity, not because I think other people will think I'm cool if I use power tools in the kitchen.

So, you think it's regular foam core and Duff is just being a doof. (sorry, couldn't help the pun--he does seem like a nice guy.)

That seemed to be a one-time thing as they were all complaining so much that he was doing it. I couldn't imagine that he would do that every day! I can't remember what cake they were working on, but maybe he thought he would be faster that way?!?!

I seem to remember him having a guy play the bag pipes and him in a kilt while he was working on one cake. I think it's just his way of getting attention. who knows!!!!

No, that was a different episode, but that was funny! The episode with the band saw was just this past week, right? Either way, I think it was the one where he was making the castle for Tom Clancy and he wanted to be able to keep it, so they made it all out of foam core. I bet that's why he did it. Normally that would have been cake.

ya'll....don't you see it...Of course it is easier to cut foam core with an xacto or carpet knife...but HE IS A MAN.... men do not take the easy way- they take the loudest most he-man-I-use tools way...

There are two types of foamcore board one is the type that most here are familiar with that you get from Michaels or other craft retailers. It is easily cut with an exacto knife. The other is a higher density board that can't be easily cut with an exacto knife so a router (a typer of saw) or band saw would be needed to cut this. This type is used by sign companys for signs and is much stronger than your typical foam core due to it is covered in a layer of plastic opposed to paper like the elmer boards at Michaels. The stronger board is also the same board that is used by Logicpic for their elite cake boards. These are great for wedding cake since they don't warp like the paper covered foam core boards.

and....

don't sell a band saw short.

you can get blades for them that will cut a kerf (that's the part that gets cut away and turned into dust) that is a mere 1/32 of an inch wide.

band saws are a preferred way to cut veneer stock from pieces of rare, expensive woods.

so makes perfect sense to do it that way.

but, hey, duff --- where's your eye and ear protective gear! --- bad safety practices!

Well that would certainly explain the sound.....it having a layer of plastic on it.

thanks sugarlove!

Ladies,

As Doug points out, there are serious advantages to using the band saw, which also includes being able to follow sharp curves better than you ever could with an exacto knife.

E

i never thought twice about it. i LOVE power tools and am jealous of duff's studio! wish i had all those toys!

I don't think I would use our band saw to cut foam core, but it sure came in handy earlier today when I had to cut plastic dowels for a wedding cake, and wooden dowels for a groom's cake! I even used it to shave the ends of the wooden dowels on an angle to better support the 'lid' of the cake.

Well, as far as I know, an exacto knife leaves NO kerf. I just thought a band saw was way overkill or that what they were calling foam core wasn't what I was calling foam core. Maybe the plastic coated stuff like you said.
And why not use a scroll saw for cutting curves? It would do a better job than a band saw. And for cutting parts for a building, the table saw would be a lot more accurate than a band saw.
My hubby (a carpenter) has a lot of nice tools (heehee) that I get to play with. They do come in handy at times.
It was the Tower of London. Clancey is an honorary Beefeater. That's the guys that guard the Tower of London. They're basically tour guides now. And, they just promoted the first woman ever to be a beefeater. You go girl.

ditto to scroll saw, esp. if it has one of those blades you can get some places that is actually a KNIFE edge (sears used to carry them)

Didn't you all get the impression that the more annoying the noise coming from the band saw, the more he was going to do it?

i am a man! and i love cake! and i love powertools! what a wonderful marriage of 2 awesome things!

I agree FrostinGal. Seems like he loves to annoy the others sometimes lol.