Making a Board for Motley Crews

Day Three - Foam Cutting

I’ve been saving this foam for years. Making a chess board for Molly Crew!

Set my guide to be just a little wider than the base—20mm, almost an inch. The space between the guide and wire is 1.25 inches.

How Much Can You Do in an Hour?

Today we’re going to see how much hobbying we can get done in an hour (really probably 45 minutes).

Sometimes I would have said “I’ve got an hour, why even bother?” That’s crazy because you can get a lot done in an hour—even 20 minutes!

Hot Wire Tips

Working in the laundry room with windows open because it’s smoking. Go faster so the wire doesn’t snap—if it snaps, I’ll be devastated.

The different foam layers create natural height variation. Some are 4 layers, some are 5. I’ll keep some as-is and shave slivers off others to create subtle differences.

The Glue Decision

Switched from hot glue to Elmer’s glue. Didn’t water it down because watered-down glue might soak into the open-cell foam—if it’s sucking, it’s not sticking.

One Hour Later

Look what we got done! Not finished, but achieved the checkerboard effect—not from colors, but from height differences.

This foam will warp getting wet, so putting something heavy on top and along the sides. Thanks for watching!