Foam Core Cutting Bench

I made a new tool today that will help quite a bit in my work. Like most good ideas, it's very simple. I've been thinking about making this for a long time but never got around to it until now.

In the making of these foam core signs, I do a lot of intricate cutting of small pieces (mostly lettering). I do some of the cutting flat on the cutting mat, but a lot of the time I end up holding the work up in the air so I can do stab cutting. That type of cutting is more or less sawing through the material. I built this little bench so I could do the cutting with a lot more stability and control.

Made out of foam core scrap, it's about 8x10 with a hole in the center of the platform. The hole allows the exacto blade to go all the way throught the work as I cut. The hole is large enough for a good amount of cutting space but small enough to allow proper support of the work.

I made the legs tall enough so the blade wouldnt hit the table during cutting.

Here is a shot of the bench in use. It makes for more efficient cutting because I can cut with one hand and hold / turn the work with the other.

Finished!

It works just as I intended. It helps me get a clean, precise cut.