I was pondering this question and came up with an answer! Ask the experts! I build custom fishing rods and anticipate using EVA foam for custom grips. What is the best method for turning this material? Many thanks in advance!
-
Congratulations to Bernie Hyrtzak, People's Choice in the January 2026 Turning Challenge (click here for details) -
Congratulations to Matt Carvalho for "Red Mallee Folded Form" being selected as Turning of the Week for February 9, 2026 (click here for details) -
AAW Symposium demonstrators announced - If the 2026 AAW International Woodturning Symposium is not on your calendar, now is the time to register. And there are discounts available if you sign up early, by Feb. 28. Early Bird pricing gives you the best rate for our 40th Anniversary Symposium in Raleigh, North Carolina, June 4–7, 2026. (There are discounts for AAW chapter members too) For more information vist the discussion thread here or the AAW registration page
-
Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.
Question: turning eva foam
- Thread starter John Torchick
- Start date
-
- Tags
- eva foam
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2004
- Messages
- 9,313
- Likes
- 6,095
- Location
- Lakeland, Florida
- Website
- www.hockenberywoodturning.com
John,
This is the foam used in yoga mats and fun foam.
I use the fun foam sheets to surface vacuum chucks and straka chucks for holding balls. These are 1/8 to 3/16" thick sheets.
Also use it for templates to hollow to a particular diameter or profile as in a tulip shaped goblet- the foam bends to go through the opening and pops back into shape so I can check the interior contour.
I cut circles with the point of a skew or a spindle gouge held sideways and cut the interior and edges on vacuum chuck foam the same way.
Any scraping cut will tear it.
I assume there must be a denser version for rod grips.
The problem is riding the bevel for a clean cut. The foam will want to compress under the bevel. if it does compress the cut will tear it.
Unless it is quite stiff it will be difficult to turn.
You may need to shape it with some type of a abrasive.
You may be able to mold it with heat in which case you could use hollowing techniques to create a wooden mold.
Heat it compress it to the desire shape with the turned mold.
Not much help....
Al
I should have given more detail. The foam comes in blocks that are like a big pen blank. They are different lengths and usually 2X2 in cross-section. I was thinking of using drywall screen that I use on cork and then finishing with fine sandpaper. Thanks for your reply. I understand what you are saying about the bevel.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
John. I've turned some type of foam using the skew. I wasn't rubbing the bevel it was more like cutting with a razor blade just shaving off pieces
John, thanks for the tip. I watched a video on youtube but couldn't tell what tool was used and there was no narrative to explain anything.
Gramps,
For foam incorporated into cork grips, sandpaper on a block of wood has always worked, so when the grandkids needed spinning rods, I used dry wall sheets and sandpaper on 2-5" sections of EVA to customize the shape. It worked fine. I found I could cut off a short section, like for a 1/2" winding check, or part off a 2" piece from a 10" starting piece, with a sharp skew point. It's been a while, but I think I tried other turning tools to shape, and stuck with the easy and tested 120 grit tool. In the cobwebs is the thought that maybe plain sandpaper worked better than the screen abrasive, but no reason not to give them both a try. I did find out there is a difference between EVA and Hypalon. The Hypalon is harder/denser than real EVA and doesn't shape as easily, even though they look the same.
Dean
For foam incorporated into cork grips, sandpaper on a block of wood has always worked, so when the grandkids needed spinning rods, I used dry wall sheets and sandpaper on 2-5" sections of EVA to customize the shape. It worked fine. I found I could cut off a short section, like for a 1/2" winding check, or part off a 2" piece from a 10" starting piece, with a sharp skew point. It's been a while, but I think I tried other turning tools to shape, and stuck with the easy and tested 120 grit tool. In the cobwebs is the thought that maybe plain sandpaper worked better than the screen abrasive, but no reason not to give them both a try. I did find out there is a difference between EVA and Hypalon. The Hypalon is harder/denser than real EVA and doesn't shape as easily, even though they look the same.
Dean
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2005
- Messages
- 13,209
- Likes
- 5,813
- Location
- Dalworthington Gardens, TX
- Website
- pbase.com
I have found that using sandpaper when shaping rubber and other flexible materials gives the best results. Trying to cut the material even with very sharp tools on a spinning lathe has too much friction and causes it to deform to the point where it eventually tears or wraps around the cutter.
Again, thanks to all!