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What's the best way to cut Styrofoam into hill shapes if you don't own a heat-knife?

Thanks in advance.

The Newman wrote:
What's the best way to cut Styrofoam into hill shapes if you don't own a heat-knife?

Thanks in advance.

Short answer: Buy a heat knife. Seriously, they work really well and aren't expensive.

Long answer: It depends how nice a finish you want on the foam. If you're fine with a rough finish or planning on using something like Foamcoat afterwards, a jeweler's saw or wire saw will work, just go slow and let the blade pull out the loose material as fast as it's generated.

If you need really clean cuts, a box cutter with a fresh knife will give you clean cuts as long as the lubrication lasts - that is, not very long, so either keep the blade lubricated or keep switching blades.

Both these solutions will still leave you wanting a heat knife.

So long as it's not the type that's made up of the really large (like, 5mm or more) beads, then a sharp kitchen knife will do the job. Although cutting foam will blunt the knife after a while. A bread knife can also work for a slightly rougher finish.

Thanks.

If you don't need clean cuts, using a q-tip and acetone to dissolve the styrofoam also works, and gives a nice irregular edge for natural features.

It also avoids having all the annoying debris that cutting styrofoam with anything other than a hot knife generates.