I have an “E-King” that’s 4 inches too wide & 2 inches too long.
The model is a Dunlop 6 inch, 3 zone core, 36-40-36.
Don’t know the manufacturer.
I was thinking of using a table saw. Anyone have experience cutting these?
Hi barneycalhoun,
This gets asked every once in a while. It’s not difficult to cut foam to size using an electric knife and all you need is an electric carving knife and a straight edge for a guide and just go carefully and slowly and move the knife in one direction (not a sawing motion). The length of the blade should be longer than the thickness of the layer you are cutting. You can also see some pictures here of a home setup that was used to make some more complex cuts using an electric knife.
I would not recommend using a table saw.
Good luck!
Phoenix
really not sure what to do…
If I return the pad, it will cost me $175 to ship. If I cut it & screw it up, I can’t return it. I stuffed the pad plus two 3 inch pads into a 12 inch deep E-King case. But it was so firm it was unbearable. When I opened the zipper & reverse folded the case over the foundation, the 3 pads worked fine, The huge firmness turned into a plush feel. I suppose the compression of the pads made it dense & firm.
Anyway, what would you do if you were in my spot. I really like the pad, I just want it to fit into an appropriate case. BTW, you can see that the case is folded over the foundation and that it is correctly cut.
HI barneycalhoun,
You’re correct, by “stuffing” (horizontally) the oversized core into the casing you will “firm it up” (almost like tufting a mattress will firm it up by pre-compressing it). Also, the compression of the casing itself on all of the items horizontally, in addition to the flexibility (or lack thereof) of the material used in the casing will have an impact on your overall comfort. In your photos, it appears as if the casing is some sort of a quilted cotton encasement, and some of those can be less flexible than stretch-knit mattress covers.
Personally, I’d be comfortable cutting the core with an electric knife. It’s all about the preparation (holding the foam firmly in place) and then being patient. As long as the cuts are close to your outline, you should be fine. But realize that with the mattress case zippered up it will still feel firmer than it did without the casing wrapped around it, as the mattress encasement will contribute to an overall slightly firmer feel of the finished product. Even buying an electric carving knife if you don’t have one is cheaper than the $175.00 return fee, plush you have the knife left over for turkey carving!
I’m interested in learning what you decide to do.
Phoenix
I settled on keeping the mattress & cutting. As for the extra firmness from the cover, thats good news because I would prefer a bit less plushness.
My plan is to cut 2 inches from the foot. This would move the 40 zone towards the foot of bed enough to take some pressure off my ribs.which would be over the 36 zone. .
I was also thinking of cutting all the excess from the right side (my side) which makes the edge of bed firmer. The current edge is a 36 ILD zone of @ 5-6 inches before the 40 ILD zone starts. I was thinking about lessening the roll off effect.
Anyway, would you recommend making two cuts or just one cut along the right side?
Also, refer to the pic showing the lifted pad. Would you cut THRU the holes or BETWEEN the holes?
Last, any preference on powered carving knives?
Hi barneycalhoun,
OK, thanks for the update.
With the zoning you described, I personally would take the time to take 1" off of each side to keep the edges as consistent as possible on the left and the right side of the mattress.
Personally I would try to leave as much latex as possible, so cutting between the pin holes up against the “inner edge” of the pin holes I was eliminating. But if you cut through the holes I wouldn’t have a concern.
Hah, no I have no guides for that. I would want something that has very sharp blades, has a tight tolerance (doesn’t flex) and also has a high speed.
Good luck!
Phoenix