Bosch Foam Rubber Cutter Footplate

Why I added this footplate to my foam-cutting setup

I spend a lot of time trimming foam for upholstery, packaging, and occasional carpet work, and precision matters just as much as speed. Pairing a twin‑blade foam cutter with the right base makes a surprising difference. After several weeks of shop and on‑site use, this Bosch footplate has become a permanent part of my 1575A kit. It doesn’t cut—your blades still do the work—but it helps the tool do what it’s designed to do: track straight, stay stable over uneven densities, and leave a clean edge without gnawing or chatter.

If you already rely on a counter‑reciprocating foam saw, the value of a well‑designed footplate is immediate. It turns a capable cutter into a more controllable, production‑ready system that’s easier on your hands and more forgiving on soft materials.

What it is (and what it isn’t)

This is a heavy‑duty footplate designed specifically to interface with Bosch’s twin‑blade foam cutter platform, including the 1575A. It’s a single accessory (pack quantity 1) with the usual Bosch ordering clarity (model/order number 2608000908). The plate gives the tool a broad, flat reference surface so you can keep the blades square to the work. It also acts as a glide over foams and carpets, helping distribute pressure so you don’t compress the material excessively while cutting.

Important: it’s not universal. Compatibility is the key consideration here. If you’re not running a Bosch foam cutter in the supported family, this accessory won’t mount. And it’s not a blade, guard, or depth stop—it’s a base that improves how the cutter rides and tracks.

Build and setup

Out of the box, the footplate feels like what I expect from Bosch: solid, with clean edges and mounting points that line up without fuss. Installation on the 1575A is straightforward. The mounting screws seat positively, and the plate centers around the blade opening without slop, so you don’t end up with an off‑axis base that drifts your cut.

Surface finish matters on a footplate, especially over grabby materials like closed‑cell foam and certain carpet backings. This plate glides well. I still wipe it with a silicone‑free dry lube when I’m cutting sticky adhesives or high‑friction foams; a quick spritz keeps the slide consistent and reduces drag lines on delicate faces. There’s enough stiffness in the plate that I didn’t notice any flex, even when bridging a soft/dense transition in layered foam.

Cutting performance in foam

Counter‑reciprocating blades are already great at canceling vibration and minimizing tear‑out in foam. The footplate amplifies that advantage by controlling how the tool loads the material. With a smaller shoe, it’s easy to compress soft foam right at the cut, then get a slight belly or taper once the foam rebounds. With this wider, flatter base, I can keep the tool level and let the blades do the work without pressing dents into the foam.

On open‑cell polyurethane blocks for cushions, I consistently got clean, square edges with less fuzzing. The cut path stayed true even when the density varied across laminated layers. Where I used to make a light scoring pass and then finish to avoid walking off line, I can now cut to final dimension in one controlled pass more often. That’s real time saved in production.

On closed‑cell polyethylene and EVA, which can trap the blades and push back, the extra stability was welcome. The plate spreads out contact so the saw doesn’t “hinge” into the cut or ride up. This also helps under templates; when I run the plate against a straightedge or a plywood pattern, it behaves more like a compact panel saw than a freehand cutter.

A tip from my bench: elevate your work on a sacrificial grid or foam crib so the blade tips don’t bottom out into your table. With the footplate keeping the tool level, you’ll get a consistent kerf without chewing your work surface.

Carpet and flexible plastics

While I wouldn’t buy this accessory strictly for carpet, it earns its keep if you do mixed work. On medium‑pile commercial carpet and most pad types, the footplate helps prevent the cutter from nosediving, which is a common cause of jagged cuts. It also reduces the tendency of the tool to telegraph subfloor texture as you move. I had the best results pulling the tool toward me with steady pace; the base rides flat, and the blades shear rather than rip.

On flexible plastic foams used in case inserts and packaging, the plate keeps the thin material from buckling ahead of the blades. Clean edges, fewer burrs, and less post‑processing with a razor.

Vibration, noise, and control

The twin‑blade mechanism already cuts down on vibration and noise compared to a single‑stroke recip. The footplate adds an extra layer of calm. Because the tool is supported across a larger area, your hands absorb less of the tiny lateral corrections that happen when the blades encounter a denser seam or adhesive. Over a long day of repetitive cuts, I feel less fatigue—especially in the guiding hand.

Noise reduction is more about the blade system than the plate, but the steadier contact does keep the pitch more even. If you’re trimming in a shared space, that steadiness is appreciated.

Control is where the plate shines. It’s simply easier to see and hold your cut line when the tool isn’t tipping. On curves, the only trade‑off is turning radius: the larger base asks for smoother arcs. If you need extremely tight inside radii, you may remove the plate or rough‑cut and refine with a secondary tool.

Durability and maintenance

The plate’s heavy‑duty construction holds up. I’ve knocked it against bench dogs and dragged it over abrasive carpet backings without deforming the edges. The blade slot has enough clearance to avoid rubbing, and I’ve seen no evidence of the plate scuffing the blade sides.

Maintenance is basic:
- Keep the mounting screws snug; check them after the first couple of hours of use.
- Wipe adhesive residue and dust regularly—foam crumbs can scratch delicate surfaces if they pack under the plate.
- Use a dry lubricant or a light furniture wax on the contact face if you’re working with tacky foams; avoid anything oily that could contaminate upholstery.

What could be better

• Compatibility is narrow by design. If you don’t own the matching Bosch cutter, this accessory has no value to you. I’d love to see a cross‑platform mounting kit, but that’s wishful thinking.
• The larger footprint makes very tight curves harder. For intricate cutouts, I sometimes pop the plate off, make the radius, then reinstall for straight runs.
• A factory low‑friction face (PTFE or similar) would reduce the need for user‑applied lube on sticky materials.
• It’s worth noting that this is the footplate only. You’ll still need sharp, appropriate blades for the material—no base can compensate for dull cutters.

Who will benefit

• Upholstery and cushion shops cutting open‑ and closed‑cell foam to size.
• Packaging teams building custom inserts in PE, EVA, or EPE.
• Flooring installers making straight, clean cuts in most carpets.
• Any small production workflow where repeatable, square cuts matter more than freehand agility.

If your work is occasional craft foam or sporadic DIY, the base is nice to have but not essential. For regular, high‑volume cutting, it’s a force multiplier.

Recommendation

I recommend this footplate for anyone already invested in Bosch’s twin‑blade foam cutter system, particularly the 1575A. It makes the cutter easier to control, improves cut quality on materials with varying density, and meaningfully reduces fatigue over long sessions. The build is robust, installation is simple, and the glide is smooth with minimal upkeep.

I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re hoping to expand a non‑Bosch setup or if your work leans heavily toward extremely tight curves and intricate internal cuts—there, the larger base can be a hindrance. But for most production cutting in foam, flexible plastic foams, and typical carpeting, it’s a straightforward upgrade that pays off in cleaner, more consistent results.