"Need Ideas on Disolving/Removing Styrofoam" Topic

I bought some Autumn gourds on sale at Michaels with the idea of cutting them open and making alien type drop pods out of them. Problem is, when I cut one apart it is a solid styrofoam shape with a hard laquer/paint layer on the outside. Is there any way to remove a large portion of the styrofoam center leaving the laquer/paint shell?
I thought about simply using spray paint, but worry it wont disolve enough or disolve unevenly.
Would there be anyway to easily remove the styrofoam manually; maybe a dremel with a router?

Any other ideas?

Try MEK or another solvent used to glue polystyrene.

KAM

If you don't have a hotwire foam cutter…"hot knife"
link

Use a heat gun.
Or, if that's too big, try using one of those electric wood burning tools with a spoon attachment.
…and do it outside.

Acetone is a first cousin to MEK, and more available. It's nailpolish remover.

"Acetone is a first cousin to MEK, and more available. It's nailpolish remover."
Indeed but use it sparingly as its effect is quite dramatic as well as strangely satisfying.

I bought a foam cutter over the weekend that looks like a wood burner with what looks like a thin knitting needle poking out the end of it. It might work, it does wonders on styrofoam and you can make the hole any size you want. I got it from Michaels for $17. USD

Acetone, MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) and goline will all disolve styrofoam. And nail polish, excess brain cells, useful brain cells, and much else.

Please use extreme caution with any of these. Outside is a must. And these are all very volitile and flamable. Do not smoke or use near any source of spark fire or flame.

This should be common sense, but bears repeating.

The other thing is test and practice first. You can't really halt the process midway through…

Won't anything that dissolve styrofoam actually release a toxic gas, or am I mistaken?

Don't buy too much acetone at once, otherwise they will think you are a terrorist making a bomb. I kid you not! Of course, if your wife bought the same amount of 'nail polish remover', no one would think anything about it.

Yes, the gas is nasty. I learned this 1st hand. Take it outside on a breezy day and stand up wind.

Its no fun if you can't release a little toxic gas.
Regardless of the activity.

It might be a little expensive but a very useful tool for that sort of thing is a ball rasp. It's a small ball covered with tiny spikes. It tears up styrofoam and blue foam quickly but messily. Have a vacuum cleaner at hand or do it at a friend's house. :)

If you use the acetone, do use in a well ventilated area away from flame,as stated,
I also keep a bowl of water handy with a 2' paint brush to stop / slow down the reaction.
I used this on Geo Hex to make trenches and when the depth was near what I wanted ,I sloshed on the water to stop the reaction.
The purer stuff from Sears or Ace hard ware ( Any paint store really) works the fastest.

Thanks everyone for their ideas. I'll give them a try.