Homemade Hot Wire Foam Cutter for $30-40!
01-17-2007, 12:55 PM
#26
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RE: Homemade Hot Wire Foam Cutter for $30-40!
BTW, I've heard not-great things about the NSCRA plans. You're apparently better off with a regular dimmer on the high-voltage side of the transformer.
Another option is to use a router speed controller, and just plug a wall-wart style dumb transformer into it. (Harbor Freight puts them on sale now and then for about $12.50.) Then you don't have to do any real wiring at all, and it's pretty cheap. (See the RCG thread for more.)
Paul
Another option is to use a router speed controller, and just plug a wall-wart style dumb transformer into it. (Harbor Freight puts them on sale now and then for about $12.50.) Then you don't have to do any real wiring at all, and it's pretty cheap. (See the RCG thread for more.)
Paul
01-21-2007, 07:27 AM
#27
RE: Homemade Hot Wire Foam Cutter for $30-40!
I contacted Tom Weedon, the designer of the power supply about the extra tap wire in the transformer last year. He's been using his for several years now with good results. Similar designs use a dimmer switch because it has the triac built into the dimmer switch. He states in the article that most people have had problems because they are not using the same triac. Over the years, most of the components on the bom from Radio Shack have gone end of the line. Mainly the triac and metal project box.
Jim
Jim
09-29-2007, 12:00 AM
#28
RE: Homemade Hot Wire Foam Cutter for $30-40!
I know this is a old post but I just have to ask.
How is this working out for you.. I looked at the page on how to make it but it seems that some of the pics are gone now.
I would like to make a bow that is 40" Will the pcv pipe hold up that big? And What dir is the pcv pipe you have?
Thanks Paul
How is this working out for you.. I looked at the page on how to make it but it seems that some of the pics are gone now.
I would like to make a bow that is 40" Will the pcv pipe hold up that big? And What dir is the pcv pipe you have?
Thanks Paul
10-01-2007, 06:30 PM
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RE: Homemade Hot Wire Foam Cutter for $30-40!
Hi: I was wondering if you took any pictures of the foam block mounted in between the 'forms' before you cut. Nice simple wire cutter you made! Thanx, Scott
ORIGINAL: Mods-R-Me
I'm preparing to put one of my first fiberglass kits into production and wanted to try making the plug out of fiberglassed foam. I researched home built hotwire foam cutters on RCU but didn't find anything to my liking so I went www surfing and found [link=http://www.instructables.com/id/EK8Q92824BEP286S6S/?ALLSTEPS]THIS[/link]. Pretty much followed the directions except I added a 120V red LED as a power indicator and made the "wand" out of PVC (figures 1-4). Works excellent and the dimmer switch regulates the temperature of the hotwire. Check out the test cut (figure 5).
Mods
I'm preparing to put one of my first fiberglass kits into production and wanted to try making the plug out of fiberglassed foam. I researched home built hotwire foam cutters on RCU but didn't find anything to my liking so I went www surfing and found [link=http://www.instructables.com/id/EK8Q92824BEP286S6S/?ALLSTEPS]THIS[/link]. Pretty much followed the directions except I added a 120V red LED as a power indicator and made the "wand" out of PVC (figures 1-4). Works excellent and the dimmer switch regulates the temperature of the hotwire. Check out the test cut (figure 5).
Mods
04-09-2010, 01:25 PM
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RE: Homemade Hot Wire Foam Cutter for $30-40!
I recently built a hot wire cutter from directions I found on the internet. I used a fan control "dimmer" and a 25.6v 2 amp transformer. One hot lead goes to the dimmer then to a 2 amp buss fuse... then to the transformer. The other hot lead goes directly to the transformer. My wire is 24" long. I have tried a .010 guitar string as my wire (as recommended by many on the internet.).. and it keeps breaking. My tension on the wire is actually not great enough. I don't understand the breaking. I have used a .025 nichrome wire and apparently it burned out my previous transformer... which was much smaller than the one I have in my power supply now, but it was a 24v transformer...dunno the amps on that one. I have been afraid to use the nichrome wire on my new 25 v transformer until I get some good advice. I don't want to keep buying transformers. I know they are not expensive, but they are if you buy a string of them. Help!!!! prkfli
04-10-2010, 01:47 AM
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RE: Homemade Hot Wire Foam Cutter for $30-40!
I switched from nichrome to thin, single coresteel trace wire used by fishermen and it works very well. I use a 220 to 12V transformer for my feather foam cutter with a 900mm bow.
Use the single core steel strand, not the multi core stainless steel cable. It's simple and works well.
Use the single core steel strand, not the multi core stainless steel cable. It's simple and works well.
04-10-2010, 08:42 AM
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RE: Homemade Hot Wire Foam Cutter for $30-40!
Ops! I found my problem.... I am using a fan controller.... and it is set up so that when you turn it ON... you get maximum power... and when you turn it all the way ON.. it gives minimum power.... so what I have to do is switch it on and quickly turn it all the way "UP"... then adjust down to the power setting I need... yep! that was the problem...everything works fine now... cuts beautiful wings!
06-11-2011, 08:42 AM
#33
RE: Homemade Hot Wire Foam Cutter for $30-40!
Tried a 1 amp fuse. These kept on blowing. Use a 2 amp fuse.
Jim
Jim
ORIGINAL: Mods-R-Me
Try these [link=http://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=1a%20fuse&origkw=1A% 20fuse]radioshack 1A fuses[/link]
and a [link=http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102786&cp=&origkw=fus e+holder&kw=fuse+holder&parentPage=search]Fuse Holder[/link]
Mods
ORIGINAL: btomlinson
anyone have a part number at Radioshack for a fuse they would recomend ? Im heading there this morning and have no clue :>
anyone have a part number at Radioshack for a fuse they would recomend ? Im heading there this morning and have no clue :>
and a [link=http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102786&cp=&origkw=fus e+holder&kw=fuse+holder&parentPage=search]Fuse Holder[/link]
Mods
11-13-2011, 01:47 PM
#35
RE: Homemade Hot Wire Foam Cutter for $30-40!
I just managed to find some Mason's 0.012" single strand stainless steel fishing wire. 300 ft for $15.00. That's to last a few years.
Jim
Jim
11-24-2013, 06:43 PM
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That's a very good article, but it punts on how to make a power supply, which is the main cost of a simple foam cutter.
Here's a useful article from RCU:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=558772
some highlights:
2. A good way to go is a 12V or 24V transformer from All Electronics.com on a dimmer. 12 volts is probably sufficient for up to a couple of feet. 24 is preferred for big stuff. (You need the same amps either way, but more volts for longer wires. You can finesse this a bit by using very thin wire, but people seem to prefer 16- or 18-gauge stainless steel. It's strong enough to crank pretty taut for striaght cuts.)
3. a lot of people prefer stainless steel to nichrome for hot wire cutters. You can get a roll of 16- or 18-gauge stainless wire from Cabela's for about $9. (And you get hundreds of feet of it! Give some away.)
4. regular guitar strings are pretty low resistance, so you'll need more amps from your power supply if you use them. You can get stainless guitar strings, but you can't beat the cost of the wire from Cabela's.
Here's a useful article from RCU:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=558772
some highlights:
2. A good way to go is a 12V or 24V transformer from All Electronics.com on a dimmer. 12 volts is probably sufficient for up to a couple of feet. 24 is preferred for big stuff. (You need the same amps either way, but more volts for longer wires. You can finesse this a bit by using very thin wire, but people seem to prefer 16- or 18-gauge stainless steel. It's strong enough to crank pretty taut for striaght cuts.)
3. a lot of people prefer stainless steel to nichrome for hot wire cutters. You can get a roll of 16- or 18-gauge stainless wire from Cabela's for about $9. (And you get hundreds of feet of it! Give some away.)
4. regular guitar strings are pretty low resistance, so you'll need more amps from your power supply if you use them. You can get stainless guitar strings, but you can't beat the cost of the wire from Cabela's.
11-25-2013, 04:18 PM
#37
I used a 6 amp battery charger and then got a 12 amp one to get a bit hotter. I think I used .020" solid steel wire. (control line stuff) I used some nichrome that was a bit thinner but it cut more jagged. Some SSteel worked too. I was on a 30" bow that was just an old scrap of 1"x3" with about 4" of 1/8" music wire to give some tension. I made lots of kind of wavy wings that way. I have since got a Variac and an old train transformer to try, but lost the bow somewhere.
