Nichrome cutter for foam plastic. How is foam cutting done? Trying to cut the foam yourself

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Polystyrene foam is durable, lightweight and very good thermal insulation material. It is very easy to work with it. But there are some nuances in working with this material.

Because it is made in the form of slabs large sizes, then very often you need to resort to pruning them. This can be done using a regular knife, but no matter how carefully you try to do it, it will not work.

And all because when mechanical impact the structure of the foam will be disrupted. That is why experts recommend using only a cutter or, as it is also called, a foam cutter for such actions.

You can, of course, buy such a multifunctional tool, but if you make it yourself, you can adapt it to your needs and, of course, save money.

If you plan to work with a cutter for industrial purposes, then it is still better to buy an electrical device that will be designed for large and frequent loads.

How to do it yourself

The need for a cutter can arise at any time if you do some household chores quite often. Perhaps someone has encountered the need to make a part using special form for casting with epoxy resin.

And to do this, you will need a piece of foam. For example, you can use foam from TV packaging. It is necessary to draw on it using a ruler, compass and ballpoint pen places where holes will need to be made in the future.

This is where the need for an electric cutter comes into play. After all, it will be difficult to perform this action without spoiling the foam sheet without such a tool. Let's consider one of the options for how to make a device of this type at home.

A homemade cutting device can be various designs. It is on it and the type of cutting that will depend on how exactly the cutter copes with its goals.

Kinds

Before you start making a cutter, you should decide for what purpose you need it, because depending on the purposes, they are divided into several groups:

with metal work plate;
For linear cutting;
for shape cutting.

Stages of creation

Since linear cutting is the most common, let's look at this option in more detail:

Cutting part. To do this you will need nichrome wire, approximately a spiral with a diameter of 0.6 mm. It can be taken from old electric stoves or other heating electrical appliances. The length of such a wire should be 14 cm (its resistance will be 2 ohms).
Transformer application. For everything to be correct, the first step is to calculate the voltage and current for heating the cutting part. This can be done using the formula - Ohm's law I=U/R. Thus, you can determine the power of the power transformer.
Making a cutter. The base can be made of any metal, but its length must be at least 11 cm. Next, an insulator - a PCB plate - must be attached to the end. Now fasten the contact groups along the edges of the plate; they can be removed from the electrical outlet. It is into these contacts that it will be possible to attach spirals of different shapes.
How does the cutter work? After the cutter is plugged in, the wire will heat up and become slightly reddish in color. This is exactly what matters, since a heated cutter will make it possible to easily and quickly cut the foam, which will not peel off.

It is important to know: Having received such a device, in just three minutes it will be possible to cut the required form from a sheet of foam plastic.

Be sure to follow all safety rules so as not to injure yourself and others. After all, the power of the cutter is enough to damage any part of the body during operation. And connecting to electricity further increases the risk of injury.

Step-by-step production of a thermal cutter

You can make a thermal cutter using a burner or soldering iron and an old jigsaw. Let's consider the manufacture of such a device step by step:

1. Sleeve. Initially, you need to make the main and most difficult thing - the bushing. So, to do this, the plate must be bent and turned. Next, you need to make a hole in the sleeve; the thread will be inserted there in the future.
2. Burner. You need to cut off the wire that leads to the hole, take suitable connectors, and then solder them to the break point.

Note: Such areas must be isolated.

1. After everything is done, you can connect the thermal cutter. Cut an old jigsaw in half. IN top part you need to attach the pre-prepared claw plate to the screws. But we attach the bottom to the base using self-tapping screws.
2. Insert the sleeve into the foot. Now, with special attention, you need to use a plumb line or a square to mark the point under the hole of the sleeve from the hole. Next, drill a hole in the base. The diameter of the hole in the base should be about 5 mm.
3. Thermal cutting machine So, when everything is ready, you need to straighten the nichrome wire. To do this, you should turn on the burner at full power and touch the nichrome with the wires from it. Everything must be done in such a way that there is a distance between the wires equal to the height of the device. If the thread does not heat up, but the burner begins to hum, find a thinner wire. This is necessary because the one you selected does not have enough resistance.

Take note: nichrome should be hot, but should not get red hot. If the string turns red, you need to reduce its heating using the regulator. In the event that the nichrome is red even at a minimum, then a compensator should be left 5-10-15 cm above the spring of nichrome wire. And only after that you can make contact.

Operation of the device. With the guide pre-installed, you need to cut the foam dies given thickness, you can also make the shape curly.

Application

If you are making repairs or doing wood cutting, or you need to cut a piece of plywood, then an electric cutter will be very useful for you, which can also be used even for cutting thick fabric.

If you think that for all of the above actions you will only need to use a thermal knife, or a hacksaw will suffice, then you are mistaken.

After all, a hacksaw will not make the edges smooth and not torn, as is the case with a cutter.

A foam cutter is a fairly simple tool that works on the principle of burning the material. It can be bought in stores building materials. This the best option if there is a large amount of work to be done. If the cutter is needed for 1-2 days, it is easier to make it yourself, since the next time this tool may be needed many years later. But you can also use this option: rent a cutter in one of construction companies, having called in advance and found out whether they will provide such an opportunity.

How to make a foam cutter with your own hands?

The easiest way to make a foam cutter is based on a wood burning machine. You will need it in your work nichrome wire, which, when heated, will cut the foam. The tool manufacturing process is simple: a spring of suitable diameter is mounted on a standard metal burning pin. It should fit this part tightly. A straightened nichrome wire is inserted into the spring. It can be found in any hair dryer. Turn on the burning device and when the spring heats up, start working with the foam.

You can also use a 60 W soldering iron to cut this material. You need to choose a tool that uses a blade knife instead of the usual tip. Once heated, it will easily cut polystyrene foam or any hot-melt material. synthetic material.

To work with sheet foam, you will need a stable base on which to attach the soldering iron. This will ensure the quality of the cut. You can use heat-resistant plastic, a piece of plywood or a board as a support. At the bottom of the base you need to make low legs. They are necessary in this design.

Closer to one of the sides of the support, a vertical stand made of a metal tube is attached. There are two brackets on it into which the soldering iron is inserted. The longer the bracket blade, the farther from vertical stand soldering iron is located.
A copper plate is inserted into the cut of its plate tip. The edge of the knife is sharpened at a slight angle. The degree of heating of the cutting element is determined experimentally. This cutter is very convenient for working with both sheet material, the one with figured molding. It should be noted that the width of the cut will be at least twice as large as the thickness of the copper plate. This must be taken into account when performing finishing work.

Polystyrene foam is a good heat insulator, characterized by durability and low weight. It is used to create various forms, blanks and models, as an excellent insulation material. It's quite easy to work with. But often such material is produced in the form of blocks with large geometric parameters. Cutting them with a saw or knife is very inconvenient. Products crumble, which disrupts their structure.

Problem with opening thermal insulation material solves the foam cutter, often called a cutter. You can purchase it at a hardware store or make it yourself. In the second case House master gets at his disposal a tool that suits him in all respects.

Elementary carver – half an hour and you’re ready!

The simplest tool for cutting sheets of foam plastic (foamed polystyrene) can be made without the slightest difficulty using 4-5 flashlight batteries and an ordinary guitar string. The process for creating a carver will be as follows:

the batteries are connected in series to form one unit;
A guitar string is attached to the ends of the resulting module.

As a result of these actions, a tool with an electric closed arc is obtained. The current passing through it will heat up the string. In the area of its contact with the material being cut, the process of melting and cutting of the polystyrene foam sheet into two parts will be observed.

For the described homemade thermal knife to work, the string must be heated to 130–150 °C. With this simple tool you can cut 1-3 blocks of foam. Use it for cutting large quantity sheets is impractical due to the fact that the batteries will run out very quickly.

Types of electric thermal knives and their features

If a master uses foam plastic regularly and performs large volumes of work, it is advisable for him to make a tool with his own hands that operates from a household electrical network. Such homemade thermal knives, which do not require separate chargers, are used for:

linear cutting;
figured cutting.

They use a nichrome thread or a metal plate as a working thermoelement. A mandatory unit of such devices is a transformer that reduces the voltage (Figure 1). Its windings must meet the following requirements:

cable cross-section – from 1.5 mm;
voltage - from 100 V (primary winding), 15 V (secondary).

Experts recommend connecting the step-down device to an autotransformer (LATR), which allows you to smoothly adjust the output voltage. If you don’t want to purchase such an expensive device, you can do otherwise:

place a switch on the secondary winding taps;
equip the step-down transformer with a rheostat.

Linear cutting device - how to make?

A homemade thermal knife for cutting flat sheets of expanded polystyrene foam is simple design. The principle of its creation will be understood by any craftsman.

The basis of the structure is a frame made of steel profiles or wooden blocks. A working surface made of particle boards and thick plywood is mounted in its lower part. Some craftsmen use PCB sheets for its construction.

The function of a working surface can also be performed regular table or a workbench. Then there is no need for a frame. And the process of constructing the structure itself is as follows:

Two vertical supports are mounted on a table (another flat surface), which are secured with insulators.
A transformer is connected to the latter through electrical contacts to reduce the voltage.
Nichrome wire is stretched between the insulators. A special weight is suspended from it. It is needed to tension the thread.

This foam cutter operates simply. An electric current passes through the thread, heating it, which leads to stretching of the wire. The load does not allow the latter to sag.

The heated nichrome thread easily cuts the foam block horizontally, which is moved by hand. As a result of this we get flat sheets insulating material. Their thickness is determined by the distance separating the stretched wire from the working surface of the table.

When performing the described operation, it is important to ensure the supply of polystyrene foam at the most uniform speed possible.

In cases where the material needs to be cut vertically, the design of the cutter is slightly modified. The frame must be additionally equipped with a holder. Hang a nichrome thread and a weight from it, passing the latter through a hole pre-drilled in the table. It is advisable to install a hollow metal pipe in it, which will protect the master from burns when the wire is heated.

Rules for making tools for figure cutting

If cutting at home will involve sheets of foam plastic that are large in thickness or geometric dimensions and do not fit on work surface due to its parameters, it is recommended to make a thermal knife from a hacksaw or hand jigsaw.The work is performed as follows:

The cutting blade of the jigsaw (hacksaw) is removed.
An electrical cable is connected to the handle of the tool.
Nichrome wire is bent at a given angle.
The figuratively bent thread is installed in the place where the canvas was previously located and secured with nuts and screws.

All metal elements on a self-made structure are insulated. If desired, you can immediately bend it under different angles several nichrome cloths. Then figured cutting will be more comfortable.

We present to your attention a unique set: a foam cutter, a battery-powered soldering iron and a wood burner. New development company Star Tec, which will definitely appeal to lovers of crafts, pyrography and those who simply work on creating original things with my own hands.

In fact, this multitool combines three tools, while remaining compact, easy to use and productive. And its main feature is the Plug and Start system, thanks to which you only need to change the tip of the main unit and you can work.

In the kit you will find:

And most importantly: the manufacturer does not limit the buyer only to this configuration. You can purchase other attachments different shapes. All of them allow you to carry out truly jewelry work with high precision and very carefully.

Please note: the multitool runs on 4 AA batteries, which are not included. They must be purchased separately. You can also use AA batteries if you plan to use the tool frequently and do not want to regularly buy new batteries.

Naturally, you can separately buy a cutter for foam plastic, buy a battery-powered soldering iron and a burner. But you will have to spend an order of magnitude more, the ease of use is extremely questionable, and the quality is not always up to par. high level. Here you can purchase first-class products at an affordable price from a world-famous manufacturer.

Application area

Of course, first of all, this is a tool for a hobby, but the manufacturers made sure that the tool has more wide application. This is a great buy for advertising producers at the moment.

The multitool can be used to make:

Promotional materials made of foam plastic - volumetric letters and 3D objects; Bright and memorable signs; Advertising stands.

Also applicable for original decoration interior design of premises and facades, creation of models and letters, impact-resistant packaging and the like. The scope of operation is limited only by your imagination and type of activity. An excellent purchase for your money for everyone who is used to creating something new with their own hands and cannot imagine their life without it.

Advantages of buying a soldering iron or a do-it-yourself foam cutter from our company

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A new product that simply has no analogues and is unlikely to appear in the future. An original development by Star Tec, with which we cooperate directly and without intermediaries. Accordingly, we guarantee our clients the following benefits:

Prices from the manufacturer without unjustified markups and overpayments; 1 year warranty for each buyer; Products are supplied exclusively from Germany.

Let’s not deny that you can make a foam cutter with your own hands and buy a soldering iron at a ridiculous price on some Chinese website. The question is, how high-quality, functional and reliable will such tools be? And are you ready to sacrifice results for the sake of dubious savings?

Order a 3-in-1 Multifunctional burner, cutter and soldering iron from us, work with pleasure and convenience, create something new and original every day!

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Polystyrene foam is used in many construction work. It has good thermal insulation.

However, this is a rather fragile and crumbling material. Therefore, when cutting it, it is used special equipment. Otherwise, the edges will be uneven, and the material itself will lose its thermal insulation qualities at the joints.

Special equipment is on sale.

However, you can make a foam cutter yourself. This will save a lot of money family budget. How to create different variants tool for cutting foam plastic, it will be interesting for every master to know.

Tool type

When creating a handheld foam cutter, you should learn existing varieties this tool. There are mechanical and electrical varieties. If the foam product is small in size and cutting accuracy is not so important, you can give preference to the first option of the tool.

However, in order to ensure a tight fit of the foam plates to each other, it is necessary to ensure high accuracy cutting The edges should be smooth. In this case, it is possible to create an insulating layer High Quality.

Its heat loss will be minimal. When cutting unevenly, large gaps form between the joints. Through them, heat from the room will escape to the outside.

Professional designers and builders use exclusively electrical equipment for cutting foam. It is quite possible to create such a tool at home.

Simple electric cutter

When considering how to make a foam cutter, you should study the design of the simplest equipment of this class, which runs on electricity. In this case, you will need to prepare a thin guitar string and several batteries (for example, from a flashlight).

The operating principle of this equipment is simple. The battery structure forms a single unit.

A guitar string is connected to it. When passing electric current along the circuit, it will heat up. It is in this state that the string can easily cut a sheet of foam.

When using such a tool, the material will melt. The string heats up to 120 ºС and even more. In this case, it is quite possible to cut several large slabs of foam.

If you need to do a large amount of work, this option will not work. The batteries will run out quickly. We will have to provide an option for connecting the system to a household network.

Types of electric cutters

Electric foam cutter can be used in for different purposes. This will determine the type of design and overall performance characteristics of the equipment. There are three main types of homemade cutters.

Designers use them. This type is used less frequently for home repairs. There is also a tool with a metal working plate.

Such equipment must have a step-down transformer in its circuit. It must be rated for a minimum power of 100 watts.

The secondary winding of the transformer must have a cross-section of at least 1.5 mm. It must withstand a voltage of 15 V. In this case, you can achieve high performance results.

Features of work

While learning how to make a manual foam cutter yourself, it is also necessary to consider the operating features of such equipment. As mentioned above, such an instrument has a string. It heats up and melts the surface of the foam.

This material reacts quite poorly to heat.

Therefore, it is important to maintain the technology of the entire process. Cutting using a hot thread is done quickly. This allows you to achieve high quality cuts.

If there is no foam on the string at all, then the temperature is too high. In this case, you will have to cool the instrument a little. With proper heating, you can perform fast, accurate cutting.

Line cutting cutter

A linear cutter for foam plastic with your own hands will allow you to create blocks of material of the required dimensions. This significantly speeds up the work of the master. If necessary, this tool can be used to cut circles, triangles or squares into the foam.

Two racks are installed vertically on the table surface. Two insulators are attached to them.

A nichrome thread is stretched between them. This alloy heats up quickly, providing sufficient temperature for cutting. A freely hanging load is passed through one of the racks. Contacts from the transformer are connected to the thread.

Passing through the nichrome thread, the current will heat it up. It will be taut all the time thanks to the weight hanging from one side.

This is necessary, since the string may sag when heated. If desired, the design can be modified by adding a spring instead of a load. However, the original version is easier to implement.

Line cutting process

When considering how to make a foam cutter with your own hands, you also need to understand how to operate it correctly. Cutting can be done vertically or horizontally. To do this, the thread is pulled in the appropriate position.

If the string is stretched horizontally, you can use it to make the same cuts. The foam is pulled evenly across the table. The thread will cut it evenly into the required pieces.

At vertical cutting a frame made of metal or plywood is added to the structure.

A holder is installed on it. An insulator and a nichrome string are connected to it. On its other side a load is suspended.

It will go through a hole drilled in the table. It must be large enough and covered with special insulating material. Next, you can perform vertical cutting.

Shaped cutting

If you need to cut fairly large sheets of foam or create decorative elements, sculptures made from this material, a special type of equipment is used.

You can also make it yourself. This is a manual cutter for foam plastic. It is made on the basis of a manual jigsaw or hacksaw. In them, the cutting element is replaced with a nichrome string.

If you need to create curly elements, you can make several tools of different shapes. A wire is connected to the handle of the jigsaw. It must be carefully isolated.

Otherwise, it will be unsafe to work with this equipment. A nichrome string is attached to the wire contacts. This can be done using nuts and screws with washers.

Also, a pulse soldering iron or wood burner may be suitable for creating such equipment. This tool is considered convenient. Their working element is removed from such equipment and replaced with a piece of nichrome wire. In this case, the threads can be given different shapes.

Cutter with metal plate

There is a foam cutter that uses a copper plate in its design. To create this equipment, you can convert a soldering iron.

Equipment with a power of 60 W is suitable. Removed from the device a heating element. Instead, a plate is installed here.

One side of the copper blank needs to be sharpened. This will allow you to create a more accurate cut.

The sharpening angle should not be made too large. The cutting will be done using heat. To find the required level, you will have to experiment on a test piece of foam.

This method is also used by craftsmen of various skill levels and profiles.

If necessary, the copper plate can be replaced with a steel billet. This option will require more effort when sharpening. But with the help of such a tool you can cut denser polymer materials.

When choosing which foam cutter is most suitable for the craftsman’s work, you should take into account the recommendations of professional builders.

The greater the volume of work performed, the more complex the design will be. A simple battery-powered cutter is quite suitable for cutting several blocks. However, to perform a large amount of work, preference should be given to network types of equipment.

When cutting, the foam heats up. At this moment, they stand out from it into environment substances unsafe for human health. Therefore, the work is performed in a well-ventilated room or outside.

In order not to make a mistake with the cutting configuration, you should mark all the lines with a pencil before starting the action. This will avoid mistakes when cutting. These simple recommendations will allow you to do the job quickly, correctly and safely.

Having considered what options for foam cutters you can make with your own hands, each master will be able to choose the best option for himself.

Hi all. You can make many interesting things from polystyrene foam: three-dimensional letters and figures, models of ships and airplanes, art objects. It was for such purposes that I made a similar cutter from polypropylene pipe.

We will need:

Polypropylene pipe with a diameter of 20 mm; Two staples of 20 mm; Fittings; Furniture corners; Nichrome wire; Power transformer; Wire; Nuts and bolts.

The holder itself was assembled from a polypropylene pipe and fittings with the ability to adjust the depth of the cut.

To do this, the U-shaped part is mounted on brackets and can move freely relative to the handle. A 1.5 mm copper wire is laid in the cavity of the tube, coming out of the handle in one cable.

The entire structure is lightweight and fits comfortably in the hand. If necessary, it folds up and does not take up much space.

The nichrome thread was taken from the Soviet variable resistor SP5. It is attached to corners soldered into the tube by heating.

A Soviet transformer with a power of 150 W was taken as a power source, which has one of the outputs at 2.5 Volts. This voltage is safe for humans. True, of course, there is a danger of getting burned by a hot nichrome thread.

The thread itself does not become red hot, but easily melts the foam. If you have a little experience, you can cut strips of polystyrene foam into a thin, even layer, like on a vegetable cutter. You can burn out a design: first burn a hole in the middle of the workpiece with a heated knitting needle, insert a nichrome thread and only then secure it in the holder. This is the cutter I came up with and assembled with my own hands to create crafts from polystyrene foam. That's all, thank you for your attention! ILYA05/20/2018, 00:242 803 GadgetsFacebookVKontakteTwitterGoogle+OKHello to all lovers of homemade products. In this article I will tell you how to make a foam cutter with your own hands.

With its help, you can cut out foam plastic of various shapes, necessary for different purposes, for example, aircraft modeling. This homemade product is quite easy to make, so everyone will have the materials necessary for assembly. Before reading the article, I suggest watching a video with detailed process assembling a cutter for foam plastic, as well as testing it. In order to make a cutter for foam plastic with your own hands, you will need: * Construction corner * Two wooden blocks * Self-tapping screws * Screwdriver * Nichrome thread * Unneeded stool or sheet of plywood * PC power supply * Metal corner* Copper tube* Piece of foam for testingStep one. First you need to make a stand for the cutter, for this you can use an unnecessary stool or, if desired, make a box from a sheet of plywood. Since the unnecessary stool was standing idle, it was decided to make a base out of it; we make a hole in it for a copper pipe using a screwdriver and a wood drill.

You can get a copper tube from the condenser of an old and unnecessary refrigerator; usually a tube of a suitable diameter is used there; in this homemade product it is needed so that the nichrome thread does not burn through the wood. Step two. Next, we screw the wooden block to the end of the stool using self-tapping screws and a screwdriver, while maintaining perpendicularity with a construction angle, so that in the end the cut on this cutter is as even as possible. Then, using a metal angle to wooden block we attach another block at an angle of 90 degrees, in the end it should look something like this. Step three: Having cut off the required length of the copper tube using a hacksaw, we press it metal plate to the bar by screwing in two self-tapping screws, while also maintaining perpendicularity. To fix the nichrome thread, screw the self-tapping screw into the upper bar using a screwdriver. After this, take the nichrome thread and thread it through copper tubes from above and below, then we wind it onto the lower screw near the tube, then onto the upper one, making a slight stretch. Now we connect the power supply from the computer; for it to work without a PC, you need to connect the green and black wires together.

We wind the wires from the unit onto the screws and turn on the power. After the first turn on, the nichrome thread stretches slightly, so we tighten it again and you can check the cutter in action. Step four: Check the finished cutter on the foam. We turn on the power supply and move the foam in the desired direction, the nichrome thread cuts through it and the result is a piece of the required shape.

When working with this cutter, you must observe safety precautions and under no circumstances touch the nichrome thread with your hands. Using this cutter you can make airplane models, boats and much more that use foam plastic. That’s all for me, thank you all for your attention and creative success .Become the author of the site, publish your own articles, descriptions of homemade products with payment for the text. More details here.5Idea5Description7ExecutionFinal rating: 5.67 out of 10 (votes: 1)FacebookVKontakteTwitterGoogle+OK5To write a comment you must log in to the site via social media. networks (or register): Regular registrationInformationVisitors in the Guests group cannot leave comments on this publication.

Polystyrene foam is used in many construction works. It has good thermal insulation. However, this is a rather fragile and crumbling material. Therefore, when cutting it, special equipment is used. Otherwise, the edges will be uneven, and the material itself will lose its thermal insulation qualities at the joints.

Special equipment is on sale. However foam cutter you can do it yourself. This will significantly save the family budget. It will be interesting for every craftsman to know how to create different versions of a tool for cutting foam.

Tool type

Creating manual foam cutter, you should study the existing varieties of this tool. There are mechanical and electrical varieties. If the foam product is small in size and cutting accuracy is not so important, you can give preference to the first option of the tool.

However, in order to ensure a tight fit of the foam boards to each other, it is necessary to ensure high cutting accuracy. The edges should be smooth. In this case, it is possible to create a high-quality insulating layer. Its heat loss will be minimal. When cutting unevenly, large gaps form between the joints. Through them, heat from the room will escape to the outside.

Professional designers and builders use exclusively electrical equipment for cutting foam. It is quite possible to create such a tool at home.

Simple electric cutter

Considering how to make a foam cutter, you should study the design of the simplest equipment of this class, which runs on electricity. In this case, you will need to prepare a thin guitar string and several batteries (for example, from a flashlight).

The operating principle of this equipment is simple. The battery structure forms a single unit. A guitar string is connected to it. When electric current passes through the circuit, it will heat up. It is in this state that the string can easily cut a sheet of foam.

When using such a tool, the material will melt. The string heats up to 120 ºС and even more. In this case, it is quite possible to cut several large slabs of foam. If you need to do a large amount of work, this option will not work. The batteries will run out quickly. We will have to provide an option for connecting the system to a household network.

Types of electric cutters

Electric foam cutter can be used for various purposes. This will determine the type of design and overall performance characteristics of the equipment. There are three main types of homemade cutters.

The first category is used for linear cutting. The second group includes cutters used to perform figure cutting material. Designers use them. This type is used less frequently for home repairs. There is also a tool with a metal working plate.

Such equipment must have a step-down transformer in its circuit. It must be rated for a minimum power of 100 watts. The secondary winding of the transformer must have a cross-section of at least 1.5 mm. It must withstand a voltage of 15 V. In this case, you can achieve high performance results.

Features of work

Studying how to make your own handheld foam cutter, it is also necessary to consider the operating features of such equipment. As mentioned above, such an instrument has a string. It heats up and melts the surface of the foam.

This material reacts quite poorly to heat. Therefore, it is important to maintain the technology of the entire process. Cutting using a hot thread is done quickly. This allows you to achieve high quality cuts.

It's easy to check the string's heating level. To do this, a test is carried out on a test piece of polystyrene foam. If, when immersing the thread, long pieces of material remain on it, it has not yet warmed up enough. If there is no foam on the string at all, then the temperature is too high. In this case, you will have to cool the instrument a little. With proper heating, you can perform fast, accurate cutting.

Line cutting cutter

Linear DIY foam cutter will allow you to create blocks from the material of the required dimensions. This significantly speeds up the work of the master. If necessary, this tool can be used to cut circles, triangles or squares into the foam.

Two racks are installed vertically on the table surface. Two insulators are attached to them. A nichrome thread is stretched between them. This alloy heats up quickly, providing sufficient temperature for cutting. A freely hanging load is passed through one of the racks. Contacts from the transformer are connected to the thread.

The current passing through will heat it up. It will be taut all the time thanks to the weight hanging from one side. This is necessary, since the string may sag when heated. If desired, the design can be modified by adding a spring instead of a load. However, the original version is easier to implement.

Line cutting process

Considering how to make a foam cutter with your own hands, you also need to understand how to work with them correctly. Cutting can be done vertically or horizontally. To do this, the thread is pulled in the appropriate position.

If the string is stretched horizontally, you can use it to make the same cuts. The foam is pulled evenly across the table. The thread will cut it evenly into the required pieces.

When cutting a structure vertically, a frame made of metal or plywood is added. A holder is installed on it. An insulator and a nichrome string are connected to it. On its other side a load is suspended. It will go through a hole drilled in the table. It must be large enough and covered with special insulating material. Next, you can perform vertical cutting.

Shaped cutting

If you need to cut fairly large sheets of foam plastic or create decorative elements or sculptures from this material, a special type of equipment is used. You can also make it yourself. It's manual foam cutter. It is made on the basis of a manual jigsaw or hacksaw. In them, the cutting element is replaced with a nichrome string.

If you need to create shaped elements, you can make several tools of different shapes. A wire is connected to the handle of the jigsaw. It must be carefully isolated. Otherwise, it will be unsafe to work with this equipment. A nichrome string is attached to the wire contacts. This can be done using nuts and screws with washers.

Also, a pulse soldering iron or wood burner may be suitable for creating such equipment. This tool is considered convenient. Their working element is removed from such equipment and replaced with a piece. In this case, the threads can be given different shapes.

Cutter with metal plate

Exists foam cutter, in the design of which it is used To create this equipment, you can remake a soldering iron. Equipment with a power of 60 W is suitable. The heating element is removed from the device. Instead, a plate is installed here.

One side of the copper blank needs to be sharpened. This will allow you to create a more accurate cut. The sharpening angle should not be made too large. The cutting will be done using heat. To find the required level, you will have to experiment on a test piece of foam.

This method is also used by craftsmen of various skill levels and profiles. If necessary, the copper plate can be replaced with a steel billet. This option will require more effort when sharpening. But with the help of such a tool you can cut denser polymer materials.

Choosing which one foam cutter is more suitable for the work of a master, you should take into account the recommendations of professional builders. The greater the volume of work performed, the more complex the design will be. A simple battery-powered cutter is quite suitable for cutting several blocks. However, to perform a large amount of work, preference should be given to network types of equipment.

When cutting, the foam heats up. At this moment, substances unsafe for human health are released into the environment. Therefore, the work is performed in a well-ventilated room or outside.

Having considered what options for foam cutters you can make with your own hands, each master will be able to choose the best option for himself.

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