foam cutter
09-20-2011, 08:37 PM
#2
RE: foam cutter
Not an easy question to answere. There are many variables, and in some cases there are
personal preferences. You are going to need to experiment a little. Start with something as
simple as a 12 car battery. Depending on how that performs, you may want to consider
something like a model train transformer that goes from 6 volts to 18 volts. It's nice to have
a variable control, since the foam can vary, the length of your core can vary, and the speed
at which you cut can vary. If the wire is not hot enough, the wire will bow in the middle, which
will produce a distorted airfoil. If the wire is too hot, the wire will radiate heat, and melt the
foam around the wire, instead of cutting the foam. You didn't say what material the wire is made
from. Nicrome wire has been popular for years, but stainless steel is tougher.
When learning new skills it's helpfull to have someone who is experienced to coach. Try to find
someone in your area who has cut foam before, and be sure to get a lot of extra foam, because
you are going to make a lot of scrap. Good luck, Greg
personal preferences. You are going to need to experiment a little. Start with something as
simple as a 12 car battery. Depending on how that performs, you may want to consider
something like a model train transformer that goes from 6 volts to 18 volts. It's nice to have
a variable control, since the foam can vary, the length of your core can vary, and the speed
at which you cut can vary. If the wire is not hot enough, the wire will bow in the middle, which
will produce a distorted airfoil. If the wire is too hot, the wire will radiate heat, and melt the
foam around the wire, instead of cutting the foam. You didn't say what material the wire is made
from. Nicrome wire has been popular for years, but stainless steel is tougher.
When learning new skills it's helpfull to have someone who is experienced to coach. Try to find
someone in your area who has cut foam before, and be sure to get a lot of extra foam, because
you are going to make a lot of scrap. Good luck, Greg
09-21-2011, 05:57 AM
#4
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Provo,
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RE: foam cutter
Greg is right when he says get a lot of foam. The learning curve is not all that hard to master but if anything can go wrong when your cutting it will. AND by the time you see what's wrong or what you have forgot about it's too late. I went through a couple full sheets of blue foam (4' X 8') before I started to do some cuts that I thought were perfect. In the interim there were some cores that were "useable" but far from perfect. Good luck and hang in there, thing do get better with practice.
