mikehannah

Hi Folks
Does anyone know of a source of Heavy grade Nichrome wire in the UK. I have light stuff I got with a foam cutting kit but it tends to drag hence the need for heavier grade stuff.

Mike

winship

Sometimes the dragging can be due to the wire stretching under heat. I have had good luck with .014 music wire. For accurate cores the heat should be turned down so that the wire is in contact with the foam and not melting it from radiant heat. The foam should have little hairs on it where it was cut. More info than you asked for but you might consider music wire. I have tried the heavy gauge nicrome wire but prefer the music wire. I do not live in the UK but I purchased my heavy guage nicrome form an electronics store.

Try the cheap stuff before you buy the expensive nichrome wire.

Dan Winship

Alabama Racer

Try using some Stainless Steel fishing leader. I bought a spool years ago, says trolling line on the spool. .022 dia per my calipers. Have cut out gaggles of cores, stretch the wire as tight
as I can get it, and have yet to break a wire. I got mine at a local tacle shop, do not remember the cost but was pretty cheap.
Brad

mikehannah

Hi Folks
I am looking for heavier guage wire so so that I can bend shapes in it and use it too make cuts into a set of foam core wings.
Ie servo cuts out, wheel retract bays etc cf reinforcing rod.

Hence the need for the slightly heavier guage.

At the moment the stuff I have badly drags on the bottom of the cut and I tend to get either a slope running from one side to the other or as in the case of the wheel wells a sort of saw tooth effect as it tend to drag then correct itself, drag you get the picture .
Initially I thought i was going too fast but when I tried it at a snails pace although it was better it was still very evident.
So am I doing something wrong ? ( ie heavier guage wont help) or is my wire too thin and I need heavier stuff.

Mike

Ollie

Early foam cutters started with nicrome wire but most people have switched to stainless steel. Nicrome is brittle, hard to straighten, and expands a lot when heated. Stainless steel is stronger, straighter, expands less and is currently the best choice. The bow should tighten the wire nearly to the breaking point and the stainless steel wire will sag very little in use. I've been using the same piece of stainless for the last ten years and have no complaints.

mikehannah

Hi Folks
What power source are people using for their Foam Cutting?
Does it take more voltage to drive the stainless steel wire and where are people obtaining it from. Someone suggest the best source maybe fish tackle shops.
I have the KISS Foam cutting kit which uses up to three batteries as a power source would this be adequate for using stainless steel cutting wire.?

Mike

Ollie

The voltage required depends on the length and diameter of wire and the density of polystyrene of foam. For 0.02 inch diameter stainless wire up to about three feet long 24 volts should cut the densest foam. For 0.03 inch diameter stainless wire three feet long, 12 volts should be enough.

Stainless steel fishing leader can be had in salt water fisherman supply outlets. You can get a lifetime supply for less than $3. See:
http://www.malolotackle.com/wire.html#single

Flypaper 2

If you want to cut out wheelwells, etc , a soldering gun with heavy copper wire in place of the soldering tip works well. Bend any shape you like.

Bananaskin

Excellent idea there, was scratching my head about how to cut foam for floats which has been sandwiched between balsa, but you have given me the answer now.

Michael