DIY curly cutting of foam

DIY Styrofoam Cutting Tools

The guillotine is perfect for linear cutting. Only the impact will not be mechanical, otherwise a lot of debris will be formed. We use a proven technology. cutting foam with a heated tension string.

Homemade Styrofoam Cutter. Buy or DIY?

• DIY Styrofoam Cutting Tools
• Required materials
• The principle of the frame is shown in the diagram.
• Machine for shaped cutting of foam plastic
• Homemade thermal cutting knife

Polyfoam is a versatile material. It is used in construction (insulation), in the production (repair) of household electrical appliances, interior design, advertising. One of the main characteristics of the material is density. The higher this indicator, the stronger the material. However, this has a great effect on the price.

When using the material as a filler for wall insulation, the most loose structure is usually chosen (due to its low cost). However, loose foam is difficult to handle. when cutting, it crumbles heavily, making it difficult to clean up garbage.

The knife for cutting the foam should be thin and sharp, but this does not prevent the edge from breaking. Even if you work outdoors, the flying small balls litter the environment.

Therefore, professional builders cut polystyrene with nichrome wire or hot plate. The material is fusible despite fire safety.

The industrial foam cutting machine can process sheets of any size, cut the material both across and along the solid. However, cutting foam at home does not imply similar volumes and sizes. For repair work in your home (or garage), a compact thermal knife is sufficient. It can easily cope with both linear cutting and curly adjustment of the slabs, when laying in areas with a complex shape. Any tool has a cost, and there is always an opportunity to save money on the purchase.

The principle of the frame is shown in the diagram.

The wire cutter must be electrically isolated from the frame. Therefore, it can be made of metal. It is important to maintain a constant tension on the wire. When heated, nichrome expands, adding up to 3% in length. This causes the string to sag.

Therefore, the tension is provided by a weight or a spring. It must be chosen carefully. Excessive force can break the wire when heated.

The temperature is provided by the strength of the flowing current. The voltage is irrelevant, so it should be kept as low as possible for the safety of the operator. Optimal value: 12-36 volts. Too small a value will increase the current to achieve the same power, since nichrome has a high resistance. Voltage drop will occur.

The power supply circuit must be made adjustable. The best option is LATR. Adjustment of the output voltage is smooth, the transformer can withstand a heavy load.

Before finishing work, practice on unnecessary pieces of material. Cutting styrofoam with your own hands using nichrome is akin to playing musical instruments. The power supply needs to be tuned and the optimal speed needs to be experienced. It is useful to markup on the voltage regulator.

Another way to power is a car battery. A high power variable resistor is required to adjust the temperature. The advantages are obvious. you can work in the absence of power supply.

Such a foam cutting machine allows you to perform cross cutting, or to remove a layer of any thickness along the sheet. The density of the material does not matter, everything is controlled by the temperature of the thread and the speed of movement. However, for more complex shapes, a vertical-string styrofoam cutter is required. It can also be made by hand.

Machine for shaped cutting of foam plastic

There is no need to invent a structure, there are ready-made industrial designs. By analogy, we make a homemade machine. The manufacturing technology is the same as in the previous model. A tension frame is cut out of the dielectric, which is attached to a flat tabletop.

Nichrome wire with one end is threaded into the hole (on the desktop), and with the other, it is suspended from the frame. A spring is used to maintain tension. The power supply unit and the string are selected on the basis of the same principle as on the guillotine: voltage 12-36 volts, adjustable. The possibilities of such a device are very wide. You can even make complex geometric shapes from prepared templates. If you provide a tilt of the table relative to the vertical of the string, you can make bevel cuts with high accuracy.

Any machine for cutting foam, even made by hand, takes up a lot of space. For construction work (insulation), you can do with hand cutters. Shaped cutting of polystyrene can generally be done using compact fixtures. This is an analogue of a jigsaw, only not mechanical, but thermal action. It is better to use thick copper wire for the tension loop. It has low resistance, which will reduce the loss of electric current. There is enough stiffness to keep the wire in tension. Power supply as before, either car battery or variable transformer.

If curly cutting of polystyrene with your own hands does not require special precision (for example, you just cut technological holes in the insulation), you can use a homemade nozzle for a conventional soldering iron with a power of 40-60 watts. The knife-attachment is cut out of galvanized sheet and fits tightly on the soldering iron tip.

Required materials

• Nichrome (tungsten) thread
• Power supply, preferably regulated
• Any construction materials: timber, metal profile, pipe, for the manufacture of a tension frame
• Furniture runners for drawers.

• Old soldering iron. Models made in the USSR, designed for 36-40 volts, can be found in any home workshop. Heater winding is an excellent donor for nichrome guillotine. True, the length of the wire is no more than a meter.
• Iron with a classic spiral heater. The wire is thicker, suitable for linear cutting. Shape cutting is permissible, with low accuracy requirements.
• Spiral heaters from a hair dryer, or fan heater. The principle is the same, they are not suitable for precise cutting.

Homemade thermal cutting knife

With such a thermal knife, you can quickly adjust the shape of the insulation, cut holes, adjust pieces of foam during installation.
For linear adjustment, chamfering from corners, and cutting bars, you can literally “on the knee” assemble a simple portable cutter.

It is enough to take a battery of the “crown” type, or several finger batteries. The main thing is that the voltage is at least 6 volts. Stretch a nichrome wire up to 10 cm long between elastic plates (or just wooden slats), connect to the power supply, and the cutter is ready.

All factory machines and hand tools for processing foam work according to the same principle. a stretched wire and a power supply. As you can see from the article, the creation of such a tool is within the power of any home craftsman.

Manufacturing process

Having collected all the necessary parts, you can start assembling the cutter structure:

• At each end of the wooden block, make one hole corresponding to the diameter of the matched pencil. Its depth should reach half of the wooden plank. From the edge of the plank you need to indent 1.5 centimeters.
• In the lower part of the pencils, form a hole for installing copper wire, the ends of which should be rolled up in a ring.
• Place the plastic battery box on top of the bar with glue. Fix the pencils with the same composition in the previously made holes.
• To adjust the current to the string, install a switch on a wooden plank.
• The two wires should be soldered to the connector located in the battery container. From there, bring the current conductor to the switch, and then strip the ends from the braid and use a soldering iron to fix it to the copper wire on each separate pencil. Isolate the connection points.
• Pull the nichrome string tight, threading and fixing well between the copper rings.

Batteries should be inserted into the finished cutter and you can start working. Such a tool is capable of cutting styrofoam up to 4 centimeters thick. At the same time, with its help, you can cut out simple shapes.

How to cut high quality foam at home

Foam boards are widely used as insulation. When arranging thermal insulation in a house, it is often required to cut the material according to the required size. Styrofoam cutting can be done with a variety of tools. But in order to do this smoothly, quickly and efficiently, a special device is required, which, if necessary, can be built with your own hands.

Shaped cutting of foam

Polyfoam is quite one of the most popular finishing products. Various figures cut from such material are especially popular. Volumetric foam compositions are used as an architectural decoration, to create advertising elements, various design structures for interior decoration.

Shape cutting is carried out using laser systems and special CNC machines. Each device has its own advantages and features of use:

• Laser cutting. The processing of foam by means of radiation allows the creation of 2D and 3D shapes of various shapes. This method of cutting provides the smallest cut thickness, contributing to increased detail of products. The whole process on laser CNC equipment is fully automated. Therefore, in the process of cutting the material, defects and errors are excluded.
• String processing. The formation of volumetric products occurs using the thermal effect of strings made of nickel-chromium. This method of cutting the foam ensures the accuracy of the cuts according to the given sketches. The cost of stringing cellular material is much cheaper than laser cutting. All actions on the machines are controlled by a special computer program.

With the help of modern 3D equipment for cutting foam plastic, you can make shapes of varying complexity in a short time.

DIY Styrofoam Cutter

In the process of manufacturing a cutting device, it is necessary to use the following materials and tools:

• screwdriver or hammer drill with a drill;
• soldering device;
• two identical pencils;
• pliers with a rounded section at the ends;
• PVA glue or other heat-resistant adhesive;
• nichrome thread;
• two copper wires;
• a wooden block 10 centimeters long;
• insulating tape;
• double battery box;
• wires. one meter;
• switch.

To power such a portable cutter, two conventional AA batteries are used.

Homemade machine

A stationary installation for cutting foam plastic allows you to more accurately cut the cellular product along the planned lines. In the process of processing, you do not need to make movements with the tool, but simply move the material itself. You can make a machine with your own hands.

Homemade foam cutting machine

For the manufacture of a stationary cutter, it is necessary to prepare the following devices:

• two long self-tapping screws with wide heads.
• nichrome string;
• wires for connecting current;
• rheostat for adjusting the charge strength;
• 12-volt step-down transformer.

A table is used as a basis. The supporting part can be made by yourself. The main condition for its manufacture is the presence of a flat smooth surface. Table sizes are selected arbitrarily.

Devices and methods for cutting foam

Polyfoam used to insulate various structures of a building has a rather loose structure. The cellular material easily crumbles and breaks under mechanical stress. To ensure the smooth edges of the cut of the heat-insulating product, special devices are used:

• Stationery knife. This method is the most affordable and simplest and is most often used when working with foam at home. The tool is effective only for cutting small-sized cellular products with a thickness of no more than 5 centimeters. The main condition for high-quality cutting with a clerical knife is the presence of a new and sharp blade.
• Thermal knife. This tool is specially designed for processing foam. The knife is capable of instantly heating up to 600 degrees. It is used for products of small thickness. In order to cut the foam sheet, you should smoothly move the tool along the marked line. In the process of melting the material, fairly smooth edges are formed.
• Hacksaw for wood. Such a device is used if it is necessary to cut cellular heat-insulating material, the thickness of which exceeds 80 centimeters. For work, a saw is used only with fine teeth. With the help of such a tool, you can provide the product with smooth edges only with a straight cut.

Thermal knife. foam cutter

Builders sometimes separate the foam and the necessary parts with a grinder. This uses a disc with a minimum thickness.

On an industrial scale, cutting of porous material is carried out using special CNC machines. The cutting process on machines is carried out using various types of cutting tools:

• cutter;
• sharpened hacksaw blades;
• carbide discs;
• laser radiation;
• thin nichrome strings.

Most often, the industry uses the option of cutting by means of strings fixed in the required position. Many CNC machines are equipped with a computer program, and the process is controlled remotely.

Ways to cut styrofoam at home

For self-processing of foam plates, various improvised tools and devices are often used. The most common home cutting methods are:

• Open with a boot knife. The blade of the tool must have a special sharpening. the tip is blunt, and the wide part is perfectly sharp. When cutting with such a knife, unpleasant sounds are created.
• Soldering iron material processing. It is recommended to flatten the end of the working part of the soldering iron to increase its thickness. The tool allows you to quickly and smoothly cut small pieces of foam. You can also create rounded shapes using a soldering iron.
• Nichrome wire cutting. This option is considered the most popular when cutting foam at home. Its main advantage is the accuracy and speed of product processing. For cutting the material with a wire, a stationary installation is made, which significantly increases the productivity of the process.

A boot knife. a device for cutting foam at home

If necessary, a nichrome device for cutting foam can be made by hand.

Self-made cutter technology

There are many options for constructing effective foam cutters from improvised means. Two of them are especially popular. a cutter and a machine with nichrome thread. Each tool is quite simple to use and is able to provide an even and high-quality cutting of cellular material.

How the foam is cut?

DIY Styrofoam Cutting Machine

Cutting machines are more convenient because the cutting thread is fixed in them and you only need to move the foam. This improves the accuracy of the movements. In the manufacture, you will need the same tools and equipment as in the previous case.

First you need to make a table, which is a wooden base with small legs. The table must be level and smooth to prevent deformation of the foam. The dimensions of the base can be chosen arbitrarily. A bar is screwed perpendicular to the tabletop, and a wooden crossbar is attached to it at an angle of 90 °. Then it is necessary to strengthen the structure with a jumper.

The corner ruler marks the place where the filament will go. If the surface is level enough, this can be done with a plumb line. To do this, a self-tapping screw with a wide head is screwed into the end, and a thread with a load is screwed onto it. A hole with a diameter of 6 mm is drilled in the selected place. To prevent the string from burning the wood, a plate of textolite or metal is installed. Place the material flush with the surface.

A wire is threaded into the hole, the lower end of which is put on a self-tapping screw. The screw is screwed in next to the hole. The length of the spiral should be such that it turns red when heated. Since the wire lengthens at high temperatures, a compensating spring must be used to avoid sagging. A spring is put on the upper self-tapping screw, and a nichrome thread is attached to it.

An energy source is connected to the ends of the filament, which can be a battery with a voltage of 11.7-12.4 V. To regulate this indicator, a thyristor regulator circuit is used. The regulator can be taken from an electric grinder. You can also control the voltage using a spiral on a polystyrene foam cutting machine.

This coil is mounted on a wooden block to which the upper edge of the filament is attached. Connects to the wire in series. Its function is to lengthen the nichrome thread and, accordingly, reduce the stress. This can be achieved by changing the place of connection to the nichrome spiral. The smaller the distance, the more the thread heats up and the more the foam melts.

If a transformer is connected to the machine, it must be galvanically isolated. In this case, a transformer with taps must be used.

For smooth and even cuts, you need to make a guide rail. It is made from a bar or any other even material.

With the help of such a simple machine, the foam is cut with your own hands. Additionally, you can make various devices. You can make a miter box during the repair with your own hands or a tray that will help you cut the material evenly at the right angles.

Required tools and materials

To make a cutter with nichrome wire for cutting foam, you will need the following tools and materials:

• small wooden block;
• screwdriver and drill;
• 2 pencils;
• 2 pieces of copper wire;
• round nose pliers;
• hot glue or PVA;
• insulating tape;
• battery connector;
• switch;
• 1 m of wires;
• soldering iron;
• nichrome thread.

DIY nichrome cutter

The foam is cut with a string heated to 120. 150 ° C and melting material. Thanks to this, the cut is even, and the foam does not crumble. On such devices, a nichrome thread is installed through which electricity is passed. You can make a simple cutter with your own hands. It differs from the machine in portability and compactness, therefore, the heating temperature of the nichrome wire on it cannot be adjusted.

3D foam cutting technology

Expanded polystyrene products began to be widely used for marketing and decorative purposes. They make company logos from expanded polystyrene, cut out names, various figures, decorative elements, etc. Therefore, 3D cutting has gained wide popularity. The use of foam allows you to save money and at the same time get a high-quality and durable product.

Volumetric cutting is carried out on special machines. They cut the material using long strings or a laser and allow you to shape the foam into any shape.

Homemade Styrofoam Cutter

A homemade cutter is intended for minor jobs. It is not possible to cut the entire sheet of expanded polystyrene for them. To cut styrofoam at home, you must:

• Make 2 holes in a wooden block 10-11 cm long. They should match the diameter of the pencils. You need to step back from the edge by 1-1.5 cm. The depression should be slightly deeper than half of the bar in order to fix the pencils. Thanks to this distance, you can cut foam sheets of almost any thickness.
• Glue both pencils into the holes with hot glue or PVA.
• In each of the pencils, make a small hole on top for the copper wire.
• Bend the copper wire with round-nose pliers so that small rings are formed at its ends. Then install in the holes in the pencils.
• Glue the battery connector perpendicular to a wooden block. Additionally, it will act as a handle.
• Stick the switch on the block so that you can de-energize the string.
• Then connect 2 wires to the connector. After that, connect to the switch, and then bring each one to a separate pencil. To prevent the wire from sagging and interfering with work, it is fixed with electrical tape. To ensure a reliable connection quality, you need to solder the wires to the connector. The joints must be insulated with heat shrink tubing or electrical tape.
• Remove the braid from the other end of each wire and screw it to the copper wire. Solder connection.
• Thread the nichrome thread into the copper wire rings and fasten to them. The string should be tight between the pencils. When heated, it stretches and sags a little. The tighter the tension, the less sag.
• Insert the batteries into the connector and start cutting the foam sheets.

Thus, you can make a simple device for cutting foam with your own hands. And another option for making a machine, look at

Shaped cutting of foam

Figured cutting of expanded polystyrene is carried out on special machines. Some of them are equipped with CNC. When working on a machine, the thickness of the foam sheets does not matter. However, for simple cutting, you can use a simple DIY cutter.

The easiest cutter from scrap materials

To quickly make a foam cutter, all you need is a guitar string and a few batteries. If all this is already at hand, we perform the following steps:

• we connect the batteries in two separate blocks;
• we connect a string to them;
• wait until the string heats up and start cutting the foam.

Such a primitive design will allow you to cut several plates, after which you will have to change the batteries. Therefore, it is not suitable for serious work. But for solving small tasks, you can make such a simple cutter. In order not to constantly close the contacts with a string, it is a good idea to equip the device with an on-off toggle switch.

How to do it yourself

The need for a cutter can arise at any time if you do some chores around the house quite often. Perhaps someone was faced with the fact that it is necessary to make a part, resorting to a special mold for casting with epoxy resin.

And to do that, you need a piece of Styrofoam. For example, you can use styrofoam from the packaging of your TV. It is necessary to draw on it with a ruler, a compass and a ballpoint pen the places where it will be necessary to make holes in the future.

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

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

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

• with a metal working plate;
• for linear cutting;
• for curly cutting.

First of all, we prepare 3 blanks.

The 1st workpiece is soldered from 2 corners and pipes. Dimensions depend on specific needs. In our case, the width is about 10 cm, the length is about 10 cm.

2nd workpiece from a tee, an angle at 45 degrees and a pipe.

3rd workpiece. made of 2 pipe clamps, the stud is fixed with nuts in the grooves of the holder. do not forget to use washer spacers.

We solder the holder itself from polypropylene pipes. The design allows you to adjust the cutting depth.

For this, on a pre-welded U-shaped workpiece (part 1) it is attached to pipe holders and can move freely relative to the holder.

A copper wire with a cross section of 1.5 mm is laid inside the pipe, 1 part of the cable comes out of the handle.

The design is very simple, has a low weight, fits comfortably in the hand, and the main thing is to cost almost a penny.
If necessary, it can be folded and unfolded so that it does not take up much space.

Nichrome thread can be taken from the old SP-5 variable resistor. We fix it in furniture corners, which we solder into the pipe by heating.

Be careful at work!
Be careful in your work. so as not to burn yourself with a hot nichrome thread.

The power source is an old transformer with a capacity of about 150 W, one of the terminals of which has a voltage of 2.5 Volts. Such stress is safe for a person. But, there is a risk of getting burned by the hot nichrome thread.

By the way, the nichrome thread itself does not get red-hot, but it easily melts the foam.
Experimenting a bit with a homemade cutter. you can gain experience and cut strips and foam figures in even layers.

With such a homemade cutter, you can also burn drawings. To do this, in the middle of the part, we pre-burn the hole with a heated knitting needle, insert the nichrome thread and only after that we fix it in the holder.

The foam cutter is ready and can be used as intended.

DIY Styrofoam Cutter

Polyfoam is a fairly practical and lightweight thermal insulation material. It is often used to create various crafts. However, in the process of working with it, one has to face one nuisance. the material is difficult to cut. The foam is produced in the form of large slabs, and in order to divide the panel into fragments, you will need to cut it.

Design features and principle of operation

The string expands when heated, adds up to 3% in length, cutting with a sagging cutter will not be of high quality, therefore a special mechanism is added to the structure. When operating with low frequency, it is possible to use a spring, it will gradually tighten the wire to the desired state. Mass use implies fast stretching, so it is best to use a suspended weight to one side of the string.

Nichrome cutter design

The foam cutter is powered by power sources with an output voltage of 12 to 36 volts. The most successful option is a laboratory transformer. The device is capable of withstanding high loads, smooth adjustment of the output voltage.

We are now going to connect the wires that conduct 25V to the cutting wire and will use the two mounting screws as terminals.

Cut off the ends of the 3m extension first. Save your plug and sockets for future projects. Strip the insulation from one end of the wire approximately 203 cm.

Insert the mounting screw into the top of the right leg of your “big H” as shown in the photo. This is the leg on the other side of the H from the handle. Use one washer on the head side of the screw and two on the side of the nut, as shown in the second figure. Put on the nut, but do not tighten it. You need to leave some space between the washers so you can insert the wire there.

Bend the exposed cord wire (the part you just exposed) into a U shape and secure it around the screw between the two washers. You can now tighten the nut. You can see how the final assembly looks like in the photos for step 7.

Starting at the end you just plugged in, stretch the two cords from the wire, dividing them by about 1 meter. Cut about 30 cm from the loose wire, strip the end and attach to the other leg H in the same way as you attached the first wire. You will understand what I am talking about if you look at the photo.

Use cable ties or rope to secure the wires to the frame so they don’t get in the way when using the finished tool.

Shaped cutting of foam

Polyfoam is quite one of the most popular finishing products. Various figures cut from such material are especially popular. Volumetric foam compositions are used as an architectural decoration, to create advertising elements, various design structures for interior decoration.

Shape cutting is carried out using laser systems and special CNC machines. Each device has its own advantages and features of use:

• Laser cutting. The processing of foam by means of radiation allows the creation of 2D and 3D shapes of various shapes. This method of cutting provides the smallest cut thickness, contributing to increased detail of products. The whole process on laser CNC equipment is fully automated. Therefore, in the process of cutting the material, defects and errors are excluded.
• String processing. The formation of volumetric products occurs using the thermal effect of strings made of nickel-chromium. This method of cutting the foam ensures the accuracy of the cuts according to the given sketches. The cost of stringing cellular material is much cheaper than laser cutting. All actions on the machines are controlled by a special computer program.

With the help of modern 3D equipment for cutting foam plastic, you can make shapes of varying complexity in a short time.

DIY Styrofoam Cutter

The simplest foam cutter

The simplest foam cutter is easy to do with your own hands. For this purpose, you will need to use the thinnest guitar string. In addition, you should prepare 5 large batteries for a regular flashlight. They must be connected in series. A string is connected to the ends of the device, thereby closing the electric arc. The current will flow through the string, heating it.

When using such a device, the foam sheet will split into two parts immediately after touching the string. In this case, the material will melt along the cut edges. The cut with this processing is as smooth as possible. The string for cutting foam must be heated to a temperature of at least 120 degrees. However, it should not exceed 150 degrees.

It is quite easy to check how hot the string is. When cutting, sticky pieces remain at the edges of the material. If they are too long, the string is not hot enough. In the absence of such pieces, it can be judged that the string is overheated.

With this elementary device, about 3 foam panels can be processed. However, for large volumes of work, it is not suitable. The batteries drain pretty quickly. To extend the life of the torch, you will need to build a mains-powered device. A few simple tips will help you understand how to make a Styrofoam cutter.

Cutting foam with a string

If you need to cut a small piece of foam, then, of course, you can use a sharp knife or metal saw to do this. At the same time, getting even and completely smooth edges of the foam blank, of course, will not work, since the foam crumbles and breaks perfectly.

Nevertheless, there is a way out, since you can make a machine with your own hands from ordinary nichrome wire to cut polystyrene. It is not difficult to buy nichrome wire today, in addition, such wire can be taken from an old heater, electric stove, etc.

Cutting foam with a string will significantly increase the comfort of work related to cutting the foam, increase productivity, and make interesting foam shapes much easier that cannot be cut with an ordinary hacksaw or knife.

Cutting foam with a string

Cutting foam with a string with your own hands

Therefore, if you have your own views on design and room zoning ideas. then it may be worth taking a closer look at the creation for these purposes of a unique foam arkature.

Among other things, foam is a relatively inexpensive material that can be easily assembled and processed at home. However, in order to make curly and convex foam elements, you will need to know how to cut foam with a string and how to make a machine for cutting foam with your own hands.

Do-it-yourself machine for cutting foam plastic with a string

In order to cut the foam with a string, you need to make a special machine for this. From materials and tools you need a little:

• Wide base on which you can place a large piece of Styrofoam. The larger the shape you need to make from the foam, the longer and wider the base for this.
• Transformer reducing voltage from 220 Volts to 24 Volts.
• Wire, nichrome 2-3 meters. The length is selected depending on the width of the base on which the foam will be cut with a string.
• A device that will adjust the string height. These can be converted clamps, one part of which is fixed to the side of the base. On the second, movable part, the string for cutting the foam will be fixed.

Making a machine for cutting foam with your own hands is not difficult. To do this, first a base is made, on which clamps are fixed closer to the center along the edges to adjust the height of the cutting string foam.

It is imperative that those parts of the clamps to which the nichrome wire will be attached must be insulated so that they cannot pass voltage. To the ends of the nichrome wire, wires from a step-down transformer are connected.

It is better to connect the string of a homemade foam cutting machine through a switch, so that you can conveniently control the device while cutting foam with a string.

As you can see, making a homemade foam cutting machine with your own hands is not at all difficult, the main thing is a desire and a little experience with a locksmith tool.

What the machine itself consists of

The main element of this machine is a nichrome wire that heats up to the desired temperature due to the fact that a voltage of 24 volts is applied to it and at the same time the current strength is about 5-6 amperes.

Make A Hot Wire Foam Cutter || DIY Foam Cutting Machine

You can view the diagram of the machine (Fig. 1): a cutter. which is assembled from a metal frame, and it also has four racks: two long and two short; cross members with tension wire and spring; there is also a nichrome wire, which is fixed on two insulators; also of two pantographs, which have a plate-like shape; suspension system that is balanced by two levers.

The knots are made in an L-like manner, this gives the best performance. All suspension elements, as well as balancing systems, construction blocks and eyebolts, which are mounted on a shelf, which is located at a height of about 1.5 meters from the working base.

The base is assembled from two twenty millimeter plywood plates, the dimensions of which are like this (500x1500x and 450×1500), all this is assembled on steel corners and fastened with self-tapping screws on wood. You can replace plywood sheets, for example, with grooved boards or chipboard, this is at your discretion. The top shelf will be mounted on three metal brackets, but I forgot to mention that this shelf should be made of 20mm grooved boards. L-shaped base you can fix on the table or hang directly on the wall.

The cutter will be tightened with M6 bolts. We will assemble a frame from the metal pieces that remain from square pipes with a size of 20×20 mm. Short studs with torch suspension rings are firmly attached to the ends of the crossbeam. In this case, long posts are pivotally attached to the cross member. This will compensate for the change in the length of the nichrome wire during heating due to the upper cable with a spring. How all this is attached is shown in Figure 2.

DIY curly cut

Pantographs (Figure 2) are assembled from duralumin plates 2 mm thick, and they are screwed to the side edges of the vertical wall of the L-shaped structure. In this case, the cutter unit is connected by pantographs, which are fixed with plates on short stands.

The suspension system has in itself, suspension cords with a counterweight, then two blocks that are attached to the vertical wall of the base, there are also three blocks (one of which will be double), there are also two eye bolts that are attached to the shelf at the top and there is still two levers (with sliders that move very easily) whose axes are installed closer to the vertical wall of the entire base.

Elastic cords with a diameter of 5 mm will also be used. Steel cables with a thickness of 3 mm can also be replaced with cords that do not stretch. Let it be a counterweight, for example, a plastic water bottle.

Foam Cutting Machine

Craftsmen who are very often faced with the cutting and cutting of a variety of foams, for example, for repairing home furniture or when building a variety of models. Read more about how to make a filigree machine for cutting foam and other soft foam materials.

DIY Styrofoam Cutting

Before starting work at the machine, you need to check the smoothness of work. This is all done by balancing by changing the position of the sliders on the levers, and also changing the volume of water in the bottle, which is a counterweight.

To obtain the desired relief of the cut of the workpiece on the base (on both sides of the workpiece), figured templates are installed, which are cut in advance from a duralumin sheet which has a thickness of one or one and a half millimeters. At the end of the template, there is a protrusion-limiter for the movement of the hot nichrome wire. The length of the templates should be greater than the foam blank, they are fixed on the base using corners.

Place the foam blank on the base, then wedge it and load it from above with a pad board. Having brought the torch wire to the workpiece, turn on the supply voltage and lead the torch away from you, slightly touching the wire templates repeating their shape.

If nichrome does not heat well, then you can change the heating temperature using the so-called LATR. When powering the machine through LATR, remember that the nichrome wire will have electrical contact with the 220 V network.