What is a fast, easy, cheap, and clean (meaning preserving the edges) way to cut thick/thin stryrofoam? Lots of it.
I seem to remember some heated wire thing from days of lore, but want to stay on the cheap if possible.
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Replies
are you making straight cuts or curvacious ones?
When you're this good, EVERYONE wants a crack at you!
http://www.petedraganic.com/
Straight.
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Ya I remember some kid years ago on a job doing the foam insulation work. He had what I remember to be a food prep shrink wrap machine to cut the foam with the heated wire that cuts the plastic wrap. He was showing off by cutting out perfict shaped cartoon caractures.
Thick is a tablesaw or ezguide and thin is score and snap.
bandsaw with a fence
I remember back in the day, when everything was shiny new. Now, instead of being polished, it just kinda chafes.
You can make your own hot wire.
On the cheap, without placing resistors in the circuit, I used an old battery charger hooked up to a short length of solid wire formed to the shape I needed and held in place with a screw at each end to a short piece of 1x2.
You could make a hand held unit and move it along the work piece or you could anchor the hot wire and move the work piece against a fence.
You could Google the directions for building a hot wire.
The only problem I had with my unmodified, straight hookup method was that the internal overload switch in the battery charger kept activating so cutting the foam was a stop and go procedure. Still, the cuts were precise and I made $$$ on the job.
Lots of it.
Well ya know, now we have to ask what you're doing.
be curious
well to be honest I am making styrofoam 'bricks'. Bricks of all sizes and thickness. Dozens. I have been saving every styrofoam insert for over a year. The neighbors have been giving me there stuff. etc etc
From all the new appliances from the renovation, tool boxes, etc etc etc.
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Edited 1/24/2007 7:39 pm ET by Sailfish
Ok, I'll bite - Why?Edit: to add...Ok, I just read your "occupation" - I'm afraid I understand far too well...Bandsaw, skip-tooth with a deep gullet. The trouble with a narrow, deep cut on a table saw is friction. The same cut with wood - not a problem, with foam - can be scary.I remember back in the day, when everything was shiny new. Now, instead of being polished, it just kinda chafes.Edited 1/24/2007 7:46 pm by PhatEdited 1/24/2007 7:47 pm by Phat
Edited 1/24/2007 7:51 pm by Phat
I see. Good move.
Years back a guy across the street worked at a glass factory which received crates of large glass sheets shipped in from Mexico that had 1 inch thick, 6inch wide 8ft lengths white Styrofoam packaging between the sheets. A lot of it. Many came in everyday.
He did his house with it. I started getting it just cause it was free and ended up giving it away as I was in a rental and had no use for it.
It ended when the owner of the plant got to thinking about his hunting camp:o)
jigsaw doesnt do too bad. Nice coarse blade
Real trucks dont have sparkplugs
http://hotwirefoamfactory.com/home.php
like butter, nice surface, use gravity and a fence for straight lines
Check out these sites. It is pretty straight forward. You can buy nichrome wire for about $10 for a 25 or 30-foot roll.
http://www.techlib.com/hobby/hotwire_foam_cutter.htm
http://www.hhhh.org/~joeboy/resources/hotwire_foam_cutter/hotwire_foam_cutter.html
http://www.instructables.com/id/EK8Q92824BEP286S6S/
http://www.spacemodeling.org/new/how_to/Foam_Cutter.htm
Just a reminder to everybody .. fumes from styrofoam are toxic, use any of this stuff with adequate ventilation.
You guys never cease to amaze me with your knowledge!
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You can also get a hot knife that looks like a dull carving knife or an over sized butter knife. It has a nice blade. I think they run about $60 or so. Look for it at MicroMark or you can most likely get it at your local hobby shop. The guys that build the model airplanes ( I think the ones that fly) use this as I understand it.
Doug Meyer
I was told long ago by a guy that use to be our handyman/carpenter at my restaurant that you could use an electric carving knife to cut Styrofoam. Like the ones used to carve the Thanksgiving turkey. It leaves a smooth edge.
Just my 2 cents .....