Home Made Foam cutter

akjgardner Sun Jun 11, 2023 11:36 am

don’t know if it’s going to work or not, I need to find a DC Power Supply . I used an adjustable shelf piece so I can easily change the size of the cutter

**944_Jim** Sun Jun 11, 2023 5:00 pm

That's great looking AK. I like the "self-tensioner."

Oh Jerry....where are you?
Jerry built a micro foam cutter for making his Typhoon wings. I think I saw the video on Facebook. I doubt it was over 10 inches across. After all, Typhoon wing panels are only about 6.5 inches (four sections in total).

I seem to remember he used an N-scale model train transformer to power his. A quick eBay shows the bottom entry at about $13...but I'd stay away from N-scale transformers based on the size of your particular "unit." If I had an HO one, I'd send it just to see if it could power yours.

Jerry Sun Jun 11, 2023 7:40 pm

I used an MRC Throttle pack… an HO transformer… I hooked the foam cutter to the track leads so the rheostat could be used to adjust the current.

andrew Sun Jun 11, 2023 11:07 pm

Here are pics of my bow and associated power supply. I use a commercial DC power supply rated at 13.8v driving a DIY PWM heat controller. The cutting wire is .018 stainless spring steel. When cutting cores, I use a spreader about 3" inches up from the wire to insure the wire remains very taut -- the end spring takes up any stretch as the wire heats up.

There are several AC hot wire designs on the interweb, but I've found that AC can sometimes set up harmonics in the wire that causes a wavy surface cut.