Homemade Styrofoam hot wire cutter
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- čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
- In this video I will show you how to make a bow Polystyrene cutter out of PVC pipe and a household AC power adapter
This is a handy little foam slicer if you have no room for the larger table mounted versions or a precision cutter is not required
00:00 intro
00:21 Cutting the PVC pipe
01:06 Soldering and wiring
03:06 Gluing the PVC pipe
03:27 Making the hot wire connectors
04:22 Connecting the hot wire (nichrome wire)
04:48 Testing
My camera gear used
Canon G7X goo.gl/hElOVh
Canon 80D goo.gl/kd49Qq
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XCSOURCE tripod goo.gl/nhOQmX
/ sean_beardon
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/ projectmayhemuk-167475... - Věda a technologie
Fastest tutorial I’ve encountered with no bs , CZcams algorithms finally got it right. 🤗
I have seen several videos on how to build similar devices but what makes yours of interest is the use of PVC pipe and connectors and the deadman switch. Very nice. I love the design and would make mine smaller.
About time my search turned up the RIGHT way to do this project. Thank you!
Fkn brilliant, mate.
Bowing the PVC is genius. As the wire heats up is will contract (rather counter-intuitive, but physics).
I found this as I'm putting in a couple of window A/C units that come with some insulation blocks; however, this is a really old house and as such, windows don't match the newer std. sized windows of newer homes. Forrunately, I never throw stuff in the bin and likely have all the parts and will reuse the styro packaging to make custom fitted parts to insulate around the A/C unit.
Thanks for posting this.
Very clear and simple. Thank you!
That bicycle cable strand was Brilliant!
Thanks! 👍😁 ......👣👣👣.
you are a talented and brilliant creature!
As soon as you chucked the first piece of scrap I knew this video was for me! 🤣
Thanks for sharing this video & information. Great design and execution
simple, efficient, light... great!!
czcams.com/video/1yw4Fye-vkY/video.html
Great video. I’m starting a project soon and I will need to cut some foam
Good work.
Thank you!! You are brilliant.
Amazing. Thanks for posting.
Thanks bud, nice simple tot he point. Cheers
I used a the adjustment from a bass drum pedal I was able to adjust the wire tension
This is useful, cause you can find stuff anywhere even in rid off stuff in store room
If you used more current and went more slowly, do you think it would cut straighter lines?
Best wishes brother
Thank you
parabens mestre.
Well made
Oh wow awesome exactly what I need to build haha! Thanks a lot! I didn't think to use PVC pipe so far.
I'd argue it would be better to use nickel wire instead of nichrome or kanthal. You want to reach a stable temperature, so the temperature coefficient of resistance is highest in nickel. That means the resistance will rise with temperature and lower the current going through the wire and thus stabilize the heat a little. Stainless steel 316L could work well too.
The "ideal" would be using a vaping chip or a mod where the temperature is regulated by measuring the resistance of the wire while it gets hot. Also runs off of two 18650 batteries with up to 120 watt. If you really need a high performance "wire saber" :D
I thought that current resistance increased as a conductor/wire got hotter?
Using a poor conducting material/wire to start with is what causes the material/wire to heat up significantly...well, enough to melt Styrofoam. I think a current limiter circuit to prolong the life of the power supply would be advantageous...but then, this is suppose to simplicity. Built from common items a DIY'r may have around the home or simple to get...scratch that...No more Radio Shack. They went downhill after the internet.
The cordless mod...you forgot to include the charging base design for your, "Wire Saber" device. Like a super hero out to cut up large pieces of Styrofoam which plaque our cities.
@@markmcconnell8705 Well it's a bit of a crazy idea so not sure if what I said even works haha. But theoretically increased resistance equals less current / amps at equal volts so as the wire gets hot it should stabilize a little bit.
czcams.com/video/1yw4Fye-vkY/video.html
The "best" or at least most straightforward way to do it, if you have a little more budget, is to get a power supply with constant current mode. Depending on the material and thickness of the wire, it needs a specific current to to reach 600-800 degrees F (315-425 C) which is ideal for foam. Say you have 26GA nichrome. All you need to do is set it to 2.1-2.6A and it will maintain the same heat flux density regardless of the length of the wire or terminal quality.
The only addition you'd need (and really for any DIY hot wire cutter) is a spring to pretension the system and take up slack once the wire is hot and expanding.
Finally one that appears to use an outlet instead of short circuiting a battery
Looks like I have to make one of these soon thanks for the tips 👍
Good job. 😆
Nice build, Sturdy and waterproof. The only complaint would be that it's badly underpowered. Don't mean to sound like Tim Allen here but I've seen these types of cutters with proper power and holly crap, what a difference in cut time and quality. Very good build overall though,.. : ) great job,... *: )*
Just watch your video love the idea. If possible can I please have the dimensions you used on the. Legs and back of your cutter and the size of bolts used thank you and greatly appreciated
I think this is the fit to my dilemma though I am trying to split Foam creating two pieces from a single . I think this would be classified as "foam rubber" but am unsure. This is a great starting point for me
Beware what other sites say about cutting "foam rubber"! They say it doesn't work and it produces toxic fumes!
A sharp knife works great: I use a kitchen knife, and sharpen it razor sharp before (and after, if necessary) use.
Parabéns colega gostei muito de seus vídeos educativos ,
excellent.
Cool channel! I got you Bro!!!✌🇺🇸✌
Can you add a link for where to buy the electronic components?
hola amigo muy bueno tu aporte, por favor indicar la medida y calibre del alambre nicrom para usar con la fuente que enseñas. saludos
what material and what are you cutting
Cool
This is EXACTLY what I need to build to cut some viscoelastic PU foam. I will need about 22 inches of wire to cut my object that is 19 inches wide. Any suggestions on power adapter output and wire thickness? Thanks!!
Look up what other sites say about hot-wirimg PU foam before you do it; I think they recommend strongly against it.
What diameter (or Gage) is the steel wire you used? How about a volt-amp-x-section-length formula for those who want to use a different length wire?
I enjoyed your video and made one just like it only with nichrome wire. I’m using a dc adapter that’s 12v and 2A, so close to yours. It’s just isn’t getting hot enough to cut. Not sure what I’m doing wrong.
You could make the bow part shorter (less wire to heat up) I find it helps if you use it like a saw (pushing it backwards and forwards)
@@projectmayhemUK The resistivity of steel (resistance per square inch of cross-section and inch of length) is 0.46 x 10 to the -6**; for Nichrome, it's 1.0 x 10 to the -6.
What this means is that, for the same size & length, Nichrome will have about twice the resistance of steel (1.0/0.46 = 2.17 times), and twice the resistance means half as much power will flow.
If you want the same power output from your nichrome wire, you'll have to double the voltage, cut the length in half, or double the cross-sectional area of the wire.
**This means the resistance of a steel wire 1 inch long, with a 1 square inch cross section (BIG wire!), will have a resistance of .00000046 ohms.
What Electrical instruments use this sir?
What kind of foam are you cutting in the video?
Thank you.
Design ❤❤❤
Hi, but what kind of source for 90 centimeters?
I'm insulating my attic and will be cutting up 8foot by 4foot, 2inch thick expanded polystyrene sheets to fit in-between the rafters, can I omit the switch, and just leave the wire hot for as long as the power supply is switched on?
Great video by the way, simple and uncomplicated.
yes you could, I did that with the first one I made, don't forget to unplug it or you could burn down your house
Hello, you did a great job, i see you used a 12v output adapter, can it be made with a laptop adapter output 14v 1.79A
Thanks.
Yes that will work fine. Wire temp will depend on length and gauge but you will get it hot enough to cut foam.
Thanks, I plan a length of 50-60 cm and a thickness of cantal wire 0, 50 I hope will be enough.
@@miljanzivaljevic3342 Pozdrav, jesi li uspio napraviti ovo sa punjacem od laptopa? kako radi?
@@slavakisaleksidis1827 Nisam uspeo, dal punjac nije bio ispravan pa sam odustao
No explicás mucho, ni das las medidas, pero me sirvió bastante tu video. 👍
Can you please give me a rough sketch to cut a 70cm foam?
Hi! 32awg (0,2 mm) hot wire?
do you think i can use 24v to heat the wire? I used a 12v transformer in my build and it just does not deliver enough power to cut through depron with the paper on it
yes, if it melts the wire just make the wire longer
32 awg?
How about a 18 v at 2amp for a. 700 wire?
Why doesn’t the pvc melt at the bolts?
It works great but ... I want a unit that works more like a table saw, with precise edge alignment to make precision cuts. Yours looks like it would be better suited to sculpting freehand something artistic.
Mount it to the end of your table saw with clamps and use the table saw rip fence as a guide.
Ok, now that you have seen how to heat the wire, you can adapt the idea to your own needs. You can make a base like a table saw, or even mount the wire to a table saw.
Right on! Question - if you made the wire distance shorter would you be able to cut faster due to more heat? Great vid man.
yes
@@projectmayhemUK wym
czcams.com/video/1yw4Fye-vkY/video.html
Che filo usi per tagliare ?
Very inspiring...thank you.
Im in real need of cutting ice cream bulk into smaller pieces for repacking. Done with knife... big problem with hard frozen ice cream... messy 😖
Hope hot wire would work better.
What dya think?
Just use a cheese wire
What’s the tool used in the beginning to cut the PVC? That things nifty
PVC ratchet cutter. Available at any hardware store or big box store.
I built mine similarly. 22awg nichrome wire, 5 amp adapter and it worked for about 3 minutes, and now it won't work... Still reads like 12 volts is running through it. Just not sure what is going wrong...
Turns out my adapters do not like being in a closed loop. They shut themselves off. I had an old battery charger sitting around, and it kicks out 6 amps to charge car batteries.. I hooked this up to the setup and that gives me constant power... For others, do you know what to make sure the power adapter doesn't have so as to get a good power adapter?
Faça para nois uma seladora de sacos plásticos
can someone help me? i have an adapter that outputs 12v yet it so slow to cut styrofoam, is it normal? or my adapter is broken. its not as smooth as the cutter in the vid.
i am looking for that answer too.. by my small knowleage, i think as bigger and fatter the wire is, the more power it needs..
Mine also just warms a little bit.. his wire is probably thinner
Its a decent build don't get me wrong, and the effectiveness is unquestionable, but at 2:37 you know those are crimps right? They aren't meant to be soldered on but rather crushed around the conductor.
my crimp crusher is garbage
Let's be clear. It's for cutting EPS of expanded polystyrene only.. Styrofoam is extruded in a dye and makes mustard gas or phosphine gas, the other is polyurethane which is also toxic. EPS is not toxic when burning, it can affixiate as any burning material will, but not toxic, blue foam, yellow foam toxic when burning.
The idea is that nothing is burning, just melting. If it's burning you're doing it wrong.
The ideal would be to use a vaping chip that regulates temperature of the wire by measuring it's resistance depending on temperature (e.g. DNA200 chip and using nickel or stainless 316 wire)
@@dejayrezme8617 I was a mfg rep for a EPS moulder for 15 years. Using what you have produces smoke. We call them down cutters. NiCad wire, wired to a rheostat. Some even use a dimmer switch. Melting point of EPS is 190 F, which produces fumes. I stand by my point. You not recognising what I am saying can cause harm to people. I strongly suggest you educate yourself.
How much power will I need to heat up a .70 cm wire?
What's the actual size of the cutter?
Plz can some body tell me why when i do these short circuit occur and not like the video heat is generated (i followed the instructions)
Some power adapters won't work due to the low resistance offered by the wire. You can try adding a low value resistor with 5 or 10 watt rating into the circuit.
Exactly what I'm going through, I'm even becoming stupid of the whole thing
@@erneztudofia9053 i hate when this happen
You need to use wire with some resistance to electricity (current, to be specific). Shop for “resistance wire“
Should be a relay or transistor to switch the power to the wire, that switch will not last long.
It's only a 12 volt, 1.6 amp power supply dude. That comes to 19.2 watts. (Watts = Amps X Volts)
@@markmarkw1919 I'm sure it'll be fine but those buttons are only rated for a single amp
Hot wire kon sa h our adtopter
UK?
I used 12 volt 2amp adapter but after sometime my adapter damaged...is it my fault or the adapter? Plz reply sir 🙏🙏
You should really use a bench type power supply rated at at least 12VDC - 5 amp to make this work properly.
A power supply that has both adjustable voltage and amperage is best as it lets you dial in the settings for the job at hand.
Another advantage in using a bench type supply is that it can be used for many other hobby/work projects.
👍😄
Ok buena
life hack if you hold the lighter verticle you won't burn yourself
Cutting cheese with this tool must be a pleasure... 😜🇨🇭
I may try that
Have you (or someone) ever tried cut cheese or a cheese cake with it?
Que tipo de alambre es?
single strand of bicycle cable
Q tipo d alambre usa y numero
stainless steel works fine
Hi friend
Good job.sir I want to make 1meter long hot wire, I don’t know about this,
Please give me few tipS I have adapter 220v~\50Hz/20w
12v and 1000mA
Please tell me is it ok for this ?
I don't think 1000mA will come close to getting 1 meter hot enough, try to find an ac/dc with an output of around 3 amps but if you go too high you may just melt the wire
for a length of 1370mm nickel chrome (22 SWG) wire you'll need Ac 230V- 50 Hz to DC 40V 5A. This length is good for cutting 4Ft blocks.
Adapter's output anyone ?
💎🔥♥️😀
One nation under CCTV. Love the t-shirt
O problema todo é que ele entrou mudo e saiu calado
Where did you get the push button and power parts from, I’ve looked online and I can get them from Amazon but I’d prefer to go to an actual shop. Any ideas or suggestions. Thanks.
I got them off ebay
Why doesnt mine work grrrr, tries several different power adapters with different V and A.... But nothing.....
You need a PS (power supply) rated at at least 12VDC and capable of at least 5 amps.
Any PS rated lower (wall warts), especially the amperage are useless as they will not heat properly and fail very quickly. a 12VDC, 5 Amp supply is perfect for most hobby jobs.
My foam cutter (DIY) uses a bench type adjustable supply rated from 0 to 30 VDC and up to 10 amps.
Also, only use Nichrome wire as it is made to handle the stresses of rapid heating and cooling without melting and will last about 30 times longer than a high "E" guitar string.
@@jfrphoto01 yeah I probably was using a 3amp 12v PS. And a guitar wire.... But i didnt feel any heat at all
@@jfrphoto01 any suggestion on Nichrome wire thicknesses? I have the power supply to make it all work, just need to order the wire
Hot agura sting name
Those crimp lugs you soldered to the hot/neutral wires should have been crimped. Soldering instead of crimping makes the joint fragile and more likely to break because the wire can no longer flex where it meets the lug. Just a tip for next time!
It is inside a pvc pipe
@@Jakeman90210 indeed it is! And the wiring in my home is inside my walls, but that doesn't mean I should cut corners in the quality of the workmanship.
The hotknife in this video is a handy tool and this was very informative. My comment was meant to be constructive, not derisive.
@@Jakeman90210 They should be crimped because as the cutting wire (Nichrome wire) heats, the heat will is transferred (conducted) to the connections and it will heat the solder connections and can, and will, (personal experience) melt the solder causing a failure!
You got to have 220v? Isn't there something 110v? Maybe a 2amp trickle charger, or a modeler's iron used to put cover on RC airplanes? I have one thats broke but it still heats up, and has the handle.
You can use any 12VDC power supply that will give you at least 5 amps! These are common in the US and other countries and are used by hobbyist, CB'ers and Amateur Radio ops all over the world and can be purchased online and at most electronics shops. An adjustable power supply is best.
followed all the steps but it doesnt work.
Can you give me a list of the components needed
Could a wire, threaded through a frame like that ...be connected to the posts on a soldering gun and get similar results
It may work but be careful you dont melt the wire
Not a good idea as the iron will heat up any wire and melt the PVC frame.!
You can make a small heavy gauge copper wire frame (about 8 gauge) and attach a piece of Nichrome wire across the ends and use it that way. If you try using a high "E" string from an electric guitar (9's and 10's) it will begin to glow red and melt at those temps. Always us Nichrome wire as it is made to handle the stress of the heating and cooling cycle.
The solder gun should be in the range of 100 to 150 watts as anything lower will not heat up enough and anything higher will over stress the gun with the thin wire as the element.
tueeeng
Would this cut PIR insulation boards?
Yes, that is what I am cutting in the video
ভাই এটা তৈরি করে দিতে পারবেন
I have had good success using an ‘e’ string for an electric guitar as the wire
Nichrome wire lasts about 30 times longer, doesn't cost that much and is made to handle the power and the heat.
Why is it whenever I want the explanation and the actions spelled out nobody talks in the video but when I have zero interest in what the person has to say they take up their entire video with chatter
Bhai work nahi kar raha hai
Muy mal video
Does anyone know how to paint it so it becomes hard?
You want it to flex a bit to maintain tension on the nichrome cutting wire.
I hope that quote on your shirt is a spoof because I sure don’t like the idea of BIG BROTHER looking over my shoulder 24/7 !
You don’t even show or tell the people what wattage or the amperage or what adapter you use