Thanks for the pointer to the calculator -- very helpful! From Ebay, I just ordered a 25 foot roll of 28 gauge AWG nichrome wire for only $3 w/free shipping! I'm going to make a 3 foot long hot wire cutter.
Hey, thanks for the tip on the nichrome wire calculator link; most helpful when selecting a power supply! An old computer power supply would be a good source of 5 volts at 2 amps or above, as well as some premium cell phone chargers.
Hi., H.H Thank s for your showing me about the hot wire set up, going to use what you said but making it a little larger, Again thank you Angel here from Florida
hey just a little advice DO NOT SOLDER nichrome wire because it will melt the solder when it get hot just use screws and nuts to connect the nichrome and the wire from power supply
Just subscribed and :wow" am glad I did! That diy hot wire foam cytter is awesome. I have deep foam pieces for my model RR mountains that require above average depth for a foam cutter. With your diy cutter instructions, I now can make one at any depth that I need. Thanks for the info.
I just made one of my own design, using 3 holes on the overhead.. furthest back is round holds a 6 inch bolt. middle is oval with springs attached to back hole on both sides of overhead beam. harbor freight had a assorted spring kit for 5 bucks. hole cclossest to front holds bolt with big washer little washer bigwasher in a circular hole...this is the guide/curve down. For the most part this eliminates the bowing that happens when heat causes the wire to expand. I used kanthal 28g and found I had to braid 3 strands. At 8v 5a I can cut decently thick plexi with precision
Hey there, quick tip: instead of having the cutting bow in a U shape you can use a T shape instead and use the other end of the T to tie up the hot wire with a string.
11 watts for 12 " of wire to reach 600 deg F (if the supply voltage is 5.6V and the current is about 2A). I'd like to suggest that the temperature is the same along the wire, so 2" of wire in a smaller cutter would require 1/6 the power, achieved with about 1V at 2 A. It's the resistance per inch of the wire that must have 2 amps to reach the same temp. This gauge wire needs 2A of current to reach 600 deg F at any length, but the voltage to get the 2 A is proportional to the 5.6V at 12" measure or about half a volt per inch desired, but always at 2 A
The reason why the wire is burning the wood is, the wire should be charged between the wood not on the wood. The only part that will get hot is the wire between the power supply. Give it a try.
Soldering a wire that will heat up HIGHER than the solder melting temperature is asking for failure. You need to have the ends of the wire be held by a large bolt and have the power wires going to it crimped or wrapped around the bolt. The nichrome wire should go around the bolt at least 1 - 2 time to block the heat from melting the supply wires and melting the frame if wood. You should also use a small spring like the kind in a pen to hold 1 side tight since the wire will LOOSEN when it is heated. The wood corners should also be braced or better, make out of 1 large piece of wood. The spring should NOT be used to power the wire, only to add tension. P.S. If you get an adapter of a lower amp rating than expected then expect the power supply to overheat ! Or you can add a power resistor to reduce the power and temperature of the wire. Watch the supply closely when using this because if you draw too much power it can start to melt the plastic and possibly cause a fire if left on by accident. I would suggest making a foot switch to turn the power on to keep your hands free and make it safer. UNPLUG it when not using it to be safe.
Great job but i was shocked to see you burn through the old parkzone P-51 Mustang (gunfighter),guessing it was PZ and only joking. Thanks for sharing and of course big thumbs up.
Hi there. We just made a wire cutter following what i think were the right instructions and it just doesn't get hot. We used a 24 Volt 2 amp transformer and attached it to either end of a guitar string ( which i was told was Nickel) . It is quite long ( 1 meter) but when we did the test on the Nichrome Wire page you told us about it seemed like it should reach 200 degrees c. Nothing. Hmm
I had mine working on a small sample, but my power supply was too small so I went out and bought what I needed, same as your sample here, same gauge, length, etc... now it does not work, even with small sample and power supply I had, any idea what gives? Are the power supply "smart" and not giving the power I need because of a short or over heat????
That's quite a desk in the back ground! SSL? Instead of a foot of nichrome, how 'bout a couple pre-amps from the desk, looks like you have plenty to spare...I'm slumming here since I prefer Neve but I'm willing to shift my attitude a little. That's a Fairchild in my avatar or what ever it's called. A little Fairchild 560 would help out too.
So my transformers are only lasting about 20 minutes.Even when I let them cool down all day I get about 20min before the dreaded pop noise. I have been using 12 volt 1000MA so what rating should I be looking for?
A question I would appreciate an answer to, if anyone has one... I know these wire cutters can get hot enough to slice through thin wood (convenient, since lots of prop weapons are made, at least in part, of thin poplar), but does anyone know how hot one of these would need to be to cut EVA foam?
thumbs up and sub'd. I want an adjustable power supply, one where I can dial and control the intensity of the heat. Know any sources? Model/part number? Thanks.
I am sure it can be done but because it rigid, it thick and hard and would probably require some heavy duty power to get it hot.. plus you need the right type of metal.. do they make thick rigid nichome.. I really dont know.. Thanks!
Hairless Hippy Ya they make nichrome in low gauges down to 16g, though that's the thickest gauge I've found thus far. Most vape (ecig) supply sites or even local stores usually carry it. You're probably better off buying the thick stuff online though. lightningvapes.com is where I buy mine.
I think I am running outside to make sure it stays tight.. Thinking if I put some wood across on the inside it will keep wire tight on the outside.. inside may work too.. just havent tested.. thanks.
+patabellon1979 Drill a hole on the inside of the project. remove one end of wire from frame, slip it through the hole and reattach to frame, power it up.
So if I have a project that has a few holes to be done, do I need to cool it off again and again just to start another hole? Would that take a lot of time? Thanks.
I used 40 gauge copper and 26 gauge steel wire and they just wouldn't seem to heat up. Hooked it up to a 6/12 volt 2 amp battery charger and then an 18 volt 3 amp power supply and still didn't heat up the slightest. Would using Nichrome instead of copper or steel make wire from getting absolutely no heat to hot enough to cut? I can't figure what I'm doing wrong...someone out there know the answer/reason? Going crazy here.
You need to use Nichrome or some other resistance heating alloy. Due to its resistance to oxidation and stability at high temperatures, it is widely used in electric heating elements, such as in appliances and tools. sure, you can probably use a GIANT power supply that could work but I would stick with Nichrome. Unfortunately I am all out.. Thanks for posting!
hi, i have tried to make it, but wire didnot get hot. my NICHROME wire is 32gauge. just like a hair.and the output is +12v--750mA. where is i am wrong ?
If you're getting no heat at all, my guess is that there is a loose or open connection somewhere in the circuit. A continuity test is a good place to start. Soldering is ideal, but threaded terminal post type connectors are a close second.
+TinyWarfare +Dylan Bender Uh.... why does it matter? Power is power. Watts is Watts. Hot is Hot. There are no capacitors or inductors in this simple resistive circuit. With no reactance, WTF difference does it make? Tiny, explain your reasoning/rationale as to why alternating current won't work. Otherwise, you're providing creeedence to the saying, "Don't trust everything you read on the internet."
+Karolis Jeicenas You might not have enough amperage on the supply. When you pick out a supply, the amperage rating is the maximum that supply will provide. If you go over that rating, you run the risk of burning it out. So assuming you got one close to the right voltage, you can easily use a supply with a higher amperage rating than your calculations may call for. So let's say you calculated 0.5A, then you can use anything higher than that without any trouble.
Hey i found the wayt o fix it.. I have founded from 1.5 volts - 12 volts dc adaptor and i have took out the transformer hooked it up to the 220 volts and it works great ! :)
Benjamin Young kanthal a1 tends to be a bit less prone to oxidize and corrode and is also much cheaper than nichrome or guitar strings, if you have any projects in the future that require resistance wire. Kanthal does tend to have a bit higher resistance than nichrome though, just something to be aware of.
Thanks for the pointer to the calculator -- very helpful!
From Ebay, I just ordered a 25 foot roll of 28 gauge AWG nichrome wire for only $3 w/free shipping! I'm going to make a 3 foot long hot wire cutter.
Best video on making a foam hot wire cutter -- has necessary details on wire, electrical supply sources.
Hey, thanks for the tip on the nichrome wire calculator link; most helpful when selecting a power supply! An old computer power supply would be a good source of 5 volts at 2 amps or above, as well as some premium cell phone chargers.
This is the clearest video on this subject that I've seen. Thanks for putting it together.
Hi., H.H Thank s for your showing me about the hot wire set up, going to use what you said but making it a little larger, Again thank you Angel here from Florida
Thanks for the great tut it's people like ou that makes the net so great. Best wishes from Down Under Queensland Australia
hey just a little advice DO NOT SOLDER nichrome wire because it will melt the solder when it get hot just use screws and nuts to connect the nichrome and the wire from power supply
Silver solder is fine its melt point is nearly double the temp of the nichrome wire will get to. Lead solder is not suitable.
Just subscribed and :wow" am glad I did! That diy hot wire foam cytter is awesome. I have deep foam pieces for my model RR mountains that require above average depth for a foam cutter. With your diy cutter instructions, I now can make one at any depth that I need. Thanks for the info.
Thanks! I can't wait to build a variation of this.
I just made one of my own design, using 3 holes on the overhead.. furthest back is round holds a 6 inch bolt. middle is oval with springs attached to back hole on both sides of overhead beam. harbor freight had a assorted spring kit for 5 bucks. hole cclossest to front holds bolt with big washer little washer bigwasher in a circular hole...this is the guide/curve down. For the most part this eliminates the bowing that happens when heat causes the wire to expand. I used kanthal 28g and found I had to braid 3 strands. At 8v 5a I can cut decently thick plexi with precision
wow cool guitar strings thats awesome had no clue!
Hey there, quick tip: instead of having the cutting bow in a U shape you can use a T shape instead and use the other end of the T to tie up the hot wire with a string.
11 watts for 12 " of wire to reach 600 deg F (if the supply voltage is 5.6V and the current is about 2A).
I'd like to suggest that the temperature is the same along the wire, so 2" of wire in a smaller cutter would require 1/6 the power, achieved with about 1V at 2 A. It's the resistance per inch of the wire that must have 2 amps to reach the same temp.
This gauge wire needs 2A of current to reach 600 deg F at any length, but the voltage to get the 2 A is proportional to the 5.6V at 12" measure or about half a volt per inch desired, but always at 2 A
Thnx for the simple tutorial.
awesome tip! been looking to build one. Thanks!
cool dude thanks
The reason why the wire is burning the wood is, the wire should be charged between the wood not on the wood. The only part that will get hot is the wire between the power supply. Give it a try.
I like the video transitions!
Good Video, I am going to make one on a much lager scale
Great Job....love your insight and videos !!!
Thank you!! Please keep watching!! More to come..
solved my problem thanks a ton!
Nice setup.
Thank you!!
Great video!!!
what would be the best approach to cut out circles?
Thanks for the video
Soldering a wire that will heat up HIGHER than the solder melting temperature is asking for failure. You need to have the ends of the wire be held by a large bolt and have the power wires going to it crimped or wrapped around the bolt. The nichrome wire should go around the bolt at least 1 - 2 time to block the heat from melting the supply wires and melting the frame if wood. You should also use a small spring like the kind in a pen to hold 1 side tight since the wire will LOOSEN when it is heated. The wood corners should also be braced or better, make out of 1 large piece of wood. The spring should NOT be used to power the wire, only to add tension.
P.S. If you get an adapter of a lower amp rating than expected then expect the power supply to overheat ! Or you can add a power resistor to reduce the power and temperature of the wire. Watch the supply closely when using this because if you draw too much power it can start to melt the plastic and possibly cause a fire if left on by accident. I would suggest making a foot switch to turn the power on to keep your hands free and make it safer. UNPLUG it when not using it to be safe.
Great job but i was shocked to see you burn through the old parkzone P-51 Mustang (gunfighter),guessing it was PZ and only joking.
Thanks for sharing and of course big thumbs up.
lol.. yea the PZ mustang is like my fourth.. Its my favorite go to awesome plane for the park.. thanks.
Hi there. We just made a wire cutter following what i think were the right instructions and it just doesn't get hot. We used a 24 Volt 2 amp transformer and attached it to either end of a guitar string ( which i was told was Nickel) . It is quite long ( 1 meter) but when we did the test on the Nichrome Wire page you told us about it seemed like it should reach 200 degrees c. Nothing. Hmm
What kind of wire could be used as a "rigid cutter", to where you could bend the wire into specific shapes ? And would that require more power ?
I had mine working on a small sample, but my power supply was too small so I went out and bought what I needed, same as your sample here, same gauge, length, etc... now it does not work, even with small sample and power supply I had, any idea what gives? Are the power supply "smart" and not giving the power I need because of a short or over heat????
That's quite a desk in the back ground! SSL? Instead of a foot of nichrome, how 'bout a couple pre-amps from the desk, looks like you have plenty to spare...I'm slumming here since I prefer Neve but I'm willing to shift my attitude a little. That's a Fairchild in my avatar or what ever it's called. A little Fairchild 560 would help out too.
just a tip do your social media shout outs at the end of the video
How many volts and amp.did u use for your power supply sir?
hot foam wire cutter
So my transformers are only lasting about 20 minutes.Even when I let them cool down all day I get about 20min before the dreaded pop noise. I have been using 12 volt 1000MA so what rating should I be looking for?
A question I would appreciate an answer to, if anyone has one... I know these wire cutters can get hot enough to slice through thin wood (convenient, since lots of prop weapons are made, at least in part, of thin poplar), but does anyone know how hot one of these would need to be to cut EVA foam?
great video man! can i use my tattoo power supply on this?
I want the one in ur vid!!!!!!
Can the wire be tight or does it have to be loose?
+Daniel Roberts Best if its tight actually. Its not supposed to be loose at all.
here is the link to the power supply calculator : )
www.jacobs-online.biz/nichrome/NichromeCalc.html
Cool.. Thank You.
you're welcome ^_^
thumbs up and sub'd. I want an adjustable power supply, one where I can dial and control the intensity of the heat. Know any sources? Model/part number? Thanks.
Any tips on a rigid wire for making a curve? Designing a bike fairing. Thanks.
I am sure it can be done but because it rigid, it thick and hard and would probably require some heavy duty power to get it hot.. plus you need the right type of metal.. do they make thick rigid nichome.. I really dont know.. Thanks!
Hairless Hippy
Ya they make nichrome in low gauges down to 16g, though that's the thickest gauge I've found thus far. Most vape (ecig) supply sites or even local stores usually carry it. You're probably better off buying the thick stuff online though. lightningvapes.com is where I buy mine.
Why wouldn't you solder the power source to the cutting wire on the *inner* side of the U-frame?
I think I am running outside to make sure it stays tight.. Thinking if I put some wood across on the inside it will keep wire tight on the outside.. inside may work too.. just havent tested.. thanks.
one quick question if something silly happens and you bump touch whatever this wire are you going to get electrocuted why or why not?
I think you could but you would also get burnt and speaking from experience burns are a lot worse with this small voltage so just don't touch the wire
As long as you keep the Volts below 40 you wont get shocked its to low to feel.
You can learn more about it on INPLIX website.
how do you start from the middle without cutting the outside edges? If you want to cut a hole in the middle? Thanks.
+patabellon1979 Drill a hole on the inside of the project. remove one end of wire from frame, slip it through the hole and reattach to frame, power it up.
So if I have a project that has a few holes to be done, do I need to cool it off again and again just to start another hole? Would that take a lot of time? Thanks.
I used 40 gauge copper and 26 gauge steel wire and they just wouldn't seem to heat up. Hooked it up to a 6/12 volt 2 amp battery charger and then an 18 volt 3 amp power supply and still didn't heat up the slightest. Would using Nichrome instead of copper or steel make wire from getting absolutely no heat to hot enough to cut? I can't figure what I'm doing wrong...someone out there know the answer/reason? Going crazy here.
You need to use Nichrome or some other resistance heating alloy. Due to its resistance to oxidation and stability at high temperatures, it is widely used in electric heating elements, such as in appliances and tools. sure, you can probably use a GIANT power supply that could work but I would stick with Nichrome. Unfortunately I am all out.. Thanks for posting!
Is the wire still available?
is it toxic to cut foam with Ni-Chrome wire?
Are you still giving away free nichrome wire?
hi, i have tried to make it, but wire didnot get hot. my NICHROME wire is 32gauge. just like a hair.and the output is +12v--750mA. where is i am wrong ?
If you're getting no heat at all, my guess is that there is a loose or open connection somewhere in the circuit. A continuity test is a good place to start. Soldering is ideal, but threaded terminal post type connectors are a close second.
plus 750mah is not much at all.. I am guessing you need a larger power supply..
How much ga have you used? Is it 26 or 28?
did you even watch the video?
Dose it matter if the power supply is AC or DC?
+Dylan Bender YES! You want DC output.
+TinyWarfare +Dylan Bender
Uh.... why does it matter? Power is power. Watts is Watts. Hot is Hot.
There are no capacitors or inductors in this simple resistive circuit.
With no reactance, WTF difference does it make?
Tiny, explain your reasoning/rationale as to why alternating current won't work. Otherwise, you're providing creeedence to the saying, "Don't trust everything you read on the internet."
my cutter doesn't play disco music...
Can I have string
according to your videos description, youll send me free wire? How do i get mine?
I'm sorry but it was while supply lasts. This video is almost a year old at this point.
Hairless Hippy ;(
my adaptors burns out..
+Karolis Jeicenas You might not have enough amperage on the supply. When you pick out a supply, the amperage rating is the maximum that supply will provide. If you go over that rating, you run the risk of burning it out.
So assuming you got one close to the right voltage, you can easily use a supply with a higher amperage rating than your calculations may call for. So let's say you calculated 0.5A, then you can use anything higher than that without any trouble.
Hey i found the wayt o fix it..
I have founded from 1.5 volts - 12 volts dc adaptor
and i have took out the transformer hooked it up to the 220 volts and it works great ! :)
Are you still offering wire?
J D guitar string ;)
Pl in Urdu.
can i still get a free wire or is that closed?
I'm sorry.. the video is almost a year old and the nichrome is long gone.. :(
I actually did some research and found out that guitar string works also so im using that currently! Thanks anyway great video!
Benjamin Young
kanthal a1 tends to be a bit less prone to oxidize and corrode and is also much cheaper than nichrome or guitar strings, if you have any projects in the future that require resistance wire. Kanthal does tend to have a bit higher resistance than nichrome though, just something to be aware of.