Hot wire foam cutter - the tool I didn't think I needed...

[@TheStonehammerFiles]

I just ordered this same model. I will do some mods to it though. First I will replace the power supply with a adjustable power supply so that there is no chance of overheating.

[@americafirst6408]

I just bought the hercules hot wire cutter , i paid $146.00 for it but i am happy i did , all my cuts are straight now with no hassle and no mess.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

It just makes a huge difference, doesn't it?

[@aylonewolf69]

@Dave's Model Workshop - @6:20 mark the part in question that you are holding mounts on the fence and oriented so that the SLOT allows the hot wire to be ANGLED through it when the part along with the fence is moved to the hot wire. The point end allows the foam work to be pierced and then rotated with the wire cutter. To wit a square block will be transformed to a cylinder and if you adjust the hot wire at an angle then the cylinder becomes a cone... :) Hope this helps out, I didn't see anyone offer any explanation so hopefully you found this comment helpful. Thanks to your video, I'm going to be purchasing one of these!!!! :D :D :D

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Alex Yang thank you! I have worked these out since I first made that video, but I appreciate you taking the time. Cheers, Dave

[@andrewshaw8396]

Looks a good bit of kit for sure. No doubt one will find its way here one of these days! I sent for the corrugated iron maker you demonstrated - absolutely brilliant. And it only took six days to get here from the other side of the world for not much more than a fiver. Well impressed, cheers!

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Ahh, that's so cool! I'm so glad you like it Andrew! And yes, that's pretty fast shipping, I'm impressed. Cheers, Dave

[@tmbacz]

Dave, I’m on the fence b/t the table cutter, or a hot knife. Neither are particularly cheap. Hate to buy both if I don’t have to. I’m going to be cutting the pink 1/2 - 2 in. insulation foam for ship dioramas.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

What sort of final cuts do you want? If you want free-form shapes, go the handheld one. If you need straight blocks, I'd recommend the tabletop one I have. Hope that helps?

[@kerryadams8922]

Great video update THANKS again Dave hope to do more diaramas this year will remember this video.

[@origamichik3n]

I use less dense polyurethane foam to pack my Gunpla. For this i cut the outline of the model in sheet of foam using snap blade. Since i can't use ruler for complex shape, you can guess that end result looks very shabby. I was thinking about buying hot wire cutter but am worried that heat will melt edges into hard crust that could scratch paint job while placing/removing models.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

I won't lie, on the dense blue foam that I use it's slightly scratchy, the melted edge certainly could scratch delicate paintwork. I think cutting might be the way to continue for your purposes, Origami Chik3n.

[@valborchardt3596]

Thanks Dave, yeah those Hot Wire cutters are amazing, enjoy it love. Take care as always from South Africa

[@tomjenssen7486]

It looks great. I have loads of thick foam that I could cut down with something like this. By the way, I think that block with the point may be for cutting circles. Thanks for the video, very helpful. All the best...Tom

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Hi Tom, you're correct, that spike is for cutting cylinders - thank you! A couple of people have informed me, now I know :)

[@Cptpaul12]

Is this thing still working? I like the ply wood construction over the proxxon. It’s been three years since you made this video so I’m just curious.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Yes, it’s still going strong. I use it every couple of weeks, and it is as good as the day I bought it.

[@Cptpaul12]

@@DavesModelWorkshop good to hear! Thank you..

[@brianbassett4379]

I hope you've gotten better in the last 3 years.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Me too! ;)

[@JenniferEliseAtchiso]

The thing with the spikes is for cutting circles… the foam pivots on the spike

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Thank you

[@diedertspijkerboer]

When cutting with the knife at about 3:30, you're pushing the knife down instead of moving it backwards and forwards. Having said that, I tried a kitchen knife on 5 cm thick foam and couldn't move it much when it went in too deep.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Yeah, it's not ideal. I tried more of a carving motion, but as you say, past the first 2cm or so deep it just doesn't seem to work due to the density of the foam I suspect.

use little bit of oil/butter on a knife, it will help a lot

[@Barbarossamodels]

Great video Dave, very useful👍 Used some large foam blocks for the first time on the current project, using a heated craft knife to cut through the 75mm....🙈 Got there in the end, but I think something like this is the way to go in future like you say......using a fraction of the the time with a much cleaner finish & a lot less molten foam!! Another item to add to the 'wish list'..😀📝 Cheers.

[@Iskelderon]

Speaking of techniques, have you ever used soldered brass armatures to create a more rigid skeleton for large models?

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

I've not tried it, my soldering technique is fairly amateur (that's if I'm being charitable to myself!) Dave

[@zenzin7725]

Foam has a 'grain' to it which is why it tears in some directions of cutting and not others

[@LeveretteJamesClifford1955]

I am not sure but I think the piece that you said you had no idea what it was for might be a cone cutter. The nail that sticks up is probably for pushing into the foam, and the slot is for the cutting wire to fit into and provides a way to vary the degree slant of you cut.

[@FordFalcon1962nBlue]

i wonder if this would go through 4-5 inches of blue foam? like in thickness

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

I would say so. I have cut a height of about 6 inches, admittedly in thin foam (imagine slicing a single piece of bread into two thin slices to make a very slim sandwich) and it has worked fine.

[@FordFalcon1962nBlue]

@@DavesModelWorkshop thanks for the response i think i'll order one! i'd be using it to cut 4 inch thick foam for Tombstones- jigsaws are messy and leave jagged cuts

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

@@FordFalcon1962nBlue I used to use a a big sharp kitchen knife, and still got ragged edges. Yeah, the hot wire is infinitely better. The only limitation is the height of the hot wire is a max of about 18cm.

[@soonersteve3733]

Dave I believe that piece you had no idea what it was for is for cutting circles. Check out some hot wire cutter videos. I have one that I made based off some KZbin videos and it cost me less than $25 (US). I don’t use it a lot but when I do it performs every time.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Ahhh, that would make sense. That spike would be the centre point. Thanks Steve!

[@toodle6418]

How about if you didn't want to cut in straight lines

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

This tool can cut circles, but if you wanted a more random cut there are hand-held cutters available.

[@usssaratogacv3lefevre978]

Good information, thanks for sharing.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Cheers mate - always a pleasure to hear from you :)

[@barrysmyth7496]

Excellent video, tried all those dodgy version, where can I buy this product? I searched Google & fleabay but could not find it :(

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Barry Smyth hmmm, I found mine on fleabay by searching for “hot wire cutter”. I can’t help any further than that, sorry :(

[@TheStonehammerFiles]

www.amazon.com/dp/B07YCF8MJT/?coliid=I1W408JTC3EEXX&colid=2J884YJNOB2W0&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

[@AC-cu7st]

Can these cut upholstery foam by any chance?

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

I don't see why not. It's a hot wire, it would cut any type of foam as far as I am aware. The only tricky part would be the size of pieces for upholstery.

[@adityapanwar4840]

Sir please let me know that can we cut sunboards with it or not....please sir....i searched it on internet unable to find it out

[@jeremycook6129]

Hi Dave, long time watcher, first time commenter. Melbourne here as well... just wondering, if you don’t mind, finding out where you source your foam? I’m struggling to find that good stuff you used in the video... cheers, Jeremy.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Hi Jeremy, I found it on ebay - a supplier from WA named "foamsaleswa" Pretty reasonable prices too.

[@jeremycook6129]

Thanks Dave! I’m on it!!

[@barrysmyth7496]

Jeremy Cook try these guys in Eu, they have much smaller cuts of the blue xps, I found it impossible to find smaller bits in AU as all the XPS tends to be for roof & fridge insulation. www.diodump.com/diorama-materials FYI, I checked Dave’s WA supplier & they have sheets starting at 20mm. www.foamsales.com.au/collections/product-catalogue/products/xps-blue-board

[@garyparker2969]

HOT Stuff Dave 😆😆😆😆LOL Thanks for Sharing n God Bless All

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Ahhh, I see what you did there ;) Cheers Gary, D

[@deartousif9106]

I need it. Plzz tell me where i found it

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

ebay

[@el-laurenceenriquez9530]

can this one cut sintra board? because im planning to buy one

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

I don't know, because I've never worked with sintra board before. But I imagine so, since sintra board doesn't look significantly denser than the foam I cut. Does anyone else know for certain? Dave

[@muruganp1284]

I like it. I'm sorry no English speaking. I am interested. One cutting machine wanted.

[@sagnid]

Smoked trout, that's a thing?

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Heh heh, yep!

[@GinMiko]

In case you're wondering what the accessories are for, here's their KZbin video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGjdqKegZcx_i80

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Thanks Ralph, that is very helpful! Cheers! Dave

[@arthurdeleniq]

Name of the wire cutter ?

[@Emtbtoday]

10 commandments shall not spend on usless tools! Lol

[@byrddmann0113]

Highly uninformative.