Thread: foam cutting

Tony, I got onto some 100mm panels that I wanted to use as a ceiling in my shed. So I needed to cut in half giving me 2/50mm. What I did was to use my welder set as low as it could go (maybe 40 amps) connected the welders negative and positive to some thin steel wire and with the mate on one side and me on the other with the wife ready to switch the welder on and off as we spit the panel. We laid the panel flat and ran some 50mm on either side and just pushed the ire along. We found we needed the wife because we kept melting the steel wire. It was a very easy exercise

Use nichrome wire if you wish to heat it. It's what I used to use in foam cutters when making model glider wing blanks.

Nichrome wire and transformer selection

We used to use a "Beta Blade" on a circular saw to cut sandwich panel.....
[something similar to the one below]

https://austsaw.com.au/products/panel-cutters

For cutting the polystyrene foam, a hobby Hot Wire used by Model Train modellers.....

Crowie.... that blade cuts 150mm diameter..... i want to slice panels 1200mm !!!! wide

Lappa your doing my head in mate, I hit a teacher once cause he was forcing me to learn that funny x-y=zk5 g crap Although that wire combined with Chambezio's idea would work
any other ideas

I'm not sure exactly what your foam is. I had to do something similar for the seats of chairs.

There are a couple of methods.

I tried the hot Nichrome wire using a couple of old electronic power supplies. The wire did not get hot enough as the power supplies could not supply the necessary amperes.

The one that worked the best was an electric carving knife. The type with the double blades that reciprocate in opposite directions during operation. These carving knives have not been popular here for at least 30 years so you may have to do your shopping at estate or yard sales.

Edited: deleted post as was a silly idea

yep hot wire cutter is the way to go.

If you google it there are heaps of instructions on how to make one, all the supplies you need can be found at your local jaycar store.

It can be as cheap/as expensive as you want. The most expensive part is finding something that is sufficient to heat up your wire. There is calculators that will help you determine how much power you'll need depending on the overall length of wire.

Originally Posted by Cal

An old toaster has the nichome wire and power supply you need... just a thought.


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If using toaster wire the supply voltage is 230v and contact with the wire could prove fatal.

Heres a diagram of what we used. We actually used a wire wound rheostat in place of the light dimmer but I'm told 400VA light dimmers work fine.

FOAM CUTTER.jpg

Deleted. I did not read the original post properly, in a hurry

I use nichrome wire (from jaycar) attached to my old pyrography machine. The machine was my fathers, just looks like a modified battery charger, though I don't really know how modified.

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Edit, just reread your op and noticed your panels are 180mm thick. My outfit wouldn't cut that, it struggles on 60mm thick.
Arron

Tony

All the coolroom panels I have encountered have had polystyrene insulation if that helps any with how to cut them. As others have said an electric carving knife works very well on this material, but hardly up to your job (size matters ). Could you consider a hedge trimmer (a largish one) and go from both sides as they are not much different than an electric carving knife? You could hire one reasonably cheaply. Bear in mind I have never tried this.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Tony

All the coolroom panels I have encountered have had polystyrene insulation if that helps any with how to cut them. As others have said an electric carving knife works very well on this material, but hardly up to your job (size matters ). Could you consider a hedge trimmer (a largish one) and go from both sides as they are not much different than an electric carving knife? You could hire one reasonably cheaply. Bear in mind I have never tried this.

Regards
Paul

interesting idea...wonder what the hire place would say on a monday morning?


far out hows this for crap luck. Go into hire place this morning and ask about a hedge trimmer and he asks...." you cutting hedge down or coolroom foam panels?" "what"? "Saw your post last nite on ford forum..... " mutter mutter mutter,

just an idea, but if you can find someone with a bandsaw mill, they might be willing to slice it up for you.