posted
Since the meet in Moncton last summer, I was asked on many occasions to show the wire foam cutter I had there. Cheap to make and easy to use, this is to me the easiest way to cut styrofoam.
I had e-mails by Cisco and Nevman and a few others ... so the wait is over, I took the time today.
Disclaimer : to be built and used by professional signmakers only. Ask you parents for permission. Do not try this at home. If your mother-in-law is an electrical contractor and she feels it's unsafe... don't cut foam or change mother-in-law !!....I did !
You can all build this for about 60-70$ First, get a 12v battery charger, and a dimmer switch that you will install in a metal box as shown. The dimmer allows you to control the temperature of the wire depending on the kind and gage of wire.
This hand tool was built with a leftover piece of 1/2" ExTira. Bring a 10 gage wire around the handle and tape it there. Close the "C" with a wood clamp when you install the wire, to leave it in tension because when heated the wire will expand and wiggle around if it's not tight enough.
This tool is for fine carving and detailing. It's a 1" round dowel with a metal incert with 1/4" regular thread. The wire is 18g SS.
You can shape it the way you want, and you can make as many as you like... I like to have 2. The wires are quickly changeable also.
And to use it, clamp the sides of the bolts and hold the wires with the handle.
quote:Originally posted by Rene Giroux: QUESTIONS ???
um... yeah, I'd like to try this, but I'm no electrical whizz... so, is that 110V plug at the left side of the dimmer going to hook to the battery?
I plugged it into the wall & blew up my battery
...well, not really, but I'm just guessing the 12v is the power supply, so 110 is not required, but the plug makes me question my guess. The photo is also unclear about the wiring to the battery. if I was a little more savvy to the ways of electricity, I'd probably understand, but I assume the positive and negative battery terminals lead to wiring that goes through the dimmer and on to the alligator clips. Can you set me straight on that?
posted
Doug,..read the post a bit more carefully one more time,....it reads 12 volt battery CHARGER,....lets not get anyone hurt here,...note the one wire going in one side and two coming out of the other,... the pic is somewhat misleading,.....
-------------------- fly low...timi/NC is, Tim Barrow Barrow Art Signs Winston-Salem,NC Posts: 2224 | From: Winston-Salem,NC,USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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This is not a battery.... it's a battery charger. YES it will plug into the 110v outlet in the wall. The loose end of the white wire plugs into the wall, then the 110v is controlled by the dimmer switch that can either turn ON or OFF or again ajust the temperature of the wire ( you'll tell by the color of the wire...). Then the power goes into the battery charger and on the other side of the charger you'll have 2 wire with clips that would normally connect to the car battery but in our case, to the tool which will heat up the wire. And NO it doesn't matter the red or the black at this point...
-------------------- aka:Cisco the "Traveling Millennium Sign Artist" http://www.franciscovargas.com Fresno, CA 93703 559 252-0935 "to live life, is to love life, a sign of no life, is a sign of no love"...Cisco 12'98 Posts: 3576 | From: Fresno, Ca, the great USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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posted
Thanks for the pictures- I made a similar one, only I used nichrome resistance wire- it's very fine and worked well- and I didn't use any dimmer switch, but that's a good idea to be included.
When I needed some textures & fine lines, I used a hot air gun to heat a kitchen fork, and then dragged the hot fork through the foam- it worked well.
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
Ok I have a question, I was at the flea market this morning and saw a good used battery charger. I noticed some have different amps, from 2 amps some 6 amps others had 10, does that make a difference? or what is a good amperage?
-------------------- aka:Cisco the "Traveling Millennium Sign Artist" http://www.franciscovargas.com Fresno, CA 93703 559 252-0935 "to live life, is to love life, a sign of no life, is a sign of no love"...Cisco 12'98 Posts: 3576 | From: Fresno, Ca, the great USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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posted
Mine is a 10amp. This is where the dimmer switch will come in handy. Better to go with a stronger one that you can dim down as opposed to week one that might not give you the heat you're looking for.
Besides, the kind and gage of your wire will also play a factor in the heat. Foam is so cheap, you can play around with this and teach yourself without spending a fortune.
posted
We have a good 15 amp charger, but I use a cheap 4 amp charger instead, that cost about $15 which gives out plenty of current for quite adequate heat- you don't want to be too slow when you use it! The nichrome wire's the secret though- it limits the current through it due to its resistance.
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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-------------------- Jimmy Chatham Chatham Signs 468 stark st Commerce, Ga 30529 Posts: 1766 | From: Commerce, GA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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The newer battery chargers out there have an automatic shutoff when the battery is charged. I've bought 2 new ones (which I have since returned) that won't send any voltage to the wires.
One of my employees has an older model that we will try tomorrow - I'll trade him for a newer model if it works.
I'll let y'all know
-------------------- Pat Neve, Jr. Sign Man, Inc. 4580 N. US 1 Melbourne, FL 32935 321-537-8675 Capt. Sign
posted
when i built mine back in the 70s i bought a transformer at radio shack and used it i didn't think about a battery charger.
-------------------- Jimmy Chatham Chatham Signs 468 stark st Commerce, Ga 30529 Posts: 1766 | From: Commerce, GA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I'm gonna start calling you MacGyver. All it needs is a little duck tape. When does the CNC version come out? Very cool idea BTW
-------------------- Jerry VanHorn, Pres. Pure Sports Designs, LLC Pro Sign Design / United Wholesale Signs www.prosigndesign.comwww.unitedwholesalesigns.com West Liberty, OH 937-465-0595 866-942-3990 Since 1990 Posts: 925 | From: West :Liberty, OH | Registered: May 2004
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