Sometimes you need to treat foam, give it the necessary shape, trim, cut ... It is possible to use a knife for this, but it is uncomfortable, cuts are not always smooth, it is difficult to cut the material, and even terribly annoying most people sound. You can heat the knife, but it is inconvenient, as it will be constantly cooling. We will make a small and simple cutter for foam and not only.

The basis for the temperature cutter of the foam will be a small wooden paler. You can choose for yourself any dielectric handle or pull, for example, on the lathe is beautiful and comfortable. It is suitable for me and such as in the photo, it is convenient to work, it has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, its length is 13 cm, and the width with a height of 1.4 cm.

Our thermo cutter will not completely cut the foam, but to melt it. Putting any form of a piece of foam in such a cutter is very convenient and real masterpieces can also be brought. The heating element serves as a small piece of wire from a metal having a large resistivity, the thickness (diameter) of it is somewhere 0.6 mm. Examples of metals and special alloys: tungsten, nichrome, Konstantin, Fekhral, \u200b\u200bChromial. You can buy a wire from such metals, and if you can not find on sale, then remove from an old hair dryer, toaster or some other simple technique in which something is heated. A small piece of wire will work as a resistor to which the current is supplied, larger, as a result of which such power dissipates that it is heated.

You will not succeed in the high-resistant ordinary soldering iron, as you do not try, you can, of course, first transfer a little copper to the electrolysis on the ends, but on Broska we will fix it with a pair of nails or screws.

The current source can use a lot of things, for example, a low-power transformer, a pulse power supply. A variable voltage from the transformer winding can not even straighten with a diode bridge. If there is a laboratory power supply unit, adjust the volts or limit the amps to such values \u200b\u200bat which the desired temperature is for smelting foam or other similar materials. I often use BP 12 volts - 0.5amper (with a long service it is warned). The wire coming from the deefront to the source of energy should be elastic and withstand permanent bends, for example, it can be a specialized acoustic cable. Connect the load will be through a small power socket of 5.5 x 2.1 mm.

If you want to make a thick sting or, for example, in the form of a knife, it will have a very small resistance. To warm up such "sting" on them you need to give a small voltage value, volts, two, three. Transformers with such a miniature output voltage value are rarity, so if you rewind the ordinary, we remove the standard secondary winding, and we take in advance parallel to the bonded several copper wires to get the total diameter of somewhere 5 mm, the maximum current depends on it. It is also worth remembering that if the current transformer is designed for a small power, then it does not pull a large current and voltage from it. It will be very cheap to buy a BP for luminescent lamps (electronic transformer) and remake it, on the Internet a lot of instructions how to turn such a thing into a normal UPS.

It turns out, the cutter is instantly at the operating temperature, as well after the power outage cools. Therefore, in order to not waste energy and once again not overload, the fact that it gives us the tension attach into the gap a miniature clock button. See the allowable current in this button so that it can withstand such a powerful load.

You can give your cutter any convenient form. I got something like a heating knife saw. In this case, the thick wire is almost not heated because of its small resistance, and the cutting on the contrary - it is warm. If I connect a low-power supply unit, the thread just heats up, and if I take a powerful transformer, the nichrome thread is simply rolled up to red, it looks cool (in the dark shines very bright, just like a incandescent lamp!), But such a high temperature is not required. .

Polyfoam (extruded polystyrene foam) is used as thermal insulation with external and interior decoration, used for packaging of goods or manufacturing prefabricated structures. The material is produced in the form of sheets that are cut into place and customized under the dimensions of the surfaces. For quick cutting of foam, you will need a special device that allows you to make a straight or curly cut.

Manual processing of foams is possible at home and small workshops using a simple device collected from infirred materials. Extruded expanded polystyrene is characterized by a sufficiently dense structure, so cutting plates with a metal toolheated to a certain temperature. The wire supplying the electric current is suitable as the cutting surface, and the main difficulty of assembly is associated.

Self-made machine allows from conventional foam for packaging to get tiles or bars of suitable thickness with further use in certain designs. In such a device, you can also paint further and similar materials that are needed for the manufacture or repair of upholstered furniture. Compact dimensions of foam cutting equipment with their own hands using nichrome allow you to install the machine in a small workshop or even on the balcony.

For cutting foam at home, you will need a design that can be collected from simple materials available in any construction store. Previously need to determine the parameters of each element, taking into account the size of the plates of the foam, which will have to handle . In most cases, the following details are sufficient:

1. The base of dense plywood, chipboard or array. You can order new details or use elements of old furniture (doors, walls, shelves). To work with foam, there is enough base 400 x 600 mm.
2. String or wire in the form of thermal thermal for foam.
3. Metal racks, screws, springs or ordinary nails for fixing wire. The mounting height of the cutter depends on the intended thickness of the finished plates.
4. Mounts for details on the base. There are enough multiple self-tapping screws that fix the elements of the structure.

To assemble the thermosak, it will take to one hour of working time. Each of the structural elements can be quickly replaced during the repair or expansion of the device.

Algorithm of action

For the manufacture of adaptation under the cutting of foam or similar materials, you need the most conventional tools (hammer, screwdriver, pliers). You can work anywhere with sufficient space (balcony, room, hallway, garage, etc.). No participation of helpers or third-party specialists will need.

The assembly is carried out in the following order:

To the base, you can attach legs, which will increase stability when cutting the foam of the string.

How to choose cut wire

A suitable cutter can be made of nichrome wire (x20n80), which is used in the design of most household appliances as a heating element. According to mechanical characteristics, the nichrome is comparable to conventional steel, and it is characterized by a large resistance and the heating limit to the temperatures of +1200 ºC. For the manufacture of fixtures under cutting, a wire with a diameter of up to 10 mm is available.

The exact and smooth thread of foam plastic is possible when the cut line is heated to a temperature, which is two to three times the melting threshold (+270 ºC). It should be borne in mind that such a process involves energy consumption and to absorb heat itself in proportion to its density. Therefore, for efficient and safe cutting, it is necessary to choose a wire suitable thickness to eliminate the melting of the metal at maximum heating.

Calculation and preparation of the electrical part

For the safe operation of the device, it is necessary to correctly mount conductive elements that are connected to the source of electricity through the cape terminals. To cut the material, you can use variable or permanent current. The power of the source is calculated based on the fact that it will take up to 2.5 W for efficient cutting for 10 mm (for 500 mm - 125 V).

The voltage of the current is proportional to the resistance and is calculated by formulas or tables. But on average, with a wire diameter of 0.8 mm, a length of 500 mm and a resistance of 2.2 ohms will require a voltage current 12 V with a load current 12 A. Change in length to a large or smaller side will require a similar increase or reduction of voltage at the same power. Current.

Electricity sources and connection scheme

A safe cutting provides a connection to a conventional household network 220 V through a car transformer. To adjust the voltage in a single primary winding, a handle is provided, with which the graphite wheel moves and remove the voltage from the corresponding site. You can change this parameter in the range from 0 to 240 V. Connection to the current source is carried out through the terminal box.

When connecting a self-made machine for cutting foaming to a power grid, you need to make sure that the phase does not fall on the overall wire. All the necessary parameters and connection scheme can be found on the transformer case. Before connecting to the network, you need to check the performance of the device using a multimeter.

The simpler version of the current supply to the wire is to use conventional lowering transformers with removal from the secondary windings. In this case do not have to select the voltage valueSince this value is always constantly and enough to heat the wire to the desired temperature. You can choose the desired value when the transformer is initially adjusted, handling a certain number of turns of the windings in the chain.

Heat the wire for cutting foam can be used with the help of household appliances. At the same time take into account the following nuances:

It should be borne in mind that the cutting tool under the voltage will immediately be hot, therefore it is impossible to touch it to check the temperature.

To make thermo-mounted foam or foam rubber, it will not be required to considerable costs and time. For this, a wire of almost any diameter is suitable for this, but with unknown parameters (diameter, resistance), the power should be increased gradually, connecting the low-power current sources first. The reliable isolation of contacts and the phase position control is of great importance, which cannot be connected to the wire.

Heat and sound insulation construction materials on the market are presented in a wide range, it is foamed polyethylene, mineral and basalt wool and many others. But the most common for insulation and sound insulation is extruded polystyrene foam and foam, due to the high physico-chemical properties, ease of installation, low weight and low cost. The foam has a low thermal conductivity coefficient, a high sound absorption coefficient, resistant to water, weak acids, alkalis. Polyfoam is resistant to the effects of ambient temperature, from the minimum possible up to 90˚С. Even after decades, the foam does not change its physicochemical properties. Polyfoam also has sufficient mechanical strength.

The foam is still very important properties, it is a fire resistance (when exposed to fire, the foam is not smoldering as wood), environmental purity (as the foam is made of styrene, then even food products can be stored in the package). Foams do not arise fungi and foci of bacteria. Practically perfect material for insulation and sound insulation during the construction and repair of houses, apartments, garages, and even packaging for food storage.

In building materials stores, the foam is sold in the form of plates of different thickness and sizes. During repair, it is often necessary for the sheets of foam of different thickness. If there is an electric foam cutter, you can always cut the sheets of the desired thickness from the thick plate. The machine also allows the figured foam packaging from home appliances to turn into a plate, as in the photo above, and successfully cut the thick sheets of foam rubber for the repair of furniture.

How easily the foam on the homemade machine is cut, clearly demonstrates the video clip.

If you wish to make a cutter for foam and foam rubber, many stops the complexity with the supply voltage supply for heating the nichrome string to the desired temperature. This obstacle is overcome if you understand the physics of the question.

Machine design

The base of the fixture for cutting foam was a sheet of chipboard (wood chipboard). The size of the plates must be taken on the basis of the width of the plates of the foam, which are planned to be cut. I used the door from furniture with a size of 40 × 60 cm. With this size of the base, it will be possible to cut a foam plate with a width to 50 cm. The base can be made of a sheet of plywood, wide boards, secure the string of cutting directly on the desktop or workbench.

Tenten the nichromestream string between two nails Listen to the homemade master, so I implemented a simple design that provides reliable fixation and smooth adjustment of the height of the string in the process of cutting over the base surface of the machine.

The ends of nichrome wire are attached for springs, dressed on the screws M4. The screws themselves are twisted into metal racks pressed into the base of the machine. With the thickness of the base of 18 mm, I picked up a metal rack with a length of 28 mm, at the rate, so that the screw did not go beyond the bottom side of the base, and with the maximum twisted state, it provided a thickness of the cutting of foam 50 mm. If you need to cut foam or foam rubber sheets with more thickness, it will be enough to replace the screws longer.

To presses the rack in the base, a hole is drilled in it, a 0.5 mm diameter is less than the outer diameter of the rack. In order for the racks easily can be scored with a hammer in the base, sharp edges from the ends were removed on the sandpaper.

Before twisting a screw to the rack, the groove was driven by its head, so that nichrome wire during adjustment could arbitrarily move, and occupied the desired position.

To diligee in the screw the groove, first its threads need to be protected from deformation, putting the plastic tube or wrap with tight paper. Then hold the drill in the cartridge, turn on the drill and attach a narrow feet. A minute later, the groove will be ready.

To eliminate the savory wire, due to extension when heated, it is fixed to the screws through the springs.

The suggestion was suitable for the spring from the computer monitor used to tension grounding conductors on a kinescope. The spring was longer than was required, had to make two of it, for each side of the fastening of the wire.

After the preparation of all fasteners, the nichrome wire can be fixed. Since the current during operation is consumed significant, about 10 A, then for a reliable contact of the current-wheeling wire with nichrome wire, I applied the method of fastening the twist with compression. The thickness of the copper wire at a current 10 is necessary to take a cross section of at least 1.45 mm 2. Select the wire section for connecting nichrome wire from the table. In my disposal there was a conduction with a cross section of about 1 mm 2. Therefore, each of the wires had to make 1 mM 2 from two cross section connected in parallel.

If the electrical parameters of the nichrome wire are not known, then you must first try to connect a low-power electrical appliance, such as an electric light bulb 200 W (flows about 1 A), then a heater per 1 kW (4.5 A), and so increasing the power of the connected devices while nichrome Wire cutter does not heat up to the desired temperature. Electrical appliances can be connected in parallel.

The disadvantages of the last scheme of connecting the nichrome spiral should include the need to determine the phase for the correct connection and low efficiency (efficiency), electricity kilowatts will be expensive.

Polyfoam is quite practical and lightweight thermal insulation material. It is often used to create various crafts. However, in the process of working with it, it is necessary to deal with one nuisance - the material is difficult to cut. A foam is produced in the form of large plates, and to divide the panel to fragments, it will be necessary to cut it.

It will not be possible to use a saw or a knife for such a goal. This is due to the fact that with any mechanical exposure, the structure of the material is destroyed. To avoid this, you will need to descript the cutter for foam with your own hands.

The simplest device for cutting foam

The easiest cutter for foam is easy to perform with your own hands. For this purpose, it will be necessary to use the finest guitar string. In addition, 5 large batteries should be prepared for an ordinary electric flashlight. They must be connected sequentially. To the ends of the device are connected to the string, thereby closing an electric arc. The current will pass along the string, heating it.

When using such a device, the foam sheet will be divided into two parts immediately after touching the string. At the same time, the material will melt on the cropped edges. The cut with this processing is obtained as even as possible. The string for cutting the foam is necessary to warm up to a temperature of at least 120 degrees. However, it should not exceed 150 degrees.

Check how much the height of the string is quite simple. During the cutting on the edges of the material, the baked pieces remain. If they are too long, the string is not enough. In the absence of such pieces, it can be judged that the string of overreve.

When using such an elementary device, about 3 foam panels can be treated. However, for large volumes of work it is not suitable. Batteries sit down pretty quickly. To prolong the cutter time, you will need to build a device that runs. Understand how to make a cutter for foam, a few simple tips will help.

Homemade electric plants for foam

If you share such fixtures in groups, they should be classified as follows:

• device for linear cutting;
• thermosak, with which a figured cutting is performed;
• the device with a metal plate.

However, despite this classification, each device has one common element in its design. To create cutters for foam, you will need to find a lowering transformer. It is necessary that this element can withstand 100 W.

Linear cutting cutter

To create such devices, prepare workspace. Usually, for such purposes, the table is chosen. Two vertical risers are fixed on it. Each of them should be an insulator. Between the insulators it is necessary to pull the nichrome thread. It hangs freely hanging cargo. The nichrome thread is connected to the contacts connected to a downstream transformer.

The principle of work is quite simple. The nichrome thread when connected heats up, which makes it possible to easily cut the foam. Thanks to the suspended cargo, the thread remains in the stretched position. The cargo is necessary, because when heated, the thread begins to sag.

The moving foam is cut by nichrome thread quickly and smoothly. Which thickness will be treated sheets, depends on the thread height over the working surface of the table. The main thing is that the polyforal is supplied at one speed throughout the entire cutting period.

To cut the sheets vertically, you will need to use the cutter of another design. In it, the cutting wire is stretched in a vertical position. In this case, the work surface is performed from the chipboard. It must be attached to the frame. Better if this element is made of metal profile. However, wooden bars will fit well.

The frame is equipped with a paw holder, on which the nichrome wire is suspended. At its end, the load is fixed. The wire is passed through the hole performed in the working surface. So that it does not touch the tree, the hole from the inside is protected by a metal hollow tube.

When using thermosets, the foam not only easily cuts into certain blocks. From large plates you can cut various geometric shapes, such as a square, semicircle, triangle. Before work, it is enough to spend the marker on the surface of the slab, indicating the cut line.

Curly cutter

When working with large foam sheets, the stationary cutter will be difficult to use the stationary cutter. Such panels are hardly placed on the desktop. In these cases, a manual cutter is used for foam. Such a tool is often performed from the jigsaw. Cutting canvas in these tools should be replaced with nichrome wire.

Such an electric marque is quite simple to build it yourself. To carry out the cutting of figure elements it was more convenient, you can make several devices having various forms. At first, the jigscription should be removed the cutting canvas, and lead the wire to the handle. The voltage will be low, but the handle and other metal parts should be insulated. The nichrome wire is connected to the cable. For this, nuts are used. Wire bend in a certain way.

A soldering iron can be used as a cutter for curly cutting of foam. It needs to be modified a little. The device already has an electrical wire in its design. To create a cutter for foam from the soldering iron, it will be needed to replace the element that heats up, on the nichrome wire.

Such a device is distinguished by high ease of operation. Thanks to this product, it turns out not only to cut the material of the material on the sheets of smaller size, but also to carry out the recesses.

Metal plate cutter

There is another way to redo the soldering iron in the foam cutter. To modify the tool, you will need to simply replace the sting on the copper plate. Standing is suitable, but it heats up longer and harder sharpening. However, with the proper sharpening of the steel plate, any synthetic can be cut, including foam.

One side of the plate must be accurately sharpened. Sharpening can be performed double-sided. It is necessary that the sharpening angle is not performed too large. Cutting the material is carried out not only by the blade, but also the flat plate. Such a cutter has one disadvantage - will have an experienced way to look for the optimal heating temperature of the knife.

conclusions

Making a cutter for foam plastic is quite simple. The methods listed above will help you deal with the device and the principle of work cutter for foam. Such devices are distinguished by practicality and simplicity of assembly. Each method is distinguished by its advantages, so homemade masters can choose more suitable, depending on the available materials.

Polyfoam is a durable, lightweight and very good thermal insulation material. Perform the work with him is very simple. But there are some nuances in working with this material.

Since it is made in the form of plates of large sizes, it is very often necessary to resort to pruning. You can do this using and a regular knife, but they, no matter how neither try to accurately do it, it will not work.

And all because in mechanical exposure there will be a violation of the structure of foam. It is because experts recommend that such actions use exclusively a sharper or, as it is also called, a cutter for foam.

This multifunctional tool can, of course, and buy, but if you make it with your own hands, you can adapt to your needs and, of course, save money.

If you plan to work with a cutter for industrial purposes, it is still better to buy an electrical device that will be designed for large and frequent loads.

How to make yourself

The need for a cutter may occur at any time if you are quite often doing any business in the house. Perhaps someone came across that it is necessary to make a detail, resorting to a special form for an epoxy resin cast.

And to accomplish it, you need a piece of foam. For example, you can use foam from the packing of the TV. It must be flashed with a ruler, circulation and ballpoint handle, where in the future it will be necessary to make holes.

This is where the need for an electric cutter arises. After all, perform this action, without spoiling a sheet of foam, it will be difficult without such a tool. Consider one of the options, how to make a device of this type at home.

A homemade device for cutting can be of various designs. It is from her and the type of cutting will depend on how exactly the cutter copes with the goals.

Views

Before you begin to make a cutter, you should decide for what purpose you need it, because depending on the goals, they are divided into several groups:

• with metal working plate;
• for linear cutting;
• for figure cutting.

Stages of creation

Since the linear cutting is the most common, let's look at this particular option:

1. Cutting part. To do this, you will need a wire from nichrome, approximately a spiral with a diameter of 0.6 mm. It can be taken from old electric stoves or other heating electrical appliances. The length of such a wire must be 14 cm (its resistance will be 2 ohms).
2. Application of the transformer. So that everything is true, the first thing is to calculate voltage and current to heat the cutting part. This can be done using the formula - the law of Oma I \u003d U / R. Thus, you can decide on the power of the power transformer.
3. Making a cutter. The basis can be made from any metal, but its length should be at least 11 cm. Next to the end you need to attach the insulator - the plate of the textolite. And now, along the edges of the plate, fasten contact groups, they can be removed from the electrical outlet. It is in these contacts that can fasten the helix with a different form.
4. How the cutter works. After the cutter is included in the network, its helix will heat up and will be slightly reddish. This is what matters, since the heated cutter will give the opportunity to easily and quickly cut the foam, which will not be peeling.

It's important to know: Having obtained such a device, already in three minutes it will be possible to cut the necessary shape of the sheet of foam.

In mandatory, follow all safety rules in order not to injure yourself and others. After all, the cutter power is enough to damage any part of the body when working. And the connection to electricity further increases the risk of injury.

Phased manufacturing thermosaca

It is possible to make a thermosaque using an innercier or soldering iron and an old jig. Consider the manufacture of such a device step by step:

1. 1. Sleeve. Initially, you need to make the basic and most complex - sleeve. So, for this plate you need to bend, pull out. Further in the sleeve must be done a hole, there will be a thread in the future.
   2. Egypt. You need to cut off the wire that leads to the hole, and take suitable connectors, then solder the break.

Note: Such sections are required to isolate.

1. 1. After all are performed, you can connect the thermosak. Old jigsaw cut in half. In the upper part it is necessary to attach the prepared paw plate on the screws. But bapping to the base, using self-tapping screws.
   2. Insert the sleeve in the paw. Now, with special attention, it is necessary from the hole on a plunder, or a carbon, mark the point below the hill of the sleeve. Next, drill a hole at the base. The diameter of the opening at the base should be about 5 mm.
   3. Thermalism. So, when everything is ready, you need to straighten your nichrome wire. To do this, you should turn on the entire power of the deceit and the wires from it to touch the nichrome. Everything needs to be done so that a distance equal to the height of the device remains between the wiring. If the thread does not heat up, but at the same time the degenerator begins to buzz, find a thinner wire. This is necessary because your chosen insufficient resistance.

Take note: Nichrome should be hot, but should not be heated until Red. If the string has become red, it is necessary to reduce it with the regulator it is heating. In the event that the nichrome is red even at a minimum, then above the springs on 5-10-15 cm nichrome wire should leave the compensator. And only after that you can make contact.

1. The operation of the device. With a pre-installed guide you need to cut the dies from the polyfoam of a given thickness, you can also make the shape of figure.

Application

If you do repair or engage in a sharp on a tree, or you need to cut a piece of plywood, then you will be very useful to the electric car, which can be used even for cutting tissue.

If you think that for all the actions above, you will sufficiently apply the thermal, or there is enough hacksaws, then you are mistaken.

After all, the hacksaw will not make the edges smooth and not ripped, as it comes out in the case of a cutter.