Time to burn down the house... or, my home made hot wire cutter

[Kisatchie]

Thanks Peteski and Ryan.


Hmm... Kiz'll need a 4'
long cutting blade...

[mmagliaro]

I tried one of those Woodland Scenics units with the nichrome wire.  It made neat, thin cuts (compared to my soldering gun), but I was frustrated at how slowly it could cut.  I ended up using the soldering gun, like Ed is about to try, and a
hot knife (the ones with a blade about like a large butter knife in it).   It isn't for surgical precision, to be sure.  It was great for shaping out rough mountain and land forms, though.

[eric220]

Remember, the Woodland Scenics unit was designed for cutting the Woodland Scenics landform styrofoam. It was only a few millimeters thick, and it was meant to create a framework for other WS scenery products. It cut that stuff beautifully!

[wazzou]

I always wanted to get a Tippi, but I never did and I heard they're done.  Anyone have one of those that they've used?

[Lemosteam]

You know the tips for that gun are nothing more than thick copper.  Why not use a stripped copper wire or are you afraid that the copper will bend too easily?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You know the tips for that gun are nothing more than thick copper.  Why not use a stripped copper wire or are you afraid that the copper will bend too easily?

That was somewhat my fear, but also, I don't have any larger gauge copper wire around the house. But there IS an excellent electronics shop right up the street that I might go hit up to see what I can find.

[tom mann]

Ed, your neighbor was on tv earlier:

[peteski]

That was somewhat my fear, but also, I don't have any larger gauge copper wire around the house. But there IS an excellent electronics shop right up the street that I might go hit up to see what I can find.

Um, Ed, did you might have missed reading some earlier posts. 
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=39107.msg476357#msg476357
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=39107.msg476360#msg476360

[Philip H]

What is this shop of which you speak?

[chuck geiger]

Fade to Farmers Insurance and actor Jonathan Kimble "J. K." Simmons as Professor Burke intro:

MODEL TRAIN NUT BURNS HOUSE DOWN WITH HOMEMADE FOAM CUTTER, MAY 18, 2016
YEAH WE COVERED THAT.

[basementcalling]

I always wanted to get a Tippi, but I never did and I heard they're done.  Anyone have one of those that they've used?

I had one. It gave up the ghost after ten years. Could probably take it apart and see why, but haven't needed to cut foam much lately.

Michael Lech with Big City Hobbies on the Greenberg show circuit has some left I think. It worked ok, but the length of wires was too short for many uses I wanted. Great for carving though.

[peteski]

I saw a vendor at the last Springfield show (in the BLC building?) selling all sorts of hot wire cutters and carvers.  But I don't remember their name. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

What is this shop of which you speak?

Bainesville Electronics. I'd say they're the Kleins of electric stuff, but they're not cheap. They do have a great inventory and depth of knowledge though.

Plus, they're next door to a great local pizza place.

[nkalanaga]

Xmtrman:  WAY off topic, but I made a tip for my soldering pencil the same way.  The small, pointed "electronics" tip broke, so I filed the outer end of the screw base flat, drilled a 1/16 inch hole in it, and jammed a piece of copper house wiring into the hole.  It works fine, although keeping it tinned is a minor hassle, and if it ever wears out, I'll just put a new piece in.  File any shape end you want on  the wire, mine is a round point.  A very small chisel tip might be useful for track soldering, as it would be the width of an N scale tie.

[delamaize]

DO IT