Homemade foam cutter. Safe cutting of polystyrene foam with your own hands at home. Assembling a simple cutter from a regular soldering iron

A foam cutter is a fairly simple tool that works on the principle of burning the material. It can be bought in stores building materials. This the best option if there is a large amount of work to be done. If the cutter is needed for 1-2 days, it is easier to make it yourself, since the next time this tool may be needed many years later. But you can also use this option: rent a cutter in one of construction companies, having called in advance and found out whether they will provide such an opportunity.

How to make a foam cutter with your own hands?

The easiest way to make a foam cutter is based on a wood burning machine. In this work you will need nichrome wire, which, when heated, will cut the foam. The tool manufacturing process is simple: a spring of suitable diameter is mounted on a standard metal burning pin. It should fit this part tightly. A straightened nichrome wire is inserted into the spring. It can be found in any hair dryer. Turn on the burning device and when the spring heats up, start working with the foam.

You can also use a 60 W soldering iron to cut this material. You need to choose a tool that uses a blade knife instead of the usual tip. Once heated, it will easily cut polystyrene foam or any hot-melt material. synthetic material.

To work with sheet foam, you will need a stable base on which to attach the soldering iron. This will ensure the quality of the cut. You can use heat-resistant plastic, a piece of plywood or a board as a support. At the bottom of the base you need to make low legs. They are necessary in this design.

Closer to one of the sides of the support, a vertical stand made of a metal tube is attached. There are two brackets on it into which the soldering iron is inserted. The longer the bracket blade, the farther the soldering iron is located from the vertical stand.
A copper plate is inserted into the cut of its plate tip. The edge of the knife is sharpened at a slight angle. The degree of heating of the cutting element is determined experimentally. This cutter is very convenient for working with both sheet material, the one with figured molding. It should be noted that the width of the cut will be at least twice as large as the thickness of the copper plate. This must be taken into account when performing finishing work.

Foam sheets require cutting and adjustment to size and shape. Every master wants to do it quickly and without excess garbage, obtaining a smooth edge, eliminating gaps and cold bridges. By by and large, foam cutting is carried out in two ways - automatic and manual. Of course, at home, for example, to insulate a roof, you won’t need the entire arsenal, but getting to know each other will never hurt. Or maybe it will inspire you to take a new approach to renovation.

Tools for cutting foam sheets differ from each other both in functionality and in the complexity of working with them.

Types and classification of hand tools

Review of the best devices for home use

Professional innovative thermal knife

Such products, as in the top photo, were declared by the Patent Department quite recently - only in April 2010, but, despite their “youth,” they very quickly gained popularity in the market. Main obvious advantage such a cutting tool - after cutting PSB of any density, there is practically no debris left in the form of granules.

This device is ready for use immediately after removal from the original packaging, and it takes literally 1-2 seconds to heat up. The handle here is made of lingofol (something like wood, but with a higher mechanical strength), and the cutter from of stainless steel and ceramics. This combination provides a fairly long service life if the breakdown is not done intentionally.

In the top image, there is another option for how to cut polystyrene foam so as not to crumble - this homemade unit, made from a charger and string from a piece of nichrome. You can, of course, use unregulated current sources, for example, a battery or a charger for a cordless drill (screwdriver), but here, of course, the design will lose quality.

In addition to the power source and nichrome, you will need some kind of frame - you can even use a small one coffee table. Fans of figure cutting will appreciate this device.

You can use a hacksaw for metal

It is not always possible to cut polystyrene foam at home with a paint knife or other devices described above due to their absence; for this you can use a hacksaw or a separate blade. Only in this case should you be prepared for the appearance of debris in the form of granules, since PSB consists of them. The teeth, even small ones, will destroy the structure, but if the cutting is done for insulation, then this does not matter from a technological point of view.

Professional laser cutting of PSB

CNC Laser Cutting Machine

Of course, you can use not only a string or a knife to cut foam, but also more modern devices with numerical program control. If you do this in industrial scale, then CNC machines, which are controlled by a computer, are precisely suitable for such purposes. The advantage of such equipment is that an entire workshop of such units can be controlled by just one person from the operator’s cabin.

It is almost impossible to make such a car by hand.

There are different machines, more precisely, software they are given in different ways and in different volumes. That is, older models (they are still produced, but not in the same quantities) have integrated software, and you will not be able to change it in the usual way, and in later developments you can independently add certain programs for making three-dimensional figures with the most bizarre and complex shapes.

Various unique shapes made using this method can be used:

in the metallurgical industry for casting certain alloys;
for tuning in the automotive industry;
in industrial construction for the manufacture of formwork, sleeves for insulating pipelines, as well as for pouring any architectural forms;
theater stage decoration;
advertising logos, inscriptions and so on.

Sleeves for insulation of external and underground pipelines

This tool for cutting foam is the most accurate of all of the above, since computer programs, unlike the human eye, do not produce errors. Consequently, you get a minimum amount of waste thanks to the ideal calculation of the area and volume of the figure in relation to the workpiece. There are special programs that, with a little help from the operator, can develop any configurations and transfer them to the machine.

How to make a foam cutter with your own hands

So, you want to find something to use to cut polystyrene foam, but everything in stores is expensive, and a painting knife is not suitable, since it crumbles the polystyrene foam. Make the cutting device yourself, following the instructions.

Preparation of tools and materials

To make your own cutter, you will need:

ampere-volt-ohmmeter (tester);
curly screwdriver;
round nose pliers;
knife or side cutters;
soldering iron with solder;
electrical tape or heat shrink;
polypropylene tube 15-20cm long and 20-25mm in diameter (it is used for water supply);
a piece of insulated wire made of copper, steel or solid aluminum 20-25cm long and 3mm in diameter;
bolt with nut and washers with a diameter of 3-4mm and a length of 15-20mm;
25mm self-tapping screw (preferably with a press washer);
charger 5V;
USB cord for connecting charging to the cutter;
nichrome length 17cm;
a piece of insulated flexible copper wire 50-60cm.

Theoretical preparation and calculations

Now you need to determine the resistance - the net length will be only 15 cm of nichrome, but you always need to take it 1.5-2 cm more so that you have something to twist. When measuring 15cm, you will get 16.8 Ohms, and the charger is 5V, which means I=V/R=5/16.8=0.29A=290mA, that is, the current that will flow through the cutting wire. Charging at 5V has a rated current of about 550mA, that is, almost twice as much - there is more than enough reserve.

Preparation of polypropylene tube and wire

The PPR tube will serve as a handle - this is convenient, since polypropylene conducts heat very poorly, therefore, it will not heat up when the cutter is turned on.

At the end of this tube, with an indentation of 4-5 mm, make a hole for a self-tapping screw, and 60-100 mm from it another hole in order to populate the connection wiring. Bend a thick insulated wire in the shape of the letter P so that the jumper is 15 cm, and at the ends of the verticals make loops (rings) with pliers to fix the nichrome.

Assembling a homemade device

Now you can start assembling the device:

First of all, use a self-tapping screw with a washer to screw the U-shaped holder to the handle, having previously screwed the nichrome and copper wire onto the screw.
Then insert the bolt into the opposite loop, only so that the washers are on both sides - under the head and under the nut, but do not tighten the nut completely - leave some play for connection.
WITH inside screw nichrome between the nut and the washer, and a copper flexible wire from the outside, under the head, and tighten this homemade terminal.
After these steps, the main part of the cutter is ready, but there is still a connection to the power source and laying out the wiring - do not tighten the nichrome too much, but keep in mind that it will lengthen a little when heated.
Wind the far wire onto the contour of the holder, lowering it in this way to the handle, and then insert both (both the far and the bottom) into the second hole in the polypropylene and pull it through the opposite end of the tube. Now all you have to do is connect the device.

Tin the wires and solder the USB to the ends coming out of the tube - the polarity here does not matter at all, just make sure the soldering is strong, since you will hide it in the tube.
Wrap the connections with electrical tape (if there is heat shrink, this is even better) and push this section inside the PPR.
To fix the wire on the handle, you can simply melt the polypropylene with a soldering iron, plugging this end - after 3-5 minutes everything will cool down.

Foam cutter testing

That's it - now connect the USB to the charger, which, in turn, plug into a 220V outlet - heating occurs in 1-2 seconds. Try cutting off a piece of polystyrene foam - you won’t get the usual crumbs that remain when cutting with a knife or hacksaw.

Second option for making a cutter

For the second model, identical tools will be needed, only the materials for making the frame will change - the handle will be made of wood, and the holder will be made of copper without insulation.

Cut the handle with a jigsaw so that it is comfortable for you, that is, “fits your hand,” and at one of its ends, drill a hole to the diameter of the wire and make a hollow for laying.
Then wrap the copper tip with thread (along the length of the groove), insert it into the hole and groove and fill it with some superglue.
Now you can bend the holder in the way that is convenient for you, that is, in height, which will determine the possibility of cutting depth and length, but with the calculation of the power of the charger (carry out the calculation using the formula given for the first option).
Making a loop on the opposite side of the holder can be tricky, especially if you use steel, so just make the cut with a file. Screw a spring with rings at the ends to the handle using a self-tapping screw (one for fixing and the other for nichrome).

Solder the USB - one end to the spring, and the other directly to the holder, after cleaning its surface. Screw the nichrome first to the far end, and then to the spring - this is better for tensioning.
Connect the USB to the charger and try how to cut foam with such a device.

Now you know how to cut foam plastic without special labor do this with a knife or cutter to prepare the slabs for roof insulation. But if you don’t have the skills, it’s better to entrust work on complex instruments to professionals.

We present to your attention a unique set: a foam cutter, a battery-powered soldering iron and a wood burner. A new development from Star Tec, which will definitely appeal to lovers of crafts, pyrography and those who simply work on creating original things with my own hands.

In fact, this multitool combines three tools, while remaining compact, easy to use and productive. And its main feature is the Plug and Start system, thanks to which you only need to change the tip of the main unit and you can work.

In the kit you will find:

And most importantly: the manufacturer does not limit the buyer only to this configuration. You can purchase other attachments different shapes. All of them allow you to carry out truly jewelry work with high precision and very carefully.

Please note: the multitool runs on 4 AA batteries, which are not included. They must be purchased separately. You can also use AA batteries if you plan to use the tool frequently and do not want to regularly buy new batteries.

Naturally, you can separately buy a cutter for foam plastic, buy a battery-powered soldering iron and a burner. But you will have to spend an order of magnitude more, the ease of use is extremely questionable, and the quality is not always up to par. high level. Here you can purchase first-class products at an affordable price from a world-famous manufacturer.

Application area

Of course, first of all, this is a tool for a hobby, but the manufacturers have made sure that the tool can also be used more widely. This is a great buy for advertising producers at the moment.

The multitool can be used to make:

Promotional materials made of foam plastic - volumetric letters and 3D objects; Bright and memorable signs; Advertising stands.

Also used for original decoration interior interiors premises and facades, creating models and letters, impact-resistant packaging and the like. The scope of operation is limited only by your imagination and type of activity. An excellent purchase for your money for everyone who is used to creating something new with their own hands and cannot imagine their life without it.

Advantages of buying a soldering iron or a do-it-yourself foam cutter from our company

At the moment, our offer is unique on the market.

A new product that simply has no analogues and is unlikely to appear in the future. An original development by Star Tec, with which we cooperate directly and without intermediaries. Accordingly, we guarantee our clients the following benefits:

Prices from the manufacturer without unjustified markups and overpayments; 1 year warranty for each buyer; Products are supplied exclusively from Germany.

Let’s not deny that you can make a foam cutter with your own hands and buy a soldering iron at a ridiculous price on some Chinese website. The question is, how high-quality, functional and reliable will such tools be? And are you ready to sacrifice results for the sake of dubious savings?

Order a 3-in-1 Multifunctional burner, cutter and soldering iron from us, work with pleasure and convenience, create something new and original every day!

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Polystyrene foam is used in many construction work. It has good thermal insulation.

However, this is a rather fragile and crumbling material. Therefore, when cutting it, special equipment is used. Otherwise, the edges will be uneven, and the material itself will lose its thermal insulation qualities at the joints.

Special equipment is on sale.

However, you can make a foam cutter yourself. This will save a lot of money family budget. How to create different variants tool for cutting foam plastic, it will be interesting for every master to know.

Tool type

Creating hand cutter for foam plastic, should be studied existing varieties this tool. There are mechanical and electrical varieties. If the foam product is small in size and cutting accuracy is not so important, you can give preference to the first option of the tool.

However, in order to ensure a tight fit of the foam plates to each other, it is necessary to ensure high accuracy cutting The edges should be smooth. In this case, it is possible to create an insulating layer High Quality.

Its heat loss will be minimal. When cutting unevenly, large gaps form between the joints. Through them, heat from the room will escape to the outside.

Professional designers and builders use exclusively electrical equipment for cutting foam. It is quite possible to create such a tool at home.

Simple electric cutter

When considering how to make a foam cutter, you should study the design of the simplest equipment of this class, which runs on electricity. In this case, you will need to prepare a thin guitar string and several batteries (for example, from a flashlight).

The operating principle of this equipment is simple. The battery structure forms a single unit.

A guitar string is connected to it. When passing electric current along the circuit, it will heat up. It is in this state that the string can easily cut a sheet of foam.

When using such a tool, the material will melt. The string heats up to 120 ºС and even more. In this case, it is quite possible to cut several large slabs of foam.

If you need to do a large amount of work, this option will not work. The batteries will run out quickly. We will have to provide an option for connecting the system to a household network.

Types of electric cutters

The electric foam cutter can be used for a variety of purposes. This will determine the type of design and overall performance characteristics of the equipment. There are three main types of homemade cutters.

Designers use them. This type is used less frequently for home repairs. There is also a tool with a metal working plate.

Such equipment must have a step-down transformer in its circuit. It must be designed for minimum power 100 W.

The secondary winding of the transformer must have a cross-section of at least 1.5 mm. It must withstand a voltage of 15 V. In this case, you can achieve high performance results.

Features of work

While learning how to make a manual foam cutter yourself, it is also necessary to consider the operating features of such equipment. As mentioned above, such an instrument has a string. It heats up and melts the surface of the foam.

This material reacts quite poorly to heat.

Therefore, it is important to maintain the technology of the entire process. Cutting using a hot thread is done quickly. This allows you to achieve high quality cuts.

It's easy to check the string's heating level. To do this, a test is carried out on a test piece of polystyrene foam. If, when immersing the thread, long pieces of material remain on it, it has not yet warmed up enough.

If there is no foam on the string at all, then the temperature is too high. In this case, you will have to cool the instrument a little. With proper heating, you can perform fast, accurate cutting.

Line cutting cutter

A linear cutter for foam plastic with your own hands will allow you to create blocks of material of the required dimensions. This significantly speeds up the work of the master. If necessary, this tool can be used to cut circles, triangles or squares into the foam.

Two racks are installed vertically on the table surface. Two insulators are attached to them.

A nichrome thread is stretched between them. This alloy heats up quickly, providing sufficient temperature for cutting. A freely hanging load is passed through one of the racks. Contacts from the transformer are connected to the thread.

Passing through the nichrome thread, the current will heat it up. It will be taut all the time thanks to the weight hanging from one side.

This is necessary, since the string may sag when heated. If desired, the design can be modified by adding a spring instead of a load. However, the original version is easier to implement.

Line cutting process

When considering how to make a foam cutter with your own hands, you also need to understand how to operate it correctly. Cutting can be done vertically or horizontally. To do this, the thread is pulled in the appropriate position.

If the string is stretched horizontally, you can use it to make the same cuts. The foam is pulled evenly across the table. The thread will cut it evenly into the required pieces.

When cutting a structure vertically, a frame made of metal or plywood is added.

A holder is installed on it. An insulator and a nichrome string are connected to it. On its other side a load is suspended.

It will go through a hole drilled in the table. It must be large enough and covered with a special insulating material. Next, you can perform vertical cutting.

Shaped cutting

If you need to cut fairly large sheets of foam plastic or create decorative elements or sculptures from this material, a special type of equipment is used.

You can also make it yourself. This is a manual cutter for foam plastic. It is made on the basis hand jigsaw or hacksaws. In them cutting element change to nichrome string.

If you need to create shaped elements, you can make several tools of different shapes. A wire is connected to the handle of the jigsaw. It must be carefully isolated.

Otherwise, it will be unsafe to work with this equipment. A nichrome string is attached to the wire contacts. This can be done using nuts and screws with washers.

Also, a pulse soldering iron or wood burner may be suitable for creating such equipment. This tool is considered convenient. Their working element is removed from such equipment and replaced with a piece of nichrome wire. In this case, the threads can be given different shapes.

Cutter with metal plate

There is a foam cutter that uses a copper plate in its design. To create this equipment, you can convert a soldering iron.

Equipment with a power of 60 W is suitable. Removed from the device a heating element. Instead, a plate is installed here.

One side of the copper blank needs to be sharpened. This will allow you to create a more accurate cut.

The sharpening angle should not be made too large. The cutting will be done using heat. To find the required level, you will have to experiment on a test piece of foam.

This method is also used by craftsmen of various skill levels and profiles.

If necessary, the copper plate can be replaced steel billet. This option will require more effort when sharpening. But with the help of such a tool you can cut denser polymer materials.

When choosing which foam cutter is most suitable for the craftsman’s work, you should take into account the recommendations of professional builders.

The greater the volume of work performed, the more complex the design will be. A simple battery-powered cutter is quite suitable for cutting several blocks. However, to perform a large amount of work, preference should be given to network types of equipment.

When cutting, the foam heats up. At this moment, they stand out from it into environment substances unsafe for human health. Therefore, the work is performed in a well-ventilated room or outside.

In order not to make a mistake with the cutting configuration, you should mark all the lines with a pencil before starting the action. This will avoid mistakes when cutting. These simple recommendations will allow you to do the job quickly, correctly and safely.

Having considered what options for foam cutters you can make with your own hands, each master will be able to choose the best option for himself.

Hi all. You can make many interesting things from polystyrene foam: volumetric letters and figures, models of ships and aircraft, art objects. It was for such purposes that I made a similar cutter from polypropylene pipe.

We will need:

Polypropylene pipe with a diameter of 20 mm; Two staples of 20 mm; Fittings; Furniture corners; Nichrome wire; Power transformer; Wire; Nuts and bolts.

The holder itself was assembled from a polypropylene pipe and fittings with the ability to adjust the depth of the cut.

To do this, the U-shaped part is mounted on brackets and can move freely relative to the handle. A 1.5 mm copper wire is laid in the cavity of the tube, coming out of the handle in one cable.

The entire structure is lightweight and fits comfortably in the hand. If necessary, it folds up and does not take up much space.

The nichrome thread was taken from the Soviet variable resistor SP5. It is attached to corners soldered into the tube by heating.

A Soviet transformer with a power of 150 W was taken as a power source, which has one of the outputs at 2.5 Volts. This voltage is safe for humans. True, of course, there is a danger of getting burned by a hot nichrome thread.

The thread itself does not become red hot, but easily melts the foam. With a little experience, you can cut foam strips thin even layer, like on a vegetable cutter. You can burn a design: in the middle of the workpiece, first burn a hole with a heated knitting needle, insert a nichrome thread and only then secure it in the holder. This is the cutter I came up with and assembled with my own hands to create crafts from foam plastic. That’s all, thanks for your attention! ILYA20 -05-2018, 00:242 803GadgetsFacebookVKontakteTwitterGoogle+OKHello to all lovers of homemade products. In this article I will tell you how to make a foam cutter with your own hands.

With its help, you can cut out foam plastic of various shapes, necessary for different purposes, for example, aircraft modeling. This homemade product is quite easy to make, so everyone will have the materials necessary for assembly. Before reading the article, I suggest watching a video with detailed process assembling a cutter for foam plastic, as well as testing it. In order to make a cutter for foam plastic with your own hands, you will need: * Construction corner * Two wooden blocks * Self-tapping screws * Screwdriver * Nichrome thread * Unneeded stool or sheet of plywood * PC power supply * Metal corner* Copper tube* Piece of polystyrene foam for testingStep one. First you need to make a stand for the cutter, for this you can use an unnecessary stool or, if desired, make a box from a sheet of plywood. Since the unnecessary stool was standing idle, it was decided to make a base out of it; we make a hole in it for a copper pipe using a screwdriver and a wood drill.

You can get a copper tube from the condenser of an old and unnecessary refrigerator; usually a tube of a suitable diameter is used there; in this homemade product it is needed so that the nichrome thread does not burn through the wood. Step two. Next, we screw the wooden block to the end of the stool using self-tapping screws and a screwdriver, while maintaining perpendicularity with a construction angle, so that in the end the cut on this cutter is as even as possible. Then using metal corner We attach another block to the wooden block at an angle of 90 degrees, in the end it should look something like this. Step three: Having cut off the required length of the copper tube using a hacksaw, we press it with a metal plate to the block, screwing in two self-tapping screws, while also maintaining perpendicularity. To fix the nichrome thread, screw a self-tapping screw into the top bar using a screwdriver. After that, take the nichrome thread and thread it through copper tubes from above and below, then we wind it onto the lower screw near the tube, then onto the upper one, making a slight stretch. Now we connect the power supply from the computer; for it to work without a PC, you need to connect the green and black wires together.

We wind the wires from the unit onto the screws and turn on the power. After the first turn on, the nichrome thread stretches slightly, so we tighten it again and you can check the cutter in action. Step four: Check the finished cutter on the foam. We turn on the power supply and move the foam in the desired direction, the nichrome thread cuts through it and the result is a piece of the required shape.

When working with this cutter, you must observe safety precautions and under no circumstances touch the nichrome thread with your hands. Using this cutter you can make airplane models, boats and much more that use foam plastic. That’s all for me, thank you all for your attention and creative success .Become the author of the site, publish your own articles, descriptions of homemade products with payment for the text. More details here.5Idea5Description7ExecutionFinal rating: 5.67 out of 10 (votes: 1)FacebookVKontakteTwitterGoogle+OK5To write a comment you must log in to the site via social media. networks (or register): Regular registrationInformationVisitors in the Guests group cannot leave comments on this publication.

Polystyrene foam is a fairly practical and lightweight thermal insulation material. It is often used to create various crafts. However, in the process of working with it you have to deal with one trouble - the material is difficult to cut. Polystyrene foam is produced in the form of large slabs, and in order to divide the panel into fragments, you will need to cut it.

Using a saw or knife for this purpose will not work. This is due to the fact that with any mechanical impact the structure of the material is destroyed. To avoid this, you will need to design a foam cutter yourself.

The simplest device for cutting foam plastic

The simplest foam cutter is easy to make with your own hands. For this purpose you will need to use the thinnest guitar string. In addition, you should prepare 5 large batteries for a regular electric flashlight. They must be connected in series. A string is connected to the ends of the device, thereby completing the electric arc. Current will flow through the string, heating it.

When using such a device, the foam sheet will split into two parts immediately after touching the string. In this case, the material will melt along the cut edges. With this processing, the cut is as smooth as possible. The string for cutting foam must be heated to a temperature of at least 120 degrees. However, it should not exceed 150 degrees.

Checking how hot the string is is quite simple. During cutting, stuck pieces remain on the edges of the material. If they are too long, the string is not heated enough. In the absence of such pieces, it can be judged that the string is overheated.

Using such a simple device, you can process about 3 foam panels. However, it is not suitable for large volumes of work. The batteries run out pretty quickly. To extend the operating time of the cutter, you will need to build a device that runs on mains power. A few simple tips will help you understand how to make a foam cutter.

Homemade electric foam cutters

If we divide such devices into groups, they should be classified as follows:

linear cutting device;
thermal cutter, which is used to perform shaped cutting;
device with a metal plate.

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

Line cutting cutter

To create such devices, you should prepare working space. Usually a table is chosen for such purposes. Two vertical risers are attached to it. Each of them must have an insulator. It is necessary to stretch a nichrome thread between the insulators. A freely hanging load is suspended from it. The nichrome thread is connected to the contacts connected to the step-down transformer.

The operating principle is quite simple. The nichrome thread heats up when connected, which makes it easy to cut foam. Thanks to the suspended weight, the thread remains taut. A weight is necessary because when heated, the thread begins to sag.

The moving foam is cut with nichrome thread quickly and evenly. How thick the processed sheets will be depends on the height of the thread above the working surface of the table. The main thing is that the foam is fed at the same speed throughout the entire cutting period.

To cut sheets vertically, you will need to use a cutter of a different design. In him cutting wire tensioned in a vertical position. In this case, the working surface is made of chipboard. You need to attach a frame to it. It is better if this element is made from metal profile. However wooden blocks will fit well.

The frame is equipped with a paw-holder, on which the nichrome wire is suspended. A weight is attached to its end. The wire is passed through a hole made in the working surface. To prevent it from touching the wood, the hole is protected from the inside with a metal hollow tube.

When using thermal cutters, foam plastic is not only easily cut into specific blocks. From large slabs you can cut various geometric figures, such as square, semicircle, triangle. Before work, just run a marker along the surface of the slab, marking the cut line.

Shape cutter

When working with large foam sheets, using a stationary cutter will be difficult. Such panels hardly fit on the desktop. In these cases, a handheld foam cutter is used. This tool is often made from a jigsaw. The cutting blade in these tools should be replaced with nichrome wire.

It’s quite easy to build such an electric cutter with your own hands. To make cutting shaped elements more convenient, you can make several devices that have various shapes. First, remove the cutting blade from the jigsaw and connect the wire to the handle. The voltage will be low, but the handle and other metal parts should be insulated. Nichrome wire is connected to the cable. Nuts are used for this. The wire is bent in a certain way.

You can use a soldering iron as a cutter for shaped cutting of foam plastic. It needs to be modified a little. The device already has in its design electrical wire. To create a foam cutter from a soldering iron, you will need to replace the element that heats up with nichrome wire.

This device is different high convenience operation. Thanks to this product, it is possible not only to cut slabs of material into smaller sheets, but also to make recesses in them.

Metal plate cutter

There is another way to convert a soldering iron into a foam cutter. To modify the tool, you simply need to replace the tip with a copper plate. Steel will also work, but it takes longer to heat up and is more difficult to sharpen. However, when correct sharpening A steel plate can be used to cut any synthetic material, including polystyrene foam.

One side of the plate must be carefully sharpened. Sharpening can be done on both sides. It is necessary that the sharpening angle is not too large. The cutting of the material is carried out not only by the blade, but also by the blade of the plate. Such a cutter has one drawback - you will have to empirically find optimal temperature heating the knife.

conclusions

Making a foam cutter with your own hands is quite simple. The methods listed above will help you understand the structure and operating principle of the foam cutter. Such devices are practical and easy to assemble. Each method has its own advantages, so home craftsmen can choose the most suitable one, depending on the available materials.

Styrofoam - good heat insulator, characterized by durability and low weight. It is used to create a variety of shapes, blanks and models, as an excellent insulation material. It's quite easy to work with. But often such material is produced in the form of blocks with large geometric parameters. Cutting them with a saw or knife is very inconvenient. Products crumble, which disrupts their structure.

Problem with opening thermal insulation material solves the foam cutter, often called a cutter. It can be purchased at hardware store or do it yourself. In the second case House master gets at his disposal a tool that suits him in all respects.

Elementary carver – half an hour and you’re ready!

The simplest tool for cutting sheets of foam plastic (foamed polystyrene) can be made without the slightest difficulty using 4-5 flashlight batteries and an ordinary guitar string. The process for creating a carver will be as follows:

the batteries are connected in series to form one unit;
A guitar string is attached to the ends of the resulting module.

As a result of these actions, a tool with an electric closed arc is obtained. The current passing through it will heat up the string. In the area of its contact with the material being cut, the process of melting and cutting of the polystyrene foam sheet into two parts will be observed.

For the described homemade thermal knife to work, the string must be heated to 130–150 °C. With this simple tool you can cut 1-3 blocks of foam. It is not advisable to use it for cutting a large number of sheets because the batteries will run out very quickly.

Types of electric thermal knives and their features

If a master uses foam plastic regularly and performs large volumes of work, it is advisable for him to make a tool with his own hands that operates from a household electrical network. Such homemade thermal knives, which do not require separate chargers, are used for:

linear cutting;
figured cutting.

They use a nichrome thread or a metal plate as a working thermoelement. A mandatory unit of such devices is a transformer that reduces the voltage (Figure 1). Its windings must meet the following requirements:

cable cross-section – from 1.5 mm;
voltage - from 100 V (primary winding), 15 V (secondary).

Experts recommend connecting the step-down device to an autotransformer (LATR), which allows you to smoothly adjust the output voltage. If you don’t want to purchase such an expensive device, you can do otherwise:

place a switch on the secondary winding taps;
equip the step-down transformer with a rheostat.

Linear cutting device - how to make?

A homemade thermal knife for cutting flat sheets of expanded polystyrene foam is simple design. The principle of its creation will be understood by any craftsman.

The basis of the structure is a frame made of steel profile or wooden blocks. A working surface made of particle boards and thick plywood is mounted in its lower part. Some craftsmen use PCB sheets for its construction.

The function of a working surface can also be performed by a regular table or workbench. Then there is no need for a frame. And the process of constructing the structure itself is as follows:

Two vertical supports are mounted on a table (another flat surface), which are secured with insulators.
A transformer is connected to the latter through electrical contacts to reduce the voltage.
Nichrome wire is stretched between the insulators. A special weight is suspended from it. It is needed to tension the thread.

This foam cutter operates simply. An electric current passes through the thread, heating it, which leads to stretching of the wire. The load does not allow the latter to sag.

The heated nichrome thread easily cuts the foam block horizontally, which is moved by hand. As a result, flat sheets of insulating material are obtained. Their thickness is determined by the distance separating the stretched wire from the working surface of the table.

When performing the described operation, it is important to ensure the supply of polystyrene foam at the most uniform speed possible.

In cases where the material needs to be cut vertically, the design of the cutter is slightly modified. The frame must be additionally equipped with a holder. Hang a nichrome thread and a weight from it, passing the latter through a hole pre-drilled in the table. It is advisable to install a hollow metal pipe in it, which will protect the master from burns when the wire is heated.

Rules for making tools for figure cutting

If cutting at home will involve large thicknesses or geometric dimensions sheets of foam plastic that do not fit on work surface Due to its parameters, it is recommended to make a thermal knife from a hacksaw or a hand jigsaw. The work is performed as follows:

The cutting blade of the jigsaw (hacksaw) is removed.
An electrical cable is connected to the handle of the tool.
Nichrome wire is bent at a given angle.
The figuratively bent thread is installed in the place where the canvas was previously located and secured with nuts and screws.

All metal elements on a self-made structure are insulated. If desired, you can immediately bend several nichrome sheets at different angles. Then figured cutting will be more comfortable.