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Hot Knife/ polystyrene cutter???

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    #2
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,466 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    I did all that research a couple of years ago, and until Specialist got that one in the alternative was to buy similar hand-held equipment from a place in California. Which I did.

    Hobby crafts in England do the same machine http://hobby.uk.com/power-tools/hot-wire-cutters/styro-cut-3d.html but they are quite heavy so the postage might be prohibitive. They are charging £100.

    Once you have assembled it :eek: it is very good and works very well.


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    #3
    Willow6
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6 ✭Willow6


    Thanks Looksee! I wasn't sure if the big hot wire machine thingie was any good but i'll look into it now!

    Have you used the handheld hot knife? If so, is it actually any use for cutting the polytyrene??

    Thanks again for the reply! :-)


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    #4
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,466 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    There is a thickish sort of knife like a fat scalpel blade - I think it might be an adaptation of a soldering iron, which is fairly readily available and is not a lot of use. The blade is not long enough to go right through the polystyrene so you end up with a very messy cut, and tbh a sharp craft knife with a long blade pulled out (not a Stanley knife) is as good for straight cuts.

    There is a hand held, battery powered wire cutter available which was no use to me as I am using it in a classroom situation and would not keep up with the batteries. It might be ok for a small amount of cutting though.

    I bought hand held tools from the Foam Factory (now available from the UK) http://www.modelshop.co.uk/product/Foam_Factory_-_hot_wire_3-in-1_kit_TK30058 The engraver (the short tool) is very good, as is the wire tool, I have never found the other tool (long fine blade) much use.

    You can get a hand held cutter to fit into the machine which would be useful. You use the machine for straight and profile cuts (excellent) and the hand held tools for freehand shapes (very good but not for straight cuts). So you have to decide what you would have best use for. You can make a card template and cut complex shapes very efficiently using the machine. Unless you are going to be doing freehand carving I would recommend the machine.


    While it does not make a lot of fumes, you do need to be working near ventilation as the fumes can be irritating.


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