Polystyrene foam is quite 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. If such pieces are absent, it can be judged that the string is overheated.

When using such a simple device, about 3 foam panels can be processed. 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 cutters for foam plastic

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 a workspace. 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 it, the cutting wire is 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 also work well.

The frame is equipped with a paw-holder, on which it is suspended nichrome wire. A weight is attached to its end. The wire is passed through a hole made in work 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 out various geometric shapes, such as a square, a semicircle, a 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 it is used hand cutter for foam plastic. 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, the jigsaw should be removed cutting blade, 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.

As a cutter for figure cutting foam, you can use a soldering iron. 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 highly convenient to use. 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, with proper sharpening, a steel plate can cut any synthetic material, including polystyrene.

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.

Standard construction has long since sunk into oblivion. This is noticeable when visiting areas low-rise construction. Each home is individual and unique. But every household requires insulation, if it was not provided for during the construction process. It is unlikely that foam manufacturers will produce slabs custom size for small order volumes. You'll have to cut it. But how to cut polystyrene foam when installing thermal insulation for a building with your own hands?

Foamed polystyrene foam can be easily processed by cutting. Before cutting polystyrene foam at home, you need to determine the required accuracy and cleanliness of the cut. After that select necessary device for cutting foam from the following:

• saw (hacksaw);
• string;
• thermal cutter;

There is no clear answer to the question: “What is the best way to cut?” as long as there is no certainty regarding the volume and linear dimensions of the parts being processed.

Foam plastic should not be milled due to the extremely low mechanical stability of the material.

Just cutting

When carrying out work on insulating foundations, underground communications, floors under screed, and facades under plaster, special precision and evenness of the cut are not very necessary. Moreover, if the building has a simple facade configuration. In this case, you can use hand tool for cutting foam plastic: knife, hacksaw, metal string.

Their use will lead to the loss of granules at the edge of the cut and the formation of a not entirely smooth edge. The presence of a loose fit of the slabs can be leveled by filling the voids with polyurethane foam.

Straight-line cutting with a finely serrated knife is justified with a material thickness of 50 mm; a hacksaw can cut insulation up to 250 mm thick. You can use a serrated kitchen knife to cut foam. We buy a hacksaw with a fine tooth at a hardware store.

For ease of use, strings for cutting foam plastic (you can use old strings, for example from a guitar, having a spiral winding) are installed at its ends wooden handles. They cut the insulation with a back and forth motion, as if using a two-handed saw. Large slabs can be cut by two people. In this case, the sheet to be cut must be secured.

Before cutting the foam, cutting edges must be treated with liquid lubricant. This will create a certain comfort when working (improves gliding, reduces noise).

Curly carving on foam plastic using this tool is extremely difficult.

We use a thermal knife

Cutting polystyrene foam with your own hands using a thermal knife is justified for slab thicknesses up to 50 mm. To cut a piece of polystyrene, the hot knife is advanced at medium speed, which ensures a quality cut without tearing out fragments or melting the edges.

Purchasing a longer blade for this device is not entirely beneficial. When cutting by hand, it is impossible to cut strictly perpendicular to the surface. The end of the sheet will have a bevel, which is extremely inconvenient during installation. In order to better cut a thick sheet, it is necessary to cut on both sides, deepening the hot knife to half the thickness or a little more.

We make and use a thermal cutter

To cut polystyrene foam with your own hands, devices with a thin hot element are most often used. General principle The actions of any thermal cutter for foam plastic are the same.

The heated element separates the material, followed by sealing of the opened volumes. Using thermal cutters for foam plastic, we get a perfectly smooth cut, which is very important for quality work on insulation.

Purchasing a factory-made foam cutting machine is not economically feasible.

Only if you don’t decide to do this professionally and permanently. In most cases, when cutting out shaped elements is not required, you can use a homemade foam cutter.

Making a foam cutter with your own hands is quite simple and quite inexpensive. After the work is completed, it will not lie like a dead weight and take up space. It can be assembled and disassembled as needed. If there is no need, its components can be used for other purposes.

Before you make a foam cutter, you need to prepare everything you need:

• work surface blank;
• nichrome wire;
• laboratory adjustable transformer (LATR);

Chrome-plated nichrome wire can be used without a step-down transformer, but this increases the risk of electric shock.

• electric wire, fastening for it,
• springs for thread tension;
• adjustment mechanism.

When manufacturing and using the device, follow the rules for the design and operation of electrical installations.

To make equipment for cutting foam plastic, start by marking and trimming the working surface. Determine its geometric dimensions in accordance with the dimensions of the cut slabs. It is better if the table surface is larger than the sheet area.

We install racks (supports) with the possibility of adjustment. To do this, you may need a small device in the form of hex bushings with internal threads. They will make it easier to adjust the cutting height. The cutting wire is tensioned using springs. We lay and fasten the electrical wire on different sides of the thread. We connect the other end of the cable to the LATR (if there is no LATR, it can be replaced by using an autotransformer to charge the car’s batteries). The device is ready for use.

Cutting polystyrene foam at home should be carried out in compliance with safety measures. When heated, toxic smoke is released. Therefore, we cut out parts from foam plastic either outside, or use respiratory protection in a workplace equipped with exhaust ventilation.

Using such a device for cutting foam plastic allows you to speed up the process of preparing insulation fragments as much as possible.

We use automated systems

The delights of architectural design also require insulation. In order to preserve their expressiveness, it becomes necessary to manufacture complex elements. How to cut out such details? More affordable option- processing of insulation by milling. But milling of foam plastic is not carried out for the reason that the cutter, when rotating, tears out quite large pieces of material.

Dense polystyrene foam has higher mechanical strength and is easily milled. Anything can be made from it: a letter, a number, a graphic element of any complexity. Even a hedgehog. It is recommended to cut penoplex on large angular velocities at average linear feed. To install the manufactured fragments on the façade, ceresite is used.

Laser cutting of foam is the most advanced technology, combining a hot cutting tool and the precision of an automated system. Laser cutting of foam plastic makes it possible to produce parts of any complexity with highest precision with minimal waste. Laser cutting of foam plastic ensures absolutely smooth surface cutting using a hot beam of directional light moving at high speed. There are no restrictions on the thickness of the material and the complexity of the element.

The choice of cutting equipment used for foam boards and extruded polystyrene foam must be conscious. Reply technological requirements By finished products and be economically feasible.

Craftsmen, inventors and innovators have never been translated into our country. Many of these enthusiastic people would like to know where nichrome wire is sold, where to get this material at home? Why is it attractive to modern Kulibins and home-grown homemade ones? Nichrome wire is used for the manufacture of cutters, jigsaws, soldering irons, machines for cutting foam plastic, polystyrene, etc. The material has become widespread in the field of industrial production.

What is nichrome and what is its value?

Nichrome is a special alloy with a high concentration of chromium and nickel. The composition also includes iron, aluminum, silicon, manganese and others chemical elements, the combination of which gives the metal unique characteristics.

Heated wire jigsaw – universal tool for home use

Properties of Nickel-Chromium Alloy

The most common nichrome-based alloys are ferronichrome and ferrochromal (fechral). Wire is obtained from them by drawing. The quality of its production is regulated by current state industry standards. On a wire with good electrical resistance, GOSTs 8803-89 and 12766 apply. Chrome gives the metal hardness and strength, and nickel gives ductility. The maximum heating temperature is affected by the percentage of nickel content in the alloy. The more it is, the higher the temperature, which can reach 1000-1300 degrees.

Finished products are sold on reels or in coils

The value of the alloy and products made from it

Products made from an alloy of nickel and chromium have increased resistance to electric current. This means that to obtain the same amount of heat generated, much less nichrome will be needed than other metal. Thanks to this, the weight and dimensions of the devices and devices in which it is used are reduced.

High resistance is ensured numerous parameters, the main of which is the grade of raw materials used for production, as well as thickness. The thicker it is, the lower the resistance, which determines the level of heating. The metal does not burn, does not deform, and does not lose its characteristics when exposed to high temperature.

TO beneficial properties alloy refers to plasticity, which allows the wire to be given the required form. The cross-section can be in the form of a circle, oval, square and trapezoid, with a diameter of 0.1 to 1 mm. The value of the alloy is also that, unlike most metals that are susceptible to corrosion, it does not rust, as it has anti-corrosion resistance to aggressive liquid and gaseous media.

Advantages of chromium-nickel alloy products

The main advantages of nichrome wire, thanks to which it received widespread in many areas of production, in demand among inventors and home craftsmen:

High heat resistance;

Anti-corrosion resistance;

Hardness, strength and mechanical stability;

Elasticity;

High level of electrical resistivity;

Light weight;

Resistant to aggressive substances.

The only drawback of wire made from an alloy of nickel and chromium is high cost, which does not affect demand in any way.

Where to get nichrome wire

The product is sold in rolls (reels, coils) or in the form of tape. Where to buy or get nichrome products?
Let's consider all possible options:

1.Order from the organization that manufactures the products. You can find out the addresses of such enterprises in information desks on services and goods that are available in large populated areas. The operator will tell you where to buy and give you phone numbers. Information about manufacturers can be found on the Internet.

2.Purchase at specialty store. This could be a store selling radio components, materials for designers and craftsmen like “ Skillful hands"etc.

3. Buy from private traders selling spare parts, radio components and other small metal items.

4.In a regular hardware store.

5. At a flea market or flea market in some old device. For example, in the laboratory rheostat known from physics lessons.

6.You can find nichrome wire at home. The spiral of the electric stove is made from it.

A small amount of nichrome wire can be obtained from the spiral of an old electric stove. For further use, the spiral is aligned using the pulling method.

For a large order, the first option is suitable. If you want to buy a small quantity, you can consider all the following items on the list. When choosing, you need to pay attention to the labeling.

Wire marking:

For heating elements– N;

for resistance elements – C;

for tubular electric heaters - heating elements.

Scope of application in industry and at home

Nichrome products are used in places that require high-quality metal. Particularly in demand in industrial production.

In industrial production

Metal products occupy one of the first places in the market of industrial and household electrical equipment. It has found wide application in manufacturing industries using electric heating furnaces, roasting and drying furnaces, furnaces heated to high temperatures, devices with thermal effects.

It is used in welding machines, household heaters and heating systems for car windows and rear-view mirrors, in resistors, resistance units and rheostats as a heating or resistor element. As noted above, the material is widely used among home craftsmen.

Pay attention! Selecting nichrome wire for making equipment is not easy. When choosing, it is necessary to take into account such parameters as diameter, length and alloy grade.

IN household

In the domestic sphere it is used for cutting foam and polystyrene. Cutting these materials at home is quite problematic. There are several ways. Often a knife is used for these purposes, from which the material begins to crumble.

Home craftsmen know how to cut polystyrene foam at home so that it does not crumble. For this you will need nichrome wire. It is needed in order to make a machine, cutting tool which is a heated string. With its help, you can cut foam plastic and make products from it with your own hands.

For cutting foam plastic in the household, you can design the simplest machine with vertical or horizontal cutting tool arrangement

How to make a foam cutter with your own hands

Making a machine is not difficult. To do this you will need:

Step-down transformer;

Pipe lining (pipe at least 20 mm thick, foam plastic thickness at least 2 cm);

Springs for string tension;

Metal string.

To make a tabletop you will need a table, a board and a sheet of corrugated sheeting.

The simplest version of a foam cutting machine that you can make yourself

You can make a step-down transformer yourself from transformer iron. You will need to make a rheostat to select the current value. To do this, you can take a spiral from an electric stove, first stretching it into a string. The winding frame is constructed from an asbestos-cement or ceramic pipe 15-20 mm thick and about 80 mm long.

For shaped cutting, a thermal cutter made from a piece of nichrome wire is used. It is attached to a handle made of insulating material. Homemade cutter for foam plastic, it copes with the task perfectly, including cutting material into shapes. The device allows you to make indentations, cut out cavities, and work with foam plastic the way a sculptor works with clay.

Pay attention! After treatment, the surface is covered with a melted crust, which closes the pores and increases the strength of the foam.

A foam cutter can be compared to a sculptor's tool when working with clay.

By using homemade devices, in which nichrome wire is used, you can not only cut foam plastic, but also burn it into wood. It can also be used in homemade household heaters, welding machines, and heating systems for car windows and rear-view mirrors.

You don’t have to make cutting devices yourself. Industrially produced machines and devices are available for sale to meet the needs of amateurs and professionals. Such devices are manufactured in accordance with safety standards and regulations.

Despite the huge number of insulating materials (which, by the way, is constantly growing), as well as the growing popularity of mineral wool, polystyrene foam still occupies a leading position and has no plans to give it up. If you plan to insulate the floor in an apartment or basement, then cutting polystyrene foam can be done quite well with the help of improvised tools, but if we are talking about significant volumes or unusual tasks, then a special device is needed - a machine for cutting foam plastic.

Foam cutting machine

Classification of machines

On modern market Such machines are presented in a fairly wide variety. In this case, you can purchase a special unit for laser cutting or, alternatively, try to make something similar yourself.

By the way, all machines are conditionally divided into the following categories:

• portable units (vaguely reminiscent of a knife);
• CNC units;
• for slicing crosswise or horizontally.

Design features and principle of operation

Even though the machines exist in a wide variety of modifications, the operating principle of all of them is the same general outline one and the same. The edge, heated to a high temperature, passes through the foam layer in the required direction, like a hot knife through butter. In most cases, fishing line is used as such an edge. In the most simple models there is only one such heating thread, while in more advanced devices there can be several of them at once (up to six strings).

Pay attention! If you plan to cut molded elements, then special attention Care should be taken to determine the length of products that can be processed.

As an example: the SRP machine, which is also used for cutting the described material, is equipped with strings over 2 meters long, and in one pass it can cut about 12 linear meters. meters of material.

Specialized machines and their prices

Often, polystyrene foam is used not for insulation or soundproofing of buildings, but for the production of advertisements or in interior design. This is possible thanks to the use of special machines designed for figured cutting. What is typical is that with the help of such equipment it is possible to process material simultaneously in 2 or even 3 projections. If desired, you can produce the most complex elements, such as gears, chess, miniature models of cars, various figures, any decorative ornaments.

Below are the most popular devices on the domestic market, as well as the average market price for them.

FRP-01

This unit owes its enormous popularity to the simplicity of its design and versatility. It is possible to produce molded elements, figures and letters for signs, insulating boards, and so on. The operation of the device is controlled using a computer program included in the kit.

The approximate cost of the unit is 110-115 thousand rubles.

FRP-01 machine for cutting foam plastic

SRP-K "Kontur"

Another great model that allows you to make various parts facade finishing and formwork for pouring mortars. The control in this case is manual, but the power consumption is relatively low (about 150V), and it is very convenient to transport.

The average market value is somewhere 42.5 thousand rubles.

Self-production of a cutting machine

There are a number of ways to build a machine for cutting foam plastic - from the simplest (hand tools) to the extremely complex. Let's look briefly at each of them.

Method one. Hand cutting polystyrene foam

1. The simplest and at the same time available method- This is cutting material with a knife. It is important that the knife used for this has serrations and is lubricated with automotive oil before starting work (this will reduce noise production and optimize the procedure itself). It is also worth noting that this is the slowest of the methods, so it is only advisable in the case of a small volume of material.
2. You can also cut foam plastic with a hot string. To do this, hammer in a couple of nails, stretch a nichrome wire between them and connect the power supply to it. The main advantage of this method is high speed(one meter is cut in 7-8 seconds) and a neat cut. But there is also a significant disadvantage: such a procedure is harmful to human health.
3. The third method is known as cold wire cutting. In this case, a steel string is used in the same way as a two-handed saw blade. This method quite productive.
4. In the same way, you can cut foam using a regular hacksaw.
5. Finally, there is a professional hand instrument, finished reminiscent of the hot string mentioned above, only more refined. If you have such a tool, the work is done efficiently and quickly; it is possible to use shaped attachments.

Video - Cutting polystyrene foam with nichrome

Method two. Homemade machine on the table

Be that as it may, cutting polystyrene foam manually, even using one of the tools mentioned above, is quite difficult. The material may burst or crumble, nothing can be done about it. A hot string partially solves the problem, but what if the amount of work is too large? There is a solution - you can build a stationary cutting machine at home.

First, everything necessary is prepared. To create such a device you will need:

• a large table (ideally, each side should be at least 2 meters);
• a string characterized by increased resistance (if you have an old electric heater, it can be removed from it);
• iron springs, which are characterized by low electrical conductivity;
• laboratory transformer (LATR), which converts 220-volt current into 24-volt.

In addition to this, you will also need a string height controller. It could be, say, a pair of beams, and it is between them that the cutting string along with the holder will move.

Pay attention! A transformer is not always required. This moment depends solely on what material was used in the manufacture of the thread. And if it is chrome-plated, then a current of 220 volts can also be used. Although we note that when working with such power, you must strictly adhere to safety rules, otherwise the consequences can be very dire.

If the foam cutting machine operates on only 24 volts, then there can be no danger to the body. You simply won’t feel such a current, and after an accidental injury you just need to rinse the affected area of ​​skin with water.

Let us also remind you that if foam plastic is cut with hot metal, toxic substances will inevitably be released. For this reason, work must be performed exclusively in a special mask, and the room must be well ventilated; otherwise you can get poisoned. Although it is preferable to carry out cutting outdoors, this can only be done if you have your own yard.

To make it more convenient for you to assemble the structure from prepared parts, we have provided below a detailed diagram of the future machine.

Equipment necessary for the production of foam plastic Previously, we talked about the equipment that is necessary for the production of polystyrene foam; in addition to this article, we advise you to read this information

Method three. Homemade machine (in the absence of a suitable table)

If you do not have a table of suitable dimensions, you can make a base for the unit from plywood, regular board or chipboard. The algorithm of actions in this case should be as follows.

Preparing everything you need

The operating principle of the machine described above is also based on the use of hot metal. If you run a hot wire over the material, it will be easy to cut, and the cuts will be perfectly even. In the workflow, in this case you will need:

The cutting element will be a nichrome spiral. As already noted, it can either be purchased or removed from the old heater. Typically, the thickness of this spiral can vary between 0.5-1 millimeters, although it will be better if it is 0.7 millimeters. As for the length, it depends on the dimensions of the material that will be cut.

Pay attention! An important element is a laboratory transformer. If you don't have one, you can make something similar from an old transformer and a device for charging car batteries.

There is another option - you can take a power supply from a PC, where 12 volt wires (black and yellow) are connected to the spiral.

For homemade machine An output voltage of 7-12 volts is sufficient. Another important point: The thickness/length of the filament should be adjusted to match the voltage. If the heat is too high, the thread may even burst. At the same time, if the heating is weak, the cutting procedure will slow down noticeably.

Finally, the car battery itself can serve as a power source. This is useful in cases where there is no electricity.

Direct assembly

Below is step by step instructions assembly of the unit.

Step one. We take a nichrome thread and attach it to the springs. We put the springs themselves on M-4 screws, and accordingly we screw them into the prepared racks.

Step two. We pre-press the iron racks into a chipboard sheet, tabletop, plywood (or another surface that will serve as a base for a foam cutting machine). The thickness of the base, as well as the height of the racks, should be determined by the needs of the user. With a base thickness of 18 millimeters and a support height of 28 millimeters, the screw, being completely screwed in, will not be able to penetrate through the base; on the contrary, being completely unscrewed, it will be able to cut material 50 millimeters thick.

Pay attention! If in the future we need to cut thick sheets, we will remove the small screws and screw in longer ones instead.

Step three. We make holes in the base for pressing. It is important that the diameter of these holes is approximately 0.5 millimeters smaller than the diameter of the rack itself. Next, using a hammer, we drive the posts into the holes, but pre-process sandpaper sharp end edges (this will greatly simplify this procedure).

Step four. Before screwing a screw into the rack, take some suitable tool and cut out a small groove under its (screw) head. To do this, we clamp one end with a screwdriver, put a file under the head and initiate rotation. What is this groove for? First of all, in order to fix the wire motionless, otherwise it may move during the adjustment process.

Step five. We fix the wire: first to the springs, and only then to the screws themselves. This is necessary so that it does not sag, heating up and, accordingly, elongating somewhat.

Step six. Having finished with all the fasteners, we take the nichrome wire and fix it. The fastening method we use here is called “crimp twisting”: it allows you to create the most reliable contact between the current-carrying cable and the wire. It is also important that the cross-section of the copper cable is at least 1.45 mm².

Step seven. We remove the insulating layer from the ends of the cables by approximately 2 centimeters. We wind the copper conductors onto the wire where it is already attached to the springs. Using pliers, hold one end of it tightly and wrap it around the conductor. This winding allows for maximum wire-to-wire contact area, and when the machine finally starts working, the connections will not overheat.

Step eight. Next, we make a tap of the conductors carrying the electric current in the form of a loop, so that in the future it becomes possible to regulate the procedure for cutting foam plastic. In addition, we make holes in the base and pass wires through them so that they do not get tangled during operation. After that, we fasten them on the other side using staples.

Pay attention! Experts advise laying the cables together and twisting them, forming a bundle that is not too tight. In this case, they certainly won’t get confused.

Step nine. We solder the terminals to the ends of the wires that will be connected to the energy source being used.

So, the foam cutting machine is almost ready. Note that the design created according to the above scheme is quite sufficient for the conditions home use. Moreover, if desired, it can also be used as a device for shaped cutting of polystyrene foam.

Video - Creating a device for cutting polystyrene foam

1. The cutting process requires medium speed movement of the foam. If it moves too quickly, it will most likely crumble, and if it moves too slowly, the ends of the sheets will begin to melt.
2. If the work is carried out in an area without electricity, then you need to connect 3 9-volt crowns together and use them as an energy source. In this case, the machine will be able to operate for approximately 35-40 minutes.
3. Use for this car batteries undesirable, since they, despite the low voltage, are also distinguished by a high current strength that can damage the string. And it’s also good if it simply bursts, because it may happen that hot metal splashes out.
4. The foam that will be used to insulate the bath must be thick. Moreover, thick material is easier to produce (and it is not particularly popular), which means it will cost less than thin material.

Wooden decorative elements are present in the homes of each of us. Sometimes we go to the store to buy a beautiful wooden frame or a box for home or as a gift to loved ones, friends and relatives. However best gift- this is a gift made with my own hands, and to make a beautiful frame or box we need a cutter or nichrome jigsaw, which we will do right now.

Watch the video to see how a nichrome cutter is made:

So, to make a cutter we need a 12 volt 5-10A power supply (you can use computer unit), nichrome wire with a cross-section of 0.4-0.8 mm (you can disassemble a wire-wound resistor or the same boiler that uses a nichrome thread), two pieces of a cut branch from which we will make handles, a copper wire 1-1.5 m long, and also two nails or two pieces of stiff wire.

The first thing you need to do is take care of the handles. To do this, you need to drive a nail into the pieces of the branch or insert a wire. For convenience, it is better to use a branch from a soft tree. When the wire or nail is inserted, you should take pliers and make rings from the protruding parts of the wire so that the wire itself, as well as the wires, do not slip off when twisted.

The next thing you need to do is take any yellow and black wires from the power supply and connect them to copper wire, which will be the main one in our cutter, not forgetting the need to insulate the wires.

When you plug the power supply into the outlet, it will not start immediately. If you are using older models of computer units, you can install a switch separately by connecting the green wire to any of the black ones. With the new models, everything is much easier: you just need to short-circuit the same two wires for a split second using a regular paper clip.

Now it's time for the most important part: choosing the right length. nichrome thread. In order to do this, you can use a special formula, but there is also a simpler method, which is known as the poke method. The required length of thread can be determined by winding it on wooden block, connect the positive wire to one end and gradually bring the negative wire closer from the other end until the thread begins to turn red.

Attention!!! If the length of the nichrome thread is incorrect, the power supply may overload and fail, and the thread may quickly break.

After calculating the length of the thread, all that remains is to cut off the excess part and wind it around two rings of two handles. The wire from the power supply should be wound around the other rings.