Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

...As the subject suggests... My primary purpose for this item is to cut and shape extruded polystyrene as well as dense charcoal packaging foam and expanded polystyrene.

Also, if anyone knows where I could find an appropriate knife to cut through thick plastruct sheets, that'd be great.

Anything under $100 for something decent and clean cutting?

since you live in the US (like me), i'd try the hobby lobby or michael's craft stores. they both have hot foam cutters for around $20. also, michael's routinely has coupons for 30-40% off in the sunday newspaper.

Tammy's hobbies in Beaverton Bridgetown in portland or any model train shop will set you up with all you need.

I recently found this at the local Harbor Freight (I love that place). And although their tools aren't known for being the best quality, they are cheap and if they get the job done...

Hot Knife @ Harbor Freight and at 14.99 and their 20% off coupons you routinely get...could be a good buy. I'm picking one up this week to find out. It's probably designed to go much hotter than needed, but it's got 5 temperature levels and the online manual says temps ranging up to 840 degrees F (448 C) it seems like it might work even though the max temperature is certainly for cutting something other than insulating foam.

Anyone know what the approximate ideal temp range is for cutting pink/blue/white styrofoam? Or better yet, have any experience with this particular tool? Maybe some sort of dimmer switch could be used to dial down the temperature if it's too much heat even on the lowest setting.

Here's the Online Manual for the hot knife in case someone is interested.

Hope this helps. I'll post a follow up once I've picked one up to try it out.

Another place is micromark.com they cater to the hobbyist and have many mini tools of the trade. In the search box put in hot knife and you will get a bunch of them, inexpensive and expensive. Have fun, this is my candy store.

The usual technique for cutting through plasticard sheet is to NOT cut all the way through, but simply score the surface, snap along that line and file/sand it flat afterwards.

The "score and snap" method has been in use for at least the last 30 years, and professional modellers use it, so it must have something going for it.

Trying to cut through plasticard will quickly dull the edge of even the sharpest blade, and dull blades are the leading cause of cuts and lacerations (you need to push the blade harder to cut, and sometimes you just slip).

Michael's is good also you can take a look at Joan Fabrics; that's where I found mine. I searched every local hobby store and train store and what they had to offer was pathetic but when I went to Joan Fabrics (for an entirely different reason), I saw a very good hot foam wire cutting knife right there on the shelf for about $20. And just like Michael's they tend to have coupons every week in the paper as well.