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Ladies and Gents,

I'm interested in making some terrain for my home gaming board. It seems that building these materials from foam sources might be the most cost effect ways to do it. Does anyone know what the best precision cutter might be for working with foam?

I know that a lot of foam can dull and wear away at a traditional blade, but are there any other options out there?

Thanks,

I remember using a hot wire thing many years ago, not sure how safe that is as far as the fumes etc goes.

Hot wire foam cutter is the best way. Just be sure to do it out doors and wear a dust mask

Bread knife is a cheap option. It creates less nasty fumes!

How does one acquire a hot wire cutter? Is this something a Lowes or Home Depot would carry? Or is this something I need to go to a hobby and craft store to find?

I think the hotwire cutters are sold at any hardware or building supply store... We used them to cut rope and such... Melts the ends when going through the rope... I believe its called a HOT KNIFE...

http://www.harborfreight.com/130-watt-heavy-duty-hot-knife-66182.html

I like a nice long kitchen carving knife, a cheap one thats quite thin and not too hard paired with a honing steel. You can just keep honing the edge with a steel as you work and it makes nice clean cuts.

The slide out knives with the snap off blades are good for smaller work but foam does blunt blades like nothing else.

Nice sharp exacto knife should work

King Crow wrote:Nice sharp exacto knife should work

For doing detail work in foam like rocks or bricks, but not for cutting shapes like hills or whatever. Blades are too short.

If you're wanting to use a hot wire foam cutter, you can get them at Hobby Lobby and, maybe, Michael's. Be advised, though: these days, the battery-operated tools don't get hot enough to melt as quick or as thoroughly. You end up getting nasty burnt foam buildup on the wire. This makes the cutting even more difficult. If you're just trying to separate foam into pieces/shapes, this is a decent tool. If you want any degree of precision, move to a bread knife as suggested above.

A bread knife with an of 8" blade is often more than enough to cut out your hills and get gradual slopes if you want them. Used in conjunction with a fine grit sandpaper, the results are excellent. (Best used on the pink board than the blue board, imo) I use my hot wire cutter periodically, but only to cut rough shapes like rocks or hills. If I'm trying to get any detail, I will use an x-axcto blade of some sort.

If you have the money to spare, an electric hot wire foam cutter is the better purchase as you get a constant power supply which provides even, continuous heat all the time.This yields more precise cutting possibility, but chances are that you'll still need something else for detail work. There's also an electric one that resembles an actual knife, but the cutting depth is fairly short; 5" or so. These are best for shaping hills or whatever.




King Ghidorah

The hot wire cutter is good. Another good trick is to use a long tipped soldering iron for detail.

The whole cyanide thing makes me very nervous about hot wire cutters. If i was going to use one, id want to be doing it outside.

Cyanide? What?


Ghidorah

Ghidorah wrote:Cyanide? What?


Ghidorah

some foams give off a tiny amount of cyanide gas when they burn. I dont think pure polystyrene does, and generally your hot wire cutter probably isnt hot enough to really give off many fumes anyway. But theres a reason they say use them in a well ventilated area. If you use a hot wire cutter sensibly and follow the safety directions, theres no danger.

I just find my carving knife works almost as well.

I got a friend to build a hot wire cutter out if some guitar wire and a old computer power supply. Works like a charm, just use in a well ventilated area and you should be fine.

FabricatorGeneralMike wrote:...some guitar wire...

Guitar string. Sorry. As a guitar player, it's a pet peeve.
Well, unless you're referring to the wiring for the electronics (pickups, pots, etc), but I doubt that.


King Ghidorah

Piano WIRE or guitar STRING.

It's quite simple.

Nichrome wire works better though.