Foam cutter: we create it ourselves. Where to get an electric foam cutter Manual foam cutter

Foam sheets require cutting and adjustment to size and shape. Every master wants to do this quickly and without unnecessary debris, getting a smooth edge that eliminates gaps and cold bridges. 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. The main obvious advantage of such a cutting tool is that 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 higher mechanical strength), and the cutter is made of stainless steel and ceramic. This combination provides a fairly long service life if the breakdown is not done intentionally.

In the top image, there is another option for cutting foam plastic so as not to crumble - this is a homemade unit made from a charger and a 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. Lovers figure cutting will appreciate such a 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 being produced, but not in the same quantity) have integrated software, and you cannot change it in the usual way, and in later developments you can independently add certain programs for manufacturing volumetric 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 insulation of 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. Therefore, you get minimal waste thanks to ideal calculation area and volume of the figure in relation to the workpiece. There are special programs, which, with a little help from the operator, can develop any configuration and transfer it 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. Do 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 plumbing);
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 Ohm, and the charger is 5V, which means I=V/R=5/16.8=0.29A=290mA, that is, the current that will flow through 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 4-5mm, make a hole for a self-tapping screw, and 60-100mm 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 onto the screw and copper wire.
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 according 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).
Make a loop with opposite side 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 USB to charger and try how to cut foam with such a device.

Now you know how to cut foam plastic and can easily do it with a knife or cutter to prepare slabs for roof insulation. But if you don’t have the skills, it’s better to entrust work on complex instruments to professionals.

Somehow I needed to make a mold for casting required part epoxy resin. I found a piece of foam from the TV packaging and used a knife to cut off the part of the flat surface I needed. Drew using a compass, ruler and ballpoint pen future places for cutting and then a problem arose: how and with what exactly and to the required depth to cut all this? The Internet gave me some ideas. And one of them is to make a special electric cutter. The most important thing in its manufacture is to understand what the supply voltage, current strength, and resistance of the cutting part should be.

Cutting part of a foam cutter

To start, I found nichrome wire. It was a piece of a spiral with a diameter of 0.6 mm from an electric heater (also suitable for an electric stove, iron and other heating electrical appliances with a spiral). Then I bent it, giving it the shape of the cutting part I needed. The length of the wire turned out to be about 14 cm. When I measured its resistance, it was about 2 Ohms.

Choosing a transformer for your torch

To select a step-down transformer, it is necessary to calculate what the voltage and current should be to heat the cutting part of the cutter. Ohm's law, familiar to everyone from school, will help here: I=U/R. In this case, it is desirable that the current is not very large. This will help determine the power of the power transformer.

In my stash I found a TPP 268-220-50K transformer.

Transformer for cutter

If you connect in parallel its two secondary windings with terminals 11-12 and 13-14, then the output voltage will be 5 volts with a maximum current of 3.2 amperes. And from our calculation it follows that the cutting part will consume approximately 2.5 amperes. I = U / R = 5 V / 2 Ohm = 2.5 A.

IN general outline it turns out that the shorter the length heating element, the lower the voltage on the secondary winding of the transformer should be. Then the current consumption and, accordingly, the power and dimensions of the transformer will be less. Thus, you can select or make the transformer you need for the cutter yourself.

Making a cutter

I made a cutter from scrap materials.

The cutter handle is made from a piece of metal about 11cm long. At one end I attached an insulator (textolite plate). Along the edges of the plate I attached contact groups from an old electrical outlet. It is convenient to attach cutting spirals to these contacts various shapes. Solder fits well on the contacts (they turned out to be copper-plated). I soldered to them and to the secondary winding of the transformer electrical wire(from household appliances).

Here's what happened in the end:

How does the cutter work?

When turned on, the cutting spiral heats up to a barely noticeable redness (as if before the reddening begins). I doubted and thought that the thin spiral would bend and change shape when cutting foam. But it turned out that it cuts the foam so easily that it doesn’t move at all.

Polystyrene foam is an excellent insulation material. It is used in household and in industry. If you are going to insulate your apartment with polystyrene foam, then you need to know how to cut it. You can use improvised means or a foam cutting machine.

The structure of a machine for cutting foam plastic with your own hands: 1 - frame, 2 - wire, 3 - guides, 4 - foam plastic, 5 - insulating base, 6 - movable guide, 7 - clamping device, 8 - nichrome thread, 9 - clamp, 10 - power cord, 11 - fasteners.

To cut foam plastic you can use with a regular knife with jagged edges. To speed up the cutting process and reduce noise, you need to lubricate the knife blade with machine oil. Cutting foam with a knife requires some effort. This cutting method is the slowest and most unproductive. Cutting speed 1 m in 2 minutes. If the thickness of the material is less than 50 mm, then cutting with a knife is more convenient. To prevent the foam from crumbling, you need to remove the chips with a vacuum cleaner when cutting.

Cutting can be done using a hot string. To do this, you can make your own simple foam cutting machine. You need to hammer two nails into the block and secure a piece to them nichrome wire, and then connect a small transformer. Hot wire cutting has high speed: in 10 seconds you can cut 1 m of material. However, this method is harmful to health.

Cold wire slicing involves using the string as a saw with two handles. Gradually the string will heat up from friction, and the cutting speed will increase to 1 m in 50 seconds. You can cut with a hacksaw for metal. This method is more accurate and accurate. The cutting speed is 1 m per 40 seconds.

Cutting using a professional machine is the best, most accurate and fastest. The device for cutting foam plastic includes shaped nozzles. When the amount of work is small, you can use a knife.

But if there is a lot of material, then a hot string or a factory-made device for cutting foam is more suitable.

Hand tool for cutting foam plastic RIRP-1

You can cut out facade decoration elements, toys, models of ships or airplanes from foam plastic.

It is most popular among professional builders. This tool performs thermal cutting of material. With this device you can perform various products, especially if the amount of work is significant. Using RIRP-1, you can cut out façade finishing elements, cut foam plastic for insulation of rooms, and you can also cut out various crafts from foam plastic, toys, models of ships, and airplanes. It has high accuracy, speed of work, high strength and reliability.

The time to bring the device into operation mode is 1 minute. It performs thermal cutting using nichrome thread. The diameter of the thread is 0.3 mm - 1 mm. There is an easy-to-use handle in which a nichrome thread is secured using threaded clamps. The nichrome thread used is very durable, will last a very long time and therefore cannot be replaced. RIRP-1 has a filament control unit, which is a metal box in which a single-phase isolation transformer, power regulator, switches, and socket are located. The transformer power is 250 W.

The kit includes:

RIRP-1;
device control unit;
holder on which the nichrome thread is fixed;
instructions for use;
passport.

Specifications:

operating rated voltage 220 V;
nominal frequency 50 Hz;
primary circuit current 2 A;
current secondary circuit 16 A;
rated voltage 600 V;
short circuit strength criterion 4.5 kA;
wire length 2 m;
length cutting tool 1500 mm;
external dimensions 155x220x130 mm;
weight 6 kg;
warranty period 1 year;
price 8000 rub.

Manual device for cutting foam plastic RIRP-2

RIRP-2 is a device for thermal cutting of foam plastic and foam rubber. The RIRP-2 device differs from the RIRP-1 device in that it has a rigid cutting element, which is a U-shaped blade. The device is made in the form of a knife. With its help, you can adjust various elements when it is necessary to assemble a product that consists of certain segments. The material is cut thermally using a blade that heats up. Soft foam is cut very quickly. The dimensions of the blade are 170x18x1 mm. The electrodes of a special holder firmly secure the blade. The set includes 2 blades, working and spare. The service life of the blade is 1 year.
Included.

Polystyrene foam is a durable, lightweight material that has thermal insulation properties. Carrying out work with such insulating material seems to be a very simple task. But still, there are some nuances when working with the material. Since it is made in the form of large slabs, trimming is necessary quite often. Trimming can also be done normally. kitchen knife, but you won’t be able to cut it beautifully. It is for this reason that craftsmen recommend using a special foam cutting machine for this purpose.

DIY foam cutter: how to make

You need a cutter very often if you do things around the house. Perhaps someone has encountered the need to manufacture a part using a special mold filling. And for such filling you need a piece of polystyrene foam. For example, you can take a piece of foam from the TV box. On this piece you need to draw with a ruler and compass the places where you need to make holes in the future. This is where the need for an electric cutter arises.

Without such a device, it is impossible to make holes without causing damage to the foam.

Let's consider the option of a homemade cutter and how it can be made at home. Homemade cutter can be manufactured in various designs. It is the design that determines how the cutter will cut.

Thermal cutter for foam plastic: step-by-step production

You can make a thermal cutter using an old jigsaw, soldering iron or burner.

The manufacture of such a device should be carried out in the following order:

We make a bushing. This is the most complex and basic spare part. To do this, you need to bend and grind the plate. Next, we make a hole in it; the thread will be threaded into this hole in the future.
Next we make the burner. To do this, cut off the wires that go to the hole, and take and solder suitable holes at the break point.
After execution previous works You can proceed to connecting the thermal cutter. To do this, saw an old jigsaw in half and attach it to top part the manufactured plate is bolted, and the bottom is attached to the base using self-tapping screws.
Now we insert the manufactured bushing into the manufactured foot. After marking, drill a hole into the base. The diameter of such a hole should be 5mm.
We produce thermal cutting machines. Once all the previous steps have been completed, straighten the nichrome wire. To do this, you need to turn on the burner at full power and the wires from it touch the wire. If the wire is not hot enough, the burner will buzz and you should look for a thinner wire. This is necessary because the previous wire did not have enough resistance.

After all the steps have been completed, you can work with the cutter. With the preliminary direction and the installed guide, you need to cut the foam die of the required thickness, and you can also make the shape of the figure.

Thermal knife is a device that can cut a sheet of paper, polystyrene foam, pieces of fabric, parts of polystyrene foam, in addition, it is an excellent electric wood cutter. It all depends on how thick the nichrome string will be inserted. The more thorough it is, the more significant the cutting will be. A skillful hands will be able to create a device even for shaped thermal cutting. More experienced craftsmen, using latr, they can make a device whose device will operate from a charger. You can learn how to create it from the video.

Do-it-yourself foam cutting using nichrome

Shaped cutting of foam can also be done on a device that you made yourself. Such machines are made using improvised means such as: old furniture, pieces of plywood, bars. The structure of such equipment in mandatory there must be an element that cannot be replaced by anything, such an element is a wire or thread. The component part must be made of a special alloy, nickel and chromium. The main feature that it has homemade machine for cutting, it is possible to cut not only lengthwise, but also crosswise. To cut lengthwise, the thread is placed in a horizontal position. With this cutting, sheets of a strictly specified height are obtained. This is very convenient when a piece of foam is thicker than you need. Cross cutting can be done using a knife or hacksaw, for this you need a cutting machine with nichrome wire.

In order to make a machine with your own hands, you will need the following elements:

Base;
Timber made of wood;
Springs;
Self-tapping screws;
Nichrome wire.

The tools you will need to prepare are: pliers, screwdriver, drill. For manufacturing, you can use a laboratory adjustable transformer. Such a transformer will allow you to select the required heating energy of the thread for cutting foam and will not melt it. The base of such a unit can be any sheet with smooth surface. The surface should be smooth for ease of movement of the foam along it. For such a base, plywood, chipboard, and corrugated board are suitable. Plastic base It is not recommended to use it, since the plastic undergoes deformation when heated.

DIY nichrome cutter: step-by-step instructions

For making nichrome cutter for polystyrene foam, you need to know the procedure for performing manufacturing work. Work carefully so as not to damage body parts, because homemade products involve the use of sharp and hot objects.

Step-by-step instructions for manufacturing the unit:

The first thing you need to do is find a nichrome thread. The thread should be approximately 50 cm. This length is necessary for extensive use of the cutter. Next, take a block and 2 self-tapping screws. We screw in these screws, at a distance less than the length of the thread, and pull the wire along the top of the screws.
Next, select the power supply DC at 1 amp, it produces up to 15 volts. We hook the crocodiles of this block by to different parties threads If it does not start working, then the hooks must be swapped. Then we move one crocodile closer to the center, and the thread begins to heat up. We try to cut a piece of foam plastic. You can also connect a power supply with more power.
We make a frame for the cutter. To do this, you can use a tile cutter, jigsaw and other similar old tools. Next we take aluminum fittings, a couple of sticks PVC plastic and a little bit of fiberglass. We cut the aluminum reinforcement 50 cm long. Heat this segment and push PVC sticks into it at the beginning and end of the segment. PVC will serve as insulators. We cut off a strip of fiberglass, cut it in half and again attach the sticks to it.
Next, we secure our entire page from a tile cutter or a similar tool. We bring wires to it and attach them to bolts that are inserted into the PCB. We also attach a ring from these bolts steel wire. We tie one end of the thread to this ring, and attach a spring to the other end of the thread. The spring serves as compensation for the thread when heated.

Now let’s test the product; to do this, take a piece of polystyrene foam and cut it off.

DIY foam cutter (video)

You may not yet fully understand the beauty of a foam cutter. But it is with its help that you can create unique decorations for the holiday, original jewelry for the home and interesting figures for your children. Provided that you have certain skills and tools, creating this device will take a little time, but the result you will receive cannot be measured by anything.