# Styrofoam Cutting



## ticmike (Jun 2, 2013)

Just wondered what everyone used for cutting their styrofoam?

I've been watching some vids on you tube, were the guy uses a Hot Wire cutter, which looks good, but you can pay over £100 for a good system, less for just 1 4" cutter.

So was wondering what everyone else used???


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## jaip1971 (Apr 29, 2013)

small toothed saw, long blade craft or stanley knife then on to the Dremmel, mouth mask, goggles & Hoover  and not where the wife can see lol


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## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

You can make your own hot wire cutter by taking the tip out of a soldering iron and put a loop of copper wire in its place. Alternatively the above options work well, or even use your hands and fingernails, this is what I often do  

Dave


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

a bread knife in B&Q car park before putting it in the car.


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## Recluso (Dec 3, 2010)

I use a saw for *big* cutting (i.e. cutting the boards to size) and then sand the edges smooth to get rid of the bits. For small cutting I use a snap blade knife (I buy them in cheapy packs) but for all my shaping and detailing I use my rotary tool.


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## ayrton (Apr 22, 2012)

I use normal knifes but you can make a hot knife or wire cutter easy enough a hot knife you just take the tip of a soldering iron and use a small blad for a wire cutter use some copper wire and run it of a 9v battery but you will need to make a heat proof handle for it :2thumb:


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

I just use a sharp knife- but then I generally only use it under tanks, rather than as backgrounds etc.


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## wezza309 (Jun 21, 2012)

here is what i have been using on mine 



plus a big saw when needed . the smaller black and yellow thing in the pic is a hotwire knife its good and was only £25 i have used all the stuff loads 

but the wire brush on the dremel is one of the best tools it just rips throught the stuff just wear goggles. glasses are not as good it gets every where so lots of space needed for the dust a bits :whistling2:


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## ticmike (Jun 2, 2013)

Cheers for the pic wezza, just ordered a hot wire and was looking at a dremmel in B&Q earlier on as they have 15% off at the moment, so may invest in one. 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2


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## wezza309 (Jun 21, 2012)

make sure you get one with adjustable speed and the long attachment make life alot easier i find i have used all my stuff the hot wire can be slow but a lot quicker on polystyrene but its neat finish


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## NickBenger (Nov 18, 2010)

my_shed said:


> You can make your own hot wire cutter by taking the tip out of a soldering iron and put a loop of copper wire in its place. Alternatively the above options work well, *or even use your hands and fingernails, this is what I often do
> *
> Dave


:gasp: Are you some kind of Animal!? Do you eat like this? 

How Animals Eat Their Food - YouTube




Hahaha just kidding :lol2:


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## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

NickBenger said:


> :gasp: Are you some kind of Animal!? Do you eat like this?
> 
> How Animals Eat Their Food - YouTube
> 
> ...


I don't......but will from now  I didn't realize it was an option!

Lol fingernails are actually good for giving smooth water carved rock grooves and so on 


That vid is awesome!

Dave


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## caen (May 11, 2013)

Hi
I made a wire cutter from bits and bobs. Very easy to make and the bonus is you don’t have all that mess. You can see from the pic how it comes together. I use an old Hornby train controller for the power. This way you can adjust the power for the thickness of the wire. I used fuse wire which worked fine.


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## caen (May 11, 2013)

forgot to mention
always check the heat of the wire with foam and not your finger (it :censor: hurts) :gasp:


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## NickBenger (Nov 18, 2010)

my_shed said:


> I don't......but will from now  I didn't realize it was an option!
> 
> Lol fingernails are actually good for giving smooth water carved rock grooves and so on
> 
> ...


I know, I love that guys channel it cracks me up so much :lol2:

You're right I use my hands a lot when making backgrounds etc.


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