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  • Hot Wire Foam Cutter

    From Mike Powell@954:895/54 to ALL on Tue Mar 5 10:40:00 2024
    I have mentioned before that I dabble in model railroading. I was looking
    for a way to make hills, etc., on my layout. I stumbled onto a couple of youtube videos about using foam core and a hot wire foam cutter.

    I tried it out for the first time yesterday. I started by practicing on
    some bits of foam that were used as packing material. It is a softer
    material than foam core boards you find at the DIY stores. Boy, that cutter sure cut through that foam real quick! One word of caution is that this
    foam also puts off some noxious fumes that may last a while, so be sure you
    are in a well ventilated area (like an open garage or even outdoors) and
    wear a mask.

    The cutter went through the foam core boards pretty easily, too, even
    though they are denser than the test foam. It also didn't stink as much
    but I would still recommend cutting it in a garage or outside. Took me a
    while to figure out why what I was cutting was "backwards" from what I wanted... I finally figured that out and got a few good pieces made.

    This task would have been much more difficult trying to cut the foam with a saw. Foam core is dense enough not to warp easily but also lighter than
    using sculpting products. The lack of extra weight on the layout is a plus.

    Now to get the pieces assembled on the layout.

    Mike P


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  • From Mike Dippel@954:895/1 to Mike Powell on Wed Mar 6 10:07:14 2024
    On 3/5/2024 10:45 AM, Mike Powell wrote to All:

    I have mentioned before that I dabble in model railroading. I was looking for a way to make hills, etc., on my layout. I stumbled onto a couple of youtube videos about using foam core and a hot wire foam cutter.

    I tried it out for the first time yesterday. I started by practicing on some bits of foam that were used as packing material. It is a softer material than foam core boards you find at the DIY stores. Boy, that cutter sure cut through that foam real quick! One word of caution is that this foam also puts off some noxious fumes that may last a while, so be sure you are in a well ventilated area (like an open garage or even outdoors) and wear a mask.

    It reminds me of a time when I was working in a warehouse to die cut sheets of fiberglass. I was given a white jumpsuit to protect me from the fibers, but back then
    there was no thought of protection from ingesting the fibers.

    I now have COPD and never smoked. My guess is that it had to be working with fiberglass and not wearing a mask. Something as simple as that could be the cause of
    getting COPD.

    I love pickleball but I don't have the stamina to play anymore.

    Mike Dippel

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  • From Mike Powell@954:895/54 to MIKE DIPPEL on Thu Mar 7 09:09:00 2024
    I now have COPD and never smoked. My guess is that it had to be working with >fiberglass and not wearing a mask. Something as simple as that could be the ca
    se of getting COPD.

    It could very well be. A lot of places over the years did not really
    emphasize protective gear like masks or goggles. A lot of people are
    paying for that now. ;(

    Mike P


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