thanks for sharing. Considering how much you have contributed to Proxxon sales :) you would think someone over at Proxxon would team up with you for a a new better version this equipment. You should get a free tour and visit them either in Föhren, or HQ in Wecker Luxemburg.
Well done!! I really appreciate that you took the time to do the explanation of how it was made as well as pointing out the advantage and disadvantages - one of which could be a serious issue if it were to happen.
I don’t know why it took me so long to see this video, but when I did, my jaw dropped. I very recently got into the hobby and invested in a Proxxon. Of course with a little research, your name/business quickly became known to me! I had been going back and forth between the Proxxon and one of the knock off taller arm machines you’ve reviewed before. I am fortunately lucky enough to have a power supply kicking around in my craft room, as well as a laser machine that could cut the metal. I am really happy you talked about the cons first though as they gave me quite a few ideas for improvement! Thank you so much for this video!!! ✨
Mr Boom! Wonderful video as always. From a power supply perspective, I think using the power supply in a "constant current" mode rather than "constant voltage" (which is what most power supplies are thought of) would be beneficial. Your demo of thermal expansion is awesome, and showing protective eyewear is really important. thank you - i'm sure you'll save someones eye! Question: do you think the right angled bracket could be laser cut MDF instead, then a wire connected up to the top bracket, or are the forces so high on the vertical bracket that wood would bend?
The spring-tensioned arm is super impressive Regarding the power supply, would it not be easier to draw the power line up till the end of the arm so you don't have to run current through the arm? I feel like that was a weird design choice on the Proxxon from the start. In that case the arm could also be of a simpler material.
Now that Proxxon has introduced the pedal power adapter, the only complaint I’ve ever heard about it is the height restriction of the arm. Why doesn’t Proxxon make a higher version? Would it be too cost prohibitive relative to demand? Excellent design !!!!!
Arm need to be carbon fibre tube for strength... design is week and flexible... cost vs usability. Proxon is for hobbyist... industrial machines are specialised and heavy..
I’m late but couldn’t you weld or attach an addition to top customs bend (before the original arm) that extends over the arm that blocks the arm from snapping back so far if/when the line breaks and the spring unloads. Maybe add soft rubber cushion so it doesn’t damage the arm.
I have been working on a heat treatment oven that is 5 kilowatts/30 amps and uses 16 gauge kanthal wire which is much thicker than what proxxon uses. I was thinking of making a diy wire cutter, and even bought some 20 gauge NiCr 8020 for the purpose. It is 0.032 inches diameter, so about 4 times thicker than Proxxon's which is 0.008 inches, or about 32 gauge. I can always get thinner wire. I think Gerard is using 26 gauge, which my chart says requires 2.6 amps/300 watts to heat up to 800 degrees f. What I'm wondering is if the length of the wire matters for the amount of power. It boggles my mind that it would not, but my chart doesn't really cover it. Appreciate any guidance from the smart people out there. I was thinking of picking up a used, portable table saw to take advantage of the metal table, fence and miter slots. A foam cutter is kind of a cross between a table saw and a band saw, so it would be an interesting project to tackle. Alternatively, it might be more challenging to build it out of wood, and there would be some advantages to that. It's not like the fence needs to be at a perfect right angle to the table. It just needs to be parallel to the wire. Of course the wire is going to change angles when it heats up, so you'd need to adjust your arm so it is perfectly vertical at working temperature. I do have a Proxxon already, and it does a great job with the home-made fence I created for it, but it is limited vertically of course, so yeah it would be fun to make a bigger one.
@@Immolate62It is watts per cm per second of course. If proxxon is 10w and you need 10x thickness as same speed and material, you need 100w. There are studies on the internet on how speed affects cut quality.
@@aristotle_4532 that's starting to sound a bit overkill for xps foam core, not that 20 gauge isn't already. I'm going to do some more research and look at variable current as well, since I'm feeling like it's going to be best to adjust for environmental variables to achieve the right temperature. Might have to introduce a thermistor and a PID if go too far down that rabbit hole though.
@@Immolate62 There is an italian company that does cnc cutting with very thin wire and very low speed, and there are german and chinese ones that use much thicker wire. You do need more than 100w to slice 60x125cm pieces at a productive rate. I have seen some big pieces for set design and the thick wire actually does the job fine with the right parameters and enough power. The most important parameter is true temperature control vs power control. The machines with temperature control get far better results when the cutting width changes, equal to that of an experience operator on a manual machine. For large cuts, slicing etc, the cheap high power machines for insulation cutting actually get excellent results but they require skill in manual feed. I have also tried laser cutting in 10,000 euro machines and the results are ok but not very detailed due to the focus issue, even with special lenses. Proxxon do have a higher power model without a table. There are also some 700 euro models with higher power from other manufacturers that are just like a proxxon for greater sizes and include a table.
The Proxxon table is horribly overpriced for what it is, and yet I think anyone who wants to craft in foam should have one. The electronics of the Proxxon are absolutely nothing special at all, but the uniformity of it and ShiftingLands' tools and jigs make it the only option worth considering. So I'd say to anyone thinking about designing a foam tool to either modify the Proxxon like this monstrosity did, or to very carefully follow the measurements of the Proxxon for the guide rails and the like. Custom tool? Yeah. Nichrome wire is something you can just go and buy, there's nothing particularly special about it really. And if you take any wall wart and connect the + and - to a piece of nichrome wire, it'll heat up (and maybe break/melt if it gets too hot like a fuse wire…and now you know how fuses are made!) Matching the wire to the power supply is a little math, but not too much. This is an achievable project for those interested. But it's already been done, and the extra cost of the Proxxon is less than the cost of your time, most likely.
Did the research before buying a second hand one and I 100% agree with what you said on the Proxxon and the DiY option. There are a few YT videos of people that have build a XL foamcutting bow and it's not wizardry, you don't need an expert metal worker on hand and a hundreds of euros worth power supply to run it. With the vaping boom, it has never been easier to find some nichrome wire. Just the apply the formula, get a variable power supply and build a quick wood/metal extrusion contraption and you're in business. There's one thing that I do appreciate though with the Proxxon is how small and light you can pack it to do a crafting session out of the workshop. That's really handy if you want to bring it to the club or build at a friend's home.
Great video. I would have jumped on a product like this instantly but now I'm a little more thankful for the normal proxxon cutter. :)
thanks for sharing. Considering how much you have contributed to Proxxon sales :) you would think someone over at Proxxon would team up with you for a a new better version this equipment. You should get a free tour and visit them either in Föhren, or HQ in Wecker Luxemburg.
Great cutting machine. Thanks for showing it to us and explaining the pros and cons about it.
YES!! haha Gerard you are a mad genius ! Love it :D I love the sound when the wire goes twang !!!
Well done!! I really appreciate that you took the time to do the explanation of how it was made as well as pointing out the advantage and disadvantages - one of which could be a serious issue if it were to happen.
I don’t know why it took me so long to see this video, but when I did, my jaw dropped. I very recently got into the hobby and invested in a Proxxon. Of course with a little research, your name/business quickly became known to me! I had been going back and forth between the Proxxon and one of the knock off taller arm machines you’ve reviewed before.
I am fortunately lucky enough to have a power supply kicking around in my craft room, as well as a laser machine that could cut the metal. I am really happy you talked about the cons first though as they gave me quite a few ideas for improvement! Thank you so much for this video!!! ✨
Mr Boom! Wonderful video as always. From a power supply perspective, I think using the power supply in a "constant current" mode rather than "constant voltage" (which is what most power supplies are thought of) would be beneficial.
Your demo of thermal expansion is awesome, and showing protective eyewear is really important. thank you - i'm sure you'll save someones eye!
Question: do you think the right angled bracket could be laser cut MDF instead, then a wire connected up to the top bracket, or are the forces so high on the vertical bracket that wood would bend?
Thanks for your comment.
Yes I think it would be possible to work with wood when thick and sturdy enough.
That is one mean machine Mr Boom ! 😮😉🙃
Well I going to try to build me one thank you 🙏🏻 for showing up this
very cool. Another great video!
so when do you manufacture your own hot wire cutters? :D
The spring-tensioned arm is super impressive
Regarding the power supply, would it not be easier to draw the power line up till the end of the arm so you don't have to run current through the arm? I feel like that was a weird design choice on the Proxxon from the start. In that case the arm could also be of a simpler material.
The safety concerns are probably what keeps Proxxon from making one officially. Higher power also means more costly supply electronics.
Cool build.
Now that Proxxon has introduced the pedal power adapter, the only complaint I’ve ever heard about it is the height restriction of the arm.
Why doesn’t Proxxon make a higher version?
Would it be too cost prohibitive relative to demand?
Excellent design !!!!!
Arm need to be carbon fibre tube for strength... design is week and flexible... cost vs usability. Proxon is for hobbyist... industrial machines are specialised and heavy..
I’m late but couldn’t you weld or attach an addition to top customs bend (before the original arm) that extends over the arm that blocks the arm from snapping back so far if/when the line breaks and the spring unloads. Maybe add soft rubber cushion so it doesn’t damage the arm.
We need an open source alternative to the proxxon.
i love huge and xxl things! ;)
I have been working on a heat treatment oven that is 5 kilowatts/30 amps and uses 16 gauge kanthal wire which is much thicker than what proxxon uses. I was thinking of making a diy wire cutter, and even bought some 20 gauge NiCr 8020 for the purpose. It is 0.032 inches diameter, so about 4 times thicker than Proxxon's which is 0.008 inches, or about 32 gauge. I can always get thinner wire. I think Gerard is using 26 gauge, which my chart says requires 2.6 amps/300 watts to heat up to 800 degrees f. What I'm wondering is if the length of the wire matters for the amount of power. It boggles my mind that it would not, but my chart doesn't really cover it. Appreciate any guidance from the smart people out there.
I was thinking of picking up a used, portable table saw to take advantage of the metal table, fence and miter slots. A foam cutter is kind of a cross between a table saw and a band saw, so it would be an interesting project to tackle. Alternatively, it might be more challenging to build it out of wood, and there would be some advantages to that. It's not like the fence needs to be at a perfect right angle to the table. It just needs to be parallel to the wire. Of course the wire is going to change angles when it heats up, so you'd need to adjust your arm so it is perfectly vertical at working temperature.
I do have a Proxxon already, and it does a great job with the home-made fence I created for it, but it is limited vertically of course, so yeah it would be fun to make a bigger one.
Okay so I've learned that the length of the wire definitely matters. I just don't know how to calculate it.
Have you tried any higher power machines? At 200W there are 300 euro machines for horizontal cutting.
@@Immolate62It is watts per cm per second of course. If proxxon is 10w and you need 10x thickness as same speed and material, you need 100w. There are studies on the internet on how speed affects cut quality.
@@aristotle_4532 that's starting to sound a bit overkill for xps foam core, not that 20 gauge isn't already. I'm going to do some more research and look at variable current as well, since I'm feeling like it's going to be best to adjust for environmental variables to achieve the right temperature. Might have to introduce a thermistor and a PID if go too far down that rabbit hole though.
@@Immolate62 There is an italian company that does cnc cutting with very thin wire and very low speed, and there are german and chinese ones that use much thicker wire. You do need more than 100w to slice 60x125cm pieces at a productive rate. I have seen some big pieces for set design and the thick wire actually does the job fine with the right parameters and enough power. The most important parameter is true temperature control vs power control. The machines with temperature control get far better results when the cutting width changes, equal to that of an experience operator on a manual machine. For large cuts, slicing etc, the cheap high power machines for insulation cutting actually get excellent results but they require skill in manual feed. I have also tried laser cutting in 10,000 euro machines and the results are ok but not very detailed due to the focus issue, even with special lenses. Proxxon do have a higher power model without a table. There are also some 700 euro models with higher power from other manufacturers that are just like a proxxon for greater sizes and include a table.
Big boi
The Proxxon table is horribly overpriced for what it is, and yet I think anyone who wants to craft in foam should have one. The electronics of the Proxxon are absolutely nothing special at all, but the uniformity of it and ShiftingLands' tools and jigs make it the only option worth considering. So I'd say to anyone thinking about designing a foam tool to either modify the Proxxon like this monstrosity did, or to very carefully follow the measurements of the Proxxon for the guide rails and the like.
Custom tool? Yeah. Nichrome wire is something you can just go and buy, there's nothing particularly special about it really. And if you take any wall wart and connect the + and - to a piece of nichrome wire, it'll heat up (and maybe break/melt if it gets too hot like a fuse wire…and now you know how fuses are made!) Matching the wire to the power supply is a little math, but not too much. This is an achievable project for those interested.
But it's already been done, and the extra cost of the Proxxon is less than the cost of your time, most likely.
Did the research before buying a second hand one and I 100% agree with what you said on the Proxxon and the DiY option. There are a few YT videos of people that have build a XL foamcutting bow and it's not wizardry, you don't need an expert metal worker on hand and a hundreds of euros worth power supply to run it. With the vaping boom, it has never been easier to find some nichrome wire. Just the apply the formula, get a variable power supply and build a quick wood/metal extrusion contraption and you're in business.
There's one thing that I do appreciate though with the Proxxon is how small and light you can pack it to do a crafting session out of the workshop. That's really handy if you want to bring it to the club or build at a friend's home.
Gaaf hoor, wel nadeel dat je hem niet effe onder je bed schuift nu ... :)
😂