this tool is so great and if you look for tools to cut a circle there is a guy named Gerard Boom who makes great tools for cutting circles and pyramids.
@@nux4955 dude, when this pandemic thing ends, you have to visit the 'Miniaturen Wunderland' in Hamburg, Germany. The absolute miniature building paradise
Shout out to Gerard Boom and his fantastic add-on tools for the Thermocut. Check him out at Shiftinglands.com. The gate that comes with the machine is kind of inadequate and the Shiftinglands version allows you to do much more with it.
So one of the keys is temperature of the wire. If you cut something thick or you cut fast you you lower the wire temp quickly making it harder to cut smoothly. One of the things that makes the Proxxon so nice is the ability to set the temp. I would also make a big plug for Shiftinglands.com stuff. the upgraded kits are truly want make the tools so good. The biggest value in this tool over other is ability to cut straight lines accurately. This is because the wire holder has some spring to it and adjustable power supply. Other foam cutters can do the shaped cuts well but if I need a straight line this is the only tool I have found that does it. Think table saw not scroll saw.
I just started making dioramas with foam last year and it's been a lot of fun. This foam cutter has made it SO much easier to cut stuff. All of the work I've been doing with that is actually well lead me to watching this channel over the last couple of months. It's been pretty informative and entertaining watching the stuff you build as someone that didn't really watch a whole lot of mythbusters. Keep up the good work!
I have one of these. It's great. Adam doesn't mention it, but the owner's manual says you can cut good circles by simply taping a thumb-tack to the table, point up, and slap the foam down on that. Just rotate it around the tack, and you get a clean circle.
Great for arts and crafts, D&D, foam dividers for board games, small models (we printed fighter jets on paper cut and glued the paper to foam and traced along the paper to make models)
These sort of barebones or grassroots (I don't know what to call them) videos by Adam has by far been one of the best things to come out of the pandemic. The lack of polish in the editing and the shots themselves actually makes them far better than anything that was on Tested before. That is not to say that Tested used to be bad in any way, it's just this style of filmmaking in relation to making things and showcasing tools and answering questions is just that much more real. Or down to earth? I don't know what to call it or how to describe it. It just feels more intimate in a good, enjoyable and comforting way. I absolutely love it. Thanks Adam, for bringing a great deal of comfort and enjoyment through all these interesting videos. You have surely made a lot of people feel much better in these trying times.
TBF a ton of the recent videos are answering questions about mythbusters and the rest are answering questions about modelmaking which are really his strong suite. He might rather spend his time doing other stuff but he's being forced to deliver what people want due to the lockdowns.
have been making Warhammer 40k terrain like this forever. the foam cutter is a legendary tool in my opinion that get ignored far too many times...THANKS for giving it the props it deserves
I'm new to Dremels, but this thing has been great. ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxfPgcZ5_Cl0HDUKkMJAKde11YKQZVgMoR The variable speed is awesome and the cordless aspect makes it so easy to work with. I am constantly finding uses for it that make tasks easier. Recently I put in a new deadbolt on one of our doors. I knew I had to enlarge the hold where the deadbolt goes into the door frame. At first I thought I would have to get a big router and figure out how to use it for that, but then I rermembered we have the dremel. I was able to enlarge the hole almost as easy as if I was drawing with a pen. It's also great for grinding our dog's nails done and so many other household tasks.
I play Warhammer 40,000 and my buddy and I bought one of these with the intention of making terrain for our table. absolutely no regrets, plenty of rock formations, crystals, structures, and anything we want to make things look good.
This is probably the only video he'll ever make where I already have the tool, and I got so excited to hear my favourite maker talk about how cool this thing is
What a crazy coincidence, I've just recently become interested in the whole tabletop crafting scene, been watching several youtubers do their thing and the proxxon wirecutter was one of the equipment on my wishlist. And here comes Adam with a favorite tool video.
The EXACT same one I have had for the past 15 years! You can do many other shapes then what he showed. I used it years ago on a project to do perfect foam spheres. You can do cones too. The trick is taped pin for the cone center and rotate the foam to cut it at an angle.
A thousand years ago when I worked in film we needed to make a boat load of stuff out of foam. We bought the wire and made our own cutter out of electrial conduit wood and a dimmer switch . It was adjustable up to 4'. It worked amazing I have since used it to make props for my kids school plays.
Worked in architectural model shop many, many years ago doing study models. For 1-off guides, manila folders make great templates - put on bottom with a quick spray of low tack adhesive. circles? just like for a band saw - little sheet of plex with a pin through it. Make life easier by putting an inexpensive foot switch on the machine - you'll never have to worry about forgetting to turn it off! One thing the Proxxon lacks is a tiltable upper arm - like the tilting table on scroll or bandsaw - that adds a lot of possibilities.
My friend and I traded tools, he is using my 3D printer while I use his Proxxon. I absolutely LOVE that thing. Making scenery and terrain for tabletop and dioramas, it's a must-have for any hobbyist/crafter that works with foam.
I made one years ago for cutting toolbox foam. Two-foot deep arm with stainless safety-locking wire. I wrapped the wire round brass bushes so it could be easily unhooked for feeding through holes, for cutting in the middle of a sheet. One of the best diy tools I’ve ever made!
I've used that same Proxxon cutter for years, but needed Adam to show me it has a handy chart on the front. A helpful feature that wasn't shown is the ability to reposition the upper spool along the yoke in order to create angled cuts. Also, I think the power regulator adjusts the power to maintain a target wire temp as you speed up or slow down the movement of the material. And to echo Adam's comments about precision, one can get some very precise and repeatable cuts from this tool.
I made one of these years ago to cut out 50 styrofoam fish for a birthday lawn sign. I built it out of an old computer power supply, some scrap plywood and an old guitar string. Worked so fast. 👍👍
Proxxon has a very solid reputation here in Germany as well. Negative reviews are usually from people who were trying to work on bigger pieces on these machines, which are explicitly designed for fine work at a small scale - model making, jewellery etc.
Black Magic Craft does some great stuff with this tool for anyone looking fir examples of how to use this tool for making great tabletop terrain/dioramas.
We use one extensively in our office for building architectural models - perfect for walls and slabs and ideal for shaping landscape contours when cutting card is too labourious.
Hi Adam, hope this massage finds its way. In architecture class we used these a lot. If you want more flexibility set the square to 90° and you can establish the cutting width precisely. For circles, you want to run a piece of wood next to the wire. Run a small nail into it with the distance of the acquired radius to the cutting line. While cutting at the moment you get past the nail just stop pushing and start rotating. Last but not least you can run the "wirecar" down the upper arm to cut in an angle on the z-axis. Have a nice one and be safe!
These hot wire cutters are in most architecture schools where students use them to make study models out of rigid foam, popularized by the perfect blue foam models from architecture firms like OMA. The Rolls Royce of wire cutters is probably the Styrocut 3, which is like 9x the cost of the Proxxon, but its built so well and you can do all sorts of angles and circles and what have you. They are pedal-actuated, which is much better than it sounds when doing precision cutting work. I was able to make 1:12 scale furniture for a model, like a couch, toilet, toaster, bathtub, and urinal.
Hey Adam, we used these kind of cutters a whole lot for building model airplane wings to cover in carbon fiber later! It works really well and also gave us students the opportunity to experiment a lot without a big cost factor. In using these kinds of cutters a whole lot I learned that MDF and plywood templates work best because they don't transfer the heat away from the wire and can be smoothed very easyly. Just don't stop too long in one spot because you'll burn your template and create a big dent in your foam part.
Crafting is the perfect word tbh. It's broad and covers pretty much all making. Crafting covers all materials. It's just when we think of the word craft we remember being taught crafting as a kid with glue and paper and popsicle sticks. But we know that crafting covers everything from leatherwork to diamond swords. I want to build a foam cutter now. Mainly because of the sound it makes
As an industrial designer I must say that was the tool that I used more on the University. I have a big one with more than 50cm of space between the arms and use dual cardboard templates for most of my cuts
Wanted a cutter, watched the vid, was impressed, and purchased one. Works great. Wish the guide was a lil more regid for cutting bigger stuff, but otherwise wonderful. Highly recommend.
Having flashbacks of working in a hot tub cover factory and having to cut foam. Had a machine similar to this one - I actually had cut my name out of a spare piece of foam and had that for a while; we also had a wire between two handheld... wands, I guess would be the best word, which was used to cut the very large foam blocks to shape, and then there was a table with to wires across the back end, that was used to cut slits in the foam to insert these pieces of bent metal for reinforcement. Good stuff!
This brings back such memories of all-nighters at my first architecture internship building models. We must have run thru 50' of wire over the course of that summer. I tried building my own wire cutter as Adam describes, trust me - just buy one. I never got it to work right and the real one you're guaranteed right angles to the table. FYI - the "blue" insulation foam is denser and generally cuts nicer than the "pink" foam. It's somewhat harder to find. The true white whale of foams is the 4" thick blue foam.
really love at around 10:33 when he says "we're learning how to do this together." Makes me feel good to know that after all these years making stuff, even adam still has stuff to learn and he loves it
For those on a budget check out Hot Wire Foam Factory. There are also handheld versions for working on large objects and for taking big hunk out of... big hunks.
Me and my best friend have made 2 homemade hot wire cutters, one with a regular power supply and one with a battery. Salvaged a battery and connector from a dead hand drill and made it work.
Do not shy away from the word "Craft". "Craftsmanship" is under-rated. Art is an expression of a unique point of view. Craftsmanship is the skillful manipulation of a medium. They each can exist with and without the other.
I love that, after the powers that be at the California College of Arts & Crafts stupidly decided to change its name to California College of the Arts, affronted students refused to accept the change for a long time, and would sneakily add “& Crafts” to everything from building signs to official correspondence!
I had to cut a bunch of 4 inch circles to fill a tube, and I put a circle of project board (thin processed wood, practically cardboard, otherwise known as Hardboard) onto a lazy susan bearing, with some tacks poked through to hold the small pieces of foam in place... I then rotated the contraption against the wire by hand, and made 20-25 perfect circles...
I have learned that these will also cut styrene if the need arises. I had a couple of N scale model railroad buildings that I wanted to cut after I built them, and had the idea to try the Proxxon and it worked!
Inspirational Pro Tip: There are a thousand build projects that this foam is good for, but a technique being explored a lot right now in the custom van conversion to mini RV scene is a technique of covering the foam with paper mache. The need is to create custom cabinets, desks, sinks, drawers, separators, dividers, bed frames, you name it. But all of these things in an RV can add a lot of weight in the back of an RV if made from plywood. So if you make your cabinets and drawers out of foam it solves several problems. One, foam is common and fairly inexpensive. Two, it is easy to work. It can quickly and easily be cut, sanded, rounded over, etc... Three, the final product is very light weight. Four, the final product is insulating as it can get very hot or cold in a metal van. Make your cabinets out of foam, and you build structurally with a bunch of insulation. Five, the material is easy to cut out on the road and change the design with minimal tools being brought along. Six, it can be make very strong by simply laminating the surface with paper mache made from a paper grocery bags, or a roll of brown construction paper from your local big box hardware, lumber yard. Once covered in paper mache and brown paper, it again can be sanded smooth, then coated with poly urethane paint and made super strong. I would like to build a Public Maker's Shop here in Charlotte, NC. I can see this technique getting used a lot.
Reminds me of junior high shop class where we used a hot wire cutter and foam to make a stencile for our CO2 cartridge race cars (eventually made out of wood)
Back in the day when I didn’t have a proper budget, I made one on my own for my wife’s architecture studies. It’s actually super easy to make on your own!
Hi Adam, built my own wire cutter on my table saw to utilize the adjustable fence to cut large panels of XPS to insulate my Skoolie. I like that Proxxon grid table, might need to make one for mine. Thanks for the review!
This reminds me of a work experience I did when I was 14 (c.1992). The company would take big blocks of polystyrene (about 7ft by 4ft) and pass them through giant hot wires to make packaging
Made a hot wire cutter for cutting out surfboard blanks form huge blocks of eps foam. Super fun and easy to use, add a template to each side of the foam and you can get really accurate cuts.
I've used an improvised 13ft hot-wire to cut a swept and tapered wing section for a large RC airplane. It was a bit of a chore to set up but the results were amazing. I've found that managing your cut speed is everything with a hot-wire. Go too fast and you'll either pull on the wire or cool it down too much. Go to slow and the wire will overheat and increase your kerf.
My roommate and I were just watching Uncle Nightshift make a diorama base for a plastic model. He said who the fuck uses a hot wire cutter? Thanks Adam, you're an inspiration.
A handy note for those who are using templates, is to attach it using a a glue stick. Just a quick swipe or two with a school glue stick and set it on the foam keeps it from moving as you run it through the foam cutter.
I wish I had the smarts like u. I can barely cut a straight line even if I have a pre-marked line but u are one smart dude adam savage & I just wanted to say thank you for your videos
When I was at school, my friend and I made Super8 stop motion films, and a lot of the sets the clay characters found themselves in, were either made on the hot wire cutter, or the vacuum former. Both were incredible fun to use.
I've used pink foam for radio control sailboat hulls...but always with bandsaw and sandpaper until recently. I build mine from an old maple cutting board and battery charger. Guitar string is also perfect for wire, it's identical material ! I've also used .020" aircraft stainless safety wire. For my fence I recycled some Rockler T-slot parts and aluminum angle stock. .... I have made foam core reinforcement by sandwiching with both wood and fiberglass for my sailing/racing needs. >>> My point is that if you think you don't need one, until you have one. Then it becomes a "must have"
Heck yeah, super happy to see these things get some more attention! I've had a hotwire table just like this one for a while, and if you work with foam at all, these things are an absolute treat to work with.
A microplane used for cheese works well for smoothing and finish work. I like the ones at Sur La Table, square teeth and super sharp. That foam can also be sanded. To join pieces use a spray adhesive but make sure it's ok for foam like Super 77 not 90. Pieces of foam can be covered in marine grade fiberglass and resin, but the fast set might melt the foam. Use ventilation or a respirator, the foam fumes can be nasty.
My one big thing with mine is always try to turn it off between cuts. And double check the wire is square with the base before a cutting session. That top bar can bend if knocked or something and it can be an arse to get back in line.
Awww gunther or Joey didnt put **sander noises*** when Adam went to the sander lol. Missed out boys! OR even Adam ;P Also Adam remember no noise either, if you need to do it in a quiet area, little to no impact but no noise... this can be beneficial in nighttime making, in an apartment when one cant sleep...but you need to do SOMETHING...this can help making Bucks, Or Pieces for later on in the day. I made one from the Late Gant Thompson, once of the best ones I made, these things are fabulous. Thank you for sharing yours!
Another fun way to use it is to add another dimension. The handheld technique is to take a long rectangle, like a 2x2x8 inch block, and while holding one end without touching the base gently spin it axially while pushing through the wire. Use a small motor with a feed and you can make a dustless foam lathe.
I built one of my own. You can use poster board or cardboard as a template. It will cut the foam but not the cardboard. Its wonderful. Curious how this keeps tension as the wire heats and stretches.
My most common use for extruded polystyrene is for custom mailing boxes. It cuts easily on a tablesaw, or by scoring and snapping like sheetrock. I bond it with hot melt glue. The resulting boxes add little to the shipping weight, but are exceedingly strong and robust.
Had one of these in my college's shop. I was cutting foam with it turned up high enough that the wire was red and a guy came up and said "is it hot" while touching the wire between thumb and forefinger. Needless to say, he burned his finger.
They aren't that hot... and if you, like someone else here in the replies. Have it "red hot" its too hot! Turn it down! Not saying it can't burn you. It can. And like all shop equipment, it deserves respect. Different thicknesses do require different temps, but the guid temps are high, Adam could have gotten by on a 2 or 3, just would have had to go slower. And towards the end he turned it up and never turned it back down.
I've been using the Proxxon for years now and I love it! If you are getting regular use, one thing I highly recommend is looking into an aftermarket guide rail. Getting a little more height than the aluminum piece gives you is really nice when you are working with taller foam pieces. Shiftinglands.com makes a really nice one that people seem to universally love. They also have other jigs that people like to use with the proxxon. I made my own and it was easy enough, but that was before they had distribution from the US and the shipping costs were brutal. Another thing I wanted to point out, is that this tool is so great for people of all ages. I love showing kids how to cut foam, and we make little houses or projects and they really have a good time with it. Yes the wire gets hot, but it goes instantly cool after you flip off the switch. While I have touched it myself from time to time on accident(not fun, but not horrible), kids really learn to respect it and other tools by getting hands on. To date we have had 0 child injury's due to proxxon wire cutters, and LOADS of fun!
i would recommend the accessories by shiftinglands for proxxon's wire cutter. they're great and help you do some awesome stuff with the wirecutter (especially since the fence can be a bit flimsy on the proxxon)
I love working with foam. I use as a base for my model railroad. The Proxxon cutter have been on my list for a long time. I have a variety of foam cutting tools (hot knife etc.). It is definitely worth it just to get rid of the mess foam tends to make... :-)
Proxxon Hot Wire Cutter: amzn.to/2KNbU18
Adam's One Day Build featuring this tool: ua-cam.com/video/beGXa1TO6vo/v-deo.html
this tool is so great
and if you look for tools to cut a circle there is a guy named Gerard Boom who makes great tools for cutting circles and pyramids.
@@nux4955 dude, when this pandemic thing ends, you have to visit the 'Miniaturen Wunderland' in Hamburg, Germany. The absolute miniature building paradise
Shout out to Gerard Boom and his fantastic add-on tools for the Thermocut. Check him out at Shiftinglands.com. The gate that comes with the machine is kind of inadequate and the Shiftinglands version allows you to do much more with it.
So one of the keys is temperature of the wire. If you cut something thick or you cut fast you you lower the wire temp quickly making it harder to cut smoothly. One of the things that makes the Proxxon so nice is the ability to set the temp. I would also make a big plug for Shiftinglands.com stuff. the upgraded kits are truly want make the tools so good. The biggest value in this tool over other is ability to cut straight lines accurately. This is because the wire holder has some spring to it and adjustable power supply. Other foam cutters can do the shaped cuts well but if I need a straight line this is the only tool I have found that does it. Think table saw not scroll saw.
I just started making dioramas with foam last year and it's been a lot of fun. This foam cutter has made it SO much easier to cut stuff. All of the work I've been doing with that is actually well lead me to watching this channel over the last couple of months. It's been pretty informative and entertaining watching the stuff you build as someone that didn't really watch a whole lot of mythbusters. Keep up the good work!
I have one of these. It's great. Adam doesn't mention it, but the owner's manual says you can cut good circles by simply taping a thumb-tack to the table, point up, and slap the foam down on that. Just rotate it around the tack, and you get a clean circle.
Adding this to my "Tools I Want and Have Zero Reason To Own" list.
Great for arts and crafts, D&D, foam dividers for board games, small models (we printed fighter jets on paper cut and glued the paper to foam and traced along the paper to make models)
Also known as just "shopping list" .
you can make one too dam 122 bucks
My version of this list is WAY too long 😁
Just film yourself playing with it and wasting foam en masse, turn it into an ASMR channel.
These sort of barebones or grassroots (I don't know what to call them) videos by Adam has by far been one of the best things to come out of the pandemic. The lack of polish in the editing and the shots themselves actually makes them far better than anything that was on Tested before. That is not to say that Tested used to be bad in any way, it's just this style of filmmaking in relation to making things and showcasing tools and answering questions is just that much more real. Or down to earth? I don't know what to call it or how to describe it. It just feels more intimate in a good, enjoyable and comforting way. I absolutely love it.
Thanks Adam, for bringing a great deal of comfort and enjoyment through all these interesting videos. You have surely made a lot of people feel much better in these trying times.
Couldn't agree more
Wholeheartedly agree
TBF a ton of the recent videos are answering questions about mythbusters and the rest are answering questions about modelmaking which are really his strong suite. He might rather spend his time doing other stuff but he's being forced to deliver what people want due to the lockdowns.
This is one of the rare instances where I actually own what you're talking about as well! Can concur this thing is awesome!
I love my proxxon. I dont use it nearly enough.
have been making Warhammer 40k terrain like this forever. the foam cutter is a legendary tool in my opinion that get ignored far too many times...THANKS for giving it the props it deserves
I'm new to Dremels, but this thing has been great. ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxfPgcZ5_Cl0HDUKkMJAKde11YKQZVgMoR The variable speed is awesome and the cordless aspect makes it so easy to work with. I am constantly finding uses for it that make tasks easier. Recently I put in a new deadbolt on one of our doors. I knew I had to enlarge the hold where the deadbolt goes into the door frame. At first I thought I would have to get a big router and figure out how to use it for that, but then I rermembered we have the dremel. I was able to enlarge the hole almost as easy as if I was drawing with a pen. It's also great for grinding our dog's nails done and so many other household tasks.
OH MAN that was satisfying to watch. Like ASMR for my eyes.
EyeSMR
@@xiu-quiahuitlleal3427 Get out of my head! :)
@@intent2modulate do you leave a fan on in your room sometimes.
I play Warhammer 40,000 and my buddy and I bought one of these with the intention of making terrain for our table. absolutely no regrets, plenty of rock formations, crystals, structures, and anything we want to make things look good.
This is probably the only video he'll ever make where I already have the tool, and I got so excited to hear my favourite maker talk about how cool this thing is
Adam, you really need some Shiftinglands tools to use with that Proxxon. They'll make this tool even better!
Pretty sure this is the one human that would make there own guids😂
@@zacharymathis2815 No kidding! Shoot, I made my own circle cutter out of some cardboard and a brad nail.
I made a high barrier and a circle jig for mine after seeing the shifting lands stuff. They are so useful
What a crazy coincidence, I've just recently become interested in the whole tabletop crafting scene, been watching several youtubers do their thing and the proxxon wirecutter was one of the equipment on my wishlist. And here comes Adam with a favorite tool video.
The EXACT same one I have had for the past 15 years!
You can do many other shapes then what he showed. I used it years ago on a project to do perfect foam spheres. You can do cones too. The trick is taped pin for the cone center and rotate the foam to cut it at an angle.
A thousand years ago when I worked in film we needed to make a boat load of stuff out of foam. We bought the wire and made our own cutter out of electrial conduit wood and a dimmer switch . It was adjustable up to 4'. It worked amazing I have since used it to make props for my kids school plays.
To avoid cutting at an angle the template should be put on the bottom of the piece, so the wire won't bend so much
Worked in architectural model shop many, many years ago doing study models. For 1-off guides, manila folders make great templates - put on bottom with a quick spray of low tack adhesive. circles? just like for a band saw - little sheet of plex with a pin through it. Make life easier by putting an inexpensive foot switch on the machine - you'll never have to worry about forgetting to turn it off! One thing the Proxxon lacks is a tiltable upper arm - like the tilting table on scroll or bandsaw - that adds a lot of possibilities.
My friend and I traded tools, he is using my 3D printer while I use his Proxxon. I absolutely LOVE that thing. Making scenery and terrain for tabletop and dioramas, it's a must-have for any hobbyist/crafter that works with foam.
2:32 Being as I am currently studying Industrial Design, that moment made me both smile and cry tears of sorrow!
I made one years ago for cutting toolbox foam. Two-foot deep arm with stainless safety-locking wire. I wrapped the wire round brass bushes so it could be easily unhooked for feeding through holes, for cutting in the middle of a sheet. One of the best diy tools I’ve ever made!
I've wanted to get this for a while now to make D&D terrain - seems so much simpler and more fun than modeling and then 3D printing everything.
Do it and dont look back. Can confirm 100% worth it!
Its awesome get it
You'll love it.
I've used that same Proxxon cutter for years, but needed Adam to show me it has a handy chart on the front. A helpful feature that wasn't shown is the ability to reposition the upper spool along the yoke in order to create angled cuts. Also, I think the power regulator adjusts the power to maintain a target wire temp as you speed up or slow down the movement of the material. And to echo Adam's comments about precision, one can get some very precise and repeatable cuts from this tool.
I made one of these years ago to cut out 50 styrofoam fish for a birthday lawn sign. I built it out of an old computer power supply, some scrap plywood and an old guitar string. Worked so fast. 👍👍
Proxxon has a very solid reputation here in Germany as well. Negative reviews are usually from people who were trying to work on bigger pieces on these machines, which are explicitly designed for fine work at a small scale - model making, jewellery etc.
Ahh, the d&d machine. I have made hundreds of terrain pieces with this beauty
I have one of these I recently purchased for this same reason!! Still learning a lot. Currently struggling with cutting uniform square tiles
Black Magic Craft does some great stuff with this tool for anyone looking fir examples of how to use this tool for making great tabletop terrain/dioramas.
Shifting Lands also offers some guides for the cutter to assist with shapes/angles.
We use one extensively in our office for building architectural models - perfect for walls and slabs and ideal for shaping landscape contours when cutting card is too labourious.
Hi Adam, hope this massage finds its way.
In architecture class we used these a lot. If you want more flexibility set the square to 90° and you can establish the cutting width precisely.
For circles, you want to run a piece of wood next to the wire. Run a small nail into it with the distance of the acquired radius to the cutting line. While cutting at the moment you get past the nail just stop pushing and start rotating.
Last but not least you can run the "wirecar" down the upper arm to cut in an angle on the z-axis.
Have a nice one and be safe!
These hot wire cutters are in most architecture schools where students use them to make study models out of rigid foam, popularized by the perfect blue foam models from architecture firms like OMA. The Rolls Royce of wire cutters is probably the Styrocut 3, which is like 9x the cost of the Proxxon, but its built so well and you can do all sorts of angles and circles and what have you. They are pedal-actuated, which is much better than it sounds when doing precision cutting work. I was able to make 1:12 scale furniture for a model, like a couch, toilet, toaster, bathtub, and urinal.
Hey Adam, we used these kind of cutters a whole lot for building model airplane wings to cover in carbon fiber later! It works really well and also gave us students the opportunity to experiment a lot without a big cost factor. In using these kinds of cutters a whole lot I learned that MDF and plywood templates work best because they don't transfer the heat away from the wire and can be smoothed very easyly. Just don't stop too long in one spot because you'll burn your template and create a big dent in your foam part.
Crafting is the perfect word tbh. It's broad and covers pretty much all making. Crafting covers all materials. It's just when we think of the word craft we remember being taught crafting as a kid with glue and paper and popsicle sticks. But we know that crafting covers everything from leatherwork to diamond swords. I want to build a foam cutter now. Mainly because of the sound it makes
As an industrial designer I must say that was the tool that I used more on the University. I have a big one with more than 50cm of space between the arms and use dual cardboard templates for most of my cuts
I made one of these for my High School physics project! Super fun to make, super fun to use. Love the smell of melting Styrofoam in the morning.
I love those moments when your brain realizes that it really *shouldn’t* love a certain smell but does anyway!
Wanted a cutter, watched the vid, was impressed, and purchased one. Works great. Wish the guide was a lil more regid for cutting bigger stuff, but otherwise wonderful. Highly recommend.
Having flashbacks of working in a hot tub cover factory and having to cut foam. Had a machine similar to this one - I actually had cut my name out of a spare piece of foam and had that for a while; we also had a wire between two handheld... wands, I guess would be the best word, which was used to cut the very large foam blocks to shape, and then there was a table with to wires across the back end, that was used to cut slits in the foam to insert these pieces of bent metal for reinforcement. Good stuff!
This brings back such memories of all-nighters at my first architecture internship building models. We must have run thru 50' of wire over the course of that summer.
I tried building my own wire cutter as Adam describes, trust me - just buy one. I never got it to work right and the real one you're guaranteed right angles to the table.
FYI - the "blue" insulation foam is denser and generally cuts nicer than the "pink" foam. It's somewhat harder to find. The true white whale of foams is the 4" thick blue foam.
really love at around 10:33 when he says "we're learning how to do this together." Makes me feel good to know that after all these years making stuff, even adam still has stuff to learn and he loves it
I built one of these last fall, biggest improvement to my DnD terrain building in a while, so satisfying to use!
For those on a budget check out Hot Wire Foam Factory. There are also handheld versions for working on large objects and for taking big hunk out of... big hunks.
Me and my best friend have made 2 homemade hot wire cutters, one with a regular power supply and one with a battery. Salvaged a battery and connector from a dead hand drill and made it work.
Do not shy away from the word "Craft". "Craftsmanship" is under-rated. Art is an expression of a unique point of view. Craftsmanship is the skillful manipulation of a medium. They each can exist with and without the other.
I love that, after the powers that be at the California College of Arts & Crafts stupidly decided to change its name to California College of the Arts, affronted students refused to accept the change for a long time, and would sneakily add “& Crafts” to everything from building signs to official correspondence!
I bought this years ago, it was my first Proxxon tool, love them!!
I had to cut a bunch of 4 inch circles to fill a tube, and I put a circle of project board (thin processed wood, practically cardboard, otherwise known as Hardboard) onto a lazy susan bearing, with some tacks poked through to hold the small pieces of foam in place... I then rotated the contraption against the wire by hand, and made 20-25 perfect circles...
I have learned that these will also cut styrene if the need arises. I had a couple of N scale model railroad buildings that I wanted to cut after I built them, and had the idea to try the Proxxon and it worked!
I love watching these. Something about Adams voice and demeanor just puts me at ease.
Yes! Adam Savage nerding out about tools is my happy place!
I love Proxxon’s designs. Their tools are so good looking. They sing this is old school quality that’s going to last to me
Inspirational Pro Tip: There are a thousand build projects that this foam is good for, but a technique being explored a lot right now in the custom van conversion to mini RV scene is a technique of covering the foam with paper mache. The need is to create custom cabinets, desks, sinks, drawers, separators, dividers, bed frames, you name it. But all of these things in an RV can add a lot of weight in the back of an RV if made from plywood. So if you make your cabinets and drawers out of foam it solves several problems. One, foam is common and fairly inexpensive. Two, it is easy to work. It can quickly and easily be cut, sanded, rounded over, etc... Three, the final product is very light weight. Four, the final product is insulating as it can get very hot or cold in a metal van. Make your cabinets out of foam, and you build structurally with a bunch of insulation. Five, the material is easy to cut out on the road and change the design with minimal tools being brought along. Six, it can be make very strong by simply laminating the surface with paper mache made from a paper grocery bags, or a roll of brown construction paper from your local big box hardware, lumber yard. Once covered in paper mache and brown paper, it again can be sanded smooth, then coated with poly urethane paint and made super strong. I would like to build a Public Maker's Shop here in Charlotte, NC. I can see this technique getting used a lot.
At college we used wire cutters like this to cut shapes that would be used to create a form in a sand cast for metalcasting
I was looking at wire cutters last night because I want to do some custom foam cases, so this video is very timely!
Reminds me of junior high shop class where we used a hot wire cutter and foam to make a stencile for our CO2 cartridge race cars (eventually made out of wood)
Shiftinglands makes a whole set of jigs and attachments that go with the Proxxon cutter. You can make perfect circles and precise angles.
Back in the day when I didn’t have a proper budget, I made one on my own for my wife’s architecture studies. It’s actually super easy to make on your own!
I very much love this tool and for those who do not know shifting lands and shifting lands USA have many accessories for the proxxon
I'm an industrial design graduate and I wish I knew about this during my time in college. Awesome tool tip, Adam!
Hi Adam, built my own wire cutter on my table saw to utilize the adjustable fence to cut large panels of XPS to insulate my Skoolie. I like that Proxxon grid table, might need to make one for mine. Thanks for the review!
This reminds me of a work experience I did when I was 14 (c.1992). The company would take big blocks of polystyrene (about 7ft by 4ft) and pass them through giant hot wires to make packaging
Made a hot wire cutter for cutting out surfboard blanks form huge blocks of eps foam. Super fun and easy to use, add a template to each side of the foam and you can get really accurate cuts.
I've used an improvised 13ft hot-wire to cut a swept and tapered wing section for a large RC airplane. It was a bit of a chore to set up but the results were amazing. I've found that managing your cut speed is everything with a hot-wire. Go too fast and you'll either pull on the wire or cool it down too much. Go to slow and the wire will overheat and increase your kerf.
My roommate and I were just watching Uncle Nightshift make a diorama base for a plastic model. He said who the fuck uses a hot wire cutter? Thanks Adam, you're an inspiration.
Adam. Make a little lathe like jig for it so you can cut spirals down square columns.
A handy note for those who are using templates, is to attach it using a a glue stick. Just a quick swipe or two with a school glue stick and set it on the foam keeps it from moving as you run it through the foam cutter.
One of the best investments i made, my most used proxxon product since nearly a decade.....
I wish I had the smarts like u. I can barely cut a straight line even if I have a pre-marked line but u are one smart dude adam savage & I just wanted to say thank you for your videos
When I was at school, my friend and I made Super8 stop motion films, and a lot of the sets the clay characters found themselves in, were either made on the hot wire cutter, or the vacuum former. Both were incredible fun to use.
you can definitely rotate that detachable tool 90 degrees and by moving it forward and backwards freely adjust the width of the cut.
Works great for the lost foam method for metal casting too.
I've used pink foam for radio control sailboat hulls...but always with bandsaw and sandpaper until recently.
I build mine from an old maple cutting board and battery charger.
Guitar string is also perfect for wire, it's identical material ! I've also used .020" aircraft stainless safety wire.
For my fence I recycled some Rockler T-slot parts and aluminum angle stock.
.... I have made foam core reinforcement by sandwiching with both wood and fiberglass for my sailing/racing needs.
>>> My point is that if you think you don't need one, until you have one. Then it becomes a "must have"
Just ordered one of these to make dimensional paintings. I also ordered the foot pedal, so you don’t need to turn off the switch
I have a Proxon 1/2 dr ratchet and socket set that I picked up in Germany when I was working over there. I love that ratchet set.
It's also great for shipping work. You can create perfectly shaped foam cutouts for packing items into.
Heck yeah, super happy to see these things get some more attention! I've had a hotwire table just like this one for a while, and if you work with foam at all, these things are an absolute treat to work with.
This reminds me when the King of Random built the “styro slicer” RIP Grant Thompson.
Use clear plastic packing tape to secure templates to the material. The heated wire goes right through the tape.
A microplane used for cheese works well for smoothing and finish work. I like the ones at Sur La Table, square teeth and super sharp. That foam can also be sanded. To join pieces use a spray adhesive but make sure it's ok for foam like Super 77 not 90. Pieces of foam can be covered in marine grade fiberglass and resin, but the fast set might melt the foam.
Use ventilation or a respirator, the foam fumes can be nasty.
I have had mine for a few years and I absolutely love it.
My one big thing with mine is always try to turn it off between cuts. And double check the wire is square with the base before a cutting session. That top bar can bend if knocked or something and it can be an arse to get back in line.
Proxxon needs to send you a check for this commercial. Looks like a blast!
I am from 🇮🇳 India, I watched mythbusters and loved it!!
Dude I love watching u work and explain stuff your one smart dude
Love my Proxxon foam cutter. The thing is wonderful. It’s got a couple of issues, but well worth it.
Awww gunther or Joey didnt put **sander noises*** when Adam went to the sander lol. Missed out boys! OR even Adam ;P
Also Adam remember no noise either, if you need to do it in a quiet area, little to no impact but no noise... this can be beneficial in nighttime making, in an apartment when one cant sleep...but you need to do SOMETHING...this can help making Bucks, Or Pieces for later on in the day.
I made one from the Late Gant Thompson, once of the best ones I made, these things are fabulous. Thank you for sharing yours!
Another fun way to use it is to add another dimension. The handheld technique is to take a long rectangle, like a 2x2x8 inch block, and while holding one end without touching the base gently spin it axially while pushing through the wire. Use a small motor with a feed and you can make a dustless foam lathe.
0:16 I do remember, because you caused me to get one. I use it all the time now.
A lot of project for DND and tabletop War games terrain would done amazingly with this
I built one of my own. You can use poster board or cardboard as a template. It will cut the foam but not the cardboard. Its wonderful. Curious how this keeps tension as the wire heats and stretches.
I want one of these SO BAD. Satisfying to watch.
Fantastic! I bought one before the video even ended.
You can even use paper cutouts with some spray adhesive to guide a cut
My most common use for extruded polystyrene is for custom mailing boxes. It cuts easily on a tablesaw, or by scoring and snapping like sheetrock. I bond it with hot melt glue. The resulting boxes add little to the shipping weight, but are exceedingly strong and robust.
The best part is the foam doesn't rebond to itself.
9:22 "You can also...", my brain went "...burn your fingers!"
Yeah.... don’t touch the wire lol
After his puzzle cut my mind was just saying, "Turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, TURN IT OFFF!
Have to admit watching it had my 'bandsaw safety' instincts on high alert.
Had one of these in my college's shop. I was cutting foam with it turned up high enough that the wire was red and a guy came up and said "is it hot" while touching the wire between thumb and forefinger.
Needless to say, he burned his finger.
They aren't that hot... and if you, like someone else here in the replies. Have it "red hot" its too hot! Turn it down!
Not saying it can't burn you. It can. And like all shop equipment, it deserves respect.
Different thicknesses do require different temps, but the guid temps are high, Adam could have gotten by on a 2 or 3, just would have had to go slower. And towards the end he turned it up and never turned it back down.
My neighbours started a fire outside just as Adam started cutting. I was briefly confused lol.
“Fooled you again, brain!”
I've been using the Proxxon for years now and I love it! If you are getting regular use, one thing I highly recommend is looking into an aftermarket guide rail. Getting a little more height than the aluminum piece gives you is really nice when you are working with taller foam pieces. Shiftinglands.com makes a really nice one that people seem to universally love. They also have other jigs that people like to use with the proxxon. I made my own and it was easy enough, but that was before they had distribution from the US and the shipping costs were brutal.
Another thing I wanted to point out, is that this tool is so great for people of all ages. I love showing kids how to cut foam, and we make little houses or projects and they really have a good time with it. Yes the wire gets hot, but it goes instantly cool after you flip off the switch. While I have touched it myself from time to time on accident(not fun, but not horrible), kids really learn to respect it and other tools by getting hands on. To date we have had 0 child injury's due to proxxon wire cutters, and LOADS of fun!
Can highly recommend the add ons/jigs by shiftinglands!
Scrolled down to see if anyone had repped Shiftinglands, the stuff Gerard makes is awesome!
Thanks Adam!
I built a number of bows for cutting RC plane wing airfoils😎
Love mine... I don't do much but play with it for the tactile delight.
i would recommend the accessories by shiftinglands for proxxon's wire cutter. they're great and help you do some awesome stuff with the wirecutter (especially since the fence can be a bit flimsy on the proxxon)
You’ve sold me on this. I’m working on a Tatooine diorama for my 6” Mando & Grogu figs and this would work great
I bought one of these a few days before I saw this video, love it.
I'm thinking "wow I like that. that's so cool" and then I hear Adam at 9:18 go "right?! right?!". I feel like he's reading my mind
I love working with foam. I use as a base for my model railroad. The Proxxon cutter have been on my list for a long time. I have a variety of foam cutting tools (hot knife etc.). It is definitely worth it just to get rid of the mess foam tends to make... :-)
Merry Christmas, Adam & everyone else at Tested!!
Great for spray painting stencils. 👍