Control Systems & PLC's

Wire Cutters

Make a hot wire foam cutter

Materials and tools you may need:

Heating wire (choose the diameter 0.3-0.6mm, grade: Nichrome wire 80/20);

Electrical wire (the length depends, common twisted-pair will be ok;

Square wooden stick (solid sticks)

Computer power (PC's power will be fine)

Screw (to fix sticks and wires)

Power switch (to control power of hot wire)

Plug (to connect with power source)

Nylon rope (to tension the cutting arrow)

1. Making the arrow

Choose three square wooden sticks, one is 1000mm length and other two are 500mm length. Cut both ends of sticks straight and drill one φ1mm hole separately at the end of two 500mm length sticks. Fix the three sticks by screws as the following picture shows to form a "I" shape.

Plan View

 

Partial Enlarged View

 

After we finish making the arrow, we can move on to the next stage:

2.  The installation of heating wire

The diameter of cutting wire is 0.3mm or 0.6mm and the length is 1100mm. Heating wire with Dia. 0.6mm is much harder, but less flexible and less precise; 0.3mm is much softer and can cut small gap and slotted hole. At the A stick, intertwine the negative pole of power cord with heating wire to the short screw which fixed into A stick. Make sure the heating wire and power cord will not be pulled out against foreign pressure. While the other end of heating wire should go through the hole of B stick and twist on the short screw. Notice that B stick will not connect with power lead.

3. Connect positive pole of power cord with a power switch in series, the end of power switch is connected with an alligator clip and clipped on the heating wire. Set the power switch on the cross stick.

The installation of heating wire

Partial enlarged view

 

4. Make the hot wire tight

Take 2000mm length nylon rope and make a circle by joining two ends. Put the circle on the bottom of A and B stick like the picture. Then use a 200mm-250mm length stick to go through nylon rope to fasten the arrow. Make sure that the hot wire is tight.

 

5. Power supply

Find the plug of main board, we can see a green wire, connect the green wire to another black wire then power can be started. You can also install a switch between those two wires.

We can find some other plugs to supply electricity for hard disk and CD-Room. According to the label at the side of power box, we can know different color of wires mean different voltage and electric current. If the hot wire is 1000mm, choose 12V/0.8A yellow wire as the positive voltage. If the hot wire is short or alligator clip is near to negative pole, choose 5V/20A red wire.

 

 

This is a very simple hot wire cutter, if you have any improvement suggestions please leave you comment.

About the Author

An amateur about heating wire.

blogger: heatingwire.net

I have had a perminate retainer for 8 yrs now. I want it out. Can I take it out myself with wire cutters?

I do not have insurance now but this thing is driving me crazy. I just want it out

ive had mine for 20 yrs---is urs a thin metal bar on back of teeth???
once mine got broke n my teeth moved that weekend-had to get braces for a week or so-got the bar back on n they flattened more to my teeth.
why do u want it out? the dentist schools will help u-they need a 5$ donation or they do it for free.

home made hot wire cutter