How to: Hot-Wire Foam Cutter
- 1). Assemble the cutter. A nichrome wire is the most commonly used in hot-wire cutters, but stainless steel is also possible. The wire is stretched between a bow-shaped attachment and is heated through an electrical connection, which melts the foam as the wire moves through. A handle guides the bow during the cutting process.
- 2). Load the batteries into the unit if it is a battery powered cutter. If it is a unit with a power cord plug it in.
- 3). Flip the metal arm down to the battery housing cap to make contact or turn the switch to turn the unit on if it is an electric cutter.
- 4). Place the wire of the cutter against the foam at the beginning point where you want to cut the foam. Follow the cut slowly and evenly, allowing the heat of the wire to cut through the foam.
- 5). Remove larger sections of foam by dividing the area into smaller sections or chunks. Do this by cutting along the design or template outline, then up through the waste portion to remove a chunk, by making a cut through the section and removing it . This makes the cutting process a bit smoother and easier for large sections. Remove the excess foam and smooth out any rough spots if needed by gently guiding the cut wire along the edge, removing the rough spots.
- 6). Turn the cutter off and allow the blade to cool when finished. Use a rag to wipe off any bits of foam adhering to the blade if needed.
