Subj : Hot Wire Foam Cutter
To   : ALL
From : Mike Powell
Date : Tue Mar 05 2024 10:40:00

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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