how important is adequate ventilation when using one of these?[?]
I am no scientist but my bet is “pretty important” – and for sure it should not be used in an enclosed space. I use one in my basement which is very large; I prop open windows to get fresh air, and I try to limit the time of use to just a few minutes. I imagine I really should get the kind of respirator that Tony Koester is pictured wearing in the letters section of the April MR
Of course if you worked in a plastics molding plant you would be smelling those fumes all day long but even apart from health issues, the smell is not one that adds to the livability of a house or apartment. This last weekend I was using a wood burning tool on some balsa wood – using old E.L. Moore techniques – and while burning wood is normally a pleasant smell, inside a house it can get pretty strong – especially since some of the wood was glued with Walthers Goo and it got hot (and smelly) too. My hair and my sweater smelled of burning wood and it was not real pleasant – and burning plastic is a worse smell.
Dave Nelson
Dave Nelson is right on about good ventilation. The fumes from melting plastic are toxic. Try fitting a window or two with a exhaust fan and keeep a window open to draw fresh air. A respirator is a good investment for you lungs. For fumes (spray paint too), don’t use a dusk mask. Get the kind that has replacable charcoal filters and pre-filters. Don’t forget your helpers and spectators too. If you have pets that like to watch everything you do, make them leave while you make a stink. Also, saw dust is very bad to breathe too. A tight fitting dusk mask is all that’s needed for dust.
Follow prototype practice, “SAFETY FIRST”
Don’t tell me that, I use mine inside all the time. Aaaahhhh.
I’ve heard this about using hot wire on styofoam before. I am about to embark on using foam for the first time to build scenery. After doing a bit of reading, it looks to me like some people go with hot wire, and some just rough-cut the stuff with a utility knife or small drywall saw, and then use rasps, knives, and other tools to shape it.
I realize that the shaping method will make for quite a mess, but so what? You vacuum it up.
Does the hot wire really do such a great job over manual shaping that it’s worth all the hassle with the fumes?
I prefer the hot wire to other cutting methods where the hot wire cutter will work.
For long straight cuts, I use a knife. I avoid files except for clean up.
One thing I found, the hot wire does NOT like to go through latex paint. Cut & shape first; paint after.
Use only in a well ventilated area, make sure to wear safety glasses, as there may be an occassional spatter, and hot plastic droplets/particles will do a number on your eyes. A respirator is a good idea too, plastic fumes condensing in your lungs will greatly reduce your breathing ability.
How much of a mess is made when you cut the foam?
What are the best tools for this? What brands do people use? Where do you get them? Are there wires, routers, etc?
Wedge - a lot less mess than if you sand the foam into shape! It is as messy as you let it get - if you carve of lots of little bits, then expect it to get messy. The advantage is though that you can carve of bigger pieces (depending on your cutter) than you can with a knife or other shaping tool.
Reno - I built my own using an old transformer from a “basic” train set. The key is nichrome wire. Build some sort of holder - I cut a wood shape sort of like a hacksaw. Then install the nichrome wire across the gap. It is a good idea if you can make your shape kind of “springy” to keep the tension on, as the wire tends to sag a bit when it is hot. I ran telephone wire to either end of the “blade”, and hooked it up to the vaiable output. More power = hott wire = faster cutting.
BE SURE TO DO THIS IN A WELL VENTIALATED AREA!!
Woodland Scenics makes the nichrome wire as a replacement part for their cutter. In Canada, my local shop had the wire for about $3, but the whole cutter was about $60 - that’s why I made my own. I have read where others have gotten battery powered hot wire cutters at Michael’s or other craft stores for much less, but have not found them myself…
Andrew
Actually I recently tried my new Woodland Scenics hot wire, and found that it made no smoke or fumes that I could detect. I also found that it was some what slow cutting, but perhaps I don’t have it adjusted properly.
The following site lists 25 gauge nichrome wire for foam cutting at 30’ for $9.00
http://www.aeroconsystems.com/electronics/nichrome.htm#25
The hotter the wire, the faster the cutting. If the WS is battery powered (I can’t recall), you may need new batteries, or there may just be an operational limit…
Not to be argumentative, but people cannot detect carbon monoxide either. This does not mean that it is safe…
Andrew
Actually the WS model that I have is low voltage, and runs off an AC adapter. True about no odor not being a good test for safety, but usually burning plastic throws off a lot of smell, and this didn’t. I’ll have to check the package for warnings, but part of the reason for low voltage on this device, may be to keep the fumes and any risk low. I would think that regular spray paint would be more harmful.
Personally I’m not too worried, but then I don’t use it all that much. Use your head, and be careful.
Since we have been making and selling foam cutters here in the US for many years, I called DOW chemical and asked them if there were any dangers cutting EPS (expanded polystyrene) foams with a hot wire. They told me that the only off gas is hydrocarbon which is the same as burning wood. If it reached the flame point of 800 degrees, it would give off benzyne. Foam melts at 180 degrees. They said that there is no toxicity to the fumes that come off when cutting EPS with a hot wire, but that you should still cut in a ventilated area. The spray glue we sell on the other hand . . .
Dave
Hot Wire Foam Factory
It says acrid and burns the eyes if too close… (personal experience)
This comment may be true in the most extreme cases, but the thing to watch out for is really CA (super) glue fumes. Those can get very nasty if you get too close.[xx(]