Jin Tora
Servant
Aisuru Hito Ni
Posts: 72
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Post by Jin Tora on Mar 5, 2006 21:10:11 GMT -5
If you're still cutting foam with a knife/saw, you're living in the dark ages.
Bought myself one of these at Hobby Lobby yesterday (not this exact one, there's was a different brand and $1 cheaper but it's the exact same design).
A few twists of the wire and two D-cells later I can rip an entire length of blue foam like going through air. "Hot knife through butter" doesn't begin to describe this thing. All of the cuts come out smooth and even. So long as you use a non-conducting material, you can run it against a straight edge for great results. Also cuts curves with ease. I'm almost anxious to build an obscenely large axe just to be able to sculpt the foam.
Especially if you're a craftsman who may sell a few weapons on the side (or just enjoys having options in his own arsenal) this makes the smithing process much easier and less wasteful (and less mess!). Then again, if you're doing it for a minor profit you may as well spring for the corded model and not bother with batteries all the time.
Seriously...this thing is worth the money (It's $6!!!). If you make cutting templates for your swords...wow, you're consistently making a weapon in only slightly more time than it takes to apply the DAP.
Alric, I'm bringing mine to Stormhaven for our smithing session(s) so we'll be able to really rip some stuff out. I may be buying some more foam and make other implements just to use the tool!
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nichtmar
Slave
Better than Gravy!
Posts: 13
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Post by nichtmar on Mar 10, 2006 11:05:01 GMT -5
Man I need to visit this board more often, Do you know what it's called or which department it was in?
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Jin Tora
Servant
Aisuru Hito Ni
Posts: 72
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Post by Jin Tora on Mar 10, 2006 12:18:02 GMT -5
Hah, I had this exact same post on the MM boards for a bit but I deleted it...can't remember why...
It was in with all their styrofoam stuff. The hard type, like a computer monitor or stereo would come packed in. I forget the name right now (packing stuff up to head back to school this weekend) but it's like "Wonder Styro Cutter" or something cheesey like that.
PS: This thing is great for cutting circles if you have something to trace against. My pommels are smoooooth. Love this thing!!!
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Post by Alric, son of Harland on Mar 11, 2006 19:34:29 GMT -5
Is it the one that's like an electric turkey carver?
Alric
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Jin Tora
Servant
Aisuru Hito Ni
Posts: 72
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Post by Jin Tora on Mar 12, 2006 2:51:37 GMT -5
I don't think a turkey would carve solely from a super-hot wire?
What this thing is, is two D-cells with a high-resistance wire in the circuit. The resistance causes the wire to heat and melt the foam immediately surrounding it.
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Post by Diego Dilletante on Mar 12, 2006 22:53:23 GMT -5
Hey, don't breathe in those fumes, there, burning foam is highly toxic. Good going
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Post by Brude on Mar 12, 2006 23:06:08 GMT -5
Although I do not doubt the validity of that statement, seeing that the tool was made to cut foam, I doubt they would market it if it was that toxic to your health. Remember, this is found in not only the foam, but also styrofoam section of the crafts store, which I'm pretty sure is more toxic in itself then camping pads. Don't worry, nobodies dying, so I think we're good! And if they are, feel free to say "I told ya so"
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Jin Tora
Servant
Aisuru Hito Ni
Posts: 72
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Post by Jin Tora on Mar 13, 2006 0:20:44 GMT -5
My workshop at home is very well ventilated and I didn't notice much in the way of fumes....it certainly wasn't any worse than DAP. I think it gets hot enough that the burning of the foam is more or less instantaneous and concentrated, it doesn't really conduct to the rest of the foam and leave it smoldering.
There were no warnings on the box for the cutter and I would think they would make mention of something like that. I'm not saying there aren't fumes, just the way the tool works they're minimal because there's no heat dissipation (the foam is cool to the touch immediately after the wire passes) and the foam is basically "cauterized" as soon as the cut is made.
Regardless, we only have one, so we'll need knives as well at the smithing session...also, I'm not sure how much current the cutter draws from the batteries and I don't have a replacement set here at school...ugh...it could well die soon.
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Post by Diego Dilletante on Mar 13, 2006 15:31:28 GMT -5
That's good, as long as there isn't any visible smoke, otherwise breathing it in could cause brain damage my stepdad always warned me about burning foam in cardboard boxes when we had bonfires. Other than that, it sounds like a great tool. (You always have to expect smelly stuff when making REAL craft projects anyway!)
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Jin Tora
Servant
Aisuru Hito Ni
Posts: 72
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Post by Jin Tora on Mar 13, 2006 15:41:15 GMT -5
What is this drain bamage you're talking about?
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