Kinds Of Handheld Foam Saw And Their Uses

By Anthony Allen


Some people have work projects that uses foams and they need to cut and shape them according to what they need it for. Using an ordinary blade, cutter, saw or any sharp tools is not advisable because these materials might get deformed due to their texture. That is why a specialized tool is needed for doing this task.

This device is comprised of thin taut metal wire that are made of stainless steel usually or nichrome. An electrical resistance will then heat that handheld foam saw which results in having the material vaporized even before the wire makes contact to it. These devices can be bought from commercial stores or be created yourself in accordance to your needs and preferences.

Two kinds of wires are used that are known as tensioned and preformed for this task. Preformed ones are manually, or with the use of pliers, shaped to certain forms and has a handle used by operators in guiding through the foam. This would allow numerous copies to be created by you of identical patterns that is a big advantage when a project requires this.

The latter is held tightly by a frame which has springs and stainless steel with a single strand is usually used by people for this than nichrome. Those homemade uses leader wire for fishing or some musical instrument strings due to their availability and inexpensiveness. Those commercially made prefer alloy wires based on nickel though.

Under this type, different kinds of cutters are available depending on their structure and specific purpose. Handheld uses a short string and can be easily handled by the operator in cutting the foam according to what they need. This is what people commonly create at home by themselves because of its simplicity that enables anyone to do it.

Simple manual table cutter can be either horizontal or vertical and a table is used to secure or guide the foam. Vertical ones are utilized by hobbyists to cut small complex shapes such as letters that are only prismatic. Horizontal have the wire attached on tracks on either side which are movable upwards and downwards to cut exact sizes making it ideal for packaging and construction.

Template guided ones with an attached string to templates on both sides of foam block and guides it to form a prismatic or tapered shape. This can be manually moved by hands or using pulley mechanism with each end of the string connected with weights. The accuracy that the created patterns have depends on their templates and the operator skills.

Push through slicer with an evenly spaced and parallel strings attached to frames that are either horizontal or vertical. Large blocks are pushed through either with gravity or on rollers and sliced into sheets being sold for work in construction. The strings can be replaced and adjusted allowing you to produce different thickness.

Computer numerically controlled guide a tensioned wire in forming prismatic or tapered shapes on either side of the block. Accuracy is affected by the various components of this device and how tight the string is. Lathe attachments are offered by some which makes cutting spiral shapes possible.




About the Author: