what is a thermocol cutter?

Question

I have seen a baterry charged metal wire. Which gets heated to a very low temperature held between a U-shaped wooden handle. something like a hexa ( heksaw) used to cut metal.

Answer 1

It appears that thermocol is another (Indian?) word, or perhaps a brand name, for polystyrene foam.

There are several types of polystyrene foam... one type is crumbly when broken (the craft type sold at craft/hobby stores, and packing shapes that come around computers/etc in boxes), and one type is denser and sculpts better (sold as large sheets of insulation for houses, roofs, etc at home improvment/hardware stores).

In the US there are "hot-wire cutters" for polystyrene foams (both kinds) which are fairly inexpensive... the item on the right is the type I mean, which has a cardboard tube to hold the batteries:
http://www.thepalantir.org/issues/4/images/4cat1.jpg
(and I think there are places on the web that talk about how to make one too).

You might also want to check out this site which has lots of "hot tools" for cutting and shaping ps:
http://hotwirefoamfactory.com/home.php

And here are many more hot wire cutters online of all types ... may be some good info in some of those links:
http://images.google.com/images?q=hot+wire+cutter&ndsp=20&svnum=100&hl=en&rls=GGLC,GGLC:1969-53,GGLC:en&start=0&sa=N

PS foams can also be cut and shaped with non-heated tools, for example serrated knives, rasps and sandpaper, and broken edge of ps can also act as "sandpaper."


HTH,

Diane B.

Answer 2

Thermocol Cutter

Answer 3

A hot-wire foam cutter is defined as a tool used to cut polystyrene foam (Thermocol) and similar materials. The device consists of a thin, taut metal wire, often made of nichrome or stainless steel, or a thicker wire preformed into a desired shape, which is heated via electrical resistance to approximately 200°C. As the wire is passed through the material to be cut, the heat from the wire vaporizes the material just in advance of contact.

Answer 4

It's a tool to cut (expanded) polystyrene by melting it's way through it. The wire is heated as you say and you simply drag the wire through the material. They are mostly used for expanded polystyrenes (thermocol) but I've also seen them used for cutting solid polystyrene sheets.
It's very useful for complex shapes.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Yes, but you will have to choose among the sand papers to decide whether a more open paper (with spaces between the grits so it doesn't clog as much) or a fine tight grained paper (if the thermocol does not clog making the paper not sand after a few strokes) will work better

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Answer 7

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