Craig Clark on wed 22 mar 06
Nan, the hot wire that Marcia mentions is a very effective device
with which to cut styro. You can use it to make relatively straight cuts
or to make some wonderfully textured flowing forms which are difficult
to get any other way. You can either buy one, which will cost you a
goodly amount of money, or you can make your own.
I was fortunate to attend a school with a very good foundry program.
We poured aluminum, bronze and iron. One of the things that we learned
in a basic design course was how to cut large blocks of styrofoam. We
use homemade hot wires. The basic design for the hot wire was as follows.
First: Build a free standing, sturdy, U-Shaped frame of wood or
metal that is wide enough for the widest forms of styro
that you wish to cut.
Second: Get yourself a few different gauges of steel wire, some
eye-hooks, some form of rubber insulators if you have a
steel frame, a battery charger.
Third: Screw the eye hooks into the opposite side of the arms of the
"U" frame.
Fourth: Stretch the wire as tight as you are able between the eye
hooks leaving a little bit of a tail of wire coming off each
end.
Fifth: Tighten the eye hooks a bit to further stiffen the wire if
you are after a straighter "cut", of loosen them if you want a
nice wavy texture. You can also twist the wire around different
sized cylinders to give it a nice curly cue effect a let it
hang a little loosely. This is fun to experiment with.
Sixth: Connect the clips of the battery charger to the tails of the
stretched steel wire. Then turn the battery charger on low
and cut away.
Keep in mind that the wire does get hot and that you can give
yourself a bit of a burn if you aren't careful. Nothing to serious but
enough to make you go owwwwwch. You also don't want to be directly
inhaling the fumes from the cutting. We allways did this task either in
a large well ventilated wood shop with or out in the open foundry area
which had a roof that was twenty feet off the ground and no walls.
If ventilation is of particular concern for whatever reason always
make sure that there is a source of fresh air behind you and that there
is a draw of the fumes (which really aren't that pronounced) away from
you and out of the space in which you are working. The idea is to keep
yourself between the fresh air souce and whatever it is that is
gernerating the fumes so that the draft of the space is pulling them
away from you.
There are several variations on this basic theme as well as a
modification where you can do the same type of thing which is basically
a hand held bow frame which you can pull through much larger blocks. It
is something which offers up a whole host of possibilities. If you
couple this technique with the application of a thin plaster coating
after you have roughed out your form you may end up with some truly
amazing shapes and forms.
Hope this helps
Craig Dunn CLark
619 East 11 1/2 St
Houston, Texas 77008
(713)861-2083
mudman@hal-pc.org
Marcia Selsor wrote:
> Hi Nan,
>
> Bill sawed thick styrofoam..sometimes 6" thick. We had a hot wire in
> the industrial design shop,
> but I think he sawed his by hand. Then refined a shape with a sur-
> form tool.
> Then after he was satisfied with the form, he put a thin coat of
> paster on it. Sanded where needed.
> The plaster sticks to styrofoam. I have done this with the white and
> the blue styrofoam.
> I can get "anal" about sanding. I don't think it needs to be that
> smooth.
>
> Marcia Selsor
> http://marciaselsor.com
>
>
> On Mar 21, 2006, at 12:39 PM, Nan Thurn Kitchens wrote:
>
>> Marcia wrote.....My teacher, Bill Daley, used styrofoam molds 35
>> years ago.
>> He also
>> put a thin skin of plaster on the surface. He said it helped speed
>> up the
>> drying and
>> gave a clean surface. I do the same thing today.
>> Marcia Selsor
>> http://marciaselsor.com
>>
>> Marcia,
>> You've got my interest, would you please elaborate on how to make
>> these
>> molds?
>> Specifically, I have questions on how the plaster adheres....
>>
>> It was great to see the clayart family in Portland.
>> Like a family reunion, never enough time to connect with
>> everyone.
>> I've got the dreaded Red boa cold bug too. Yech.
>> Glad it wasn't bird flu.
>> Strike that thought.
>>
>> Nan Thurn Kitchens
>> Architectural Clayworks
>> Box 371070
>> Key Largo Florida 33037
>> 305-451-9885
>
>
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Gayle Bair on wed 22 mar 06
Craig,
I seemed to recall a thread on the toxic fumes from styro.
see
http://www.potters.org/subject81143.htm
Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
Tucson, AZ
www.claybair.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Craig Clark
Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 7:49 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: press molds...cutting styro....usiing a hot wire
Nan, the hot wire that Marcia mentions is a very effective device
with which to cut styro.
Keep in mind that the wire does get hot and that you can give
yourself a bit of a burn if you aren't careful. Nothing to serious but
enough to make you go owwwwwch. You also don't want to be directly
inhaling the fumes from the cutting. We allways did this task either in
a large well ventilated wood shop with or out in the open foundry area
which had a roof that was twenty feet off the ground and no walls.
If ventilation is of particular concern for whatever reason always
make sure that there is a source of fresh air behind you and that there
is a draw of the fumes (which really aren't that pronounced) away from
you and out of the space in which you are working. The idea is to keep
yourself between the fresh air souce and whatever it is that is
gernerating the fumes so that the draft of the space is pulling them
away from you.
There are several variations on this basic theme as well as a
modification where you can do the same type of thing which is basically
a hand held bow frame which you can pull through much larger blocks. It
is something which offers up a whole host of possibilities. If you
couple this technique with the application of a thin plaster coating
after you have roughed out your form you may end up with some truly
amazing shapes and forms.
Nan Thurn Kitchens on thu 23 mar 06
Craig,
Thanks for the tech info. I have an outdoor
studio now so it is likely I won't kill myself doing this.
Nan Thurn Kitchens
Lori on thu 23 mar 06
There is also a commercially available tool called the Wonder Cutter which
is specifically designed to cut styrofoam. The simple version costs $6.99
and can cut up to 2" thicknesses. The Styrofoam Plus Wonder Cutter can cut
up to 4" thicknesses and costs $24.99. Both can be found on-line.
Gayle Bair on thu 23 mar 06
that's the one I have....and all I can advise is to
wear a mask that filters out fumes,
Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
Tucson, AZ
www.claybair.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Of Lori
There is also a commercially available tool called the Wonder Cutter which
is specifically designed to cut styrofoam. The simple version costs $6.99
and can cut up to 2" thicknesses. The Styrofoam Plus Wonder Cutter can cut
up to 4" thicknesses and costs $24.99. Both can be found on-line.
pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on wed 29 mar 06
Hi Millie,
The end of the Soldering Iron is most likely make
of pure Copper or some high Copper alloy maybe.
You c-o-u-l-d, as you are thinking to do, in
theory, Braze or Copper-Weld, a Steel Wire to, or
into, the Copper end useing pure Copper wire as
additional Brazing or Welding media, and useing a
quite a careful touch, or just useing a careful
touch so the Copper of the end Brazes or Welds
itself to the Steel Wire with no additional
media...
...or use some order of Silver Alloy wire to
effect the join, which does not have melting point
higher than the (more or less pure) Copper end,
and, likely best, useing some sort of Flux to help
it all go nicely without oxides making matters
troublesome...
'Solder', in the usual sense of the term, is a
Lead & Tin alloy, or, rarely, a Lead Tin and
whatever-else alloy, which melts low enough for
Soldering Irons having pure Copper ends, to melt
it....hence, anything Soldered 'to' the end of a
Soldering Iron would come un-Soldered once that
Iron is at operating temperature.
One hears the term 'Silver Solder' but this is
really to my mind, an operation which is broadly
in the same heat range as Brazeing matters are, if
usually some little less hot maybe, and the term
'Brazeing', literally, means to join with molten
Brass...
...so, sadly, we do not seem to have a term to
distinguish occasions of joining parts with Molten
Silver or it's alloys, and find such instead being
called 'Silver Soldering', even though this is
something which is done at a much higher heat than
'Soldering' otherwise is, when Lead-Tin alloys are
being used. But there are various Silver Solder
alloys with which one can join Steel to pure
Copper without worrys of melting the Copper. And
some Silver containing alloys even, which a
Solderin iron can manage, if for very small items,
which are more Solder-like.
Now, too, a Steel wire, Brazed into the End of
even a very large and robust Soldering Iron, will
not get hot enough along enough of it's length, to
do the deed you have in mind, unless the foam you
are wishing to try and cut this way is quite thin
indeed....and where the Wire is co-respondingly
'short'.
Where, a suitable alloy Wire, a 'Ni-Chrome' or
it's kin, which is heated along it's length
internally, from it's resistance to an Electric
Current passing through it, would heat evenly
along it's entire length.
Have fun...
Keep safe...!
Phil
Las Vegas
----- Original Message -----
From:
after looking at the hot wire cutting tools. I am
thinking about
adapting one of the tips of a soldering iron by
drilling into it and
then inserting a long wire. If I solder the wire
in place with a
torch. heating the soldering iron wont unsolder
it, would it? Okay
after you tech savvy potters have finished
laughing at my naïvety, I
would appreciate the help.
Millie in md where it is spring, my cats are
bringing me daily moles.
And thankfully my daugter's 7 month old, 90
pound Bernese Mountain Dog
who I was keeping for the last 5 days has gone
home. and yes, I am
seriously thinking of getting a saddle for him
when he is full grown.
after all, I am still the right size to ride a
shetland pony.
claylady@MAC.COM on wed 29 mar 06
after looking at the hot wire cutting tools. I am thinking about=20
adapting one of the tips of a soldering iron by drilling into it and=20
then inserting a long wire. If I solder the wire in place with a=20
torch. heating the soldering iron wont unsolder it, would it? Okay=20=
after you tech savvy potters have finished laughing at my na=EFvety, I=20=
would appreciate the help.
Millie in md where it is spring, my cats are bringing me daily moles.=20=
And thankfully my daugter's 7 month old, 90 pound Bernese Mountain Dog=20=
who I was keeping for the last 5 days has gone home. and yes, I am=20
seriously thinking of getting a saddle for him when he is full grown. =20=
after all, I am still the right size to ride a shetland pony.
Snail Scott on fri 31 mar 06
At 06:27 PM 3/29/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>after looking at the hot wire cutting tools. I am thinking about
>adapting one of the tips of a soldering iron by drilling into it and
>then inserting a long wire. If I solder the wire in place with a
>torch. heating the soldering iron wont unsolder it, would it?
Unfortunately, the thin wire will cool off very
quickly the further it gets from the soldering
iron tip. Probably it will not be hot enough to
do any but the most delicate cutting in foam. A
soldering iron will cut foam, though, if a short
tip will do what you need. Note that a regular
soldering iron may still be too hot for good
control. A dimmer switch - the kind on a cord that
you plug into the wall, then plug the lamp (or
tool) into that - will be useful for control.
I use soldering irons this way for foam, and
also to do wax forming for casting.
By the way, since soldering iron tips are copper,
they can be hammered while cold to modify their
shape.
Regular hot-wire tools are not heat tools in the
usual sense, like a wood-burning tool or a
soldering iron. These use electical current to
heat a separate piece of metal in the tip, but no
current runs through the tip itself. A hot wire
actually carries current across the wire to
the other side, which is why it can get hot and
stay hot aloong its entire length.
For cutting foam, I use the snap-knives from the
dollar store: four to a pack (i.e. 25c each),
long enough at full extension to get a nice sawing
motion for a clean cut, no fumes like from a wire
and no clingy crumbs like from a saw. For really
thick foam, a wire is good, but not necessary for
the foam insulation board.
I did a project out of a 4'x4'x8' block of foam
last year - now that took a really large hot wire!
But only to get the parts down to size...then I
whittled with my trusty snap knife.
-Snail
Kathi LeSueur on sat 1 apr 06
>>after looking at the hot wire cutting tools. I am thinking about
>>adapting one of the tips of a soldering iron by drilling into it and
>>then inserting a long wire. If I solder the wire in place with a
>>torch. heating the soldering iron wont unsolder it, would it?>>>>>
>>
I believe the best way to cut styrofoam is with a band saw. It gives you
complete control and a very crisp edge. You can cut straight or adjust
the table so that you are cutting on an angle. This is how I make all of
my forms.
Kathi
>>
>>
Ingeborg Foco on sat 1 apr 06
Snail,
Please, what exactly is a "snap-knife"
Ingeborg
the Potter's Workshop & Gallery
P.O. Box 510
3058 Stringfellow Road
St. James City, Florida 33956
239-283-2775
Snail Scott on sun 2 apr 06
At 06:23 PM 4/1/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>Snail,
>Please, what exactly is a "snap-knife"...
It's a disposable type of utility knife, with
a segmented blade. It's meant to be used until
the tip gets dull, then you snap off the end of
the blade along a stamped-in score mark, leaving
a new, sharp tip exposed. They are scored about
every 1/4" - 1/2" depending on the depth of the
blade, along a 4" or 5" length. By running the
whole blade out of its holder, it exposes the
full length of the cutting surface instead of
using it one segment at at time. There are some
with 1" deep blades - more rigid and good for
straight cuts, and some with 1/2" deep blades,
more flexible and better for curves and detail.
They cost up to $6.00 at a hardare store, so I
get them at the dollar store in the hardware
aisle. They are much chintzier there, but
adequate.
For cutting foam, use them with a sawing motion.
-Snail
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