When repairing, especially associated with re-planning or warming, often used material such as polystyrene foam. Its popularity is due to the fact that it is quite cheap and has good insulation properties. But many people have a question, how and what to cut foam, not only quickly, but also qualitatively. That the line of the cut is even, and the edges are not "ruffled".
Polyfoam is known to be hard( hard) and soft. The hard is well processed, and for this reason, by the way, is popular with lovers of fishing - they make floats out of it. But the soft one usually crumbles. The thickness of the sheets( pieces) also varies, so there is no single recommendation for cutting foam. But some tips can still be given.
Tips and tools for cutting foam plastic
If the foam is soft, then it can be cut into pieces with a knife to cut the paper. He cuts polystyrene like oil. However, one should take into account that the blade of such a knife is quite flexible, so if the piece is "thick enough", then it is unlikely to survive a straight line. And if it does, the cut may not be vertical, but with a bevel.
Harder and thicker foam sheets can be cut:
- with a sharp, sharp knife. If the thickness of the sample is not very large, then the knife should be heated and then cut. Cutting will go much faster;
- hacksaw for metal;
- a saw on a tree with fine teeth.
Those people who tried to cut polystyrene with an electric jigsaw do not recommend using this tool. It is not possible to make the cut smooth.
The best method is cutting the foam with a wire made of nichrome. For this, a rather primitive "machine" is going to be assembled. The wire is pulled vertically, and current is passed from the transformer to 12V."Thinkers" often adapt for this purpose power transformers from older televisions. In the electrical circuit it is necessary to include a rheostat or an alternating resistance. Calculate it for a person familiar with the basics of electrical engineering, labor is not.
Current regulation is necessary to ensure that the wire does not heat up strongly. Excessive heating it will cause the foam to melt, and on its edges, along the whole line of the incision, there are buildups that can not be removed exactly. This method is attractive in that it allows you to cut out neat fragments not only in a straight line, but also in convolutions, kinks. In fact, this makes cutting universal.
You can try cutting with the help of a Bulgarian. However, the disk should be selected the thinnest. But when using such a high-quality tool, you can not get a cut, this will give the same result as when using a jigsaw. Someone advises using a soldering iron with a specially prepared thin sting.
All these methods are good in their own way. Therefore, it is necessary to choose according to the circumstances, considering all the features of such cutting.
