Characteristics of foam
Polyfoam is a sound and heat insulation material consisting of 98% of air, which is enclosed in a huge number of microscopic cells made of expanded polystyrene. Wide use of foam is due to the following properties:
- low thermal conductivity;
- is not hygroscopic( resistant to moisture);
- is durable and lightweight;
- is durable;
- is non-toxic;
- is resistant to decay;
- is not digested by animals.
Polyfoam is a versatile material, therefore it is used for insulation of buildings, both outside and inside, for soundproofing with noise and shock loads, for thermal insulation of volumes such as refrigerators, isothermal vans and freezers, for packaging and in other areas.
A variety of methods - let's start with the more affordable
In order to insulate walls, ceiling or something else, it is often necessary to cut large insulation sheets. Then the question arises: than cutting foam ?This becomes a problem, because the styrofoam crumbles and breaks easily. Cutting foam at home can be done in several ways, we estimate their diversity.
You can cut off a piece with the .Use such a cutter for polystyrene foam - cheap, noiseless, fast and affordable. The plus of this method is the minimum amount of debris. The sharper the knife, the faster and better the material will be cut. Therefore, it is better to use a new sharp blade.
It should be taken into account that the foam is thicker, the less smooth the cut can be. But this method has its drawback - with such a knife it is possible to cut foam plastic not more than 5 cm thick. If you use a jigsaw, the cut will be ugly and uneven, there will also be a lot of debris.
Before cutting the foam, it is necessary to take a longer nail file, then it will be possible to cut sheets up to 10 cm thick without much effort. Working with p wood saws is the most common way to cut foam. This does not require any specific knowledge.
To cut the workpiece with a conventional knife, it needs to be sharpened. After that it needs to be heated and then it is already possible to cut it. The advantages of this method are that the edge melts and turns out to be clean, there is not a small amount of debris.
Exotic options for cutting plastic foam
You can try cutting the polystyrene with hot nichrome wire .To build such a device for cutting foam, you will need a wire, a spring and a transformer. The table should be placed at an angle of 20-60 degrees. Cross the table by pulling the wire. On the one hand, fix the end firmly, and on the other - through the spring.
To both ends of the wire, it is necessary to connect the wires from the transformer, which is included in the mains. Next, you should apply a current and put a sheet of insulation on the table on top of the wire. Due to the inclination of the table, the sheets will be fed by sliding under the influence of their own weight.
To work, you need to make the wire a little red, but in no case is it too hot. Then the cut can turn out to be very wide. When heated, the nichrome wire becomes longer, so the spring must be strong. With its help you can adjust the length.
Try cutting the material off with the Bulgarian . The cutting of polystyrenes with their own hands can also be carried out with the help of a grinder and a disc for metal. You need to use the thinnest disk. This method is not very convenient, especially from the Bulgarians there will be noise, and garbage will fly in all directions.
Polyfoam can be cut with soldering iron. Using it, you can effectively and quickly cut the heater. The end of the soldering iron should be flattened with a hammer. Then a special detail is put on it, made of a metal cap of the fountain pen and a blade, which is fixed on the end. Then the soldering iron heats up and you can cut the sheets.
In addition, you can do not only smooth cuts, but also curly, that is, cut out details of a variety of shapes.
The choice of how best to cut foam, depends only on your wishes. Each of the above methods has the right to exist, and which one to use is dependent on the master.