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A few months ago I threw a wire cuttter together to test out the ideas and information I had gathered on the subject.
Here is my first version
It worked better than I expected but I had to dismantled it for a number of reasons, here are the main two, It was not insulated and so it was unsafe and the dimmer switch had to go back on the wall before the girlfriend realised I borrowed it.
When doing a yard run at work I found an electric junction box that was discarded by builders refitting a shop, This box was the perfect size to house the guts of my wire cutter.
Here is a basic how to guide on building a simple hot wire cutter from parts that are easy to get from most D.I.Y. stores.
DISCLAIMER although most people in these threads will know what they are doing I would say that if your not confident with electrics and HIGH voltage this is not a project for you, I will not be held liable for any loss, damage, injury or death how ever so caused.
Step 1. Gather your parts.
Step 2. Prepair parts.
Remove the dimmer unit from its facepalce and make holes in the project box
do this by pulling the knob off the front and unscrewing a nut behind it, the size and location of the holes in the box will vary...Continue Reading
Here is my first version
It worked better than I expected but I had to dismantled it for a number of reasons, here are the main two, It was not insulated and so it was unsafe and the dimmer switch had to go back on the wall before the girlfriend realised I borrowed it.
When doing a yard run at work I found an electric junction box that was discarded by builders refitting a shop, This box was the perfect size to house the guts of my wire cutter.
Here is a basic how to guide on building a simple hot wire cutter from parts that are easy to get from most D.I.Y. stores.
DISCLAIMER although most people in these threads will know what they are doing I would say that if your not confident with electrics and HIGH voltage this is not a project for you, I will not be held liable for any loss, damage, injury or death how ever so caused.
Step 1. Gather your parts.
- Coat hanger or similar bow shape
- Ni-Chrome resistance wire 26SWG
- Terminal blcoks
- Low voltage (12V 5amp/60VA) lighting transformer
- 1G dimmer switch (prefferably push on/off)
- Switch (optional)
- 1.5mm or higher main cable and plug
- Project box to house it all in
Step 2. Prepair parts.
Remove the dimmer unit from its facepalce and make holes in the project box
do this by pulling the knob off the front and unscrewing a nut behind it, the size and location of the holes in the box will vary...Continue Reading
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Here's the wire cutter prototype I made a few days ago...
The parts
The NiCh wire is held taught between the two points of the coat hanger by the terminal blocks and is attatched to the 12v output of the transformer, the dimmer switch that would normally dim the bulb is used to control the temperature of the cutting wire and the black in-line switch allows the setup to be turned on or off without having to find the right place for the heat setting again but this is not needed if a push on/off dimmer is used.
I won a 1G rolled brass dimmer on eBay for the starting bid of 99p with free p&p! When it arrived I opened it to find this...
they sent a 3G by mistake, as it was a clearence item it was ok, so as I only need the unit and not the faceplate, SCORE! now I have 3 units or 99p.
Here's the wire cutter prototype I made a few days ago...
WARNING - This wire cutter was made to test the information I found on the subject, it is not properly insulated and is very dangerous and should not be copied! I will make a safer final version and post a how to on it here once I have tested it.
| DIY variable heat hot wire cutter (0 min 28 sec) |
The parts
- 12-18 month childs coat hanger
- Ni-Chrome resistance wire 26SWG
- Terminal blcoks
- Low voltage (12V 5amp/60VA) lighting transformer
- 1G dimmer switch (prefferably push on/off)
- 1.5mm or higher main cable and plug
The NiCh wire is held taught between the two points of the coat hanger by the terminal blocks and is attatched to the 12v output of the transformer, the dimmer switch that would normally dim the bulb is used to control the temperature of the cutting wire and the black in-line switch allows the setup to be turned on or off without having to find the right place for the heat setting again but this is not needed if a push on/off dimmer is used.
I won a 1G rolled brass dimmer on eBay for the starting bid of 99p with free p&p! When it arrived I opened it to find this...
they sent a 3G by mistake, as it was a clearence item it was ok, so as I only need the unit and not the faceplate, SCORE! now I have 3 units or 99p.
