Thursday 12 April 2012

Daddy's got a new knife... And it's hot !

Although a set of nine British Lineinfantrymen are currently in the focus of my efforts, the other 2012 projects aren't forgotten. Especially a new gaming board shall be built this year. I decided to use styrofoam as base material but cutting the 5cm boards (about 2") with a usual knife is really hopeless. Jegsaw works but is kind of makeshift tool for that.
However yesterday I upgraded my arsenal and bought a Proxxon Thermocut hotwire-cutter. It looks like a simple fret saw but it holds an up to 350 °C (about 662 °F) hot wire of hardened stainless steel. It goes through the foamboard like a lightsaber through butter (*insert maculine grunt here*). Or at least it should since I wasn't able to test it yesterday evening...

Here is a picture of my little beauty (official Proxxon product picture):

Isn't it nice?

I've been wanting such a thing since I read of it in a Citadel compendium in the late ninteen-nineties. Back then those tools were both inaccessible and unaffordably for me. But this one seemed a bargain for just around 35 EUR (about GBP 29 or USD 45). When the infantrymen are done (hopefully this weekend) I'll give the thermocutter a try. Those 2" foamboards shall be engraved and ornamented with a nice winding 1" deep river...

9 comments:

  1. Ohhhh Shiny!!! I want one of those; especially given the state of the bread knife at 'Awdry Towers'!

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  2. It's a beautiful looking piece of kit!

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  3. Scary looking piece of equipment. It bodes well for production.

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  4. Good luck with the new tool. I have a bunch of styrofoam sheet and a so called foam cutting hand saw, but I haven't had the chance to try it out yet.

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  5. Stuff like this works really great!
    I made a table-hotwire by combining my scrollsaw (as frame) with a resistor wire (instead of the sawblade) and a laboratory power-supply :) Works like a stationary Lightsaber :D

    Unfortunatly my setup isn't able to do the mentioned carvings, so I have no choice, I need to envy you for your new tool ;)

    Godspeed!
    //mojo

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  6. Looks a handy tool to have; much more useful than the cheapo battery-powered one I've got.

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  7. I bought the same some months ago and it really is a great tool.

    Have fun!

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  8. Thanks for all the nice comments. I see you know the feeling of a new tool (especially one which seems powerful) in your able hands...

    This weekend I was able to test the Thermocutter and I'm really satisfied with the result. Pictures are taken and to be uploaded soon. Maybe this evening depending on the progress with my British infantrymen...

    Cheers
    Monty

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