Cutting polystryene sheet

[Simpo Two]

We need to make some clouds!

I can get this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/ST106-WIRE-POLYSTYRENE-FOA...

- but as I have a soldering iron I wondered if it's possible to improvise, or maybe even get a special bit for it. Or would the wire not get hot enough? Thanks!

[951TSE]

Probably the wrong type of soldering iron but here's one way of doing it:

http://club.cycom.co.uk/hotwire/Hot_wire_cutter_fo...

Alternatively:

http://www.ehow.com/way_6045320_homemade-wire-poly...

but really you can use anything within reason. Just make a rigid 'U' shape from anything, wood is okay (just not metal) that you can stretch a thin wire across the open jaws, then connect up a suitable power supply, which shouldn't really need to be more than 12v or so. You're aiming at using the resistance in the wire to generate heat to melt the polystyrene.

[Morf]

This brought back memories!

I had one of these when I was a kid...



http://www.metropolistoys.co.uk/albumdet.asp?id=34...

It was a real struggle cutting round the pieces, there were an awful lot of wobbly edges which would be fine for a cloud but not so good on a Dalek.

Kept the cutter for several years and used it to make various things from polystyrene tiles.

I can still remember the smell - and the burnt fingertips!

[wooly350i]

I've used an old very sharp kitchen knife and heated it with a blow torch to cut polystyrene, worked a treat for cutting without mess, maybe you could use a hot air gun used for paint stripping to distort the edges.