Ok I have a neewbie question???
what is a Hot knife? And How do I wire it up?
what is a Hot knife? And How do I wire it up?
Another Custom Tail Thread...
So I went to the craft store tonight to buy styrofoam to start carving my custom tail section form.
I went to Michael's, That was my first mistake!
$11.99 for a single 3x18x36 ( I think not )
$8.99 for styrofoam adhesive ( nope again )
________________________________________________
So I came home trying to figure out what I was gonna do, being cheap isn't me, but I don't want to get discouraged, and scrap $60.00 worth of foam either.
So, mad at the consumer world, and the outrageous price of what I am sure I am the only person who would have wanted it today, I went and sat next to my torn down bike, looking like a complete moron. (This will segway into another story I just remembered, but I will post that in another thread).
So anyway, I am sitting in my garage thinking about a wire frame or something like a paper mache' type structure, and I Rub my forehead in disgust, like I always do (thus the lack of hair) and kick my head back to stretch my neck, and it all comes together!!
Over top of me in the rafters of the garage is an old 4 foot x 8 foot piece of styrofoam insulation!!! DING DING DING!!!!!
So back out into todays rain I go. 1 can of 3M spray adhesive, and my skill saw turned that 1 piece into a block that is now 12x24x48.
I sprayed a thin coat of flat black paint between the layers so that as I am sanding I can take measurements from center to the black line, so as to be symetrical.
I snapped a couple of pics, but I will wait to post, when I actually begin carving to show progress. Wish me luck!!!
I went to Michael's, That was my first mistake!
$11.99 for a single 3x18x36 ( I think not )
$8.99 for styrofoam adhesive ( nope again )
________________________________________________
So I came home trying to figure out what I was gonna do, being cheap isn't me, but I don't want to get discouraged, and scrap $60.00 worth of foam either.
So, mad at the consumer world, and the outrageous price of what I am sure I am the only person who would have wanted it today, I went and sat next to my torn down bike, looking like a complete moron. (This will segway into another story I just remembered, but I will post that in another thread).
So anyway, I am sitting in my garage thinking about a wire frame or something like a paper mache' type structure, and I Rub my forehead in disgust, like I always do (thus the lack of hair) and kick my head back to stretch my neck, and it all comes together!!
Over top of me in the rafters of the garage is an old 4 foot x 8 foot piece of styrofoam insulation!!! DING DING DING!!!!!
So back out into todays rain I go. 1 can of 3M spray adhesive, and my skill saw turned that 1 piece into a block that is now 12x24x48.
I sprayed a thin coat of flat black paint between the layers so that as I am sanding I can take measurements from center to the black line, so as to be symetrical.
I snapped a couple of pics, but I will wait to post, when I actually begin carving to show progress. Wish me luck!!!
21 - 29 of 29 Posts
Motorgasm73 said:Anybody know where some can be had at a decent price????
Right now there's a decent shortage rolling around. It's around $35-40 a yard.
Ok, so I wish I had a band saw, a drum sander, and way more patience!!!
I feel like I got alot accomplished today, don't know if yall will think the same, but here goes the progress so far.
I am trying to get a split tail look where I will run a brake light in between the points, and turns on the points, all in LED's. I know it has a long way togo, but this was all done with a utility knife, a sheraded bread knife, and a piece of 120 grit sand paper, just to clean up the edges. It is still really rough. Tomorrow I will get back at it, and maybe be ready for glass by the weekend.
alright I am usually pretty good at the puter thing, but I am having trouble uploading the pics, they are in my profile. I am brain shot right now, going to make a burger...
I feel like I got alot accomplished today, don't know if yall will think the same, but here goes the progress so far.
I am trying to get a split tail look where I will run a brake light in between the points, and turns on the points, all in LED's. I know it has a long way togo, but this was all done with a utility knife, a sheraded bread knife, and a piece of 120 grit sand paper, just to clean up the edges. It is still really rough. Tomorrow I will get back at it, and maybe be ready for glass by the weekend.
alright I am usually pretty good at the puter thing, but I am having trouble uploading the pics, they are in my profile. I am brain shot right now, going to make a burger...
a hot knife is basically just a piece of wire that you run a current through. Your wire needs to be able to take it as most cant. and you cant have a steady curent it needs to pulse. Im sure there are plans out there on the internet but you will be better off with that electric turkey knife. Thats what most people use to rough out the shape but they only work well for large cuts. If you need to take less then 1/4" off your better off sanding it. When i was shaping my foam i used a hacksaw blade in my hands and traced out lines to follow, crude but it was cheap.
That looks like a cool project. Can't wait to see more pics as it progress'.
Tommy Pantsdown said:Right now there's a decent shortage rolling around. It's around $35-40 a yard.
i (unfortunately) know someone who gets that stuff. . . like lots of it... like, hes part of the reason theres a shortage.
man it must be nice to have DADDY pay your way thru life
:fire: :knucks:
that turned out great man! did the lexan bend easy enough for you?
What did you use to heat it? About what temp? Thinking about the possibility of some lexan for my project.
i use a heat gun, the kind used for shrink wrap on electrical wires. Heat varies with thickness. I think the heat guns go up to 900degress F. You have to heat it slowly and never hold the heat in one spot and always keep pressure on it in the direction you want to bend it. If you bent it too far it will start to show hairline cracks in the surface. If you heat it too much it will discolor.
21 - 29 of 29 Posts
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