Foam only CNC

[ryanonthebeach]

I am new to CNC so please excuse any stupid questions.
Application is building a plug for a boat hull mould in parts to be assembled.
I'm looking for a suitable machine for cutting foam only. Have been searching for some time but see most of them are very heavily over built for this task mostly for built for wood etc.
Looking for something relatively light (and economical)
Is see the hotwire machines are in this line of thinking, which look interesting, but not sure they can achieve the complex non-linear curves I'm looking for.

Do they make such machines?

Appreciate any advice, thanks.

Similar Threads:

• News Advanced functionality of foam cutters - CNC Hotwire foam cutting machine
• where do you buy your foam?
• How to cut eva foam?
• Where to buy Foam
• 3D topographical map routered out of foam foam

[awerby]

A hot-wire machine can only make simple curves, not compound ones. But it could create a 3D boat hull by stacking multiple simple curves - think of a Viking longboat, with those long curved planks. Theoretically, you could program those curves and cut them with a 3-axis hot wire machine if you had the right software.. But it would be a lot simpler to make a series of shapes with vertical sides that would stack up and be refined by hand.

Hot wire machines can only cut certain types of foam - styrene-based foam is OK, but try it on urethane foam and the fumes could kill you. But cutting it with a hot wire would not only be a lot quicker, it would make a whole lot less mess than carving it with a rotary tool.

[ryanonthebeach]

Thanks for the quick reply Andrew, appreciate it.
Seems like a practical approach, make many repetitive cuts, progressing around the half circle, then sand with a fairing board to smooth out the plank edges.
XPS or general styrene should be fine as I could simply cast a female mold with that, which is fine with a flange around it for vacuum infusion.

A hot-wire machine can only make simple curves, not compound ones. But it could create a 3D boat hull by stacking multiple simple curves - think of a Viking longboat, with those long curved planks. Theoretically, you could program those curves and cut them with a 3-axis hot wire machine if you had the right software.. But it would be a lot simpler to make a series of shapes with vertical sides that would stack up and be refined by hand.

Hot wire machines can only cut certain types of foam - styrene-based foam is OK, but try it on urethane foam and the fumes could kill you. But cutting it with a hot wire would not only be a lot quicker, it would make a whole lot less mess than carving it with a rotary tool.

[awerby]

You can build or buy hand-held hotwire foam cutters (like this one, not that I'm recommending this particular company: https://hotwiresystems.com/handheld-...am-cutter-hws/ ) that will let you remove those plank edges much faster and cleaner than the sanding process will. Just stay positive, leaving a little margin to remove with the fairing board.