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If you ever make a Low Temperature Differential Stirling Engine, like a coffee cup or pancake style engine, this is a slick way to cut the foam for your displacer disks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfvFJsMwDXc

I'v got two hot wire cutters, one for cutting discs, and the other for cutting slices of which ever thickness is required. I have a low voltage DC power supply in my workshop, and they plug into that. Another use could be making model aeroplanes, I,v only made one LTD motor, so the cutters don't get much use. Ian S C

Hi,

I have built three of these foam-cutters connected to 1 PC-power supply.
I use them pretty much the same as Ian and my thirth is for cutting smaller basic blocks to be used with the other two cutters.
Not all brands of foam can be cut with these hot wires.

Chris

I have made an improvement to the framework of the hot wire foam cutter. I noticed others doing similar things and it does help keep the wire taught when heated.

http://youtu.be/gajBrMvvR0I

Hi,

Nice solution, I didn't think of that one...
I use a paper-clip pulling on the wires. Tension is regulated with a few rubberbands.

Chris