Help support TMP


"Foam Cutters" Topic


14 Posts

All members in good standing are free to post here. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the posters, and have not been cleared with nor are they endorsed by The Miniatures Page.

Please remember not to make new product announcements on the forum. Our advertisers pay for the privilege of making such announcements.

For more information, see the TMP FAQ.


Back to the Tools of the Hobby Message Board

Back to the Sculpting Message Board

Back to the Terrain and Scenics Message Board


Areas of Interest

General

Featured Hobby News Article


Featured Link


Featured Profile Article

Editor Julia's 2015 Christmas Project

Editor Julia would like your support for a special project.


Featured Book Review


1,844 hits since 5 Nov 2012
©1994-2025 Bill Armintrout
Comments or corrections?

skyking2005 Nov 2012 5:20 a.m. PST

Which is a better foam cutting system to go with: the Tippi Brand or the Foam Factory Pro line?
sky

Artilleryman05 Nov 2012 7:19 a.m. PST

For big cuts the Foam Factory wire-based equipment is fine, but the Tippi Brand tools allow you to cut with more precision and 'dig out' trenches etc. Personally I use a hot knife to cut styrene I want to put back together to cover the same area and the Tippi items for most of the rest. There was a thread about Tippi as part of the building of Fort William Henry by sotek486.

richarDISNEY05 Nov 2012 8:50 a.m. PST

I love my Foam Factory one…
beer

Farstar05 Nov 2012 10:24 a.m. PST

Got the four tool set from Foam Factory some years ago and use it all the time.

Grumpy Monkey05 Nov 2012 11:31 a.m. PST

Never tried any of the Tippi's but CmdrKiley's Foam Factory gear is really nice to use.

Probably should give it back to him someday

skyking2005 Nov 2012 11:38 a.m. PST

Do you guys use the Pro set with the power ststaion or just the regular plug in types. Do I have that right?

Farstar05 Nov 2012 11:48 a.m. PST

I have the bigger power brick with the temperature control. It was a requirement for one of the tools I wanted.

Dynaman878905 Nov 2012 12:08 p.m. PST

I have the regular plug in, it is fine for the little bit that I do but if you are planning on large pieces or doing a lot of work I would suggest the pro power supply.

snurl106 Nov 2012 12:11 a.m. PST

Yep. Hotwire Foam Factory is worth it if you are going to use it a lot. If you are just doing a few one-off projects get a cheap one from the craft store.

richarDISNEY07 Nov 2012 2:06 p.m. PST

I have the power brick.
Love it to death!

But pay attentions to what snurl1 said…
beer

infojunky08 Nov 2012 8:39 p.m. PST

I made my own with a 1amp wall wart and a stainless-steal wire. But if electricity scares you I wouldn't sugest this route.

Dantes Cellar08 Nov 2012 9:20 p.m. PST

I have the Foam Factory kit with the power supply. Love it. Works great.

ScottWashburn Sponsoring Member of TMP09 Nov 2012 5:18 a.m. PST

I also made my own using an old model train transformer which gives me adjustable power. (And I should add that electricity DOES scare me and yet even I was able to do this).

Personal logo Sgt Slag Supporting Member of TMP20 Nov 2012 9:04 a.m. PST

There are DIY articles on the Internet, detailing how to build them, both as free-hand wands, and fixed wires mounted to tabletop bases.

Try to avoid any design being plugged into the wall socket's power, without a transformer reducing the voltage! Some models rely on voltage drops in the cutting wire, and some of these designs don't have transformers to reduce the voltage, so line voltage is potentially present on the wire… Be sure to install an inline fuse, no matter what type of setup you use, to prevent fires. Cheers!

Sorry - only verified members can post on the forums.