FoamLinx. CNC Router tables for EPS, XPS foam machining We carry a few sizes of CNC router tables for machining foam.
Our machines will machine EPS foam - 1LB to 3LB XPS foam, EPP foam and Polyurethane foam. Most of our machines are custom built based on the customer's requests and specifications , 4' x 8' x 6" CNC router with liquid cooled spindle (3HP) Hot Wire CNC Foam Cutters. FCX448 Automatic Foam Cutter. The Compleat Sculptor Hot Foam Sculpting Tools. Rocket Team Vatsaas Styrofoam Shaping Fixture.
I built this fixture because I needed to develop a way to shape a big block of Styrofoam when I built The Happy Birthday Party Napkin Rocket of the Apocalypse.
Most of the the photos here are from that project, but I've utilized this concept in the construction of various nose cones and transitions. This page will explain how to make a fixture that will enable you to accurately sculpt a very complex symmetrical shape. Rocket builders can use this fixture for building airframes, nose cones, boat tails, and transitions. Or, if you prefer, a 200x upscale of Cindy Crawford's mole. First, here's a quick refresher for everyone who slept through Geometry class in 10th grade: The illustration at left shows that a circular shape can be created by drawing a series of intersecting lines, each line being tangent to the circle defined inside the figure.
The shaping fixture allows you to convert this two-dimensional drawing into a three-dimensional sculpture. Parts List. Hot Wire Foam cutting CNC Machines. Last Updated Dec 30 2007 Home Built Hot wire CNC Foam cutter Interested in building a low cost CNC hot wire foam cutter ?
Well this is the right place Here we will post pictures and instructions of how to build a low cost foam cutter. This design is the 4th generation foam cutter and I think that this design is the least expensive and the fastest to put together, most parts can be found in your local hardware store, like Home Depot.. The first prototype was made out of wood, but didn't look "professional" enough, so I decided to go with a more robust design made of steel. The design can be modified to almost any size. Styrofoam Shaping and Carving Tools. Handheld Styrofoam Hot Knife Cutter. WHAT IS A BETTER STYROFOAM SCULPTING TOOL? As mentioned, there are two types of polystyrene foam... the crumbly little-balls kind is the "expanded" type often used as packaging, and the denser kind often sold for various kind of insulation is the "extruded" type.
You can shape and get better details with extruded ps foam than expanded ps foam. As for tools, you can use hand tools like serrated knives of various kinds, rasps, etc., especially for the expanded stuff, but you might want to look into various kinds of "hot tools" that are sold for sculpting ps foams. The "hot wire" tool is only one of the hot tools available, and the most common to find, but other hot tools will work much better for all kinds of "carving"/shaping. Here's something I wrote before about shaping ps foams... check out the links in it for more info: Making Foam Tools. Making Foam Tools Sheets of rigid plastic foam are handy for numerous haunt projects.
We made our own tools for cutting, engraving, and shaping this handy material. Store: Styrofoam™ Craft Shapes at Discount and Bulk Prices. Homemade foam cutters???? Make A StyroFoam Sculpting Tool. The Compleat Sculptor Hot Foam Sculpting Tools. Skill Builder: Foam Sculpting, Surfacing, and “Sugru Skinning” Step #1: CHAPTER 1: SCULPTING PrevNext There are many ways to work with Styrofoam, for example some people use hot-wire cutters and CNC routers, but the following steps will offer some tips that are both safe and affordable and give good results for small-medium sized models.TIP: If you don't have a Zona saw like the one shown here, use an old junior/hack-saw blade — with one end wrapped in electrical tape to make a safe "handle.
" Step #2: Rough-out a basic shape. Do all the major shaping with the saw (or hot-wire cutter) first. Some useful tips include: Critical Dimensions: Although a quick process, it’s often important to make sure any key aspects are accurate – e.g. if you need a 90 degree edge, don’t leave this until the end to correct this! Step #4: Add finer detail.
A small or "needle" file can be used to add delicate radii on your work. Step #5: Sanding it. You can buy sanding blocks, but it can be useful to make your own. Packaging & Printing Pre-media Solutions, Packaging Software - Esko. Brochure - Esko. 4 axis hotwire foam cutting CAD/CAM software. FROG3D. Shaping styrofoam. Styrofoam is one of the easiest materials to shape by normal means e.g. slicing with sharp knives or a hot-wire cutter, sawing with serrated blades, rasping with files, and smoothing with sandpaper.
The real challenge lies in controlling the shape and especially, in this case, how one achieves concave forms. Here are the methods I’ve employed for a particular model piece which needed a ‘bowl-like’ form and very regular curves. I’ve used the standard blue styrofoam for this, in it’s most available thickness (2.5cm). There are other styrofoams, such as orange/pink or white, which are even finer and slightly denser. Like almost everything we use, styrofoam is not made for us makers specifically .. it is a roof insulation material, hence it’s not usual to find it in thicknesses less than 25mm or more than 100mm.
Note to dispel any confusion, ‘styrofoam’ is the name we use in the UK for this material, officially referred to as extruded polystyrene abbreviated to XPS. Txt.