Category Archives: styrofoam

Mega-CNC Router Carves Styrofoam Into a Full-Size Flying Delorean

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When you own an enormous CNC router, you’ve got to find projects that justify it. So why not shoot for the sky — literally — and build the 1980s-est possible …read more Continue reading Mega-CNC Router Carves Styrofoam Into a Full-Size Flying Delorean→

Dual-Wielding Robot Carves 3D Shapes From Foam With Warped Wire

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“Every block of expanded polystyrene foam has a statue inside it and it is the task of the dual-arm hot wire-wielding robot to discover it.” — [Michelangelo], probably.

Be prepared to have your mind blown by this dual-wielding hot-wire 3D foam cutter (PDF). We’ve all seen simple hot-wire cutters before, …read more

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Build a Tiny Hot Wire Foam Cutter

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Let’s face it: cutting foam with a knife, even a serrated plastic knife meant for the job, is a messy pain in the ass.  This is as true for insulation board as it is for the ubiquitous expanded polystyrene kind of foam used for everything from coffee cups to packaging material.

Those stick-type hot wire cutters from the craft store that plug into the wall aren’t much better than a knife. The actual cleaving of foam is easier, but dragging a long, hot flexible wand through rigid foam just right, without making burn marks, is pretty frustrating. It’s not like …read more

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