Nichrome Wire

Are you the same guy that asked about making one a while back? If so I suppose you were successful? Could you explain what happened and what you learned for the rest of us?

Thanks, Jon

No Jon, I am new to posting google forums, I am more of a reader. I did search the archives here and other places about making foam cutters and resisters. I hope in the future I will be able to post on more helpful issues.

Thanks, Sparky

What's to research? Get some wire and a variac, turn the variac up to where the wire is hot enough to cut, and get to cutting.

nb

I didn't even use a variac - I used a wall wart, and just cut the wire to the right length for the volts/amps/power I wanted.

I never made a foam cutter - I just held the alligator clips in my hands and cut some foam just to see if I could do it. FWIW, it was a 7.5V,1A wall wart and about 9" of #36 nichrome advertised as "28 ohms per foot" or some such.

Cheers! Rich

In what country?

Dang, that's a BIG wallwart! ;)

nb

I did a similar experiment with some nichrome wire from a soldering iron... it was actually kinda beautiful experiment cause the wire would glow and fade and if breathed on it some parts would cool off. It got hot enough to cut some plastic.

I still have this idea to use it and that PnJ's site has that 11$ sampler that looks like it will come in handy.

Jon

2"W x 3"H x 2"D.

It's only 7.5 watts, after all. No-load, it puts out about 10V.

Cheers! Rich

This isn't a "forum"; it's a *newsgroup*. This isn't "Google Groups" either; it's *Usenet*.

*-rules+*-a-service-for-*-*-*-*+hide-the-fact-*-*-*-they-are-*-on-Usenet+concerns-*-*-*-*-about-the-Google-interface+what.is.wrong+*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-is-now-legendary+*-*-savvy+Google-cannot-muster-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*+*-*-policed&strip=1#Web_interfaces

*-rules+*-a-service-for-*-*-*-*+hide-the-fact-*-*-*-they-are-*-on-Usenet+concerns-*-*-*-*-about-the-Google-interface+what.is.wrong+*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-is-now-legendary+*-*-savvy+Google-cannot-muster-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*+*-*-policed&strip=1#Web_interfaces

Shut the f*ck up...

your post is f****ng useless... you really think it matters that he called this a forum? If so you have a useless life... might as well just shoot yourself now...

JeffM wrote:

J>Shut the f*ck up...your post is f****ng useless...

Thank you for your courteous response to my pedanticism.

I find than making someone aware that he is posting to a *distributed* network and that what he sees on Google is NOT what *everyone* sees can make him a better poster.

True, the OP has lurked and is doing a good job of emulating the norm, but a few extra facts never hurt. The Wikipedia article also covers a lot of ground beyond Google's interface.

Again, thank you for your mature, well-reasoned response.

And theres no place here for a pedant.

1. a person who makes an excessive or inappropriate display of learning. 2. a person who overemphasizes rules or minor details. 3. a person who adheres rigidly to book knowledge without regard to common sense.

Atleast you admit you are one.

Don't be silly. Of course there is room here.

I am more likely to kill file those who are unhelpful while being rude. My day doesn't need that.

No no... we have to many of them. Theres no room.

Thats your choice...

I needed a hot nichrome wire for cutting but didn't know where to buy or even how to hook-up and calculate power-heat dissipation etc.

So I found an old portable electric heater someone threw out in the garbage and took the "guts" out and laid on the gypsum surface side of a piece of drywall (also found as refuse). I carefully straightened out one of the coils of nichrome, stretched and mounted it on and between two small, flat stacks made from pieces of cut drywall glued together. I could then operate the rheostat to adjust the heat intensity of the wire for cutting.

The problem with my "Stupid Man's Way" cutter solution was that the entire coiled nichrome heating element was heated up and drew power and current in excess of what was needed for the smaller cutting portion of the wire. But since it was used for only one or two small jobs, the impractical points of operation weren't worked out for improvement.

It was years ago that I used the makeshift cutter. The damned, clumsey thing is still sitting near my work bench, I can see it now while I write this message, a monument to my lack of knowledge in electronics and electricity.

gn

Ebay is a good source of nichrome wire in small lengths and a variety of AWG.

Prices are reasonable.

Chuck

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