I bought the 24 inch table and two hand tools. I later ordered a 3rd tool. All work well.
The HWFF people were quite helpful when there was an error with the order. They promptly corrected the issue. Sam was on the ball.
I bought the table so I could cut layers of Formular foam together to make layered models for lost wax casting. I have found that if you cut more than 3 layers together that the wire is not stretched taut enough.. the cut becomes less clean and the cut wanders. I am using it to cut denser foam, and probably am impatient with the cut, but the inherent design doesn't allow a great deal of tension to be put on the cutting wire.
Another issue I found is that cutting circles can be difficult.. I want a clean outline, and it is not easy to get a circle where the starting point is not visible. The hot wire has a cylinder of heat around it. The faster you feed foam past the wire, the smaller in diameter the cylinder becomes. So a clean cut requires a steady feed rate. If you make circles, you have to cut in to reach the edge of the circle, then start pivoting the foam to cut the curve. The transition is difficult to do without a bobble or mar in the edge of the circle.
I like the tools in general, and perhaps my goal can be met by improving my cutting technique and building my own jigs.
I have not found a real strong need for this product in my applications. It does offer another option that maybe you will find a need for it. Apply it by itself in a thick enough coat. It will make your foam items bounce. In all with it either by it self or applied with the addition of foam coat to toughen it up. You can give your products the feel of rubber on the outer surface. Again I have not used it in this manner. But if applied to a foam rubber. It could make some cool rubber boulders. Maybe for the use as theatrical props that will be dumped onto actors.
This was great fun while it lasted! I loved using the knife for my first small project, but toward the end of the project, it began to short out. Off, On, off, on. There was no way to continue using it. I was very disappointed because I'd planned on recommending this to others that I teach and using them in classes. I went to the internet and found tons of people had the same or similar problems with this specific tool. I'd purchased it a good six months before I tried it, so I didn't feel that I could ask the company for a replacement. For my own use, I would just have tried the Pro- which I never did- but since I wanted to suggest the purchase for others in my classes, I felt that they would not be able to afford the Pro. I really wish that the tool had been made well enough to continue to work. It was incredible, short-lived fun! I bought this several years ago, so maybe the company has addressed this problem. You might talk to them about it before making your purchase.
I bought a 4 piece kit back in November, and I have to honestly say this is my least favorite of all my tools. I understand there should be some flex, but I feel like there is too much flex. I don't get as smooth of a cut as I would expect, and I feel like there is a bit of a temperature swing from the base to the tip. It will do the job, and does work better than some others I have used in the past, but I think I would have chosen a smaller Hot Knife if I were to choose now.
