I bought this item to do a tool shadowing project for work and was using extremely high-density foam. This hot wire knife fit comfortably in my hand, the handle never got hot, and the results are very precise. I bent the wire while perfecting my technique, but I was able to bend it back and continue using it with no other issues. You just have to go slow and steady, using light pressure, letting the heat do the cutting. FANTASTIC PRODUCT! I will give this web-address to all of our new hires.
BTW...I love the fact that there is no high-voltage AC current present in the tool in your hand. This is a MAJOR plus for safety and confidence in using it. Its also a MUCH safer alternative to cutting foam with a knife. VERY little chance of slipping and hurting yourself with this tool.
If you need to do very intricate cuts, first the Scroll Table is just a fantastic tool to work with. Using this tool with the power pack will help control the heat. You don’t want to have the wire at full heat, it’s better if you do a test piece again to see how the wire cuts the foam. Either give it more heat or drop the temperature so that you can control your cuts without having to rush. It’s a very helpful tool to have.
If you want to check out some of my work go to the HWFF gallery and find, under village displays, Halloween Extravaganza, Glass Vignette, Halloween base and Halloween displays. These will give you an idea of just what these can do for you and your displays.
If you have any questions you can email me at rjbeauregard@comcast.net and state display question in the subject block.
I use the Precision Engraver to carve bricks and stonework in my holiday village displays, where it turns an otherwise tedious task into a breeze!
This tool may not be the best approach for those going for realism in a very small scale where the tip might be too big for very fine lines (I'm thinking true realistic scale models).
However, for the stonework in holiday village displays, where true scale doesn't matter as much and we're not always striving for perfect realism, the Precision Engraver is a true lifesaver!
