Looking to build a foam cutter to cut a few wing cores. Have looked on the web and find cutters that are bows. Is there a better way than these?? Is the a cutter that is auto-matic?? one that is cheap that can be pluged into a cad program to cut things?? Looking for plans or purchase. Looking for cost effectiveness.
Thanks in advance Don
Bob Mellen of
Editorial RCers are great people but this is the only hobby I know of with the obsession for "cheap". Have priced a day of golf lately? /Editorial
Earle
No luck involved! Absolutely no reason to spend more than $1000 for a top-notch foam cutter. Me and several hundred others have designed and built CNC foam cutters for under $300. I have one in my garage that can handle a block of foam 48 X24X16" and cut as many cores as you like. The software only costs about $50 and has all the features you could ever want.
Don,
If you just want to cut a few cores, it will be lot cheaper to have them cut for you. A good hobby level CNC cutter can be built for around $300 if you are a good scrounger and mechanically inclined. There are also complete kits available for under $1000.
Thanks for the heads up on the site. I've looked into CNC a bit - there is a great suplus place near me - C&H Surplus on Pasadena CA. All the Cal Techies go there.
Editorial RCers are great people but this is the only hobby I know of with the obsession for "cheap". Have priced a day of golf lately? /Editorial
Earle
Exactly the reason CR High Performance Sailplanes got out of the business. Customers were too damned nit-picky and cheap. CR developed some fantastic models including the 3m Raider to the 12oz Climax handlaunch.
EJ
"Fair and Balanced" Reply
You guys need to do a search on SPADs. You don't have to spend a ton of money on RC just to fly. Of course, you Can, if you really Want to...
Frankly, I'd rather re-use foam packing and political signs for something more constructive than shell out big bucks for an ARF. Though I must admit, I bought two Strykers before finding out replacement fuselages were only $20.
Must not have been " High Performance" if the RC High Rollers wouldn't buy 'em. BTW, there's a recession on --- and unlike the High Rollers, I never saw the point of golf outside of getting the high dollar SUVs off the road so the rest of us can drive.
TL
Try amateur radio. At least (most) RC'ers don't try to build their receivers out of hairpins and bottle caps.
Besides, being a tightwad is a good excuse to build from scratch.
If you only need to cut a few cores search for foam cutting videos where the cutting is done with a hand bow. Honestly it is not rocket science and you do not need more than an auto batter charger and a bow made from a 36" dowel rod or wooden ruler strung with .012 or .015 control line flying wire. Check out the short sample of a foam cutting video that my son sells that is on youtube. Just type "foamwingcutting" all as one word in the youtube search box. Bob
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