Proxxon 37080 Hot Wire Cutter THERMOCUT

by Proxxon

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Proxxon micromot hotwire cutter thermocut - Ideal for architects, designers, decorators, artists, and teachers and for building architectural models, prototypes, as well as classic model railroad, plane and boat items. The large table with 15-11/32-Inch by 11-Inch ensures smooth and easy movement of the work piece. The printed grid and protractor assist with the division and cutting. The solid aluminum over arm has a 13-3/4-Inch (350mm) throat and offers 5-1/2-Inch (140mm) in height. The holder and wire coil (one spool of wire 98-Feet, 0.008-Inch diameter is included) may be shifted and adjusted along the over arm to enable miter cutting. An LED indicates operation and thus reminds you not to touch the hot wire to prevent burnt fingers (the wire heats to maximum in less than 1 second).

Product Description

Used to cut Styrofoam and thermoplastic materials, both freehand and with stencils. Note: Styrofoam is a reasonably priced material and compared to others environmentally acceptable. Ideal for architectural models, prototypes as well as classic railroad, plane and boat model building. The large base with 15 23/64" x 11 1/64" (390 x 280 mm) table ensures smooth and easy movement of the work piece. The printed grid and protractor assist with division and cutting. Solid aluminum over arm has a 13 25/32" (350 mm) throat and offers 5 33/64" (140 mm) in height. The holder and wire coil (98 ft, .008" diameter is included) may be shifted along the over arm to enable miter cutting. An LED indicates operation and helps prevent burned fingers (the cutting wire heats to the maximum temperature in less than 1 second). Note: The correct temperature, being dependent on material and thickness, is learned from experience. Optimum profiles are cut at lower temperatures and cutting force. Technical data: Cutting Wire Temp 210-290°F Transformer Secondary Max 10V at 1.0A Volts 110-120V AC, 60 Hz Weight 6.6 lb.Crosscuts are achieved by means of a simple, yet efficient solution: secure a drawing-pin to the work table with tape, it serves as a fixed center. Double function fence with lockable feed bar.Spare cutting wire: Used on the THERMOCUT and other similar units. Made of NiCr 8020, spool of 98 ft x .008". NO 28 080 Proxxon tools come with a 2 year factory warranty.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 8.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0017NS8H6
• Item model number: 37080
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,438 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #20 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Hand Tools > Cutters > Wire Cutters

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice little set of tool for styrofoam art work, September 8, 2009

By 

AOV "Always On Vacation" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Proxxon 37080 Hot Wire Cutter THERMOCUT (Tools & Home Improvement)

This is actually not a bad piece of equipment. I had idea of making Styrofoam column because I hate to see styrofoam go to landfills. Especially the high density ones. Slowly, I began to collect Styrofoam when they began to gather near by the trash bin at work. I eventually collected enough material and decided to buy this cutting tool as compare to others available. The reason I decided on this was because of the well marked surface with the X and Y axis. The slider guide and the control dials. Minimum assembling is required and it only took me 10 minutes to get it going. Half an hour after the opening of box, I was into cutting Styrofoam pieces for my grand project. It took some practice to get it right but I quickly realized that for the repetitive cuts, it is better to make a jig. With that concept, I was able to make small and accurate cuts on individual pieces. At the end, the entire art work was glued together. Overall, I think this tool deserves at least 4 stars. It is one star shy because I think the arm could have been bigger and higher. That was the limitation because I could not cut anything higher than 6 inches. Than again, the longer the hot wire is exposed to the foam, the less likely one is to get a straight cut. It is a give and take thing but it would have been cool to have a bigger opening to accommodate bigger pieces. Anyway, I have included 2 images of the Styrofoam column that I made with this tool. Do check them out. Lastly, it is worth it if you are into crafty stuff like me. Enjoy...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cuts clean, works great, August 29, 2010

By 

John Sohl (Ogden, UT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Proxxon 37080 Hot Wire Cutter THERMOCUT (Tools & Home Improvement)

I bought this to make cases out of foam for high altitude balloons. I need clean cuts that are easy to bond together that will hold up in the rigors of near space and a drop to the ground from 100,000 feet under a small parachute. Needless to say, I need clean cuts and I have to make the parts with precision. This hot wire cutter does exactly what I need and it is fast.

I have tried it on open cell foam, rigid blue foam panels and white Styrofoam. It takes only a moment with a test piece to find the right temperature and speed for a clean cut then you are ready to go for it with your actual piece. The temperature adjusts rapidly (instantaneously for all practical purposes) so it is easy to determine the settings.

The cuts it makes are cleaner than the cuts that are the factory made edges. So much so that I now just plan a little extra material so that I can trim a tiny bit off the factory edge on a foam panel so that I can get a really nice smooth and sealed edge.

The miter/guide is a bit finicky but works OK. If you are not careful it can slip and give you a cut that is not straight. The key thing is to make sure it is tight.

As with any tool you need to plan to spend a bit of time doing some practice cuts when you first get it so that you can get a sense of how it works.

Summary: I love it. It works great and is fun to use.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Proxxon Hits A Home Run With The ThermoCut!, June 5, 2010

By 

Mike "Mike" (Rossville, GA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Proxxon 37080 Hot Wire Cutter THERMOCUT (Tools & Home Improvement)

The Proxxon ThermoCut Is an AWESOME foam cutter!

I have nothing but good things to say about this piece of equipment...

If you are R/C aircraft Scratch builder or just into building things with foam you will love this product.

This hot wire router table is much nicer than anything you can build and probably as cheap as it would be to buy the components to make a DIY hot wire foam cutter.

If you are looking for a good hot wire foam router table you will be very satisfied with the Proxxon ThermoCut which will make a great addition to your tool arsenal.

I Know That I Love mine!