Safety and Hot Wire Foam Cutting

A friend of mine just bought a hot wire foam cutting tool for carving
and shaping polystyrene foam. My question is whether the fumes and
smoke from doing such carving are a safety/health hazard? Any
guidelines for using such a tool safely?

Thanks.

-Fleemo

wrote in message
ups.com...
A friend of mine just bought a hot wire foam cutting tool for carving
and shaping polystyrene foam. My question is whether the fumes and
smoke from doing such carving are a safety/health hazard? Any
guidelines for using such a tool safely?

Thanks.

-Fleemo


My question is whether the fumes and
smoke from doing such carving are a safety/health hazard?
YES! (Duh)


Any guidelines for using such a tool safely?
Don't snort the fumes. Don't touch the hot parts.

You're welcome.

"MikeR" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ups.com...
A friend of mine just bought a hot wire foam cutting tool for carving
and shaping polystyrene foam. My question is whether the fumes and
smoke from doing such carving are a safety/health hazard? Any
guidelines for using such a tool safely?

Thanks.

-Fleemo


My question is whether the fumes and
smoke from doing such carving are a safety/health hazard?
YES! (Duh)


Any guidelines for using such a tool safely?
Don't snort the fumes. Don't touch the hot parts.

You're welcome.



Welcome to Usenet, Fleemo!

Minus the 'tude, he is about right. I haven't seen or heard anything about
using a respirator to cut foam. Of course, they used to not worry about
asbestos either. If you are worried, use a respirator. You might as well
own a good one if you are going to be serious about building planes.

Where can I find a hot wire cutting tool? Thanks ahead.

Jean-Paul


"Dude" wrote in message
...

"MikeR" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ups.com...
A friend of mine just bought a hot wire foam cutting tool for carving
and shaping polystyrene foam. My question is whether the fumes and
smoke from doing such carving are a safety/health hazard? Any
guidelines for using such a tool safely?

Thanks.

-Fleemo


My question is whether the fumes and
smoke from doing such carving are a safety/health hazard?
YES! (Duh)


Any guidelines for using such a tool safely?
Don't snort the fumes. Don't touch the hot parts.

You're welcome.



Welcome to Usenet, Fleemo!

Minus the 'tude, he is about right. I haven't seen or heard anything
about
using a respirator to cut foam. Of course, they used to not worry about
asbestos either. If you are worried, use a respirator. You might as well
own a good one if you are going to be serious about building planes.

Welcome to Usenet, Fleemo!

Thanks Dude, I appreciate the welcome.

Minus the 'tude, he is about right. I haven't seen or heard anything
about
using a respirator to cut foam. Of course, they used to not worry
about
asbestos either. If you are worried, use a respirator. You might as
well
own a good one if you are going to be serious about building planes.

I realize polysterene smoke is probably not something you want to
breathe in like the bouquet of a fine wine, but I was looking for input
on specifically how toxic it is and what steps need to be taken when
carving foam with a hot wire. Is working in a well-ventilated room
enough of a safety precaution, or is a respirator required?

Where can I find a hot wire cutting tool?

Jean-Paul, check out http://www.HotWireFoamFactory.com

-Fleemo

Hi,
Your best bet is to get a MSDS on the product you intend on hot cutting. The
product maker will send you one if you ask for it, and alot of them can be
viewed on different companies websites. The sheet will tell you what kinds
of protection you need, and what dangerous chemicals are involved, the
dangers of the product and will even tell you if your children will be born
with a arm sticking out of their forehead. Read the MSDS!
Just for safety sake, always wear a respirator when doing anything like
that. Make sure it is a proper respirator, remember a mask to keep wood dust
out of your lungs will not keep chemicals out! Make sure you have good
ventilation, and a fresh air system would be really nice.

Patrick
student SPL
aircraft structural mech

wrote in message
oups.com...
Welcome to Usenet, Fleemo!

Thanks Dude, I appreciate the welcome.

Minus the 'tude, he is about right. I haven't seen or heard anything
about
using a respirator to cut foam. Of course, they used to not worry
about
asbestos either. If you are worried, use a respirator. You might as
well
own a good one if you are going to be serious about building planes.

I realize polysterene smoke is probably not something you want to
breathe in like the bouquet of a fine wine, but I was looking for input
on specifically how toxic it is and what steps need to be taken when
carving foam with a hot wire. Is working in a well-ventilated room
enough of a safety precaution, or is a respirator required?

Where can I find a hot wire cutting tool?

Jean-Paul, check out http://www.HotWireFoamFactory.com

-Fleemo


Anyone telling you its safe is walking on thin ice. No one really knows, do
they?

I would not worry about it if I was going to build a plane or two. If I
were going to do it for a living, I would wear protection.

On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 14:25:34 GMT, "Dude" wrote:


"MikeR" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ups.com...
A friend of mine just bought a hot wire foam cutting tool for carving
and shaping polystyrene foam. My question is whether the fumes and
smoke from doing such carving are a safety/health hazard? Any
guidelines for using such a tool safely?

Thanks.

-Fleemo


My question is whether the fumes and
smoke from doing such carving are a safety/health hazard?
YES! (Duh)


Any guidelines for using such a tool safely?
Don't snort the fumes. Don't touch the hot parts.

You're welcome.



Welcome to Usenet, Fleemo!

Minus the 'tude, he is about right. I haven't seen or heard anything about
using a respirator to cut foam. Of course, they used to not worry about
asbestos either. If you are worried, use a respirator. You might as well
own a good one if you are going to be serious about building planes.



As I recall, urethane foam is toxic and shouldn't be hot wire cut. You
can make a cutter with an electric train transformer and stainless
wire on a bow type device. We made one, but it has been a couple of
hundred years ago.
Ed Sullivan

Ed Sullivan wrote:
On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 14:25:34 GMT, "Dude" wrote:




As I recall, urethane foam is toxic and shouldn't be hot wire cut.
You
can make a cutter with an electric train transformer and stainless
wire on a bow type device. We made one, but it has been a couple of
hundred years ago.


Yes. Urethane foam releases cyanide gas when heated. If you use
urethane in your plane and catch on fire the release of cyanide is
either a problem or a feature depending on whether or not your
burns are survivable.

Hot-wiring of polystyrene should be done in a well-ventilated
room while wearing a respirator. The respirator protects you
while cutting, the ventilation protects you after you remove
the respirator. You should should 'organic vapor' cartridges.

Be careful where you set teh hot wire down while it is still hot.

Have fun.

--

FF

wrote in message
oups.com...

I realize polysterene smoke is probably not something you want to
breathe in like the bouquet of a fine wine, but I was looking for input
on specifically how toxic it is and what steps need to be taken when
carving foam with a hot wire. Is working in a well-ventilated room
enough of a safety precaution, or is a respirator required?

There is foam - and then there is foam. Polystyrene foam smoke ain't bad,
but polyurethane foam smoke will give you a dirt nap. Go to
http://www.info-central.org/construction_hotwire.shtml for a good primer on
building a cutter and using it. Most modelers build their own cutter for a
couple of bucks and use a 12 volt power supply. Even a battery charger will
work.

Rich S.