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Excellent post. Nice job....it took me awhile to look at it but well worth the time.
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I am almost done with my cutter build, but I want to make sure I don't fry something when I turn it on. In the last sewntence above, you say to use one yellow wire and the black wire---makes sense. But in some of the pictures in this thread, the two yellow wires are the ones that connect to the "cutting" wire. Which is right or best. I do have a dimmer attached if that matters! Plus, how do you ground omething on a wooden frame--that isn't possible is it? |
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nice. |
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okay, so I've screwd up enough transformers trying to get this to work...
the 25vt - 2Amp Radioshack Transformer... is ist AC or DC? if it's AC, what do you do with the two Yellow wires coming out of the secondary? wire them together? |
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Has anyone made one of these and gotten good with it that would be willing to cut custom foam for a fee? One would ship them his foam and posterboard cutouts.
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Did you get an answer yet? ETA: Nevermind I see you got it working. |
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ME TOO!has My "cutter" wire is a little bigger than called for, so I wonder if that is the problem? I used a bigger wire, because the smaller wire melted when I turned it on, and I can't find the correct size. This is really begining to piss me off! |
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yeah I have a dimmer as well! even with the dimmer on its lowest setting the wire was glowing orange! wtf mate!? my only idea is we might have the wrong transformer... lemme find the package from mina and snap a picture of it... |
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YEP! That is the same one I have. My wire measures .035". I hope someone can help us! PLEASE! |
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If I read this post from page 18 correctly:
If you connect one yellow wire and the black wire on the "output" side you will get half the power which should cut back dramatically on the heat. Just wirenut and tape off the other yellow wire to keep it from contacting anything. You could also go to a heavier wire like .048-.050" and if you aren't using it already I think nichrome wire works best based on previous posts. I'm hoping this is all true as I haven't built mine yet, but I do have the exact same transformer for it, which is the model listed in Mfingar's original post. |
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That is the way I smoked the first one,because that is how I read the post. After I got a new one, I thought I would be good to go---I was mistaken! |
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yeah I just wired in the two yellow wires and left the black one sitting just like in the picture...
I hadnt moved it from the time it went "poof" to when i took the picture. hmmm maybe try to use 12.2 volts rather than 25? will that keep me from poofing any more transformers (these little buggers are expensive!) and .025 wire is pretty friggin thick! ...and thank you knight_dive for your input/help/response... we appreciate it! |
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alright I'm gonna head to radioshack to buy another transformer for poofage
anybody need anything? ...oh wait you're all on the interwebz |
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success! the cutter lives!!
I've had it running for a good 3 minutes without it poofing! and the transformer doesnt heat up either! horay! more pictures of the setup to come! |
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Is it STILL working? I hope so, and please do post the pictures. I need to figure out what I did wrong. Thanks |
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nice! your rifle is pointing the wrong way in its case (just kidding!) |
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Thanks!
Awsome job on the pics. Your set-up look very professional. I love the set up you have for the tension and the jig for making the new wires both great ideas! I will try mine again as soon as I get a new transformer. |
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I'm going to do this on a Pelican 1600 case for my Vector Uzi, but have one question.
I'm looking at the foam on this page: http://www.foambymail.com/CharcoalFoam.html Should I get the 1.0 density or the 1.6 density? I realize that's a lot more foam than I need, I was just going to use one of the foam liners that's already in the case as a template and cut out what I need. Also, I figured instead of making a whole new table, I could just use one of the holes in my reloading bench and temporarily mount the cutter through one of those. Has anyone tried that? Thanks for the tutorial mfingar. |
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I finally got mine working for at least a few minutes with a piece of fishing leader .010" that I got from a friend. I think it is too small, but that is all I can find and so far it works, but I have a question: Does anyone elses wire get red/orange hot when it is on?
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If it turns red hot...it's too hot, and will break soon. |
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Wonderful thread Mark, just bumping it in hopes of getting it tacked.
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For the love of GOD; could someone please tell me where to get nichrome wire. I can't find it anywhere (not even Home Depot) and I have checked everywhere I can think of and nothinghave Also, what size wire works the best?
FYI: I built mine just like the others that use a transformer and a dimmer switch and I have it wired with the one yellow wire an one black to make it 12.5 volts. Just like the one in the post at the top of THIS page. |
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Link 1 Link 2 |
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maybe you just weren't ment to cut foam just kidding... good luck and keep us updated! |
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posted by Mfingar on page 16 or 17 nichrome wire ETA: I would use 20ga or thinner |
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Right. The stuff I use is really thin. Measures .008" diameter, something like 30 gage |
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Very Nice Work! What kind of case and foam is that! |
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Very Nice!!!!!!!!!!! I dig the pistolas. |
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Thanks for the complements guys. I got the foam from Brownells. It's closed cell and very tough.
www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=25790&title=CLOSED%20CELL%20CASE%20FOAM They have the case also but it's HIGH! I' got mine on ebay for about 15 each. www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=9498 cgi.ebay.com/Authentic-G-I-Night-Vision-Goggles-Box-17-X-12-X-6_W0QQitemZ290212563193QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116 |
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can wire cutters be used to trim up previously botched cuts, or do they only work when there is significant amount of adjacent foam that can be used for tension?
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In order to get clean lines you need to use templates. If you can figure out a way to use them in your situation then yes it would clean up previous errors.
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Does anyone have a complete idiots guide to building one? The extent of my electrical knowledge is: light switch up = lights on & taser = feels funny. Or maybe I should just find someone I know that could help me out.
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Quoted:
Here is my evacuation case. There are a couple things I'd do different if i did it again but it'll work as is. Whats the round ribbed thingie in red??? http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/7519/hurricane1xk7.jpg |
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Whats the round ribbed thingie in red???
img127.imageshack.us/img127/7519/hurricane1xk7.jpg CR123 Battery holder - Surefire I believe |
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Tag as I don't recall if I tagged this fifteen or twenty pages ago.
Great post by the way! |
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