How to Heat a Hot Wire
A hot wire tool, or hot wire cutter, is mainly used to cut foam down to size. When the wire is heated, the tool cuts through the foam with a neat, even cut that doesn't leave jagged edges. If you would like to work with a hot wire tool, you must first heat the tool. You can heat a hot wire tool by providing the appropriate amount of power to the cutter through a specially designed power station.
Instructions
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Connect the hot wire cutter to the power station, using the cord provided with the tool. One end of the cord plugs into the port at the bottom of the cutter and the other plugs into the appropriate port on the power station. If you have a standard tool, plug into the "Craft Tool" port. If you have a professional hot wire cutter, plug into the "Pro Tool" port to supply the right amount of power.
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Plug the hot wire power station into any standard electrical outlet. Turn the hot wire tool to the temperature level recommended for the tool in the manual. Allow the tool to sit plugged in and warming up for at least five minutes to reach the desired temperature.
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Start the tool out at a lower setting on the "Warm" side of the dial if you do not know the recommended level for a tool. Test the tool on a piece of scrap foam, then turn the temperature up a little bit at a time until you get the tool to a temperature where it cleanly cuts through the foam that you have.
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