Hot Wire CNC Foam Cutters You Can Buy Today

I often get asked if I can supply CNC Foam Cutters as a kit. For several reasons, I can’t produce a self-assembly kit. So are there any kits you can purchase?

Yes, there are a few, but not many. Here is what’s currently available at reasonable costs to the hobbyist. I’ve excluded some due to their high cost.

I would encourage you to build your own, as it’s much cheaper and will give you a better understanding. Check the builder gallery to see how many guys have made their machines. Quite a few use 3d printed parts. CNC Foam Cutters Builders Gallery

hotwire cnc foam cutter
HotWire Machine

The Hobbild CNC Foam Cutter

Can supply a complete machine or just the controller if you prefer to build the main machine yourself.

I was very grateful to receive the controller for review, so please check the video. Stefano from DevCad covered the costs. This is a quality product and does cost a bit more. Please get in touch with Hobbild for the latest prices. I do cover them in the video, but these may change over time.

Here’s my full review of the controller. which uses the 32-bit Arduino Due microcontroller and DevCNC Foam

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This machine is excellent and can even use a rotary axis. The controller is very professional, and Hobbild recommends DevCNC Foam to drive the machine from DevCad.com for the rotary axis. The hot wire control displays current and voltage and allows you to save the settings. I’m very impressed with the hot wire control. Check the video above to see my results

There are some impressive foam cuts on this page https://www.hobbild.com/foamcutcnc-lavorazioni?lang=en

Check their website for more details https://www.hobbild.com/policut?lang=en

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Vortex-RC

This is another excellent design, but it requires a bit more building. All parts are laser cut, and drawer slides are used as in my design. Full details here https://www.vortex-rc.com/product/4-axis-diy-hot-wire-cnc-for-rc-hobbyists-aeromodellers-and-designers/

Technical Specifications:

  • 750MM X/Z Axis movement
  • 440 MM Y/A Axis Movement
  • Accuracy: 0.1MM
vortex rc hot wire cnc

Vortex-RC recommends Mach3, but you can use the same electronics as my design

MKS GEN L V1 with DRV8825
MKS GEN L V1 with DRV8825

Here’s a video showing the machine working

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FoamLinx

These machines are quite expensive and probably not really for the hobbyist, but they provide a complete solution with all the hardware and software. So if you can afford it, then check them out https://www.foamlinx.com/

Conclusion

If you have been looking for a CNC Foam Cutter, I hope this posting will help you make an informed decision.

The options listed here are excellent, and you will still need to assemble the machine, but not as much as building from scratch. If you are on a limited budget, then I would suggest my design, which can be built for as little as $200, but if that’s too much work, then the machine listed above may be the answer.

I’ve only used the controller from Hobbild and not the other machines I have mentioned. So please do your research and make an informed decision. I have no affiliation with any of these companies. The opinions expressed are my own, based on several years of foam cutting and making many models and mistakes.

Do check out the builder gallery while you are here. Many builders send me pictures, and some use a lot of 3d printed parts. Have a look at the Builders Gallery

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