I found this video on cutting foam with a needle. Very impressive. Seems to cut pretty fast and the foam looks thick. Probably doesn't make much dust either. The guys name is Tom McGuire, who is an engineer and artist. I can't find much info on it, just a few youtube videos. The text in the video says he sharpen up a needle and roughen it up with emery cloth. His first video is him testing the concept, where he just attaching a needle to a hair clipper. Then he makes a real machine. It uses a motor and crank, like all those homemade tattoo machines you see all over youtube. But I can't figure out how that solenoid works. Looks like it stops the needle so it's fully retracted, but I don't know how or if it actually is doing something else. Here are the videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w41R2sN2Uk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_n9czXw92g http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE3LhvZKAQE This is the same guy responsible for the desktop cnc router, which we have probably all seen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6drMZqmyXQc
Whoa! That's cool. Are you going to add this to your Phlatprinter? It seems like a 360 degree saw blade the way it works.
I definitely will be playing with this in the future, but right now I just need to finish my PP. All this modding and experimenting, has brought my progress to a stand still. This might make a really good poor man's PP. It would eliminate the Z Axis entirely and the remaining Y-axis would weight very little.
Cool Kwok! Its seems to cut nice I wonder what the edge actually looks like up close? If you are able to cut something could you please post some closeup pictures of the edge cuts? Thanks Mark
Sure thing, Mark. I will report on any results. At the beginning of the 2nd video, you do get a few glimpses of the edge.