Hi I'm building a foam cutter with an 8'x10' bed, designing and machining my own parts etc. Do I need some kind of insulator at both ends of my nichrome wire? Will the heat from the wire melt the isulation from the plastic on the feeder wire? Will it harm the spring? I don't know beans about this part of it as have never built one before. These are some shots of the machine and some parts. Thanks! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Webb-Signworks/237891425708?pnref=lhc
If your bow is metal then, yes, you need insulators but if your bow is made of a non conducting material then you don't need insulators. If the insulators are of plastic and in direct contact with the hot wire they will melt but if the insulators are between the bow and the connector of the hot wire they will not melt. 8' x 10'? Wow, that's BIG! Foam mostly comes at 4x8. Do you use custom size foam?
Thanks! So, If I place something like a spring between the conductor and the hot wire, I'm OK? The supplier I'm planning to buy from has it in 3x4x10 blocks. Hopefully, this one will be able to cut two blocks simultaneously.
The spring is metal and therefore a conductor. You'll have to mount the spring on a insulator and then you'll be fine.