Make Your Own Four-Axis CNC Foam Cutter on the Cheap
Michael Rechtin's DIY hot wire cutter was constructed out of readily available and 3D-printed parts.
As you upgrade your making capabilities, you might find that precisely cutting foam — perhaps for model airplane wings — would be a great ability to have. If so, then be sure to check out the video below by Michael Rechtin, who made a four-axis CNC cutter using readily available and 3D-printed parts. Footage of it in action at the beginning of the clip looks especially beautiful, and highlights the fact that it can not only slice in a vertical plane, but move each wire holder independently to create more complex shapes.
Mechanically, Rechtin's device consists of two independent gantry systems that move in both horizontal and vertical directions. A length of nichrome wire is stretched between the two, and heated with power provided from an old laptop charger. NEMA 17 motors move each of the four axes under control of an Arduino Mega with a RAMPS 1.4 shield, running a modified version of GRBL. The main electronics are held inside a fan cooled enclosure, and each set of motors is attached with VGA connectors for easy assembly and disassembly.
The build looks like great inspiration for taking your foam game to the next level. For more specifics on how you could craft something like this, Rechtin references this similar project. Importantly, this includes information on how to actually generate G-code for such a machine, which would certainly require a somewhat different approach than for a laser cutter or CNC router.