CNC Foam Cutter (WIP)

Inspiration

After graduation in 2015 I began working for Tuffwing a fixed wing mapping manufacturer out of Borne, Tx. The owner has his own cnc foam cutter setup that allows him to manufacture his own aircraft. Working with foamboard and following Flite Test through the years, this was a huge step forward in possibilities.

RC Keith has a great ongoing video series on the subject as well.

Hand Cutter

Worked with a handheld version of the hot wire cutter for a while but quickly lost interest. Nothing compares to what you can accomplish out of the cnc version.

Larger twin tractor cutout

Design to prototype

CNC Foam Cutter

Decided to pull the trigger and begin building my own cnc foam cutter.

V1 of the Foam Cutter

Leaning more into current and modular building material; extruded aluminum rail, belt driven linear actuators and GRBL software.

Rigidity Improvements

The independent towers, while light and easy to move around, need more rigidity. I also moved to a box design on the recommendation by someone with more knowledge on the subject. Awaiting parts to come in.