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DIY Foam Cutters

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Just curious if anyone has made their own cutters? Care to share your method and experience?

Continuing my pursuit of tying and rod building on a budget and thinking of making an attempt to make my own cutters.

 

Cheers

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Not really a cutter, but it does the trick.... I draw up a pattern using free drafting software available on the Internet. I then print out the patern and attach it to the desired fly material. I then just use scissors to cut out the patterns.

 

 

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I'd be interested as well. Right now I draw my pattern on the foam with a pencil and cut it with a razor blade! Time consuming and somewhat sloppy.

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I really just need it for hoppers, think I may make a groove in a block of wood and just slightly bend a razor blade into it.

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I use cork borers for cutting out cylinders for ants and circles for the disco terrestrial patterns.

 

 

insect_fly_ants_adult_blackant_001_0.jpg

 

 

http://www.oocities.org/gold_trout/articles/Terrestrials101.htm


Double-Disco-Beetle-yel.jpg

Search for cork borer in Ebay. I got the one below for $15. Most are very expensive but occasionally a used set comes up for low price

 

 

CorkBorer.jpg

 

 

 

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I have used a piece of hard plastic (from a pantone pen) and sections of an old car aerial sharpened around the edges to cut foam discs and cylinders, including some from old flip-flops.

 

Is that the sort of thing you mean?

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Sound like a project for a 3-D metal printer. There are prototypes that can directly print steel objects.

 

Now you can print a hard plastic form around which you can shape the sheet metal to make the cutting edge.

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I've made bug body cutters out of .25 auto, 30 Carbine, .357 Mag, and .45 Colt long brass. Pop out the primers. (fired cartridges only please)

Insert a self tapping screw into the primer pocket and screw it in until it is tight. Cut the head off the screw then use the cutter in your electric drill or drill press.

You can sharpen the cutter while it is in the drill press by holding a fine cut file at the proper angle.

 

My drill will accept up to 3/8". I've made cutters out of various sizes of brass or aluminum tubing.

 

I cut popping bug bodies out of Flip-flops.

 

I grind and file various shapes out of steel strapping (Signode Bands) then cut around them with a scaple.

If you have trouble visualizing this I can shoot some photos.

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I would love to find something to quickly and easily cut a consistent shape from furry foam.

This would be extremely helpful, think you may need to heat your cutter...

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