Can anyone help me find power supply for my hot wire? Need to know where I can get one…I have this round one with a big black round dial. Anyone know where to buy? Thanks …
Hi Petey,
While you can get another one, it may be that you have a pretty good one already. Can you tell us a little more about the power source you have? For instance, there’s probably a manufacturer’s plate on it or else info stamped into the thing someplace, the maker and model number or output numbers or what have you.
doc…
cheap and good
lots of guys here have one or more of these
Variac Variable AC PS/0.5KVA
TDGC2-0.5
variac is all you really need. But if you search people have posted up schematics and everything.
Thanks Oneula for info . Now I can wire with confidence!
Quote:
cheap and good
lots of guys here have one or more of these
Variac Variable AC PS/0.5KVA
TDGC2-0.5
Of the two on their site, the cheaper one has 0.5 amp output and the other for roughly twice as much money has 20 amp output. Pardon my ignorance, but is the difference in amp output an issue? I thought the variac just adjusted voltage to whatever is plugged/wired to it, how does it have amperage “output?”
I think one of the cheap variable DC power supplies in the 3 to 5 amp range would be better than using an AC current with a variac. I’ve burned through quite a few wires and even had them get stuck in the middle of a blank after snapping.
I think the problem is that the AC current flows back and forth versus in one direction like DC current. My brother’s simple 12v dc hot wire bow seems to work very consistantly, and I’ve yet to break the wire.
Amps is the amount of electricity moving though the circuit. I imagine a wire with 20amps going though it would get hotter than one with .5amps. I doubt you would 20 amp. Then again I have no idea what the minimum is you would need.
Lincoln Electric Weld Pack HD Feed Welder
Model K2188-1
$269.00/EA Each 
Only $10 per month when purchased with The Home Depot Consumer Credit Card. Monthly Payment Details
I used mine as my power source.
Make’s me think the hot wire suppliers are a bit of a rip-off
car battery charger pluged into a dimmer switch. works really well for me
can you give a little more detail? The dimmer on the output or input side of the charger?
Positive or negative lead?
Something like this should work (at Aircraft Spruce). Seems reasonably cheap also. Just have to build your bow and get some wire… you can also find wire on that site. Im not sure if you could get the same stuff for cheaper somewhere else… probably. Unfortunately transformer specs arent given on their web site.
Found the power supply from the Aircraft Spruce site for only $20 here, then a dimmer switch would make the setup shown on the Aircraft Spruce site work.
i plug my battery charger into my dimmer switch and plug the dimmer switch into the wall . i found that a car battery charger with out a dimmer switch was to powerful and would heat the wire up to much but with a dimmer switch turned down to low. i could cut out 4 blanks before the wire would break. 
http://www.circuitspecialists.com/
I bought two of them 20 amp. One to cut stringers 50 volts - One to cut rocker 18 volts.
Inconel wire is last forever if you don’t misuse your variac. $104 a pop. Cheap!
Simple and fast. I only made 100’s and 100’s of blanks XPS and EPS 10 per hour. So if someone wants to PM me and tell me I’m a KOOK go ahead.
I have the same welder as Everyday Surfer and I use it for Welding. This topic has been posted over and over again?
why would someone call you a kook? thats a sweet looking varic. but for the small time garage shaper who wants to make maybe three boards a year. use what you got around the house. mind you i did spend 10 dollars canadian for the dimmer switch. witch is proly 5 bucks american. now thats cheap!
i did spend 10 dollars canadian for the dimmer switch. witch is proly 5 bucks american. now thats cheap!
I started out with a dimmer switch as well. if your making a few boards a year that’s cool.
At one point I had full production.
why would someone call you a kook?
I was actually called a weirdo on a PM for making a point on rocker?
There are some mean spirited people on sway’s.
It’s better to just read the post and not contribute anything.
I’ve become jaded!
Thats the first I heard of a car battery and dimmer switch combo.I am now purchasing. 2Variacs thanks to oneula and other swaylocks pals.You guys keep the moderation cool and show respect to one another .one life one love one planet …
I got a good old 20 amp Variac off ebay for around $50.00… works perfect, I feel like a pro.
alot like this
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-POWERSTAT-VARIAC-TRANSFORMER-FOR-TUBE-AMP_W0QQitemZ120363207316QQcmdZViewItemQQptZVintage_Electronics_R2?hash=item120363207316&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50
Hello all,
I am not involved in surf board design in anway, but I thought I would share my thoughts on power supplies since I have been trolling through here for information. I am in need of a hot wire cutter and all this talk of using AC and car chargers seems a bit much to me. But, when in doubt, use what you have on hand. What I have on hand is a desktop computer power supply rated for 400W (combined). The practical outputs of this power supply are 3.3V, 5V and 12V, so there is no AC to worry about in the supply of the hot wire. This particular power supply has plenty of power at each range. Based on information from http://www.heatersplus.com/nichrome.html my power supply would be capable of handling a 5.5 foot, 16 gauge Nichrome 60 wire at a current to produce 600 degF using the 12V power supply. Or, I can do 1 foot of 20 gauge hooking up to the 3.3V supply.
The next step is to design and build a closed loop current controller so that I can tell the controller what current I want and the controller generates the current. Of course I have to be smart enough to calculate the correct current for the wire being used ;) Excel can help with that.