Foam cutter,load

[turbogt16v]

Hy
I am going to make foam cutter,for cutting stirofoam.
12v at 2 amps,with led dimmer to adjust temperature and with high resistance wire.
The question is do i need a load,some bulb,to not fry my power adapter.

 

[Alec_t]

You need a contollable current source. A 'LED dimmer' may or may not offer a well-controlled current. A schematic or link to its spec would help to determine its suitability.

 

[turbogt16v]

Here

 

[BobK]

It won't offer well controlled current, it will deliver a PWM signal. That should be OK for heating a wire. The wire should have the correct amount of resistance to act as the load. For 2A at 12V the resistance is 6Ω.

Bob

 

[turbogt16v]

Will this do,
So if wire can handle the resistance it won't damage the power

 

[Alec_t]

That wire would require about 27cm for 6Ω, if my maths is correct.

 

[turbogt16v]

Ty all for help

 

[BobK]

Before you go gung ho. Here is a site that has all the info you need to design your foam cutter:

http://hotwirefoamcutterinfo.com/_NiChromeData.html

You need to choose the wire diameter and current to get to the correct temperature. According to that site, about 600F is good for cutting foam.

Bob