The Hot-Wire Foam Cutting Wiki

Everything about hot-wire foam cutting — from your very first cut to building a 5-axis CNC machine. Beginner-friendly guides on foam materials, safety, G-code, hardware (ESP32, FluidNC, GRBL, PiBot, RAMPS), and every feature of the free cncfoam.com simulator. Use the search box or pick a topic below.

Getting Started

What is hot-wire foam cutting? What is cncfoam.com? Quick start: your first cut Glossary of hot-wire & CNC terms

Foam & the Science

How hot-wire cutting works (the physics) Foam materials guide (EPS, XPS, EPP & more) Wire, temperature & feedrate Kerf, corners & cut quality Safety & ventilation

Using cncfoam.com

The cncfoam.com simulator Loading shapes (SVG, DXF & G-code) Machine types (2, 3, 4 & 5 axis) Material block & cutter envelope Cut settings: material, feedrate & pre-heat The Object bar: scale, offset, rotate Morphing & twisting two profiles Rotation axis & indexed cuts (3/5-axis) The 3D solid cut preview (CSG) Viewers: G-code & side profiles Transports: download, USB & Wi-Fi Accounts, projects & the shape library The GEN's shape generator The ambigram generator The character generator The gear generator The wing generator Ruled-surface architecture: wall panels & hypars Screws, augers & the ruled-surface limit The helical flight generator (shaftless auger) The SVG cleaner Cutting 3D models (STL & OBJ) Rotating a part's starting position

G-code

What is G-code? G-code for foam cutting Multi-axis & rotary G-code (U/V/A)

Hardware

Choosing or building a machine Controllers: FluidNC & GRBL PiBot, RAMPS & breakout boards Motors, drivers & motion Hot-wire power & temperature control Wiring & first setup

Workflows & Tips

Designing wings & aerofoils Columns, ducts & lampshades Troubleshooting common problems Tips for clean, accurate cuts

Reference

Frequently asked questions Keyboard shortcuts & controls