# Soledering iron to do diy background????



## axl10 (Aug 21, 2010)

Hi,
im going to attempt my first diy background and want to know if a soldering iron would be better to carve out the foam. ??? Also here in australia we dont have a product called drylock so i was wondering if cement and cement dye added togther would do the job???. Also do you carve it out first then cut into sections to fit in the tank or cut it up first into sections then carve???

Cheers Axl


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Using heat on styrofoam releases toxic fumes during application and degrades the styrene so that it continues to produce toxic compounds once cooled.

Drylok in the US is a product used to seal potable water cisterns made of concrete. There is probably an equivalent in Australia by another name.

If you are using thick foam, it's going to be easier to build it in sections. Thin foam would not matter. Backgrounds made of open cell foam are slightly flexible and compressible, so they don't need to be in sections.


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## Andras (Jul 17, 2010)

I read lots of people have used heat in the form of soldering irons, heat guns, blow dryers, lighters, soldering irons, etc in making their backgrounds and haven't had any issues in their tanks. I would be sure to do it outside or a very well ventilated area though.


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## Ed_209 (Dec 22, 2004)

You can try it but I didn't have good results with one. Hobby stores sell styrofoam carvers. They're basically a soldering iron but made for styro.
Search google for "hotwire foam carving"
Video of one:





Cement and dye would be fine.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Foam cutting in model railroading is quite common. The best I've found is not a soldering iron. Any heat including the hot wire cutters make really bad fumes. They are also pretty expensive for a tool that has such limited use. I found a hand held hacksaw blade is quick and easy for basic shapes. A tool made by Surform does good for rounding. My favorite for quick but super messy is a wire wheel in a power drill. Dremel style mini-tools are great, too.

Look for Dryloc type products in basement waterproofing stuff. It's used to seal cinder block walls.

I would cut first then carve. The cut lines should be angled and varied so that they appear more natural. Carving the edges of the cut lines to various shapes will help hide them. Nature does not do straight lines very well.


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## Malawi_Junkie (Nov 26, 2009)

+ 1 for the hacksaw blade. I used a torch on mine, fumes are an issue so use a mask in a well ventilated area. I also used a soldering gun and made different copper tips for it out of romex copper wire but found the hacksaw blade was quicker. Just wrap duct tape around one end of the blade as a handle.


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## bntbrl (Apr 23, 2009)

A mask will not provide sufficient safety for those fumes. A mask is for particulate matter. A fresh air supplied hood will suffice for those kinds of fumes. I would not recommend a dustmask for anything but dust. It is large enough to let in paint and other particles into your lungs.


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## Malawi_Junkie (Nov 26, 2009)

Good to know. I actually didn't use a mask but thought it would be a good idea. Proceed at your own risk.


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## cgmark (Aug 18, 2010)

Don't use something too high in wattage or it will get too hot, that is what causes the bad fumes. Styrofoam if melted at the correct temperatures doesn't produce fumes , just CO2 and carbon , but overheated it is like any plastic that is burned.

Styrofoam starts to melt at around 250F and should never be heated above 500F because that is when it can become toxic and only a respirator can block the fumes at that point, like the kind used by people that paint cars. A dust or face mask will not block the gases produced. It is some nasty stuff when burned .You sometimes will see cutters that say they reach 700F+ but that is designed for high speed cutting where the wire quickly loses heat , like cutting sheets in half quickly, not for detail work.

I use styrofoam for sculpting and modeling figures along with clay and the best tool for it that is cheaply available for most people is a soldering iron with temperature control. You can get them for $25 with a stand on electronics and craft sites.

Turn on the iron at the lowest setting and slowly increase it till it just melts the styrofoam you are using, all brands melt differently. If you see smoke and the styrofoam turning brown then it is too hot. Keep a wet cloth near and as soon as you are done making your cuts wipe off the iron before you put it down. Leaving melted plastic on the tip will cause it later to begin to smoke because the tips can overheat even on temp controlled irons.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

But for the person who may only make one background a year (or less) isn't an iron more expensive, harder to do correctly, slower and a real nuisance compared to a hacksaw blade? Sometimes professional tools are not better for us hobby types.

When I was doing lots of foam cutting for model railroads, I found I could have the foam ripped all sorts of ways before I could get the iron out and plugged in. Just more trouble than it was worth.


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## axl10 (Aug 21, 2010)

What about for cannister filters??? do you need a hole in the front for the water to get into the intake pipe??? Im going to put a hole in the top for the outflow pipe, just need to know about the inflow???


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## cgmark (Aug 18, 2010)

I don't think the $25 price for a soldering iron is too much. It has a lot of other uses around the home and can be used for repairing cords on equipment and applying heat shrink tubing. Also good for using on the inside of vinyl tubing for making it slightly soft to attach to fittings easily.

Hard to do correctly, I don't think so. Take your time and don't rush through it. I can't see how a hacksaw can be quicker than an iron. With the iron at the right temp it can cut as fast as you can move it.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

> Take your time and don't rush through it. I can't see how a hacksaw can be quicker than an iron. With the iron at the right temp it can cut as fast as you can move it.


There seems to be a conflict with what you say here. I always found if I took my time it was slow and if I did move as fast as I could it created a LOT of smoke. I'll still recommend a hacksaw. :wink:


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## Malawi_Junkie (Nov 26, 2009)

The soldering iron was one of least favorite tools I used, hacksaw blade was by far the most used tool.


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## cgmark (Aug 18, 2010)

PfunMo said:


> > Take your time and don't rush through it. I can't see how a hacksaw can be quicker than an iron. With the iron at the right temp it can cut as fast as you can move it.
> 
> 
> There seems to be a conflict with what you say here. I always found if I took my time it was slow and if I did move as fast as I could it created a LOT of smoke. I'll still recommend a hacksaw. :wink:


You vary the heat with what you are doing. If you intend to cut a lot then you use a higher temp because the temp will fall as soon as you start cutting a lot, if you intend to do detail then lower the temp.

what I do couldn't be done with a hacksaw, I get into details like ledges and cliffs with roots, etc.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

I used a soldering iron plenty of times. Its no different from people using a lighter or a small torch and LOTS of people have done that here.

Michal's craft store even sells a tool similar. Its a rod that heats up and you just slice right through foam but its cheaply made but costs 20$. Just do it in a open space with a paper respirator.

I use it for any straight lines I need like when cutting it to the dimensions of the tank. Its gotten me flush up against the glass with the foam time after time.


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