Ultrasonic cutters

[cteno4]

Anyone had any experience with ultrasonic cutters? They vibrate the knife blade at like 33k hz to make it cut easily thru stuff. Looks like on plastic it can melt it if applied too hard and fast. Looks like they start at about $230 so not a cheap thing to have hanging around for odd bits. Most of what it does seems like could be easily handled with standard knives and saws and the small scroll or band saw just as cleanly. Seems to do some easy shaping of harder plastics but really don't do much of that. Does look like it does a decent job of cutting parts off sprews,mbut again expensive for that task!

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TUIREL-WOYO-Ultrasonic-Cutter-Cutting-Plastics-Hobby-Tool-Magic-Plastic-Knife-/222025605491?hash=item33b1c1e173:g:lz4AAOSwHgVW8OzR

[tossedman]

Never seen one before. They look like they cut pretty well though.

 

[cteno4]

Yeah there are videos of the slicing thru books! Most of the stuff I saw videos of them cutting it was not the sort I do a lot or could easily do with the mini table, scroll or band saw if needed. But could be handy to just turn this on on the bench and whack something quickly.

 

For larger plastic cutting though it looks like it melts the plastic some. Also not sure they can be used well with a straight edge or not. They mainly piqued my curiosity as I had remembered seeing them a while back and never followed up on them. Still a bit pricy for a tool unless it's a real magic bullet for something. Sprew cutting did look nice and many not discolor colored styrene the way nippers and regular blades can do. But again a little pricy for just a part/sprew cutter!

 

I did play with an ultrasonic plastic welder tool way back for PVC stuff. In the end using solvents worked just as well and was easier. The welder was handy to quickly tack weld something in place then come back with solvent to do the big bond. We were assembling all sorts of odd jigs and holders for doing Rock moulds and other odd things.

 

Jeff

[kvp]

Not this type, but i do use a larger vibrating cutter for wood cutting from time to time as it could go in the middle without drilling a hole and it cuts straight and square. Not only it melts plastic but could burn wood too if allowed to heat up. Otherwise pretty handy as it cuts through most woods, plastics and softer metals (like nails) like they were paper. Both sizes are handy if you have something already assembled but still need a cut.