Cutting plastic with cotton sewing thread ?!!!

Spacephrawg · Post by **Spacephrawg** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 9:52 am

Via www.rccrawler.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XDFoKaR ... _embedded#

The truck body is made of ABS plastic, not styrene. I've watched it a few times and still don't believe it.

Anyone ever done this?

Btw apparently you have to be workign with 100% cotton thread or it won't work.

This is definitely madness, not Spartaaaaaaaaah.

Joseph C. Brown · Post by **Joseph C. Brown** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:06 am

FineScale Modeler featured an article on styrene car door modification a few years back that showed essentially the same technique. My memory can be spotty at times though - I seem to recall that dental floss was used.

Post by **LindaSmile** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:28 am

Makes sense to me. Anything that is thin enough should be able to cut through.

Scott Hasty · Post by **Scott Hasty** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:34 am

Joseph C. Brown wrote:FineScale Modeler featured an article on styrene car door modification a few years back that showed essentially the same technique. My memory can be spotty at times though - I seem to recall that dental floss was used.

The Plackers brand flossers have Kevlar in them, so it is logical it would cut quite well...

Wug · Post by **Wug** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 12:00 pm

I tried it years ago with cotton dental floss and couldn't get it to work.

Spacephrawg · Post by **Spacephrawg** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 12:30 pm

I think i'll stick to cotton.

I just find this all to be amazing. I didn't believe it when the RC forums described it to me and i barely believe it now!

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 12:38 pm

I used to use it, then I got some micro saws.

Rocketeer · Post by **Rocketeer** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 5:52 pm

I've done it to cut a skeleton's jaw away from the rest of the skull. Worked great. The skeleton was styrene and I used ordinary cotton thread. I was a bit surprised--you get to sawing away, and the friction melts the plastic; makes a very narrow cut.

raser13 · Post by **raser13** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:50 pm

i've used the dental floss method. the wax acts as kind of a lubricant. wrked well to cut up the humvee body i was working on.

MillenniumFalsehood · Post by **MillenniumFalsehood** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:44 pm

Interesting! I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't watched the video.

I probably won't use this technique though, as I'm pretty adept with a saw.

Rocketeer · Post by **Rocketeer** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 8:45 pm

Well, there are two advantages to this method over a saw: One, the kerf is very narrow, and two, you can change directions with no trouble at all. It's not the do-all, end-all of cutting methods, but there certainly are places where it's the best choice.

Stu Pidasso · Post by **Stu Pidasso** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:03 pm

Rocketeer wrote:I've done it to cut a skeleton's jaw away from the rest of the skull. Worked great.

I bet you're great at parties...

Rocketeer · Post by **Rocketeer** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 2:06 pm

Stu Pidasso wrote:
Rocketeer wrote:I've done it to cut a skeleton's jaw away from the rest of the skull. Worked great.
I bet you're great at parties...

Hardly. Imagine the dullest imaginable person, then multiply by 1.5, and you're getting close to the black hole of dullness that is Rocketeer.