auto cutter

[Jim in Falls]

Years ago (a lot of years) I had a "auto cutter) from Auto World. It was a soldering iron with a tip that had an exacto blade silver soldered to it. I seem to remember it working real well. I tried to make one recently but it doesn't get hot enough to really do a good job. I tried it on a 40 watt iron, then tried a 45 watt iron - no particular difference. Does anyone remember these or maybe still have one? I was wondering what wattage he used.

[Ace-Garageguy]

They won't make clean cuts, like opening doors or that sort of thing, 'cause they melt too much of the surrounding plastic. And if you're just doing general cutting, something like a razor saw is a much better tool. 

[Exotics_Builder]

They won't make clean cuts, like opening doors or that sort of thing, 'cause they melt too much of the surrounding plastic. And if you're just doing general cutting, something like a razor saw is a much better tool. 

I till have one somewhere in a tool box, but as Bill said, it is a crude tool.  There are a lot more razor saw options that are more useful although requiring a little more exertion.

[Snake45]

We had a whole thread on these evil devices not too long ago. I think many of us tried it once, destroyed a body with it, learned our lesson and moved on to something else.

[Tom Geiger]

I bought this from AutoWorld when I was a kid.  I was suckered in with their advertising that I could easily cut out doors and trunks.  It really didn't work out that way at all....    I dug it out a few years ago just for this demo due to a similar question on the board.

 

And the results!  I cut open a lot of panels in traditional ways,  heat is not your friend here.  The Auto Cutter pretty much burns it's way through leaving a big molten plastic mess in it's wake!   Not recommended.   

[crazyjim]

I still have the tip in my tool drawer.

[Warren D]

I had one of those.  I think it was a 65 watt iron, but IIRC you could mount the tip on most any available soldering iron.  I think the hottest iron I tried was 100 watt.  The key was super hot and fast cut to minimize the melt but as other have said it was an idea that looked better on paper than in reality.

[TarheelRick]

I was also duped into buying one of these.  I think the whole premise was to force you into buying two kits; one to cut the doors from along the outside edges then sand down.  The other kit was to cut the doors from inside the door lines, then sand out to fit the doors cut from the other kit.  A real dog of a tool.

[Draggon]

Dremel makes one. They call it an "Electric Hot Knife" They say its only 30 watts but it gets to over a thousand degrees. Yikes! https://www.dremel.com/en-us/Tools/Pages/ToolDetail.aspx?pid=1550#.V9l3dpgrKhc

 

 

 

 

[Snake45]

Got a coping saw laying around? If so, take the blade out of it and replace it with a piece of common sewing thread, pulled TIGHT. Believe it or not, this does about as good a job cutting plastic as anything. (And you probably won't believe it till you try it.) I think it's the heat of the friction of the "sawing" that does it, but however it does it, it actually works.

[yh70]

if you are trying to cut open a door get you some photo etched saw blades.. they work great..

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=9&ved=0ahUKEwi-nZvDoo_PAhVIiCwKHQjuAJkQFgg_MAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.modelcargarage.com%2Fstore%2Fpc%2FviewPrd.asp%3Fidproduct%3D356&usg=AFQjCNEZJ5cftQCQW5RlhiYOP8DpK0Y9Tw&sig2=9BqtspxX3uWlEo8s_0_DTw

[Jim in Falls]

Thanks for the replys, I guess you guys talked me out of messing with it anymore. I'll have to try the coping saw and thread trick.

Jim

[Ace-Garageguy]

Thanks for the replys, I guess you guys talked me out of messing with it anymore. I'll have to try the coping saw and thread trick.

Jim

You might also want to read entirely through this thread...the "thread" method is discussed.

Edited September 15, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

I have found the best way to open panels is by scribing repeatedly multiple times, and using the PE razor saw (.007" thick) or a standard razor saw (.010" thick) as necessary for the longer lines, plus a sharp X-acto for the corners.

Yes, it takes some patience, but this one was done relatively quickly (you see a couple of slips with the tool evident) and fits back in the opening quite nicely.

 

[Pete J.]

These are my preferred weapons of mass distruction.  The first is made by Hasegawa Tri-Tool and  are finger saws.  The cut so fine you can actually glue a panel back in place and you won't know it was ever cut out.  They also bend around slight corners for delect cuts.  The next tool is a Tamiya razor saw and is for those really big cuts. I use it for chopping and sectioning bodies.  With the long pull stroke cut you can get really straight cuts the length or width of the body.  Both are tools that I would not be happy to not have in my tool box.  They are both available from Hobby Link Japan or any domestic model on line service that carries Hasegawa and Tamiya.  Good luck!