Searing Polyester Fabric

[ttkayaker]

What type of economical hot knives are people using

to cut and sear polyester fabric?

[Kudzu]

It's not economical but it very well made, commerical quality. I have two of these and not one complaint.

 

http://www.hsgmusa.com/Products/hsg-0-heat-cutter.asp

[Ekapi]

 I have used an inexpensive soldering iron with a chisel shaped tip to cut nylon for skin boats. I don't know if it would work differently with polyester but it worked perfectly on the nylon.

[Pat Mellema]

I use an old heavy duty soldering gun with a flat plastic cutting tip.

[NY_Rocking_Chairs]

I just cut with scissors and used a butane torch to fuse the edges (the kind used for soldering copper pipe fittings).  That was on a Curlew, on the Stonefly I will be using the soldering iron tip to avoid scorching the gunwales.

[kayak278]

I used a regular soldering/woodburning iron with a very fine woodburning tip on it that I bent into a hook.  All I had to do then was put the hook tip through the fabric and pull towards me....worked great.  The soldering iron was one of the cheap hobby versions sold at the big box hobby stores.

[Kudzu]

I used a regular soldering/woodburning iron with a very fine woodburning tip on it that I bent into a hook.  All I had to do then was put the hook tip through the fabric and pull towards me....worked great.

 

That sounds like a great idea! I guess I should have added I started out with a Weller Soldering Gun with the cutting tip on it. It was slow to warm up and slow cutting compared to what I am using now, but it worked. Just not at the ligthening speeds this one does.

[CapecodJohn]

I did the slow Weller thing too I attached a flat cutting tip   it was slow but it workrd.

[archipushka]

Some time ago since this was tried and I can't remember its success but couldn't a 'path' be seared down the cloth and THEN cut with heavy duty scissors?

[P Doug (WA)]

Made a tip for my soldering gun out of copper wire.  Worked very well.

[nopoe]

I filed down a soldering iron tip into a knife-ish shape. Works well enough, but it needs a lot of time to heat up. It barely worked at all before I modified the tip.

[NY_Rocking_Chairs]

The thinner the tip the faster it will heat up (less material and more electrical current passing through a smaller surface area).

[Bcone1381]

I used a propane torch to heat up an old dull kitchen knife.

[Action Tiger]

Here's mine...

[soitios]

Has anyone tried or heard of anyone trying one of these inexpensive hot knives from harbor freight?

[Bcone1381]

It says the temp range is up 975 deg. I have not tried it, but I would go for it.

[Action Tiger]

Most of their stuff is junk, so don't be disappointed, but it is cheap...