# Hot knife



## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

Has anyone used them and why ? Recommend a good one?


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

nolabama said:


> Has anyone used them and why ? Recommend a good one?


Are you wiring a ICF basement? I use a router, 2x4 and my log wall jigs. It's fast and clean up is a shop vac.


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

I don't even know what ICF is. I have a concrete buddy looking to buy one. I googled it and a specific electrical box cutter came back. 

Do tell what is the stuff


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## green light (Oct 12, 2011)

nolabama said:


> I don't even know what ICF is. I have a concrete buddy looking to buy one. I googled it and a specific electrical box cutter came back.
> 
> Do tell what is the stuff


 Insulated concrete form


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## randas (Dec 14, 2008)

Concrete forms made of styrofoam. The foam remains for insulation. Typically you cut your boxes and wire into the foam because the drywall gets screwed right to the foam. The furring strips are in the center of the foam so you can drive screws into them to hang the drywall. A hot knife is one way of cutting these


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

I have seen one of those. It was not what you guys would call a basement tho. It was used for an elevated new construction.


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## randas (Dec 14, 2008)

nolabama said:


> I have seen one of those. It was not what you guys would call a basement tho. It was used for an elevated new construction.


They can be used above ground too, just not as common. They just finished a 5 story hotel near me with them


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## dthurmond (Feb 7, 2011)

We have a couple of hot knives. They hook to 120 vac and 100 psi . They have a heating element inside that heats the air as it goes through the tube and element . We use them to cut yarn off and they work very well for this . I could see it working on styrofoam too . Not sure if this is what your talking about but if it is I can snap some pics and get a model number .


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

dthurmond said:


> We have a couple of hot knives. They hook to 120 vac and 100 psi . They have a heating element inside that heats the air as it goes through the tube and element . We use them to cut yarn off and they work very well for this . I could see it working on styrofoam too . Not sure if this is what your talking about but if it is I can snap some pics and get a model number .


I've seen plug in hot knives but never saw a pneumatic one that wasn't a big stationary machine.


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

The hot knives used for ICF are usually a couple of different designs. One is for cutting out the boxes and one is for cutting the groove for the wire. I've tried a router but actually find a electric chainsaw with a dull chain works pretty slick. Just my opinion. The boxes can be a little more fun but I see someone is coming out with a box designed specifically for ICF. I believe it's made by IPEX.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

wendon said:


> The hot knives used for ICF are usually a couple of different designs. One is for cutting out the boxes and one is for cutting the groove for the wire. I've tried a router but actually find a electric chainsaw with a dull chain works pretty slick. Just my opinion. The boxes can be a little more fun but I see someone is coming out with a box designed specifically for ICF. I believe it's made by IPEX.


I use steel boxes and mud rings. I've seen the plumber using a chainsaw, it was not very nice looking when he was done.

If I ever built again it would be ICF above grade.


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

backstay said:


> I use steel boxes and mud rings. I've seen the plumber using a chainsaw, it was not very nice looking when he was done.
> 
> If I ever built again it would be ICF above grade.


I've used a lot of Allied boxes like this for single gangs and metal boxes\mud rings for anything larger.









Working on a ICF job now. It's a 100x60x20 walk-in cooler built with ICF.


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