The final step in preparing the foam cutter was completed this evening. I put the 12v Dimmer circuit into an iPod Nano box, and added power in and output connectors. The input is a standard 3.5mm power jack. The output connectors are banana plug jacks. Altogether, it took a couple hours, possibly longer than building the cutter. The finishing touch was the addition of feet made of Sugru. Aside from the dimmer kit, I had all the other parts in the scrap bins, so it was especially satisfying to complete. Tomorrow, perhaps we can cut the foam supports for the plate dip project.

Here’s a photo of the power dimmer project box during testing. It works great and the LED’s are still visible. Due to the dual-compartment design of the Nano box, I should have space to store the nichrome wire and terminal bar when not in use. This will make it a lot easier to put the cutter away when not in use. More photos of the complete project tomorrow.