Proxxon Hex Cutting Template

A good friend and fellow club member, Ed, has a fantastic collection of GHQ's "Geo-Hex" terrain.  It looks superb and I envy the flexibility his collection provides for gaming.  I also really like the aesthetic - perhaps the hexes bring me back to high school years of playing hex and counter games solitaire - there were not a lot of local war gamers where I grew up near Mobile, Alabama.  Well there were a few but they were fixated on the American Civil War and always wanted achieve confederate victories, with wistful sighs of things would have been better if CSA had won.   I elected not to associate with them.

I doubt I'll ever match Ed's level of craftsmanship but at least I can make my own hexes.  An idea was conceived, plans stolen from another source and I set to work.  What's the first thing one should say when starting any project that involves woodworking - "Lets make a jig!"

Here are the parts you need to make the jig.  I'm using 1/2 inch think MDF as the base and this piece is 6 inches wide by nine inches long.  That fits on my proxxon on the right side which has about 5.5 inches of platform space.  The most important thing is the piece needs to be really flat.  The jig requires two braces to hold the EPS in place while cutting - I'm using scrap plywood - again because its flat and stable.  The last piece is the most important - the guide bar.  This one requires some careful measuring and cutting.

Proxxon's have two grooves the run alongside the lower and right edge on the table top.  You need to cut a piece of hardwood (I'm using poplar as it's what I have) so it fits snuggly but moves easily.  The best way to do this is cut your piece a bit over sized and "sneak-up" on the fit by using a sanding block to remove a little bit of material and re-try the fit.  Rinse and repeat.  Take your time.  If the fit is loose (you can wiggle the guide while it is in the slot) then your hexes will not fit together well.

Don't be afraid to start over here (I did)

With my guide rail cut, the next step is to attach it to the underside of the platform.  I'm using standard wood glue to assemble this jig.  In order not to glue the rail to the proxxon itself, I lined the botton with 2 strips of paper.

This makes the guide sit a little proud (or high) from the tabletop and I can then glue it on.  Using a right angle guide to ensure the MDF is square with the cutting wire. I added glue to the guide and placed the platform on top.

Some of you might be tempted to use that snazy guide decal that the fine people at proxxon slap on top the table.  You could, but check to make sure it's square.  Mine isn't - it's off about 1.73 degrees (I measured 'cause I'm a geek).  Not material for most hobby projects, but this one needs to be precise - so check rather than assume your decal is square.

The next step is just add some weight (just a little is needed and walk away fro 30 minutes while the glue sets.

This picture is a little out of sequence as the braces are attached but you get the picture.

The next step is to attach the two braces. 

Glue them together to form a precise right angle (or "T") with at least 5 inches of material on the side that will face the cutting wire.

Measure and mark a line the is 4 inches away and parallel to the cutting side.  about two thirds down the face daw a line that is 60 degrees on the cutting face (60 degrees on the inside which is the angle facing you while using the jig.

Next, draw a 90 degree line from where the 60 degree line intersects the cutting edge over the to four inch line

Then glue the base so that the bottom brace fits along the 60 degree line and the right side brace intesects at the point where the 90 degree line intersects the 4 inch line we drew at the start of this meandering set of instructions.  It's ok if the bottom brace overhangs the platform.

Once the glue has set trim off the overhang.  I used my table saw but a hand saw will be fine.  - just make sure the jig can pass smoothly and the cutting wire doesn't catch on the brace

The jig is done!  There is one more trick step - cutting your foam blocks.  I'm going for hexes that match the GHQ terrain maker system - their dimension is 4 inches across flat side to flat side.  That means all you have to do is cut a bunch of 4" squares right - WRONG!  While the dimension if 4 inches across flat to flat side - its a bit longer point to point.  In fact its 1.1548x longer - so a 4" inch flat diameter equates to a 4.62 inch length point to point.  I cut EPS rectangles that were 4 by 5 inches in size.

Cutting a hex with the jig  hex requires four quick passes.  Place the rectangle in the jig  so the long side overhangs the cutting edge and push the jig across the table.  Oh, make sure you turn on the hot wire cutter too.

After the first pass flip the piece and cut the other side off the point

now reverse the foam so the point is on the other side and repeat the first two passes

After four passes you've got a perfect hex.

They fit together very nicely.  You can batch out a lot of hexes - takes about 10 second to make a hex with the four passes.

I adapted this jig from a set of plans ED gave me.  The orignal plans were based on using both table and band saws to cut the EPS, but the core concepts are unchanged.

I was a little nervous using saws to cut eps as the do create a very fine dust which is extremely unhealthy.  While a proxxon create fumes that are also dangerous it's much easier to vent them away versus fine particles that go everywhere.

Never-the-less ALWAYS where a respirator when messing about with EPS foam and ensure your working in a well ventilated area.