I needed a hot nichrome wire for cutting but didn't know where to buy or
even how to hook-up and calculate power-heat dissipation etc.
So I found an old portable electric heater someone threw out in the
garbage and took the "guts" out and laid on the gypsum surface side of a
piece of drywall (also found as refuse). I carefully straightened out
one of the coils of nichrome, stretched and mounted it on and between
two small, flat stacks made from pieces of cut drywall glued together. I
could then operate the rheostat to adjust the heat intensity of the wire
for cutting.
The problem with my "Stupid Man's Way" cutter solution was that the
entire coiled nichrome heating element was heated up and drew power and
current in excess of what was needed for the smaller cutting portion of
the wire. But since it was used for only one or two small jobs, the
impractical points of operation weren't worked out for improvement.
It was years ago that I used the makeshift cutter. The damned, clumsey
thing is still sitting near my work bench, I can see it now while I
write this message, a monument to my lack of knowledge in electronics
and electricity.
gn