My name is Renaud Iltis. RC modeler, tinkerer, mechanical engineer by training, former teacher, and solo entrepreneur since 2013. I’ve been doing hot wire CNC cutting for more than 20 years.
More than 20 years of hot wire
I fell into it in 2002, among the French model builders who had invented the basics of the process in the late 1990s. I built my first machine in 2003, and joined their mailing list in 2004. Since then:
- I’ve designed about ten machine models, and built and sold more than 250 machines of various sizes;
- I’ve written 4 specialised programs, up to HotWire4X;
- I’ve created a site for sharing hot wire projects.
I added my own stones and methods to the building, and became “the youngest memory” of that period. The whole story, mine and the community’s, is on the Story page.
What I offer you
- The HotWire4X software. A Swiss army knife of unmatched power, easy for a beginner to pick up, and free up to the cut.
- Support to build your machine. A high-performing hot wire CNC that truly meets your needs, made to turn out parts and projects, quickly and well. From the first parts order to the last electrical connection and the final tests. I no longer make kits: you order the parts yourself, following my instructions. Where to start.
- Support to design your projects, from the simplest to the most complex, especially model aircraft. Because once you’re sharp at hot wire cutting, you can design a model on Friday that flies on Sunday.
- A workshop or seminar at your place, for clubs, companies and organisations, anywhere in the world.
Why this site
Because it’s time to gather this scattered knowledge, correct the sometimes wrong information found here and there, and recall rules proven since the late 1990s that are getting lost. Websites and people disappear, and for now it’s mostly in my head and on my old hard drives.
Contact
For questions about the software, the help page answers faster than I do.