A Python CLI and PySide6 desktop app for estimating steady-state wire temperature from current, diameter, length, and material. It also displays experimental foam cutting ranges. These ranges are not safety limits.
This is alpha software. The wire model has been checked for physical consistency and against published room-temperature resistivity for two representative alloys; its temperature predictions have not been calibrated against measured wire temperatures. The foam database has not been verified against manufacturer safety data sheets. Do not use the output to determine permissible exposure, ventilation adequacy, fire safety, or a safe operating temperature. See model validation and limitations.
The app supports Nichrome, Kanthal, and a generic stainless estimate; AWG, SWG, mm, mils, and inches for wire size; and mm, cm, inches, feet, metres, and yards for length. It can display a temperature chart, save/load JSON projects, and export/print a chart. The CLI can calculate one current or an explicit range, list foam types, and display preliminary foam information.
Python 3.10 or newer is required. From a checkout:
git clone https://github.com/Monotoba/HotWire.git
cd HotWire
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate # Windows PowerShell: .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
python -m pip install -e .Launch the GUI with wire-temp-gui or python -m wire_temp_calc.main. A desktop session is required. Run wire-temp-calc --help for CLI options. No PyPI or native installer availability is promised by this source installation guide.
wire-temp-calc --gauge 22 --material nichrome --length 2 --length-unit feet --current 1
wire-temp-calc --current-start 0.1 --current-end 5 --current-step 0.1
wire-temp-calc --list-foams
wire-temp-calc --safety-info EPS 250The CLI's foam information is heuristic. Ventilation is recommended for hot-wire cutting regardless of whether the modeled temperature falls inside a listed cutting range. Read the material-specific safety data sheet and use suitable engineering controls.
python -m pip install -e '.[dev]'
QT_QPA_PLATFORM=offscreen pytest tests/ # Linux headless test environment
black --check src/
mypy src/ --ignore-missing-imports
python -m build
python -m twine check dist/*The current GitHub Actions matrix tests Python 3.10–3.13 on Linux, Windows, and macOS and builds source and wheel artifacts. Release preparation records the remaining checks. A green CI build is not a validation of measured thermal performance.
HotWire is licensed under the MIT License.