>        The cheapest & best source of heat I know of for this purpose is a
>battery-charger; on the 6V setting, its rate of heating of the (nichrome?)
>wire gives you a few seconds as the foundation sheet sinks onto the wire.
>        It sounds to me as if the heater Thomas bought heats too fast


I had difficulty controlling the heat of my embedder so I installed a
voltage control ahead of the transformer.  By reducing the voltage I can get
to a setting where the wire is completely embedded in about 3 seconds. this
allows me to watch the wire go into the foundation and release the switch
before it cuts too deep.  I then continue to hold down the embedder for a
few seconds to allow the wax to cool before lifting, otherwise the wire
sometimes follows the embedder back out of the wax.
You could also try a lower voltage transformer.