Based on my experience with my ESAB 875 plasma cutter ... capable of cutting
7/8 plate and 1 1/4 inch severing ... the term used when they mean "you may
not like the quality of the cut but you will end up with two pieces of metal
from your single plate of steel" ... an acute case of machine overkill for
what I use it for but at least you know what the marketing terms mean ...
all you will need is:
A plasma cutter, which should come with a torch, an appropriate electrical
outlet and clean DRY air. Note that you can trade the DRY air off for "any
old air" and then suffer from bad cuts, very high consumable costs,
frustration, money, etc., but it is better to simply ensure you have clean
dry air.
After that is is dead simple. The torch runs cool enough that you can make a
template out of hardboard or plywood in the exotic shape you want to cut out
and then run the side of the torch around the template. Assuming you
practiced for about a minute before your very first try ... to get a sense
of what the proper torch speed should be for the material you are cutting
... there is very little dross and very little clean up. With a little
practice you end up making "ready to weld" cuts rather than "cut, grind,
then weld". Even the bevel can be cut so you can skip that part of the
grinding also.
Did I mention that you need clean dry air? Just so you are not paranoid
about that, I have a compressor with the usual filters and oil and moisture
removal stuff on it that feeds everything, and then I put one of these
http://www.motorguard.com/air_2_2.html filters on right before the plasma
cutter. About $60 for the filter but the last time I bought consumables for
the torch it was over $100 so it doesn't take much time to recoup the filter
costs.
I also have a oxy-acetylene torch set but the only reason I bring it out now
is if the electrical cord to the plasma cutter will allow me to reach what I
need to cut. And to that point I move a most everything to be within reach
of the cord just so I don't need to break out the gas axe ;-}
Arvid
-----Original Message-----
From: eric at megageek.com
Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2011 10:56 AM
To: shop-talk at Autox.Team.Net
Subject: [Shop-talk] Plasma cutters
OK, I'm looking to buy a "thumb" for my back hoe. While it is expensive
to buy, I realized that this is an easy piece to make, failing one
thing... I don't have a good way to cut heavy steel. (1/4" plate or
better)
I don't know much about plasma cutters, but I'm willing to learn. With
the cost of this thumb, I could justify getting a good cutter and making
my own.
What do you need for a cutter besides the torch? Are they hard to learn?
Any special skills I need?
I'm just gathering information at this time. So I'm looking for any and
all suggestions on buying one and what I need to do to learn it.
Thanks.
Moose
"Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a rational
being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory." Ralph
Waldo Emerson
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