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Shopping for Plasma cutter - ?'s re: tip types and cutting expanded metal


Thu, 25 Nov 2021 07:51:28 GMT
Complete noob with plasma cutters here so forgive any inane questions I may ask and chalk it up to the ignorance I am slowly eliminating over time! I am a hobbyist looking for my first plasma cutter. I've read dozens of review and watched many videos, but no one seems to have answered the question I have, or at least I just haven't found it yet. So here goes:FIRST: Some of the plasma cutters include spacer guides that are designed to maintain the proper distance from tip to project piece. However, other cutters do not include them and none of the product images or videos show any sort of spacer. What gives? The reason that I ask is that in addition to utility cutting tasks, I also want to create some metal art. I am thinking that the cutters with guides will make tracing templates more difficult than the cutters without guides. So, can I simply remove the spacer guides off any of the plasma cutters whenever I need to or, if the Mfr includes them should I always use them?  Would love some feedback from experienced metal workers and especially metal art creators.SECOND: I've read about different technologies that work better than others when plasma cutting expanded metal. This, of course, makes me wonder whether cutters that use a different technology will be a pain in the a$$ when trying to cut expanded metal. It this the magic of market-speak messing with my mind, or is there a significant difference that I should be aware of?MOST COMMON PROJECT SPECS:  (at least for now!)The max metal thickness will be ¼" and a rare 3/16", but most work will be on thinner metals.Materials will be mostly mild steel and thinner sheet metal, thin stainless steel sheet metal, expanded metalGeneral usage will be occasional - I am not a production shop, just a weekend warriorElectric supply is 110/120 at my place, buy my son (who is learning with me) will have a 220/240 outlet installed next week.Hoping to purchase a plasma cutter under $700, better under $500.I'm new to all of this, but as I've heard so many times: "Buy once, cry once" (versus buy a cheaper product only to have to buy a more expensive model a year later when you find that you actually DO need the nicer features. Thanks ahead of time for educating and informing the new guy (who, at 57 years old is having a blast learning a new skill!)Last edited by jmedema; 9 Hours Ago at 05:55 PM.
Reply:First I’m older hobbiest and started welding about your age. After a couple of years I too bought a plasma cutter - it is a cool tool, but it is the least used tool I own. I have used it with great success on expanded metal so that is a plus for you. Mine is a Miller that is built to handle expanded metal start/stop but not all plasmas are. Since that is one of your intended uses you need to make sure it is built for that. I rarely use it because I can cut some other way quicker when you count cleaning off the dross and grinding the ridges off the edges. Using a guide helps but freehand I have to do a lot grinding to look right. As far as under $500-700, you may want to look at used. I see name brand machines pop up at a good price. Name brand is important when you need consumables (and you will) and want them to be easily available. If budget is a concern be sure you have calculated an air compressor and driers big enough to service your plasma. You will need that 220v line to cut 1/4”. All that said, if I had known all this back then, I probably would not have bought one. On a CNC table you can do a lot of cool stuff and many guys on here do amazing free hand work, it’s just not something that has earned its keep in my shop.Burt _____________________Miller Syncrowave 250Millermatic 211Miller 375 Plasma Cutter Hobart Handler 12010FtDrillBit.com
Reply:Keep in mind EVERYONE overated the cutting capacity on their plasma cutters. At least as far as realistic cutting speed is concerned. The vast majority of Chinese machines are worse yet at cutting speed. I have a razor cut 45 which performs quite well on the thicknesses the OP described. I would look for a 40-60 amp machine for what you intend. Keep in mind a larger machine can be turned down but you can only get so much out of a small machine. As for the standoff, better quality torches ( or machines in general) use a shielded drag tip that doesn't require a standoff. You can use the non shielded tips without a standoff, just don't make contact with the material.
Reply:Ditto to everything said so far. #1 is that you will need an adequate source of CLEAN, DRY air, and a dedicated 50 amp 220/240 volt circuit to get the full use out of a plasma. Under $500 you're pretty much talking cheap Chinese junk (which is what I have so I'm not knocking it) with questionable repair opportunities. I consider them disposables but I'm sure others will disagree. That said I have used my Cut50 on numerous occasions and have been impressed as long as you don't push it much over it's rated 1/2" capacity.... or forget to turn the air on... but that's operator error. Watch the suppliers of the low end machines, some give free freight and some don't which is a bigger issue for me in Canada. Freight and duty easily doubles costs of some machines for me. For expanded metal I assume you would want pilot start which I don't have. If you are in the US, you can probably find better prices than I can, but the low end machines can be had cheap enough to consider them disposables anyway. This is Amazon.Ca... you'll want to search a similar product on the US site.   https://www.amazon.ca/Inverter-Volta...8TT1MG8Y&psc=1Basically I'm saying if I was going to spend $700 on a plasma, I would put it towards a $2800 name brand machine. For less then $300 I'll take a gamble on a cheapy that might not last as long.Last edited by whtbaron; 7 Hours Ago at 08:49 PM.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:For the budget you have I think you would be better served with a metal cutting circular saw like the one Milwaukee makes
Reply:On most plasmas you can remove the stand off guide/shields and cut with an exposed tip. some torches have extended pipe tips that are beveled and you can cut angles and into corners. Most torches have a selection of different tips for different cut amps. drag cutting and shielded cutting. Check out owners and torch parts manuals before you buy. Most plasmas can drag cut to 30 amps with out a stand off shield. Some even reduce the cut amps to 30 if the tip touches.When looking at cut specs. There are 3 type of cuts. we have cut, sever and production. cut = clean cut at slow travel speed. sever is a rough cut that can be broken off, very slow travel speed. production is a fast travel speed with clean cut. clean cut is very little dross. fast travel is 100 to 200 ipm. while a 35 amp plasma can be rated for 1/2 cut. 3/4 sever or 3/8 production. The faster the cut the less dross will have to be cleaned off. Some of the real cheap plasmas promote the sever spec. while the name brand use either the cut or production spec.You can't go wrong with any of the name brand units.( miller, lincoln, ESAB/Thermal dynamics, Hypertherm. ) They cost more but will last longer and there are more repair stations. Have more tip selections. Hypertherm has fine cut tips that use 30 amps and make a very small cut is gauge metal. Great for art projects.Might try and find a auto/ tool show or farm equipment show near you. welders are sometimes demonstrated and you can check out several different machines. Once and a while welding supply stores have demo units or have the demo truck stop by from one of the name brands.
Reply:
Shopping for Plasma cutter - ?'s re: tip types and cutting expanded metal
Originally Posted by Louie1961
Shopping for Plasma cutter - ?'s re: tip types and cutting expanded metal
For the budget you have I think you would be better served with a metal cutting circular saw like the one Milwaukee makes

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