plasma SS vs. carbon???

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I'm sure this will result in being one of those dumb questions.......I have a HyperTherm 380 plasma cutter. I can cut 1/4" carbon steel neatly but it makes a mess on 14 ga. stainless. Any one know why????Miller TrailBlazer 251Miller HF-250-1Miller MaxStar 150 STLHyperTherm PowerMax 380 plasmaLincoln PowerMig 180Millermatic 252Miller Diversion 180
Reply:Define "mess". I know SS will want more amps than mild steel from when I was shopping for mine so you may have to crank up the power. Also on thin SS I had a lot of issues at 1st with a lot of dross. I needed to move signifigantly faster than I was at the amps I was set at. For the thin material I was doing, I needed to turn down the amps some so I could move at a reasonable rate (still uber fast) and get a good finish..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Like DSW said, define mess.Air plasma will always give you a contaminated cut surface that should be cleaned up by grinding before welding.  You can improve the cut on thin material by using lower cutting current and faster cut speeds.  A straight edge helps, if you can use one on your shape.The owner's manual usually gives you a cut chart that specifies an optimum cut speed and current setting.
Reply:Air plasma uses air as the plasma gas.....air is roughly 20% oxygen and 80% nitrogen. When cutting carbon steel, an air plasma provides a thermal (25,000 degree F melting process) as well as an exothermic (oxygen reacting with the easily oxidizable carbon steel) effect. The combination of thermal and exothermic processes works very well on carbon steel, providing thicker capability and faster speeds. On non ferrous materials (stainless and aluminum) the plasma relies only on its thermal capabilities....as these materials do not oxidize easily.Thats why your Powermax380 works better on carbon steel as compared to SS. To cut stainless...you need roughly 25% to 50% more power....like maybe a Hypertherm Powermax45!Jim Colt    Hypertherm