The first cut is the cheapest

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I figure the first cut is the cheapest because the first lot of consumables come with the machine, whether new or secondhand. In this case they were secondhand but worked well.Experimented with a Plasma Lincoln Procut 25 yesterday.I'd never tried one before but had been impressed by what I've seen from Duaneb55 and others here. I'd read the manual lightly but didn't have it to check again before cutting a strip of 1/8th sheet. So, flying by the eat of my pants I set up to get 1/16th clearance above the sheet and against a straight guide (albeit with trainer wheels). It was like "Pull the trigger - oh nothings happening- oops, there it goes, it's started - I better move it along." It was like magic. I had lined myself up as if I'd been going to cut with OA, feet out of reach of the cut stream and found it was going to be much more straight forward. Wheels ran off course as there were too many new things to consider, so it wasn't really a result to be too proud of. However the mig will fill the gap!Really impressed with the ease of cut and feel that with a bit of practice I'll really like it. WARNING: Shocking Photos Follow:I wasn't drunk when I started but it looked like I was when I finished.I'll  get some of that new Prairie Mig wire. You know, the stuff for wide open spaces.Last edited by Tractapac; 04-24-2009 at 02:36 AM."One of the things we have to be thankful for is that we don't get as much government as we pay for." (Charles Kettering)Mitch 180 (NZ)Lincoln SAM-400-220 + ?-400 Fordson Major + 2 x Tractapac Humber 80 + Procut 40 PlasmaMiller Spectrum 375
Reply:Does anyone know or can they describe the difference in cutting characteristics between and Inverter type Plasma and the Transformer type, please?"One of the things we have to be thankful for is that we don't get as much government as we pay for." (Charles Kettering)Mitch 180 (NZ)Lincoln SAM-400-220 + ?-400 Fordson Major + 2 x Tractapac Humber 80 + Procut 40 PlasmaMiller Spectrum 375
Reply:There are different types of transformer type plasma power supplies.....as well as there are different types of inverter type power supplies.If the transformer power supply has a current regulated output (commonly known as a "chopper" type power supply).....and it is matched up to a good quality torch...then cut quality will be essentially the same as with a properly designed inverter plasma.The major manufacturers (and I am speaking mostly of Hypertherm...because I have worked there for a long time) spend a lot of engineering time designing torches and consumables....and then matching power supply outputs to best suit the characteristics of the plasma torch. Current ramp ups and ramp downs as well as gas flow timing and post flow cooling are important to conserve consumable life.....as important as the torch and consumable design itself.Many import plasma systems use copies of 30 year old plasma torch designs (mostly Esab PT31 style torches)....therefore are not getting the best performance. That being said...even if the newest Hypertherm torch was installed on an import power supply with the same amperage output....you may see an improvement in cut quality and speed on the first few cuts...but without the right voltage amperage curve and the correct timing of start flow and post flow gases...as well as ramp up and ramp down of current....expect the cut quality to quickly go away as the consumables wear rapidly.You will notice that every new Hypertherm system has a new torch design....that is not so we can get everyone to discard their old torches and buy new ones...it is because our engineers have found a few more improvements (speed, cut quality consumable life, thickness, reliability) that require a smarter design.So....if you put a Powermax 45 torch on a 20+ year old Hypertherm Max40 transformer/chopper power supply (you would have to modify gas flow timing and eliminate the high frequency start circuit...and probably a few other things!)....the first 10 or so cuts would probably be virtually identical.....but due to more rapid consumable wear you would see degradation in cut quality very quickly.Transformer power supplies could be just as good as inverters....however they are heavier (as much as 5x to 10x per comparable amperage output) and cost far more to manufacture. These power supplies are still used for high power plasmas (generally 130 Amps to 1000 Amps) for industrial mechanized use.Jim Colt
Reply:Is that just a single pass?  Has it been moved or seperated?The knerf looks a little wide even on the narrowest bit.  Maybe you should try to drag on 1/8?
Reply:LarryOIt started as a single pass but then I let the wheel ride up the edge of the sheet I was using as a guide and so it went off track and I then moved it back on line when I saw what had happened. Hence the big gapThe parts had been separated and would have been sitting further apart than when cut. In the labels on the machine it advised against using a drag tip, so I was careful to maintain clearance above the sheet."One of the things we have to be thankful for is that we don't get as much government as we pay for." (Charles Kettering)Mitch 180 (NZ)Lincoln SAM-400-220 + ?-400 Fordson Major + 2 x Tractapac Humber 80 + Procut 40 PlasmaMiller Spectrum 375
Reply:Originally Posted by jimcoltThere are different types of transformer type plasma power supplies.....as well as there are different types of inverter type power supplies.If the transformer power supply has a current regulated output (commonly known as a "chopper" type power supply).....and it is matched up to a good quality torch...then cut quality will be essentially the same as with a properly designed inverter plasma.The major manufacturers (and I am speaking mostly of Hypertherm...because I have worked there for a long time) spend a lot of engineering time designing torches and consumables....and then matching power supply outputs to best suit the characteristics of the plasma torch. Current ramp ups and ramp downs as well as gas flow timing and post flow cooling are important to conserve consumable life.....as important as the torch and consumable design itself.Many import plasma systems use copies of 30 year old plasma torch designs (mostly Esab PT31 style torches)....therefore are not getting the best performance. That being said...even if the newest Hypertherm torch was installed on an import power supply with the same amperage output....you may see an improvement in cut quality and speed on the first few cuts...but without the right voltage amperage curve and the correct timing of start flow and post flow gases...as well as ramp up and ramp down of current....expect the cut quality to quickly go away as the consumables wear rapidly.You will notice that every new Hypertherm system has a new torch design....that is not so we can get everyone to discard their old torches and buy new ones...it is because our engineers have found a few more improvements (speed, cut quality consumable life, thickness, reliability) that require a smarter design.So....if you put a Powermax 45 torch on a 20+ year old Hypertherm Max40 transformer/chopper power supply (you would have to modify gas flow timing and eliminate the high frequency start circuit...and probably a few other things!)....the first 10 or so cuts would probably be virtually identical.....but due to more rapid consumable wear you would see degradation in cut quality very quickly.Transformer power supplies could be just as good as inverters....however they are heavier (as much as 5x to 10x per comparable amperage output) and cost far more to manufacture. These power supplies are still used for high power plasmas (generally 130 Amps to 1000 Amps) for industrial mechanized use.Jim Colt
Reply:My Hypertherm agent in Australia drove about 80km to deliver my PM 45 to me, gave me enough consumables for the next few years and will deal over the phone and overnight post anything else needed.