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We are starting a new build and were are going to document it from start to finish.Its going to consist of a 4x8 iplasma table from Precision PlasmaWater table using GreenCut fluidHypertherm Powermax 65 cutterDragon Cut electronics package from CandCNCWere using Corel Draw x6, SheetCam and Mach3We are also going to be featuring and demoing products from Cascade Metal Designs and Steel F/XWe are going to upload updates as often as we can we also have a website dedicated to the build that you can follow:Check it out: http://www.cncplasmabuild.comWe expect to brake the crate open in the morning and start building the table. Attached ImagesDesert Fabworks LLC www.desertfabworks.comCNC Plasma Buildwww.cncplasmabuild.comCNC Router Buildhttp://www.cncrouterbuild.com
Reply:If your building it then why are you taking it out of a crate? or are you bolting a kit together?Last edited by brucer; 08-03-2012 at 09:09 PM.tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:I unfortunately do not have a foundry where I can make my own steel. So I have to purchase the steel and some of the components then put them together. I was going to bend the 5x10 sheet of 1/8 plate for the water table by hand but decided to get someone to do it for me. Some assembly, fabrication required.Desert Fabworks LLC www.desertfabworks.comCNC Plasma Buildwww.cncplasmabuild.comCNC Router Buildhttp://www.cncrouterbuild.com
Reply:I did a bunch of work getting the water pan set. Precision Plasma the manufacture of the table provided plans for fabricating the water table. I modified the plans a little.I went with 1/8 plate formed into a pan using their dimensions to fit the table. Their plans included an integrated slat holder that was plasma cut in to the plate then a 120 degree bend used to form a lip. No one in my area could plasma cut a sheet over 4 x 8 nor could they bend a 120 bend on top of the 180 bend. So I opted to use their alternate design.I used 1.5 x 1.5 angle welded along the edge with 3/16 gaps. They specified 3.5 in 1/8 flat stock for the supports. 3.5 inch flat stock is crazy expensive at almost $40 a stick and i needed 10 for the table. I opted for 2.5 in which was a quarter of the price.To make this work I added a 1/2 support to raise the slats up off the floor of the pan and help with fluid flow. I also opted to have the slats sit 1/2 below the rim of the pan.I will fill the table 2.5 inches deep and have 1/2 gap between the fluid and the part being cut. I think this will workout ok but its the first time I have done this so we will see.Their design did not call for a center support rib but I added one and it made a big difference.The slats slip in nice and easy but lock in once in place and I do not get any movement.Yes the steel in the drawing is brand new, my steel supplier delivered some very rusty stock and they did not have enough. I hate cleaning brand new things!I put more photos on the build website than I could post here: I did a bunch of work getting the water pan set. Precision Plasma the manufacture of the table provided plans for fabricating the water table. I modified the plans a little.I went with 1/8 plate formed into a pan using their dimensions to fit the table. Their plans included an integrated slat holder that was plasma cut in to the plate then a 120 degree bend used to form a lip. No one in my area could plasma cut a sheet over 4 x 8 nor could they bend a 120 bend on top of the 180 bend. So I opted to use their alternate design.I used 1.5 x 1.5 angle welded along the edge with 3/16 gaps. They specified 3.5 in 1/8 flat stock for the supports. 3.5 inch flat stock is crazy expensive at almost $40 a stick and i needed 10 for the table. I opted for 2.5 in which was a quarter of the price.To make this work I added a 1/2 support to raise the slats up off the floor of the pan and help with fluid flow. I also opted to have the slats sit 1/2 below the rim of the pan.I will fill the table 2.5 inches deep and have 1/2 gap between the fluid and the part being cut. I think this will workout ok but its the first time I have done this so we will see.Their design did not call for a center support rib but I added one and it made a big difference.The slats slip in nice and easy but lock in once in place and I do not get any movement.Yes the steel in the drawing is brand new, my steel supplier delivered some very rusty stock and they did not have enough. I hate cleaning brand new things!I put more photos on the build website than I could post here: http://cncplasmabuild.com/More updates coming soon! Attached Images
Reply:Originally Posted by Desert FabworksI unfortunately do not have a foundry where I can make my own steel. So I have to purchase the steel and some of the components then put them together. I was going to bend the 5x10 sheet of 1/8 plate for the water table by hand but decided to get someone to do it for me. Some assembly, fabrication required.
Reply:I will be posting all the way though. I cant post everything on the forum so most of it is on the website I made to document the build. Detailed reviews are on there. The website is: www.cncplasmabuild.com
Reply:OK nobody panic.I am closing this thread for the time being because I have received LOTS of messages about it and the (Maybe) spam factor..Let's let the ADMINISTRATION make the final decision on what stays and what goes....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Its a project and a picture. The link off is a bit sketchy, but at least it starts off with some images. So long as there aren't dozens of similar posts like it, it's OK.
Reply:Originally Posted by Frank ChloupekIts a project and a picture. The link off is a bit sketchy, but at least it starts off with some images. So long as there aren't dozens of similar posts like it, it's OK.
Reply:Not sure who I pissed off out there. Just trying to show off the build I'm working on and get some input along the way. The reason for the external link is because I can not put all of the pictures on this forum. Everyone likes pictures so there are more on my build site. This is not spam, I'm not making any money, I'm just documenting and reviewing the products that I use in the build.So anyways back to the build.
Reply:It has been way too hot and humid to work lately. So much for a dry heat here in Arizona. I got the plasma table built / set up. One of the very nice things about getting a kit form table like we did is how easy it is to set up. The table is the iplasma series from Precision Plasma. It was very easy to set up and with 2-3 three people could be completed in under 2 hours. Taking pictures and documenting the process slowed us down a bit. That is really nice to be able to have a 4 x 8 table up and ready in that amount of time with only simple hand tools.The entire frame came powder coated blue. The bends were all uniform and no tool marks showed through the powder coat. The welds on the trolleys and the gantry's were all tig'ed. The water pan Should drop right in I hope!. If I was not doing the water pan I could throw some slats in the pre cut holders and hook up the electronics and be cutting.I have a few more things to build though before I'm cutting. Here are some of the pics. I could not fit all of them here so the rest are on the build site:www.cncplasmabuild.com Attached Images
Reply:... Carry on!I'm too new here to notice, but I imagine there was quite a problem with spammers in the past. This forum is a good target.
Reply:Originally Posted by Desert FabworksNot sure who I pissed off out there. Just trying to show off the build I'm working on and get some input along the way. The reason for the external link is because I can not put all of the pictures on this forum. Everyone likes pictures so there are more on my build site. This is not spam, I'm not making any money, I'm just documenting and reviewing the products that I use in the build.So anyways back to the build.
Reply:I'm sure he is getting kickbacks for advertising their stuff on this. I fail to see how this is a "welding project." He's pulling crap out of a box and bolting it together, with a lot of annoying advertisements in between. Maybe a little forum etiquette here and say "The build quality is great" instead of saying " The bends were all uniform and no tool marks showed through the powder coat. The welds on the trolleys and the gantry's were all tig'ed." Then it won't come off like you are just putting up a post to advertise for these guys.(But we know that isn't what you're doing here now, right?)
Reply:I have the HBL table from precision plasma and love it. I looked at the "iPlasma" as it's a nice alternative, but it seems a little hobbyist to me. I wanted more of an industrial machine. It would be cool to see your build. I'm fairly new to the CNC plasma world but if you need help setting things up let me know. Now on the spamming. It does seem a little off to me as well. I didn't get a banner. (nor do I want one) and I'll gladly hype up precisions products I love my table, but I don't have a detailed build thread promoting every little feature.Good luck with the build you should be making parts in about a month. Setting up and calibrating the electronics is not as easy as plugging it in turning it on and cutting.Offering CNC Plasma cutting and welding projects.Follow me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/nobigdeal.fabSupport those that support WW.
Reply:Originally Posted by BCTimberwolfI'm sure he is getting kickbacks for advertising their stuff on this. I fail to see how this is a "welding project." He's pulling crap out of a box and bolting it together, with a lot of annoying advertisements in between. Maybe a little forum etiquette here and say "The build quality is great" instead of saying " The bends were all uniform and no tool marks showed through the powder coat. The welds on the trolleys and the gantry's were all tig'ed." Then it won't come off like you are just putting up a post to advertise for these guys.(But we know that isn't what you're doing here now, right?)
Reply:Originally Posted by Desert FabworksI bet if I hung a Budweiser banner with girls in bikinis in the background someone would complain about that as well.
Reply:where's the weld porn?
Reply:Originally Posted by Mick120Hey Desert Fabworks, if you ever feel like saving your machine torch from breakage, PM me.....
Reply:Yeah it did. Luckily it was only a $100 fix. Basically I screwed myself, due to not setting up hight control properly, using 65A consumables, settings for fine cut consumables (federate and voltage) but using 65A on the plasma, and trying to cut .050 aluminum. I thought to myself, "what's the worst that can happen?" well I found out. My inexperience got me on that one, but now I cut thin stuff with ease. (but I'm using proper consumables and settings now lol)Offering CNC Plasma cutting and welding projects.Follow me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/nobigdeal.fabSupport those that support WW.
Reply:Thanks for the positive and constructive comments. I will try and find some of that elusive weld porn that a few of you have asked for.Got a little more done. I got the stepper motors installed and the torch ran through the cable carriers and switched over to the mini machine torch and got rid of the large gear rack collar.I fabricated up a cart / rack to hold the 55 gallon drums that will be my sump system for the table liquid. Still having a lot of different thought about how that's going to work. I really want to pressurize the barrels to move the fluid up the table and let it drain back but a little worried that the cap is going to pop off and I will loose it all on the floor. It should only take about 5 psi to move the fluid up but we will see.At least the rack for the barrels is solid and fits perfect between and under the rails so that I can move it out for service and changes in the future. I have a small shop and have almost everything on wheels.I'm going to start working on a cart that will hold the plasma cutter, computer, and electronics controller unit. If any one has tried a sump system like this before I would love to hear your thoughts. Attached Images
Reply:With the help of 5 friends I got the water table lifted into place in the plasma table base. It fit! Very excited about that.I plan on welding in the drain bungs and plumbing my sump system this week finally. I made a little progress on the rolling cart that will hold my computer, plasma cutter and my Dragon Cut electronics box and an UPS system. I have to fab up the slide out drawer that will hold the keyboard and mouse and install the gas strut shocks that will raise the lid that will hold the monitor.I looked at a bunch of other peoples photos of how they set up their electronics and almost settled on using a pre-built rolling tool cart but decided to go fully custom so that this unit would slide under the table when not in use and hold everything in one place.The idea is to store this under the table and when I go to use it, slide it out from under the table. The lid with the monitor will fold up into a vertical position with the help of some gas struts and it will have a slide out drawer / tray for the keyboard and mouse.Pull up a rolling stool and I will be all set. I'm big on keeping my wires and cables under control. I hope to make this setup as clean as possible. As soon as I can get everything set and tested I will send it all out to powder coat.Getting close to being done!! Attached Images
Reply:Its been tough getting work done on this project lately. 72+ hours a week at the day job does not leave much fabrication time lately.I did make some progress on my computer cart. I both hate and enjoy the custom fabrication and all the bolt it on try it take it apart and repeat a thousand times.I got the gas struts installed for the flip up monitor panel. It works great! I have changed struts many times which is easy but figuring out the mounting points and the the load vs the leverage and finding a strut that is not designed for what you want to do and making it work took a bit.I was going to enclose the cart more and put panels on the sides but I figure that since the norm temp in the shop is about 110 I had better leave is open for some ventilation.I need to mount the Dragon cut box so that it sits up off the floor and figure out how I want to mount the emergency stop button and it should be ready for powder coat.I have been dreading the plumbing set up for the tanks and the water pan so I have not done anything with that in a bit. Maybe I will work on that next.Thanks for all of the ideas and pictures you all have been sending! Attached Images
Reply:Definitely keep us updated on this. I am building a cnc table, as well, and my understanding was that you shouldnt have the electronics, computer, and plasma in that close of proximity. It sure would make my packaging a lot easier if I could do that.
Reply:My computer sits right next to my table. I currently have mine in an old wood tv cabinet that is about 1/2 inch away from my table. And it seems to be just fine. But when you have a 5X10 table in a 2 car gerage your limited on space. So I do what I gotta do.Offering CNC Plasma cutting and welding projects.Follow me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/nobigdeal.fabSupport those that support WW.On my current table the computer and plasma cutter are mounted to it on swing out trays and I have never had any problems. I have never heard of any warnings about the proximity of the components to each other. Not sure if it's true or if it's just an Internet rumor. If anyone has any info from any of the manufactures or personal experience of problems I would love to hear about it.I have seen posts about people saying that the plasma cutter and the table need earth grounds running from them. Not sure why. All the plugs are three or four prong and run back to the electrical box ground. My current system does not have any grounding cables and I have not had any problems but that does not mean its correct.
Reply:My table does not have a single ground cable as well. I figure I'll add them if it ever becomes an issue.Offering CNC Plasma cutting and welding projects.Follow me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/nobigdeal.fabSupport those that support WW.
Reply:My internet connection is shaky, at best, right now. I cant seem to find the quote I had from Jim Colt @ Hypertherm saying it wasnt a good idea. I found some other posts he's made on pirate about the grounding rod, etc... but not the proximity issues. I am not trying to spread "internet rumors"... I'd really like them to work in the enclosure I designed.http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showp...16&postcount=2http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showp...65&postcount=9Anyways, good luck. I am trying to get my 4x8 table in my 2 car garage, as well...
Reply:Well I definitely trust Jim Colt and those are some good points he makes. I do have a ups in the plans which hopefully will help. I guess it would not be too hard to add a ground rod and run some cable to everything or ground all my components to the cart and run a cable from the cart to the rod. I will have to do some more research on this.
Reply:I took all the advice that I got and put an 8 foot 5/8 Copper Grounding rod in just outside of the wall where the Plasma Machine Sits. It was not fun you would have though I was putting the rod through pure concrete. I ran individual grounding cables using 4 Gauge Copper stranded wire from the table work lead / slats, the gantry, the table, the computer, and plasma cutter. I kept the ground cables as short as possible. Having not used a ground at all on the last plasma system and not having problems I don't expect to have any problems on this one with all of the grounds.I added a few items to my computer cart including a back panel and bar to use for mounting an running cable and a support bar to mount the Dragon Cut system box on.In the photos the Green cable are the grounding runs. Attached Images
Reply:For those thinking about putting a UPS on the plasma system to protect the computer and controller electronics you may want to look at this from Home Depot.It will pay for the electronics attached through one of these if it gets damaged.http://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-...&storeId=10051
Reply:Originally Posted by acourtjesterFor those thinking about putting a UPS on the plasma system to protect the computer and controller electronics you may want to look at this from Home Depot.It will pay for the electronics attached through one of these if it gets damaged.http://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-...&storeId=10051
Reply:I finished my table sump and drain system. I have been worried that this would work during the entire build. I had people tell me it wont, but I'm happy to report that it does work and it was fairly inexpensive to build.Most has been documented in my earlier posts. The only thing that I would change at this point is to use larger diameter pipe and tubing. The table takes about 10-15 minutes to fill or drain. Not what you would consider fast, but I really did not need fast. By the time I get ready to cut and get everything set up its an easy 10 minutes. I don't plan on draining or filling on a daily basis so I think it will be fine.One of the other things I did that is both good and bad is that I welded the drain bung on the top side of the bottom of the pan. This caused it to sit 3/16 above the bottom of the pan. The intention was to help limit the amount of crud that drains back into the sump system. I think it will help cut down on debris flowing back into the sump. But is does not allow the system to drain completely. It leaves about 8 gallons in the pan. Which is not bad and if I was going to clean it out that would be coming out with a shop vac anyway.I found that it only took about 5 psi to create some great fountains during the fill. I did not have a pressure gauge on the system the first time I tried it. but added one to keep an eye on the pressure in the drums. I installed shut offs in several places in the system to allow for maintenance and to deal with a problem should it come up.I let everything set under pressure and full of water over night to check for leaks and problems. It passed so everything has been sent out to powder coat.Cant wait almost time to start cutting. Attached Images
Reply:Enjoy that nice clean water. It won't stay that way long. Mine was nasty after a few days.Offering CNC Plasma cutting and welding projects.Follow me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/nobigdeal.fabSupport those that support WW.
Reply:I find this project/thread very interesting, please keep the pictures/details coming.Regards to all.Working on cars and bikes is my hobby, learning to weld the pieces together is my quest.
Reply:Some info I had on homemade plasma quench. I still need to make my full size water tray one of these days...-----------------home-made Plasma Quench:1/4 pound of sodium nitrite powder (anti-rust additive) (NOTE: nitrite NOT nitrate)1 teaspoon of Physan 20 (antibacterial/antifungal additive)1 oz blue/red/green dye (add color as visual warning of chemicals)Treats 75 gallons of water. Add each ingredient to water and stir gently.--------------------Notes:density of sodium nitrite is 2.168 gram/cubic centimeter = 0.078323969388 pound/cubic inchso, a 1/4 pound of it is 3.19 cubic inches = 3.5 tablespoons75 gallons is 17,325 cubic inches---------------------for 36 x 36 x 3" water tray, did 1 tsp Physan 20, 1 Tbsp sodium nitrite, and 1 tsp blue flower water color---------------------
Reply:Desert if you put small plate on stand-offs above you fill/drain openings you would stop the fountains and add a little more pressurre.Still liooks great no worry of plugging up a pump with crud.
Reply:The drains are threaded so that I can install some diverters to keep the fountains down and I can install some filter risers for when its time to drain to keep the crud out of the sump.I just thought the fountains were cool for the moment. I was having a kid moment and playing with the water.
Reply:I'm no nay-sayer in any way, but I am surprised the barrels held the pressure - no idea what they can withstand/if there's any rating, just one of those "I wonder..." things that I've now seen done - 1 down and another million to go on the list of potentially-dangerous-but-it's-crossed-my-mind-list.Last edited by Alberta Farmer; 10-03-2012 at 05:29 PM.
Reply:I had the drums up to 20 psi internal and did a safety "will they explode test" They held up. Maybe I was lucky. I have set a safety of 5psi from now on out. That is the pressure it is at making the fountains on the table. 5 psi is almost nothing. I figure that they would experience that or more during the course of transport and storage with normal environmental heating.Or maybe I'm just lucky? I will let everyone know down the road if they blow up on me. That is if they don't kill me. I think if I keep it at 5 psi even if they did fail for some reason it would not do any damage.????
Reply:I agree on personal preference. My last machine was a down draft system. It has its good and bad as does a water table. Once I start using this one I will be able to say for sure which I like the best having used both. I'm looking forward to being able to keep the material cooler and limit warp and possibly do some partial submerge cutting on armor plate to reduce the heat affected zones. Originally Posted by Mick120Nice job on the fabrication.I still think I'll be sticking with my downdraft system tho, much less hassle.I've seen a water table after a couple years of use.....no thanks.All comes down to personal preference tho.
Reply:Generally speaking about the chance of an explosion, the danger is in the amount of air under pressure. To start the water moving you only have a small amount of air under pressure the rest is water even at half full it is still a small amount of air. The danger of a quick release of air at that pressure and volume would not amount to much action. Other then a mess, no harm will be done.Last edited by acourtjester; 10-03-2012 at 06:11 PM.Reason: change info
Reply:Originally Posted by acourtjesterGenerally speaking about the chance of an explosion, the danger is in the amount of air under pressure. To start the water moving you only have a small amount of air under pressure the rest is water even at half full it is still a small amount of air. The danger of a quick release of air at that pressure and volume would not amount to much action. Other then a mess, no harm will be done.
Reply:Still waiting for everything to come back from the Powder Coater its taking much longer than expected so I took the time to upgrade my air delivery system. I have a 4.5 hp compressor with two 80 gallon tanks. From there is runs through a hose and into a 25 foot coil in a tube I can fill with ice to chill the tube and the air during long run times and hot humid weather.It then goes into the primary oil and water separator. Then into the first 3405-60 Coalescing air filter. It then runs into the shop. In the shop it goes through a second water separator and through a regulator and into the second 3405-60 Coalescing air filter. From there its off to the tools and the plasma unit.This should provide me with all of the clean dry air that I will ever need. Maybe in the future I will invest in an air dryer but for now this is an inexpensive and effective option for me now. Attached Images
Reply:Its been a bit since I have posted on the build. I was in a standstill waiting for the pan and other parts to come back from Powder Coating. There Back! I can see the light at the end of this build.I think I only have a couple more posts in this build!So I got everything back from Powder coating. I installed all of the components in my computer cart, set up the sump drums and hooked everything back up to the table. I had the pan powder coated. Little expensive but looks great.when I had the pan powder coated I had them tape off the groves in the center of the table that holds the slats. The center support is my grounding back bone. This is where I have my grounding connection from the plasma machine and my earth ground hooked up to. I also painted the slats, Ya I know they are a consumable and are going to get torn up and its not necessary ect. So before you kill me in the comments over it I know. It was mainly for looks. I did a couple of things to make sure there were not going to be any problems. I did not paint the top edge, bottom edge, ends, or a small section in the center where it contacts the grounding ridge. I checked every slat and made sure I had the lowest possible resistance, and continuity. Not that I will need it but I installed an secondary ground lead that attaches to the primary ground and is a 10 ft cable with a clamp that I can connect directly to the work piece.I got everything in place checked level, checked square for the table and squared the torch head. I was amazed that I did not have to adjust the torch head it was perfectly square on all four sides. Precision plasma did a good job on the torch mount.I powered everything up and started running the torch around the table. Everything worked great. All of the home and limit switches worked just as they should. That is where I stopped. I did not fire the torch or cut anything. I have a few more things that I want to configure and some settings to tweak. Heading off to the SEMA show next week so it will have to wait a bit. It does look good though.I could not fit all the pictures here but there are lots and more info on the build website at: http://www.cncplasmabuild.com Attached Images
Reply:Looks so beautiful, how much has been invested so far ? (not counting all your labor time of course)
Reply:Very nice system you have there, next step is crating it up an calling in a truck to deliver it to me. (I wish ha ha) I have a smaller plasma table I built and have have interference that blew my CPU board using a Hi Freq start plasma. It worked fine until I forgot to hook up the grounds. life goes on
Reply:I added it up awhile back not sure exactly now that its almost done. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 -15K, I added a bunch of little extras that are just for looks and no that does not include a couple months of blood sweat and tears..... Originally Posted by ymerLooks so beautiful, how much has been invested so far ? (not counting all your labor time of course)
Reply:Everything is for sale! For the right price of course.. I did not have high frequency start on my last one or this one, but on my first one I had no grounds and no issues? Lucky maybe. This one is as grounded as it gets. Originally Posted by acourtjesterVery nice system you have there, next step is crating it up an calling in a truck to deliver it to me. (I wish ha ha) I have a smaller plasma table I built and have have interference that blew my CPU board using a Hi Freq start plasma. It worked fine until I forgot to hook up the grounds. life goes on
Reply:Thanks! I will definitely be by the Hypertherm Booth and will check it out. Originally Posted by Mick120Good job mate.Hey Desertfab, when you're at Sema, be sure and check out the Hypertherm stand.....I believe one of my Snap 'n Cut breakaway mounts will be on the CNC table.Might be just the finishing touch for your table...... |
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发表于 2021-8-31 22:49:56