Plasma Cutter wont arc at all

admin

Hey all New here looks like a great forumAnyway Its a Snap-On YA5550  When I hit the trigger the air flows the lights on the dash light up and the contacts close but it will not arc. Used to fire if you kept hitting the trigger on and off so Iam told. So I figured it was a rusty contact point. Emery clothed both. No luck there. It was stored in an unheated auto shop with a dirt floor real damp place. Any idea where to start checking for the problem? Thanks for your time,Scott
Reply:Hey Scott,Out here in God's own country our snap on dealers come around in trucks and if we have a problem with any of there tools they replace them for us, as snap on has a life time warranty, Is it the same where you are?.I was once told of a bloke who found a old army truck on a island around new-Guinea, Apparently the army had just left them there when they left. The tools were all rusty but he brought them back to Australia and the snap on man replaced them all with new, no questions or so the story goes.Is snap on gear expensive there, overhere it would be one of the most expensive we can get. That said I still have a workshop full of it.Simonhttp://members.optusnet.com.au/~abba/index.html
Reply:I use a miller plasma cutter and when it stops working it's usually wire fatige just below the handle. That's where a combination of tugging and twisting occurs that's really tough on plasma cutters and push/pull mig welders both. If a wire broke but left it's insulation intact the way to find the damaged spot is to tug each individual wire and see wich one stretchs. When you find one pull it apart, solder it back together and tape it up. It sounds like your problem because intermittent function is common when a wire is broken within an intact insulation but the two broken ends only touch sometimes  at first then not at all. It's also common that you can get a plasma cutter in this condition to work by twisting or turning the handle until the two broken ends in the wire touch each other. Good Luck
Reply:Thanks for the replys Welder.Man and 12,000 Doors, Welder.man;   Our Snap-On people also come around here in nice trucks but this is a friend of mines cutter thought if it was something simple I would fix it as I needed it literally yesterday. Yes we have the same lifetime warranty as you there in the out back. I'm going to remind  my friend about the warranty since I had to postpone my project anyway. And oooo yes snap-on is also very expensive here in the usa but they are also generally very rugged tools and if you have an account with them its nice that they come to you. Its true here too ya get what ya pay for.   12,000 doors; I had that apart didnt see anything jump out at me but didnt check it like you said I'll try that. It also no longer works intermittenly,perhaps they finally gave up.   Thanks a bunch folks,Scott
Reply:Be carefull not to yank any wires loose from the handle.
Reply:My Hypertherm wont arc if the air pressure is below 40psi. Maybe you have a pressure switch issue there??     ....just a guess."I need this parade like I need a hole in the head"~John F.Kennedy
Reply:The air pressure is what has always got me. Forget to turn on the compressor, the air get low and no worky.Yes I can tack it for you.    I know that won't hold but that is what you asked me to do.  Millermatic 350P XR Aluma-Pro push/pullMillermatic 185/spool gunMiller Dialarc 250 HF Water cooledThermal Dynamics Plasma
Reply:Yeah check air pressure.  You should hear the relay click if the pressure is high enough.
Reply:You did check the ground, right? Because a loose wire in the ground clamp will do it.Because its cutting, you tend to think it will just cut, no matter what. But really, no electric circuit, no cutting. So no ground, no cut.
Reply:Originally Posted by SNT Welding Hey all New here looks like a great forumAnyway Its a Snap-On YA5550  When I hit the trigger the air flows the lights on the dash light up and the contacts close but it will not arc. .. Any idea where to start checking for the problem? Thanks for your time,Scott
Reply:Hi  most of the trouble I have had is air pressure.  On most plasma cutters there is a delay when you pull the trigger and the ark. This is because it takes a second or so for the air pressure to raise a copper contact inside the head which causes the ark. The problem usually starts when it takes a slight tap on the side of the gun to get it started. Make sure the parts inside slide easily and there is enough air pressure.I always tried to work with the oldest hand on the job to gain knowlege but now I can't find any.
Reply:I have a Miller spectrum 300 and my problem was a bad cup switch Before replacing it if I slaped it in my hand it would work for a while I eventuly  replaced the switch.Will   Supports Autism Awareness                            My ToysBobCat 225 PLusMillermatic 130Miller Spectrum 300 CutmateEverlast Power Tig 185 Micro April is Autism Month .
Reply:I don't think their lifetime warranty encompasses their air or electric tools. I would be surprised if your dealer will give you the control valve for free.Last edited by spuddown; 05-11-2006 at 12:09 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by spuddownI don't think their lifetime warranty encompasses their air or electric tools. I would be surprised if your dealer will give you the control valve for free.