What am I doing wrong with my Plas. machine?

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I have a Hypertherm 900, I think it's a 55  amp machine that I bought new (whenever they were avail) about 6-8 years ago, I have never been impressed with my results. (I know it's me)I allways clamp on a "fence" and still end up ef ing up my travel speed and never get a 90 deg. and I use the sh!t out of consumables. I have learned that a real clean ground is important as well as 60 or so psi on the air.  I use untreated (no dryer) compressor air from a 80 gal. comp. I also have never sat down and just practised either, and I'm not worth a sh!t with a o/a torch also! My setting on the plas is "full power" on everything over .25"I usually am cutting .50" and under, I can't think of anything else about what I am doing to help fill you in for your help.  ( thanks in advance)The machine is a nice unit and the guys at the cust. service (idiot line) are great and have allways been able to remind me of what I've forgot to do! I had really hoped that this, pretty expensive maching would compensate for my ability with the good old, cheap to operate o/a torch.
Reply:For one you need to make sure you have DRY air- moisture is the enemy- and will eat up consumables rather quickly.Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:You got to get sme hood time just practicing.   Took me ages to buy a plasma cuz I could cut anything with OA as had used it so long and practiced with OA for a long time.   Had tried plasma here and there and never impressed with th results.      When I finally got one it still saw little use as I didn't have the time to sit and practice.    Ate up a few consumables real fast.    Maxing out your power setting is hard on consumables.    Should not need over 30 or 40 amps to get thru 1/2 inch easily with hat machine.   Make sue u have a nice straight arc flame coming out of the gun.    Then its naling down travel speed.  It sparks are blowing back toward the gun, slow down u r going to fast.  It should all be coming out the backside of the cut.      2 hrs of cutting up an F250 into peices finally was the hood tim I needed to get happy with plsma.  Love it nowexcuse the typos was on my android at the timeLast edited by soutthpaw; 07-19-2011 at 01:21 AM.
Reply:There a lot of information in here about plasma cuttersdo a little readingBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:Jim Colt is the man when it comes to Hypertherm. Send him a PM.   also pics would help us to see where you are making mistakes.Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:The Powermax900 is probably closer to 10 or so years old.....however it is a great plasma and should be producing excellent cuts for you.First....do you have the manual that came with it? If not...you can download one from the Hypertherm website by clicking on download library, choose Powermax900, choose operators manual.....and download it as a .pdf file.Next step......what consumable parts are you using? You should be using the shielded parts that are designed for drag or template cutting. Read the section in the manual that provides tips on cutting....especially edge starting and piercing.You can also get part numbers for the shielded consumables at:  www.hyperthem.com. Go to products, consumables, consumables for obsolete systems. If you have a lot of moisture in your air systems    as almost everyone does this time of year....drain your compressor tank at least once daily, install a Motorguard style filter (M-60)...this will dramatically improve your cutting and will lengthen your consumable life as well.There is a torch upgrade for your system as well....the newer style RT60 torch will breathe new life into the older technology Powermax900.If you have any further questions...fie back.Jim Colt   Hypertherm Originally Posted by rustyironI have a Hypertherm 900, I think it's a 55  amp machine that I bought new (whenever they were avail) about 6-8 years ago, I have never been impressed with my results. (I know it's me)I allways clamp on a "fence" and still end up ef ing up my travel speed and never get a 90 deg. and I use the sh!t out of consumables. I have learned that a real clean ground is important as well as 60 or so psi on the air.  I use untreated (no dryer) compressor air from a 80 gal. comp. I also have never sat down and just practised either, and I'm not worth a sh!t with a o/a torch also! My setting on the plas is "full power" on everything over .25"I usually am cutting .50" and under, I can't think of anything else about what I am doing to help fill you in for your help.  ( thanks in advance)The machine is a nice unit and the guys at the cust. service (idiot line) are great and have allways been able to remind me of what I've forgot to do! I had really hoped that this, pretty expensive maching would compensate for my ability with the good old, cheap to operate o/a torch.
Reply:dragging a regular tip along the metal will kill it FAST. Shielded drag tips need to be used if the tip will touch the metal. Moist air will kill tips just as fast as dragging them will and will kill cut quality as well, get a good coalescing filter setup and mount it as far from the compressor tank as you can, preferably right on the back of the machine, this will let the warm air from the compressor cool down and make it easier for the filter to pull the water out of it.
Reply:I use a 1000 nearly every day for more things than I can count, It seems to me that if you go to the right to left it will leave a bevel on the edge and if you go left to right it tends to be more of a 90% cut, maybe the other way round I cant remember. I tend to pull towards me when I use it and it is somewhere in between. I am not sure if this is just the way I hold the torch or not may give it a try and see if it makes any difference.
Reply:Send it to me to check out. I'll send it back when I'm finished with it. Promise!Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.                                         -Cree Indian ProverbSA 200 LincolnVictor Torches
Reply:Gizzard,I like your answer best. LOLLincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Many guys I know go too slow when using a plasma. To get good clean cuts, especially on thin metal you need to move. You want to move almost so fast that you outrun the plasma jet to get good results. On thinner materials at high amp settings it's almost impossible some times to go to fast. You only really need to slow down if you drop the amps, or if cutting thick materials. TRy and see if you can out run the torch and see if it improves the cut quality. If you do out run the torch, just start over again and go just slightly slower..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:In the process development labs at Hypertherm one of the key parameters when new torches and consumables are developed is the "Dross Free Zone" (DFZ). With almost all plasma proceses there is a speed range between too fast and too slow that provides no dross. When consumables and torches are of the best design....this DFZ is very wide.Usually...the best cut quality with a particular set of consumables/power level and torch is at the lower end of the DFZ......because this provides minimal dross and the slower speed produces a squarer kerf.There are some plasma systems out there in the 60 amp range that are available with one set of consumables...optimized at 60 amps. I'll guarantee that these consumables are not optimized for all material thicknesses. You will see with the better engineered systems, and of course I will mention Hypertherm, that there are multiple sets of consumables for each torch....designed for different power levels so that the user can dial in the process for the best combination on speed, quality and dross. There is a lot of costly, time consuming engineering that goes into torch and consumable and torch design at Hypertherm......yet many low cost import plasma's use copies of torches that were dsigned 15 to 30 years ago. They all cut metal....but with different results!Jim
Reply:here is what I found using my ESAB on thicker material is that all the sparks should come out the bottom of the plate if u go too fast they will kick sparks out the top a bit.   thats how I find my travel speed.  Just like OA cutting, a clean undamaged tip is key to good cut.  Save old worn out tips for gouging...   I don't have the fancy HT gun tips on mine though....   someday Ill get to try one and see if its as great as Jim talks about.  (i mean that is a good way)Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:I have the same machine,  you should be at 70 psi for cutting and 50-55 psi for gouging .250" should be around 30 on the dialAlso watch the angle when the consumables get worn and rotate them in line with your cut
Reply:Thanks for the tips and suggestions.I have not had a chance to get any hood time in, to hot. You guys that leather up every day in this heat are a tough bunch!!!What should I expect for consumable life (in feet) as a ballpark figure, I am a cheap bastard and prolly push it too far trying to wring 12 cents outa that dime.About the dry air, I thought that I might be ok with the 80 gal. comp (no other users in the  shop) and the air would be cool and not condense. Am I thinking right?
Reply:Originally Posted by rustyironAbout the dry air, I thought that I might be ok with the 80 gal. comp (no other users in the  shop) and the air would be cool and not condense. Am I thinking right?