Plasma Cutter vs. O/A torch

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I'm interested in cutting letters out of 1/4" mild steel to make a sign.  There are going to be quite a few letters to cut and I don't relish having to do any more grinding than necessary.  I've never seen the results of a plasma cutter and am curious if anyone can tell me whether it would give me enough of a cleaner cut to warrant purchasing one.  (I've seen a small one that should suffice for me running at about $1050).
Reply:I would recommend buying the plasma arc, you can make pretty, almost grind-less cuts on either but the plasma would give you less variables to have to adjust, no gas to replace, and usually faster, I think. Don't get me wrong, there are some things you just can't do with a plasma cutter but I doubt you will be running into those. Also with the plasma you have the option of being able to cut stainless and aluminum.
Reply:Quality of the cut will come more from the operator than the machine. I've seen guys cut with both methods that were beautiful and some tat were awful. Settings and cut speed as well as clean tips will will determine the quality more than the process in 1/4".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:Plasma requires mass amounts of vary clean dry air = big$$$ of compressor and motor guard dryer. So the $1000.00 plasma just got to $2000.00 real quick.Oxy Fuel is $1000.00 if you buy all new and get all the options and the big cylinders and lots of extra parts and you still have some left over for taking the SWMBO out to dinner.
Reply:unless your building up a shop or what not or it's repeating work. There's always an option to farm it out to a laser cutting shop.  depending on how much cutting there is you can get everything cut to CNC accuracy with no finish work.That being said plasma and OA complement each other.  We ran plasma in our shop because we did gobs of stainless, and it is much faster.
Reply:Life's sorta strange, just took this pic earlier today, and now a question about letters cut in steel.Plasma does a great job of cutting precise lines, when coupled with CNC capabilities, it's without equal.If you need this type of work done, I suggest you farm it out to a well equipped job shop, the results will be better.  I couldn't of asked for a nicer job. Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Very nice Samm..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by Fat BastardPlasma requires mass amounts of vary clean dry air = big$$$ of compressor and motor guard dryer. So the $1000.00 plasma just got to $2000.00 real quick..
Reply:Ashley if interested in  what a plasma cutter will do first you might need to see some of the work Jim Colt of Hypertherm has done on his Plasma Cam Table with his PowerMax 45 plasma cutter.  You said alot of letters!! We;; it would take ALOT to justify not farming the job out to a local shop. You could try hand cutting them with a plasma cutter using stencils but you still have alot of money and work on your part.Best bet farm it out.And speaking of farms Hey Sam was that your ashtry and keyboard pictured in post #6.Co-Own CNC shop:Miller :1251 plasma cutter, MaxStar 700 TIG/Stick, & XMT 456 Multiprocess Welder.&  2 Hypertherm HPR260's Plasma CutterSorry I had a bad stroke but now I am back.
Reply:King Architectural Metals sells plasma cut letters and numbers. Google It.Peter
Reply:How many letters are you planning on cutting? Do you have any other metal working/ welding projects planned in the future? If you just plan on doing one job then farm it out like every one suggests. If you have future needs, or if this is going to be an ongoing thing then investing in equipment would be a good idea. If you're just going to be cutting letters and other sapes out of plate steel, then a plasma cutter would be a good choice. You could invest in a CNC cutting table down the road. If you enjoy other aspects of metal working, an O/A torch would be useful for it's versatility.
Reply:Thanks for the input.  This is probably a one-shot thing.  Twenty letters, but also a graphic of a hilltop with a tree line on it.  I'm starting to think farming it out will be the best thing unless this starts becoming a habit.  Thanks, again, guys!
Reply:Originally Posted by dstevensI had the compressor before I got the cutter but even if you were to buy a 60gal 150psi compressor and a filter it's still under 1500.  Plus you can use the compressor for other things.  For what I'm doing the utility and portability of the plasma make a lot more sense. Right tool for the right job.