starting to get the plasma down

admin

Here is a cut in 1/4" m.s. done at 25 amps, 65 psi air.Machine is a multi-purpose Everlast 205. Attached Images
Reply:here's a little better photo. sorry for the poor quality photos, gotta figure out how to do a manual focus with this camera, right now it's on auto.If you can't tell by the photos, take my word for it, this is a very smooth cut. Attached ImagesLast edited by worntorn; 05-25-2010 at 05:45 PM.
Reply:figured out that the camera icon with the "M" beside it is the one. This photo is more like it. Attached Images
Reply:damn, thems nice cuts!! One thing I'm going to work on is my plasma settings. And read the manual........(I can hear your eyes rolling Jim.......)What did you use for a straight edge?200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:I cheated!I clamped the 1/4 x 3"  bar onto my milling machine table with one end sticking out a foot or so.Then I set up a step ladder a couple of feet back of the flat bar. I clamped a 3 foot long 1x3 to the step ladder at about the right height and clamped the torch to the end of the 1/3".Then I used the table power feeds to move the bar around until it was under the plasma cutter. Finally one more tiny clamp to hold the plasma torch switch on and then I engaged the y axis power feed at 3.7" per minute. When I got to the end of the straight section I engaged the X axis as well. With both x and y engaged the table and bar move at 45 degrees, so that made the 45 cut.There is no way I could make cuts this smooth by hand, but it does show what the machine is capable of!Also, I had a chance to try a variety of feed speeds, amperages and air pressures to get a good combo. It cuts quite smoothly at this thickness right up to about 12 inches per minute, but 3.7 " was the smoothest. Any slower feeding did not help the cut.Using the milling machine table feeds worked so well that I will set up some more permanent jigs to cut this way.Another nice feature is that the mill DRO can be used to easily make repeatable cuts of a precise length.GlenLast edited by worntorn; 05-26-2010 at 01:01 AM.
Reply:yeah, later on I thought that's machine cut. The only guy with a hand that steady is a dead guy. You got me. har har har 200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.