my plasma cnc is coming along and in a few days i hope to fire up mach2 with everything finally connected.

i'll only be using x & y axis for now and plan to use the spindle or coolant control to operate the torch. OK to ignore all Z settings? (other than switching it off in Configure menu).

any problems with leaving default values in for Z?

i'm new to all of this but have noticed Mach3 has a plasma screen. wondering if i shouldnt just start working with 3 instead of 2?

thanks,
-anthony

If you only have X and Y, you can simply disable Z axis. I believe when you disable Z, all the other Z options are 'greyed' out.

If you don't have a Z axis, or do have one and don't want it to move, I would definately suggest you disable it. Just in case a Z move gets in the program.

As far as the plasma screen in Mach2, I've never used it. So the above is based on the milling sections of Mach2.

i'm new to all of this but have noticed Mach3 has a plasma screen. wondering if i shouldnt just start working with 3 instead of 2?

thanks,
-anthony

If you haven't set up Mach2 yet, than it's probably a good idea to start with Mach3. A lot of people are already using Mach3 without problems, and it will save you from having to set everything up all over again. And even if you find any problems, Art will usually get them fixed in a few days.

I have both installed (vers 2 and 3), but neither of them set up.
This wouldn't be as easy as copying a setup/profile from one directory to the next
would it?

-anthony

Mach3 has more features, and some things work differently, so I think you really need to set it up seperately.

Either Mach2 or 3 will work fine. If you have a manual way to raise and lower your torch, it will work but there are a couple considerations.

-First, metal warps when you cut it, especially the thinner metals. To avoid damage with a "fixed" mounted torch, you should at least set up either a roller that will contact the metal first and guard your torch or even better a floating head spring/type mount to allow the torch to raise if it contacts the metal.
-With hand held plasma cutting you can "angle" the tip for your initial pierce then straighten it out for cutting. A machine "held" torch will normally pierce higher, then lower to cut height. Either keeping the tip at an angle or higher during the initial pierce avoids blowback or splattering molten metal back into your tip. It lowers expendables wearout time considerably and really improves your cuts. If you have an operational Z for your torch mount, you can program in different pierce delays, heights and cut heights to help with this issue. I'd also look into torch height controllers down the road. Using one will save a lot of headaches when your metal starts warping during a cut (and I guarantee you it will).

Have Fun!
-Marc