Sorry I deleted your e-mail and thought I could answer here. When I got here I noticed no posts.

Anyway your questions were -
Did I receive my Practical CNC table yet and what do I think of Torchmate.

1. I have not received my table yet but it's being shipped.:cool:

2. I e-mailed Torchmate and I liked the response I got from them but when I started to add up the total cost for their kit it was higher then a complete package from Joe of Practical CNC. I also like the fact he has a 1-800 phone #

A side note on Plasmacam, when I talked to them it seemed like they really did not want to answer my questions until I got closer to buying one. That sent red flags flying. Customer service is the not there strong point. ( IMO ) Most of this is a gut feeling. Which over the years have made me make the right choice when buying equiptment. Like this stuff.:D

Not plasma related but had to comment on your shop. Nice tast in tools. I love the little thermal arc tig unit. I use one evey day. I like it so much I stoped using my lincoln squarewave 275 and even sold it. Dont do aluminum so don't need AC.
Had a oppertunity a while back to pick up a slightly used Esab 7/8" cap plasma with a 2 year warrenty for $1500. Now i'm wishing I would have jumped on it.

Donny

Thanks for your reply scott.

Yeah umm, what size plasma table have you ordered from practical cnc? When you were talking about torchmate did u mean the torchmate no 2 or the standard no 1.

Apples

I bought a 5x10 table. We were looking at the Torchmate 2 with arc voltage control which is what we (great girlfriend) bought from Practical CNC.

Scott

Scott V,

Just wondered if you received your table from Practical CNC yet and, if so, what your impressions of it were so far? I'm interested in this table, but would like to see some independent reviews of it before I spend that much money. Any info you could pass along would be most appreciated.

Thanks.

jlawren6,
I have received my table and it's pretty nice. The torch height control was dead so they are sending a new one. I just have not had time to run the thing much. Maybe two holes or so. I need to study the software before I get up to speed. I also need to build a venting setup. I am ordering some upgrades that should help the software. BobArt is the first one with more to follow. Like auto lead in/out,auto nesting etc. I would wait till they get that included in there package. They also use two different controllers WinCnc is what I have and the other is flashcut. I have no idea which is better or even if that matters.

The instructions could be better for a rookie like me but I am getting better at figuring this thing out.

They have answered every question I have asked. Overall I am happy but I can't give you much detail on how it is going to work.

Scott,

Thanks for the feedback. That helps out and increases my confidence in them a little bit. I first came across PracticalCNC on ebay and was a little scared off by there sales pitch. Seemed like too much "pie in the sky" sales talk and not enough hard data. Same for their website. I guess the Engineer in me wants to see specifications and know that some testing has gone on behind those numbers to verify them. It also seems like everyone is building and selling their own CNC routers these days. You just never know for sure what's backing the performance up.

With your comments and the answers I gotten from PracticalCNC to some of my questions so far, it appears the machine is worth investigating further. Hopefully they have sold one in my area that I can see in action or, if not, I might make the trip to MI to see one at their facility.

Thanks again for the reply. Please post some more updates as you get time.

Jon

Not plasma related but had to comment on your shop. Nice tast in tools. I love the little thermal arc tig unit. I use one evey day. I like it so much I stoped using my lincoln squarewave 275 and even sold it.

Donny

That is a seriously evil welding setup!

I used to own a Thermal Arc as well. It wouldn't run at home, since it was three phase, so I used it in a workshop were I worked making custom gates and railings. For the 125 so something pounds I paid for it in an auction, it was an absolutely incredible welder. 400 amps of super smooth DC output! It literally vapourised 3 - 4mm stainless steel rods.

I particularly liked the Hot Start function. The guy I worked for was a bit of a cheeky one when it came to paying for anything. In a 'great deal' he bought four packs of everyday steel welding rods. It wasn't until it came to welding with them that we discovered they would glue themselves to the work every single time they were struck on a normal stick set. The Thermal Arc made them a breeze to work with.

It's just a shame about the colour scheme Thermal Arc use. Sure, it's how it performs that really counts, but the horrible purple and black colours make it look cheap, dated and tacky. I bet they could massively improve their sales by just redesigning the molds for the cases! :)

Here is a link to a yahoo site about the Practical cnc table. Some good info there, if people are buying that machine or just interested.


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/practicalcnc/



As far as color, I never have been into it. The blue looks right but sometimes you can get burned that way.

Here is my downsized setup. I still have other yellow ones in the background, but these two or three are something else. This is the second major upgrade from the last picture. I will post the both of them. In fact I still have the Mauve ones but I just do not need them now.

Here is a link to a yahoo site about the Practical cnc table. Some good info there, if people are buying that machine or just interested.


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/practicalcnc/



As far as color, I never have been into it. The blue looks right but sometimes you can get burned that way.

Here is my downsized setup. I still have other yellow ones in the background, but these two or three are something else. This is the second major upgrade from the last picture. I will post the both of them. In fact I still have the Mauve ones but I just do not need them now.

Damn... I mean just... Damn... Can I come and live at your house? :)

What do you think of the ESAB machines compared to Thermal Arc? Have you ever tried Miller, Hypertherm, Thermal Dynamics or Lincoln? If so, what are they like comparably?

ESAB seem much more active here in Europe than the other manufacturers. I'd be interested to hear what they're like to deal with and what they're equipment is like, as I live in England. Hypertherm say they're the world leader in plasma cutting, but ESAB seem to be the ones supplying ship yards with half mile gantry tables.

Yellow they must be! :-)
I'm ashamed to tell I bought a non-yellow unit to my home garage. Oh man oh man, my family and friends gives me salty comments every single time we chat... ;-)
Even though it's working pretty well, it can't beat a yellow.

--Sven

I have owned Miller,Lincoln,Still own Thermal Dynamics.
I never owned a Hyperthem but is quality stuff.

The esab in the picture is a step beyond the Thermal-arc although the Thermal is still a great little unit. It's kind of like the Thermal-arc ac/dc inverter in the picture is way beyond any of the esab ac/dc inverters. Miller inverter are some of the top ones out too. It's a apples and oranges type of deal on most of them.


Here is one or two for Sven. :) I tried this new esab out at the welding store and she welds nice. I also have or had these esabs.

Sven,
you get ribbed over here for buying Esabs instead on Miller or Lincoln.
Thats ok by me as long as I have the better unit!! :stickpoke

This last picture is of a nice Lincoln machine. It had to go down the road to help with the Plasma table purchase.

From now on I promise no more welding machines, and just cnc table stuff.

Scott,

Do you have a three phase line in your workshop?

I was looking at the plasma cutters. From what I can tell, ESAB only sell the CaddyCut in a single phase 230V model. The rest seem to be three phase 400V.

I was just wondering if this is a case of their web site trying to keep up, or if I'll need a three phase line before I can buy an ESAB... :)

Best wishes,
John

John,
the esab units here are made here. The ones from abroad are totally different.
We do get some of the smaller import esab cutters here.

I have single phase 230 but the esab was 1/3 phase 230/460 volts
Its output was 90 amps on single phase. Click on esab USA on the web and you will see the difference.

Here is my girlfriend cutting some .750 mild steel at 90 amps.

On 5/16/05 I had tried to purchase a CNC Cutting Table From Practical CNC at which time I was told that it would be 2 weeks for delivery at which point the time for delivery came and went I called to verify the new ship date at which time the response was "it will ship this week were almost done" this went on for more than 2 months the same story every week, I had after a month and a half had to cancel part of the order so that I could pay my business rent and bills of which they were quick to refund me that part of my money but after no progress in 2 months I called and requested an actual ship date or I was going to have to cancel my order if no response within the next 24 hours to no surprise there was no response, So I called to cancel my order at that point they said they could give me a bottom of the line table and give me some of my money back of which was not a option at this point I had already closed my business doors due to the loss of customers I requested a refund and the answer to that was "we spent the money already on other tables what do you want us to do about it" notice he said "other tables" not mine I was under the impression that they never started building the table at all also I have never received a call from the company and the show no interest in returning my money in a reasonable amount of time the owner of the company refuses to talk with me or respond to any of my request it has now been 3 months since I had Wired the money and is now time to take action against company’s who practice business in this fashion.

Sounds like they are on the edge of being bankrupt...
At least you got some money back.

Magilla,
Sorry to here about your experience. I had a similar experience with Practicalcnc, I ordered my machine (4x8) around the same time. I did get my table after lots of song & dance, lots of we will be shipping your table in a couple of days Blah- blah.

I sure hate to hear about people put up hard earned money and getting nothing in return. Did you have a contract in writing? I do think you have some recourse in obtaining your funds back and you should persue the return of you funds. I think you should document the damages the non-delivery of the machine has caused you and you may be able to get some compensation for that as well. Speak with a lawyer about a contingency fee suit against these people.

I always use a method of payment that has a bank support fraud clause. I can then just let the bank be the bad guy in the pursuit of the funds.

One thing we should all consider is taking on work that we don't have the equipment to actually provide.

Magilla,
Sorry to here about your experience. I had a similar experience with Practicalcnc, I ordered my machine (4x8) around the same time. I did get my table after lots of song & dance, lots of we will be shipping your table in a couple of days Blah- blah.

Be sure to check out the upgrade that Tom Caudle is doing with
the Practical cnc machines. If you bought a Practical THC send it
back now!!!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CncManualPlasmacutting/?yguid=82702294

Scott V,
What problems have you had or heard about with the practical thc? I have'nt had any problem with mine. The only real complaint I have is with the frame flexing. Any one else have that problem? If so what didi you do to fix it?

It just would not start all the time, and it is not even close to
how Toms setup will work. Tom's has everthing that is missing on the Practical THC. Lock out on the corners (It reads the code) Arc good before it moves, I can program touch, and go reference where ever and whenever I want.

I sent mine back to practical and they said it was fine.
I just pissed $1,300 down the drain. I sent it to another
practical table owner to try, and they had no luck either.
I can't sell it and I can't fix it so I have to eat that
one.


I fixed the wobbly table this way.

You need three brace running lower front,middle,back to form a box.
I had extra router braces the practical cut wrong so I used them on
the side. I ordered the front to back ones from 80/20 on ebay.
have them send you a catalog for other braces. The ones under the
main 3X3 rails if upgraded will add a lot of strength. They are the
inside gusset corner bracket. I did not use those because with the
extra rails it seemed like a overkill. They also have frame goining plates
if you want to go that way.

My table is really solid now and will handle way more weight without
flexing. This info came from Dave Cress of DynaCnC. He did some
work for Practical, and decided he just as soon build his own the right
way from the start. He has been way more help then the Practical
guys by a long shot. I am happy with my table now though.
Look at Daves table and you will see how to upgrade yours.

http://www.dynacnc.com/

Scott

Thanks for the info scott,
Since you added the braces did you measure the flex side to side(Y) ?
I put a dial indicator on the table to the spindle and with ~10 lbs side force I measured .01", This really makes routing round circles difficult. I have adjusted backlash & roller wheels, so this has to be frame flex. Also if I whack the corner post with my hand the frame will wobble a few times.

When I first got my table I bought A hypertherm1000 from another source and had to install the thc board myself. The thc would not turn the torch on. I talked to practical & sent the thc back. Practical found a bad board inside. Since the thc came back it has been fine. What kind of plasma are you using?
How clean are your cut edges?

Sorry about my long windedness?

I am not using my as a router, plasma only.
I upgraded mine so if I get a heavy sheet of
steel on the table, it will not flex like it normally would.
I did not measure anything as far as flex,
because it cut's plasma circles really
nice.

I use Sheetcam, Corel 12 (with latest upgrade for HPGL fix)
and save as a HPGL to cut almost all my stuff with plasma.
I used to get weird circles and thought it was the machine.
My circles now are great and well under what I thought was
possible with standard air plasma.

The edges are good if I do my part.

I have a Thermal-arc Cutmaster 151 (100 amp output single phase)
with a SL100 machine torch.

Thanks again,
Those circles look clean. How thick is that material? I have cut 1/2" steel with my hypertherm @ 12-14IPM with good edges.
My torch is a hand torch and I was not happy with it untill I changed to Hypertherms fine cut tips, now I can cut things cleaner & faster.