DIY Waterjet??

[BuckingFastards]

Hello everybody, i know this is kind of off topic because this is woodworking but a waterjet could cut wood right? Well anyway i was wondering if it was possible to build a diy waterjet with a pressure washer and having it hooked up just lke you would a regular cnc router? So could i use this pressure washer? http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...85&R=200317585 And instead of using that kind of nozel i could use a high pressure nozel. Do you think this would work for wood, plastic, and foam or would i need a pressure washer with a higher psi (The one in the link is rated at 1750 psi). So tell me if you think it would work.

[jaako16]

Hi

I assume that you want to cut some material with water, if so I have to disapoint you a little bit. :frown:
Waterjets use some abrasive added to the water, it is the abrasive additive that does the cutting, the water only transports the abrasive media and cleans the cut.

The nozzle ($$$) needed to shape the cutting media is made from any hard material such as industrial diamond, cemented carbide or similar.

I would love to see a homebuilt waterjet cutting machine.

Good luck

jaako

[BuckingFastards]

ok so even if i had some abrasive or whatever and got the nozzle would i be able to cut with that amount of psi?

[chuckknigh]

Whether the abrasive is necessary is a function of the material being cut. "Just water" will cut soft woods, some fabrics, foams, etc.

You obviously know that a high pressure waterjet from one of those things can easily eat into the surface of a wooden deck or even make a slight dent in a cement driveway. I know mine will...but mine is a multi-horsepower gasoline powered one. I don't remember the nozzle pressure...but it's extra high.

Taking it from that stage through to a useful machine, however, is a MASSIVE undertaking. And, the results may not be what you expect -- water, alone, is wear-away at the material, slowly. Ragged edges. Fair warning.

-- Chuck Knight

[Geof]

(The one in the link is rated at 1750 psi).

Just water will cut wood and cut it quite clean but you need to put more than an extra 0 on your pressure. Something like 25,000 psi is needed, maybe more. Working with these pressures is a bit dangerous because flesh and bone is just about as easy to cut as wood. A leak could leave you unable to count up to ten on your fingers or worse.

[unterhaus]

I used to have a link to a diy waterjet site with a forum -- bottom line is that a lot of it is going to be purchased. Even homebuilt waterjets are expensive. Probably better to get into other forms of cutters.

[BuckingFastards]

Ok so you guys think it can be done but it will just cost alot. and i will need at least 25,000 psi to cut stuff and that high pressure is dangerous.

[cbass]

One other difficulty that might not be obvious at first: If you are going to use abrasives in the water, then the innerds of your system (not just the nozzel, but all the tubing and ESPECIALLY the pump) have to be able to withstand abrasion. There's no point in using a system that is designed for water and primarily made of soft plastic if this is going to disintegrate within a few hours of continuous use!

Just my $.02

Carlo

[fyffe555]

The abrasive is usually introduced at the nozzle head. The jewel or carbide nozzle handles the abrasive and water, the pump and the feeds just move water. You do , of course, need a system capable of metering the right amount of abrasive into the high pressure water stream at the nozzle.. clever stuff..

[Geof]

Here is a link that has a very detailed description of water jet cutting both plain water and abrasive.

http://www.flowcorp.com/waterjet-resources.cfm?id=335

[BuckingFastards]

ok well say i just wanted to use plain water no abrasive to cut woods and foam etc? i should be able to do it correct with that amount psi? (1750 psi) I don't want to go out and buy a pressure washer and have no use for it. My budget for a better pressure washer is $500 if i have to buy a pressure washer that costs a lot more well ill forget about it. And also i was wondering if this is possible then could i use some kind of holding tank and a filter to filter the water after the material has been cut so i don't have to waste my own water? Like maybe a 15 gallon tank or something and have it under my cnc table so when the waterjet cuts the material it would go through the filter into the holding tank and be reused and everything thats dirty stays on top of the filter??

[Corvus corax]

Don't bother using the pressure washer. A better way to look at waterjet power is in terms of Horsepower. Even the smaller machines are rated at 25HP and above. Pressure washers simply don't have that kind of power. Its somthing akin to trying to use a marking laser to cut steel. You are off by several orders of magnitude. Waterjets sans abrasive run pressures as high as 300,000 PSI.