Would you cut one for me?

[MoparMad57]

Oops, that title doesn't sound quite right, does it?

I recently began researching what it would take to build my own CNC router/plasma table and was very fortunate to stumble upon this website. I have absolutely no experience in this field - I come from the civil engineering and construction side of things. However, for the past several years, my son and I have gotten into restoration of classic muscle cars. I currently make specialized parts one at a time using hand and power tools found in your typical home shop - nothing fancy. What I hope to do is build a small (3'x3' or so) CNC router or plasma table to automate the process. The problem I face is not knowing which one would be best suited for my purposes.

Here is what I would like to ask you folks (yes, the title of my post is a play on words). Would one of you who has a router table and one of you who has a plasma table be willing to cut a small bracket for me, so that I can compare their quality and finish to help me make up my mind which direction I should pursue? The bracket is cut from thin aluminum sheet stock (think... street sign), and it is roughly 11"x5" with a couple of drilled 1/8" mounting holes and two other 3" holes in the center. I can provide a photo if necessary.

I can send you a blank stock of material (it fits nicely in a letter-size manilla clasp mailing envelope), and I can provide an AutoCAD file (dxf I presume). I will provide a separate pre-paid mailing envelope, so the only thing you will be out-of-pocket is a little bit of your time.

If you are willing to help me with this, please send an email to me so we can work out the details. I would greatly appreciate any help you can provide. I have seen so many nice do-it-yourself projects on this site, and I can't wait to have my own table. I just want to make sure that what I invest my time and money on will be something I can live with for quite a while. And I certainly don't want to put more into the project than what is necessary.

I look forward to hearing from some of you,
Jerry
jnlandes@sbcglobal.net

[Mike Stevenson]

Blasting a plasma torch thru thin aluminum? Don't think you will like the finish at all my friend. The router will give a much better finish, trust me.

[MoparMad57]

Mike, that's kind of why I was hoping to have someone provide examples of each method. The thin aluminum is just the beginning point. I have other needs requiring material up to 3/8" thick.

Jerry

[Mike Stevenson]

MoparMad57,

To be honest a CNC router is not your number one choice for machining Aluminum or Steel. The rigity of a small CNC router and the low RPM of your typical router motor being 10,000 + RPM do not make it ideal for metal cutting. A better choice is a small CNC mill. Unfortunately the price is much higher for a Mill. So you really have a big tradeoff between the two as well as the price break. Best thing for you to do is to find someone that is locally machining with a plasma or a router machine to see a test piece.

[Med-Pac]

Hey Mopar,

We have a 4' x 8' x 1" capacity plasma and a 4' x 8' x 6" router.

As far as cut quality is concerned, what are these parts being used for? If they are for structural purposes and don't need to be perfect, just function and fit I would recommend plasma. If you're looking for flawless, edge quality and tight tolerances i would go with the router.

Another important thing would be the material you want to cut. Will it always be alum.? We use our plasma for steel, alum., and a little tin. We use our router for all plastics, wood, fiberglas, brass, copper, alum.

I'll email you my contact info, we're closed for the weekend so you may not hear back from me until Tuesday.

Mike