Exhaust for downdraft table and some other questions.

[slammedxonair]

Hello everybody, I have had my Dynatorch for a couple years now. I have the downdraft table but I have not been able to find a good deal on an exhaust fan and I'm not really sure where to start with the setup. The smoke and dust is starting to get kind of old. I have thought about selling the downdraft part and building a water table as well as just building a tent around the table out of welding curtain with a smaller exhaust fan connected to the top of it.

I also need to get a larger air compressor and figure out why this thing likes to crash like once per sheet of cut and mess up the entire sheet, I think thats caused from a tip or electrode goin bad but I'm not sure I usually just replace them and its good to go but the damage has allready been done. It just crashes and drags along the sheet and usually moves the steel and I have to hit the E stop as soon as it happens( if I'm really lucky I can get through a sheet without it crashing, biggest sheet I have cut so far is 4x4). It's mainly the reason I have to babysit this thing while its cutting, and the fact that I have to pause the feed to let the compressor build up more pressure every couple min. Thanks for the help.

[Edwardo]

I have the air handler also, for the time being i have just used a old furnace fan and some cheap homedepot duct to vent it outside, its not perfect but better than nothing.
Have you talked to anyone at DT about the crashing? What are you using for a plasma and what are you settings for the steel you are cutting?

EDD

[slammedxonair]

I haven't really talked to them about it I've only called really cause mine fried a couple motors. hasn't done it since i spent a ton of money to get a new servo board thing though.

How does the furnace fan work? I wonder if I found 2 old ones if I could T them out of the air handler into 2 seperate lines and if that would help keep the shop a bit cleaner(plasma dust outa my lungs and off the computer)

my plasma is a hypertherm 1250

[Edwardo]

Mine works ok when cutting 1/16th or 1/8th steel with fine cut consumables, there isnt much smoke or dust and the fan keeps it cleared out, in the winter when all the doors are closed i spray water on the sheet as i am cutting and it makes a huge difference combined with the air fan, but i cut up some 3/16 aluminum a few months ago using a 80 amp nozzle ( it was all i had and wanted to try it ) and it was like a shuttle launch in here, there was no way the fan could keep up...even with spraying water on it... eventually i will build a new shop designated for my cutter, at that time i'll spend the money and install a proper vent system or convert my table to water, or combo..

I bought a 60 gallon 3.2 hp compressor from home depot, i had to change the psi switch as the original would let the psi drop to low before kicking on, but it works great now, i have a cheap motor guard filter and just recently installed 2 desicant air dryers, i run 40 feet of air line up and away from the compressor and back to the dryers and then the filter and i dont have any moister to speak of...

I have the 1250 also and the only time it crashed on me was when i play around with the settings as im cutting, so i try not to do that anymore.. or if i am cutting to close to a edge and run off the plate a little... i found that if doing fine detailed cutting, close to a edge that if i turn off the thc it cant dive, that after a year of cutting...lol... learn as i go...

I havent used my table for a little while now, been away and now doing some other little jobs around the house, but next week i hope to fire up, will gladly share what ever little experience i have with you. When i get going again i will send you my settings for the gauges of steel i cut using fine cut..

What are you using for CAD CAM ? i use corel draw 3x and sheet cam... its taken awhile to learn corel but i am getting the hang of it now..

Regards
EDD

[magma-joe]

slamedxonair, If during your cut you have a momentary drop in air pressure below the requirements for your Hypertherm the torch will crash.

[slammedxonair]

that could be part of the problem. Most of what I cut is 3/16 and 1/4" plate once in a while some 1/8" or 16 ga. In post #41 here I use alof of these as good starting points http://cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26227&page=4 I have to keep my THC at around 138-140 sometimes though or it will crash. It used to crash alot more than it does now. And would any moisure in the air effect the thc as well? I have like 3 water traps on the line in different places before it goes into the plasma. I thought about taking a big tote bucket of cold water and tossing the coiled up hose in it to see if it helps reduce moisture as well as a temp fix. I wish I had the $ for this thing lol http://torchmate.com/air_filtration_system/index.html

[slammedxonair]

Does anybody know if a 16" 2500-3000 cfm 12v exhaust fan would work? Like if I work the ducting to it and run a power inverter to it?

[jemmyell]

Originally Posted by Edwardo Mine works ok when cutting 1/16th or 1/8th steel with fine cut consumables, there isnt much smoke or dust and the fan keeps it cleared out, in the winter when all the doors are closed i spray water on the sheet as i am cutting and it makes a huge difference combined with the air fan, but i cut up some 3/16 aluminum a few months ago using a 80 amp nozzle ( it was all i had and wanted to try it ) and it was like a shuttle launch in here, there was no way the fan could keep up...even with spraying water on it... eventually i will build a new shop designated for my cutter, at that time i'll spend the money and install a proper vent system or convert my table to water, or combo.. I bought a 60 gallon 3.2 hp compressor from home depot, i had to change the psi switch as the original would let the psi drop to low before kicking on, but it works great now, i have a cheap motor guard filter and just recently installed 2 desicant air dryers, i run 40 feet of air line up and away from the compressor and back to the dryers and then the filter and i dont have any moister to speak of... I have the 1250 also and the only time it crashed on me was when i play around with the settings as im cutting, so i try not to do that anymore.. or if i am cutting to close to a edge and run off the plate a little... i found that if doing fine detailed cutting, close to a edge that if i turn off the thc it cant dive, that after a year of cutting...lol... learn as i go... I havent used my table for a little while now, been away and now doing some other little jobs around the house, but next week i hope to fire up, will gladly share what ever little experience i have with you. When i get going again i will send you my settings for the gauges of steel i cut using fine cut.. What are you using for CAD CAM ? i use corel draw 3x and sheet cam... its taken awhile to learn corel but i am getting the hang of it now.. Regards EDD

Hi,

If you are using the DXFTool with CorelDRAW there is a FREE upgrade available that you really should give a try.

-James

[slammedxonair]

k thread jacked lol. but does anybody have an answer to post #7?

[WSS]

Not really an answer. But what are the specs on this? Does it show a duty cycle? 12V (to me) seems like an intermittent duty voltage. Is it a blade type or a impeller fan or even a hamster cage? That is a lot of volume to move with 12V, what was the previous application? Just throwing it out for thought.

WSS

[slammedxonair]

its like the ones that go on cars to cool the motor down Ive seen some with those specs. It was just a idea I thought of for something temporary for a while. I really need to build some kinda filter or exhaust or soemthing before the winter. It gets pretty cold trying to build parts with the doors open to vent the smoke out lol.

[Edwardo]

If its the the type of fan i think you are talking about i have my doubts it will work or last long, not only for output but because the if fan motor isnt sealed and is within the dust flow it will probly get clogged and burn out. Just my thoughts...

EDD