Plasma table from Plotter parts

[rogerfries]

I'm attempting to make a light weight Plasma table with fold up legs where it can be upended and stored against the wall when not in use. I started with a X/Y plotter which had servo's and rack gears. Hopefully it will survive the plasma dust.

I've attached a link below.
https://picasaweb.google.com/Roger.F...NCPlasmaTable#

I still need to design the grate system and determine if I'm going to try down draft, water, or just let the dust fly. It will be mobile, so I can take it outside to cut. It's a home light use machine, not something that's going into a production shop.

Opinions: Which is better water or down draft? or if I use the machine outside does it even matter? My thought is if I trap the dust it might help the plotter mechanism last longer?

Feel free to tell me I'm doing it all wrong, not going to hurt my feelings.

Thanks!

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[The Inventor]

After your finished cutting and Before you fold it up...
just get out the air hose and blow it off.

If it was inside --- go with the water tank.

Grandpa Bill

[arewehavingfun]

Have you considered a "blow by" system, utilizing an air pump for the sensitive components? You can simply direct a stream of air as an invisible wall to help defend against unwanted particle demons.

I have designed something relative to this on a laser machine.

Joe

[rogerfries]

Thanks, Never thought of "Blow By" I have plenty of compressed air available. I may just try this. Of course I need to get this thing working first. Taking much longer than I anticipated.

Murphy's law:
Any given job will take twice the time you think it should take. If you allow yourself twice the time, the job will actually take four times as long.

[arewehavingfun]

Thanks, Never thought of "Blow By" I have plenty of compressed air available. I may just try this. Of course I need to get this thing working first. Taking much longer than I anticipated.

Murphy's law:
Any given job will take twice the time you think it should take. If you allow yourself twice the time, the job will actually take four times as long.

What I did was use a good size aquarium air pump. I bought my pump from China(less cost) and it was a 150 liter per minute pump, which roughly translates to almost 40 gallons per minute pump. It also helps if you try to pinch the nozzle end which will create a larger fan area, or at least try to fan it out.The advantage to this is that it can be ran for long periods of time, with little, to no wear. Also, it gives you just the right amount of air. Not too much and not too little. We want it to be able to blow away the tiny stuff that builds up and creates the most damage. Think about it and give it a try.

PS, the "Murphy's law", is the story of my life!

[The Inventor]

What I did was use a good size aquarium air pump. I bought my pump from China(less cost) and it was a 150 liter per minute pump, which roughly translates to almost 40 gallons per minute pump.

What does that covert to in "PSI's"
And was that an eBay find?

Grandpa Bill

[Benderart]

I'm attempting to make a light weight Plasma table with fold up legs where it can be upended and stored against the wall when not in use. I started with a X/Y plotter which had servo's and rack gears. Hopefully it will survive the plasma dust.

I've attached a link below.
https://picasaweb.google.com/Roger.F...NCPlasmaTable#

I still need to design the grate system and determine if I'm going to try down draft, water, or just let the dust fly. It will be mobile, so I can take it outside to cut. It's a home light use machine, not something that's going into a production shop.

Opinions: Which is better water or down draft? or if I use the machine outside does it even matter? My thought is if I trap the dust it might help the plotter mechanism last longer?

Feel free to tell me I'm doing it all wrong, not going to hurt my feelings.

Thanks!

When I started plasma cutting, I used a blow by system and, in a word, it sucked.
Sorry for the pun but, when I started I had a 4X4 Plasmacam set up in my shed at home, roller doors open both ends with an industrial fan blowing across the table and out the back door.
It didn't take long for everything in my shed to become contaminated with plasma dust.....the stuff got into every nook and cranny.
I then tried a woodwork dust collector in tandem and, it was an unmitigated disaster.
I now run a Samson 5X10 table with downdraft system in my factory unit and don't suffer any dust problems.
Many guys running water tables also run a clean act so, to wrap up, go with either water table or downdraft.
That way you'll save your workshop and lungs.

[arewehavingfun]

Not sure what the PSI is but, here are a couple pictures of the pumps I have.

I bought them through a company I bought shop equipment through. They don't sell pumps by themselves. However, you should be able to find this type on e-bay. I'll look around for you and if I come up with a good price I'll share. Make sure you only buy them with a good price. Do not spend too much!

..And remember, this is for only small sensitive area's no larger than 10"x10" and not for the plasma exhaust.

[speedy 1]

the dust coming off the machine and still in the air will have an electric charge still attached the the metal particle
do what ever it takes to be separated from breathing the fumes as the charged particle will attach the the easiest thing (shortest path to ground) which will be the soft tissue of your lungs

can make a person quite sick ...

[The Inventor]

FYI: Just a little side tip seeing you'll be using this outside.

Get a 10 ft. piece of copper-clad ground rod, (leave about a foot
sticking up, so you know where it is and you don't hit it with the
mower. )

Now connect a medium gauge welding cable to it and your table.
ie: weld the head of a 3/8 bolt at the base of a leg and clamp the
cable to it with an eyelet end then use a battery jumper cable type
clamp on the other end to attached it to your ground rod. When your
done just coil it up with the table.

You'll be surprised how much that helps... a 'real' earth ground.

Grandpa Bill

[rogerfries]

Speedy 1,
Point taken on the lungs. Thanks

Inventor,
I was planning on doing this, but does it really need to be 10 ' into the ground! Seems like this might be challenging up here in New England, Lots rocks up here!

I just got the machine jogging X&Y Late last night, so I'm making some progress.

Thanks all!

[The Inventor]

Speedy 1,

Inventor,
I was planning on doing this, but does it really need to be 10 ' into the ground! Seems like this might be challenging up here in New England, Lots rocks up here!

I just got the machine jogging X&Y Late last night, so I'm making some progress.

Thanks all!

Here in Wisconsin, when the electric company hooks up a new house,
they drive down 2 - 8 foot rods 4 foot apart.... But they dig a 3 foot
deep hole first! (Think it has something to do with the frost-line effect.)

Grandpa Bill

[speedy 1]

grounding is a good idea
also helps to quench any possible radio interference ... keeps the neighbors happy
keep in mind what your trying to avoid is airborne charged particles
a water table attracts them straight away
if that's not possible then use some sort of a fume extraction system like what is used at the weld table

by all means ... try not to breath the stuff