4x8 iplasma, Hypertherm Powermax 65, DragonCut, Custom Water table

[Capstone]

I've been following this build with interest. I like most of your design decisions and the progress updates.

[Momentz]

Hi
Nice build, just wonder how the frame goes supporting the weight of the water table add on with it full of water and say a 1/2 in sheet on top, the frame doesn't look strong enough? Or have you added extra legs
Chris

[rescueweasel]

I thought the same thing when I first started looking for a new plasma table. I asked the manufacture of the table Precison Plasma about this. All of the table and pan supports are 3/16 steel and are reported to be engineered for the water pan load and a 1/2 4 by 8 sheet. I have not had any sheets bigger than 1/4 on there yet but everything is doing just fine. All of the bends in the leg metal and the pan help distribute that weight.

[lik2waterski]

Very Nice build. Lets see the cuts.

[rescueweasel]

It has been awhile since the last post. We have been very busy cutting. Things have been going well with the build. We have been running the machine about 8 hours a day 4 days a week for the past few weeks. We have been cutting mostly 16 and 30 gauge and have been getting fairly good consumable life. We are on our 3rd set of (electrodes / nozzles) We have not seen a change in cut quality but have pulled them after they have a 2mm depression in the electrode as part of the initial trials.

We have added several pages to the website dedicated to the build with some tips and tricks we have found so far as well as lots of photos of the first cuts and the projects we have been working on.

Here is a link to the web page: Desert Fabworks CNC Plasma Build the newly updated pages are listed on the right side of the page.

We just uploaded 4 new videos to the site so that people could see the machine in action and some of the cuts that we have completed. Here is a direct link to the videos page: VIDEOS

So where are we going from here? There have been several updates to the software from CandCNC for the Dragon Cut package as well as new posts for Sheetcam. We plan on making the updates and making the most out of the software. We also have some additions planned to the table.

Most of that will be after the first of the year. We want to clear out the last few jobs that we have pending and shut down the shop and get some rest and enjoy the holidays.

I have included a few pictures from recent jobs and cuts but most are on the website.

Hope that everyone has a good Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[Nacs Fab]

Can you tell me some of the feedrates you are running your parts with your machine? Specifically for 14 gauge and up to thicker materials.

[rescueweasel]

Nacs Fab<

All of the settings have been straight out of the Hypertherm Book thus far. I have found them to be nearly perfect thus far.

For 14g I have been using fine cut consumables 45 amps torch to work during cut .06, pierce height .15 pierce delay .4 cut speed 220 ipm at 82 volts.

All of this is assuming that you are running a Powermax 65 Like me. I get the most dross when cutting very thin material like 20 g. Even with this its usually only in very tight corners where the torch if forced to slow. Otherwise I'm almost dross free. The thinker materials that I have cut seem to have less dross and what I do have is usually in a very tight corner or curve.

If you are using the anything from hypertherm and dont have their cut charts you can download them from their website.

Not sure if this helps let me know if I can help more.

[Nacs Fab]

It helps a ton. I have a Hypertherm 1250 and use similar cutting speeds and variables you are using - just was curious because your cut quality looks real good. I am going to try Fine Cut consumables too.

Thanks!

[rescueweasel]

One thing that I forgot to mention is that the quality of the art you are using makes a huge difference. I get my best cuts out of very clean art with very few nodes in them. Smooth archs and a few as possible nodes make a big difference in how things turn out.

[lik2waterski]

Rescueweasel, those cuts look great! You built a nice table. I wish my shop was as clean as yours.

[rescueweasel]

Thanks! I'm glad somebody thinks its clean. You should see it when I'm in the middle of a big project, not quite so clean.

Rescueweasel, those cuts look great! You built a nice table. I wish my shop was as clean as yours.

[rescueweasel]

Its been a while since I have posted on this thread. Its been a year since I put my plasma system together, how time flies.

I put some new photos on the build website showing some then and now photos. Desert Fabworks CNC Plasma Build I also fabricated up some splash guards for the table. I was frustrated when the water would splash out onto the floor or into the channels next to the water table so I created some guards to prevent that.

Since I'm always looking for the next thing, I have started looking into CNC Routing. Lots to learn in that area so it should be a fun adventure.

I hope to add a rotary tube cutter and a air scribe to my current system soon.

The machine has been performing great. I have been cutting a bunch of stainless steel lately for a customer. The machine has been producing awesome results. The material is brushed finish 20 G Stainless for a restaurant. I have been using the "best Cut" settings out of the Hypertherm Manual for the Powermax 65. I have no dross on the front or back. I have been leaving the protective film on the sheets and cutting film up. I'm not getting any discoloration on the sheets at the cut sites.

Could not be happier with the results.

I also got to clean out the table recently. That was a mess but thankfully I do not have to do it very often.

My evaporation rates have been so high lately I have to fill the table daily to keep up, temps outside have been 126 in the shop its been 110 thankfully its a "Dry Heat" . I was using the green cut but it became too diluted to be effective anymore. I got an order of Plasma Quench in but I'm not going to start using it until the temps cool down. For now I'm using just water.

Still looking for the perfect solution.

I got a look at the new table top plasma tables from Precision Plasma, I have thought many times it would be handy to have one that I could take to the job sites so that I could make custom pieces onsite. That would be slick to roll that out of the trailer and start cutting on a job site.

Time to get back to Cuttin!

[rescueweasel]

Just wanted to let anyone know that uses Hypertherm I have a discount code posted on the build site for 5% off consumable purchases at Baker Gas
here is the link: Baker&#39;s Gas & Welding