Ghetto plasma cutter!

[ty1295]

About a two years ago I got my mill going. Still just X and Y though but does mostly what I need.

I also started a cnc plasma table about a year ago. I am great at starting projects, the finishing part not so good. That and I have a ton of other things going on.

Anyways I needed to cut some flanges out, and was tired of using the mill, 1/4" end mill, 3/16" plate. Basically it would take forever for one piece and I needed several.

So I had a bright idea, bolt a long angle iron to mill, tape the plasma torch to end, set plate on stool with it overhanging and use the mill to move the torch. Standing in middle pulling trigger via MO stops.

At best I figured woudl get me through this project until I have room again to work on plasma. (shop is packed full right now).

It worked amazingly well. The 10minutes spent on the ghetto mod saved me a ton of future work. Not a permanent fix but sure helps out for now.

[joecnc2006]

like to see pictures of how it was setup.

[gregsnovas]

i like it!!! sounds like something id try

[Norsksea]

That'a a good idea. I don't have the room for a CNC plasma cutter either.
Frank

[Weldtutor]

If there was an award for the most ingenous plasma cutter of the month, my vote would be for this one!
Thanks for explaining & sharing your idea.

Now if you could just get the stool to move around with the torch you could sit down & come up with more shortcuts. Some large shape cutters have this feature.
WT

[Kevin Taylor]

ty1295 what is a good feed rate for steel with a plasma 1/4 or 3/16 mat I have a cnc punchpress base way's and screws I want to convert and I was woundering about feed rate the screw's are two thred's per inch so I think I will have to belt down the servo's to slow the feed rate A feed in inper min would be helpfull Thank's Kevin

[Weldtutor]

Hi Kevin
Thought I'd jump in as your question has gone unanswered for a couple days.

The manuals for most plasma torch/machines will suggest travel speeds for a particular thickness, but there certainly are variables.

In checking a Thermal Dynamics manual to help with an answer for you, this is my finding.
For 1/4" mild steel 45 inches per min.
7 ga. (4.6 M.M.) 75 IPM
10 ga. (3.4 M.M.) 115 IPM

A note suggests that actual travel speed might vary 50% from the rates specified.

Other factors listed that may have an impact on performance are listed as:
torch parts wear, air quality, line voltage fluctuations, torch standoff height, work cable connections.

This should get you in the 'ballpark' range & you can make adjustments for your particular application.

[Kevin Taylor]

Thank's weldtutor I gues I could look in the manual that came with my Ltec PT got most of the unnessory stuf off of the punchpress base this weekend and know have to desine some riser's for the Y axis to rase it up to clear the work will build a catch pan and work grid hope to find some large bargrating at the salvage place to avoide building a cutting rack. The ball screw's are two thred's per inch so I think i will haveto belt reduction the servo's down to get a workable speed Look's like I can get 50" X&Y any sugestion's on control's would be helpfull. Thank's Kevin

[Scott V]

what is a good feed rate for steel with a plasma 1/4 or 3/16 mat



Depends on the amps cut/ torch design/ shape of part/ edge angularity/ etc....

[Kevin Taylor]

Ty did you have any problem with the RF fron the plasma causing the mill to stop I had my BTC stop one day in the midel of a part when I was tig welding Don't do that any more Thank's KLT

[itwanabe]

why not build a fast cutting mill machine? that would solve all your problems=) though plasma isn't bad either

[sansbury]

You could also rig the torch up on a pantograph arm driven by the mill. That would give you the ability to continuously cut things larger than the mill XY by double or more.