shopsabre plasma table

[Navigator7]

in the end i have a big paper weight. if u want to buy a table like this fine. i hope u dont have the issues i have. good luck..!

What is needed is substantive dialog from you. Not potshots at a company producing products sold around the world.

i just think i made a mistake buying a shopsabre. ~ Ryderz

I bought a $65k Zcorp 510 3D printer. It was a mistake.
The machine worked as advertised.
The fault was mine thinking I could produce products and make a profit.
It really produces ideas.
I'm in the wrong field to produce ideas.

Is it possible you really bought the wrong machine for your needs and it's all ShopSabre's fault?

[jimcolt]

I have to agree with Navigator. In order for us to help troubleshoot your problem you need to clearly describe all of the equipment, and what it is doing.

Stating that you have a 60 Amp plasma tells me nothing, there are a dozen different 60 Amp plasma systems available. If you tell me its a Hypertherm Powermax1000, and you are trying to cut 1/4" steel at 86 inches per minute at 60 Amps with a pierce height of .15" and a cut height of .08", yet the torch is dragging on the plate.....then I would ask a few more questions, we would go back and forth a few times.....and eventually we would solve your issues. Instead you are just rambling about how the machine did not work perfect on day one. There is a learning curve with every cnc plasma, regardless of the brand. It may be a turnkey machine, but you have to learn how to use it. There are dozens of parameters to set to cut one part....when they are set incorrectly, the machine will display symptoms similar to what you sort of described. I'm still willing to help, but not unless you help us understand what you are experiencing.

Jim

[rgh]

I have been following this thread for a few days. I don't have a Plasma cutter, but do have a ShopSabre CNC router. I agree with the comments from the group that there is a significant learning curve to these machines. I bought thinking it was just another machine for the shop, and found myself in a bit of trouble for being so naive. As the group stated, there are a lot of parameters, and you can't take these things out of the box and expect them to just go. I will say that once we got past my learning curve, and some machine rework (they could have tested a bit more), the machine has been stable and reliable. I have heard many stories of folks buying CNC's to fulfill an immediate need and finding out too late that the learning curve is significant, thus blowing the project. The $100K+ machines come with weeks of on-site training and professional set-up for a reason. Those of us who choose the lower cost entry machines take on the responsibility for knowing what we are doing, and working with the personalities inherent with these complex machines until we can get them dialed in.

Thanks to groups like CNC Zone, experts who are willing to provide a little free advice, and help keep the vendors focused on support, us newbies have a fighting chance.

Though I empathize with your concerns, I think you need to step back a few feet and let the reality set in on what you have gotten yourself into. Then breathe deep and let these folks and ShopSabre's support staff help you by providing quality input. Without it, you are just ranting and wasting everybody's time.

By the way, Ben is one of the most helpful folks I have worked with from a vendor. I don't necessarily think that ShopSabre is as customer oriented as they could be, but Ben is always there to help when I need anything. (And with these machines, there is bound to be a configuration issue here and there that you won't find documentation on)

Good luck with your implementation. Once you get past the initial setup issues, I think you will find that ShopSabre is a good choice for the price range.

[ryderz]

u know i had all kinds of things to say after reading these post, about how the table was 6 weeks late. i paid for a probe, and to have it installed, but no probe, no install, and no refund. got a probe in the mail tho..! how they(Jim,john,josh,and Ben) have been working on the table since i have had it, that they picked my plasma (hyper 1000)........... but no one would care, they are to into there "pregnant woman glow"......so Mr "I troubleshooted as part of my job" can u tell me why the tables arc voltage jumps all over place #1 ......... then can u tell me why the table goes down and touches off but wont fire repeatedly #2 ........ please keep in mind that the tables ground reads with in parameters with there ancient light test..!

im going to have to apologize, for im not part of the forbes 500, and cant thro around this kind of money. i went off what this company said, and bought what they had to offer. yes, maybe i bought into there bull****, and yes it might be harder then i expected. i do know how to write programs, i know how to load the metal, and i know that the table doesn't cut like promised, that the table has issues that i cant fix. i can tell u that all my machines are paid for, and im a zero dept company..! i must have half a brain. so please, unless u can help me fix the problems MR "I troubleshooted as part of my job" THEN PUT YOUR 2 CENTS IN ANOTHER TOPIC..!

[ryderz]

ITS A SIDEKICK table
plasma hyper 1000.
im try to cut at 40 ipm.
the arc is set to 140.
but jumps from 135 to 155.
its 1/4 steel.
the plasma is wired 3 phase.
they have sent a new touch cord that plugs into the wall, and plasma.
the cut chart that came with the plasma, can only be used at half the recommendations. and more wont pierce.

[jimcolt]

OK, now we are getting somewhere.

You should be using the cut charts in the Hypertherm manual that are for mechanized cutting (you have not yet revealed whether you use a hand or a machine torch, regardless, these are the charts to use). Here are the starting specs for 60 Amp cutting on 1/4" steel, and they are guaranteed to work:

Consumables, please verify that these part numbers are in your Hypertherm torch: Shield-120930, Retaining cap-120928, Nozzle-120931, Electrode-120926, Swirl Ring-120925

Arc voltage setting....the setting in the Hypertherm manual is a suggested starting point. The voltage is used as a reference voltage for controlling torch height, so start with this setting, then adjust your voltage until the correct torch to work distance is achieved, after you have all of the other parameters set. As the torch electrode wears, you will have to increase the voltage 5 to 10 volts to accommodate for the wear in order to maintain proper standoff.

Arc Voltage: 138 volts

Pierce height: 3/16" (this is critical, one pierce too close and you will damage the nozzle orifice, and cut quality will be affected in terms of cut edge angularity.)

Cut Height: 1/16" , this is the physical height that is adjusted by adjusting the arc voltage while the plasma is cutting. Higher voltage means higher hight, lower voltage means lower height. Adjust arc voltage until this height is achieved.

Pierce delay time: .25 seconds (this allows the arc to penetrate the plate fully before any x, y or z movement occurs, very critical)

Air pressure: 70 psi (set the air pressure with the amperage knob turned fully counterclockwise, this allows the air to flow so you get a dynamic, flowing setting)

Amperage: 60 Amps

Cut Speed: 86 inches per minute (the optimal speed produces the best combination of cut quality in terms of edge angularity and dross formation. If you use the maximum speed setting the cut edge will have more angularity.


If you can verify that all of the above are being set correctly, then we can move on to the height control settings. You have not provided much info about the height control.....so I may have to guess a bit on helping you get it set up correctly. There are a lot of parameters with the height control that affect every aspect of the cut, so if you want to make it work without oscilating up and down, and without damaging the torch consumables you will have to work with me.

Jim Colt

ITS A SIDEKICK table
plasma hyper 1000.
im try to cut at 40 ipm.
the arc is set to 140.
but jumps from 135 to 155.
its 1/4 steel.
the plasma is wired 3 phase.
they have sent a new touch cord that plugs into the wall, and plasma.
the cut chart that came with the plasma, can only be used at half the recommendations. and more wont pierce.

[ryderz]

like i have been saying if i put those numbers on the table, it wont cut thru. the arc voltage is to low 138, then the pierce delay needs to be atleast .50, im not sure what tourch height contrlo it is. the programming is wincnc. what works is u add 10 to the arc voltage, cut the ots to half, set the peirce delay for .60. then it will get thru, and make a cut.

now if u r asking me to set the table at those settings i will. then what nexts..?

[ryderz]

I put your setting in and it started it blow thru, then it stopped going thru and started blowing sparks all over. its moving to fast. i slowed it down to 40, and it cut thru, but really nasty. this is 1/4 steel the ots says 86ipm theres no way not even 60.

[jimcolt]

Clearly there is something serously wrong. Any chance you can send pictures of the nozzle and electrode you used?

Have you verified that the machine speed is accurate? You can program a straight line 50" long, put the machine in test and set the speed to 50 inches per minute, see if it takes exactly a minute to go 50".

Is your plasma in the cut mode? There is a switch on the front panel that must be in the correct position.

Can you connect the plasma work cable (ground clamp) directly to the piece being cut, does it cut better?

Can you shut the height control off, set the torch (with a new nozzle and shield) at a fixed height of 1/16", and try cutting.....does this work?

Do you have access to a clamp on DC ammeter?

Jim

[ryderz]

well maybe i can send them to your email.yes the plasma is in cut mode. it doesnt make a difference if it connect to the table, or the metal directly. when u shut the height control off, it still jumps up and down. it doesnt matter what u try, the height of the nozzel will not stay at one height. i dont have a clamp like that. i can try to get one.

[ryderz]

"By the way, Ben is one of the most helpful folks I have worked with from a vendor. I don't necessarily think that ShopSabre is as customer oriented as they could be, but Ben is always there to help when I need anything."

yes i agree, the dude is a good guy...!

[ryderz]

well just so there is some kind of ending to this ordeal.... the table seems to be working better. i had to take the hypertherm 1000 off 3 phase. the arc doesn't jump around as much.i was told it could be the ground in the breaker box, but the single phase, and 3 phase ground wire is connected to the same bar. either way it cuts better. i use the same cutting programs that i used in the beginning. the table has gone thru a bunch of new programing (it probably got screwed up because Ben wasn't there when my table was being built). either way would i buy from them again NO.! is it working yes.

one thing i noticed during this whole thing is right away people blame it on the user, when in deed it was the table, and the plasma that has issues..!