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  1. #76
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    Quote Originally Posted by Karl Robbers View Post
    Yes, yes and yes, with the addition of dirty parent metal as a possible cause, assuming of course that your tip is not worn out.
    Thanks Karl, it was rusty 3mm mild steel, bit rusty but only surface rust.

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  3. #77
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    Quote Originally Posted by soundman View Post
    Beefy mate... bit of over kill ..... as I have posted a few times in the past, simply installing a second reciever after the main tank in any compressed air system will drop a hell of a lot of moisture out of the system.

    I have a relativly small tank ( bout same as on the compressor) that sits next to my compressor connected by about 2 meters of hose, then go thru my main filter reg and into my pipe system ...... for spraying and plasma cutting I go thru a second filter reg.

    I get ver little water in my main filter reg ..... I empty it every couple of months.

    I have never seen any water in my second reg.... not even a spot of condensation.

    The only time I have ever seen any moisture out of my system was after a heavy and prolonged session ( several days) of sand blasting, when my main filter reg had become overloaded.

    I have two mates that have set up similar arrangemsnt and they recount similar reports.

    cheers
    Hi Soundman, im interested in trying this setup. I have a few questions, i have an old super cheap compressor with a 21litre tank. It still runs but won't fill the tank past 35psi ever, making it pretty useless. Would this be suitable as a second receiver? The tank seems in good nick. Can i use the existing input & output of the tank? Don't want to mess with adding new outlets on the tank. Also how far do i put this from my compessor? My working compressor is a Peerless P17. I want to run a airline to the other side of my Shed. Thanks Pete.

  4. #78
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    Guys, I've been looking at this thread intently and wondering if these cheap plasma cutters use argon shielding gas? Can someone clarify for me please. I was under the impression that shielding gas is required to prevent electrode burnout. Looking at the pictures on the net I see a gas input on the rear of the unit, is this for the shield? where does the compressed air connect to?

    Regards,
    Peter.

  5. #79
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    Oct 2006
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    The "gas" input is for compressed air. There is no need to use a shielding gas with these units.
    Cheers.

    Vernon.
    __________________________________________________
    Bite off more than you can chew and then chew like crazy.

  6. #80
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    OK, thanks that settles it.

  7. #81
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    I think at this rate I should be demanding commission from dealsdirect...
    Light red, the colour of choice for the discerning man.

  8. #82
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    Sep 2008
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    Perth
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    I was thinking, all this talk of dirty air - I've got clean air but what about the cut material? Does rust make the cut messy? Does it destroy consumables even if the air is clean? How about galvanised sheet or zincanneal or whatever? Does the plasma heat make the zinc pop and destroy consumables, like tig welding galv? Do I have to remove galv? Duragal, or just heavy hot dip?

    I still want a plasma cutter but it could be a lot annoying if I have to clean the material heavily first.

  9. #83
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    Aug 2014
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    North Queensland
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    Default Plasma cutting galvanised steel

    Quote Originally Posted by Legion View Post
    I was thinking, all this talk of dirty air - I've got clean air but what about the cut material? Does rust make the cut messy? Does it destroy consumables even if the air is clean? How about galvanised sheet or zincanneal or whatever? Does the plasma heat make the zinc pop and destroy consumables, like tig welding galv? Do I have to remove galv? Duragal, or just heavy hot dip?

    I still want a plasma cutter but it could be a lot annoying if I have to clean the material heavily first.
    I have recently plasma cut some dip galvanised channel for a small job shown earlier, so I will attach that photo. I did not prepare the steel in any way just marked the cut line with paint marker. The cut is a bit rough as I did it freehand and I am sure it would have been neater if I had used a guide. Some slag but easily removed.

    The machine is a 40A model but a different brand but probably the same inside. After I purchased it I did trial cuts on rusty steel, brass, aluminium etc, all without surfuac preparation and all cut well.

    I don't do a lot of plasma cutting so those who do more than me may find surface prep gives longer life to the nozzles and tips.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  10. #84
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    Duragal seems unaffected by cutting with a plasma as the heat affected zone is very, very, very small. It almost looks like you have cut it with a hacksaw and there is no zinc smoke that I could detect.

    The results may be different with thicker sections, but I'm guessing you would still not be getting any significant zinc smoke.

    I'd also say that consumable use is also not significantly affected by the cleanliness/coating of the material being cut ... it would have more to do with technique and air quality.
    Cheers.

    Vernon.
    __________________________________________________
    Bite off more than you can chew and then chew like crazy.

  11. #85
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigPete1 View Post
    Hi Soundman, im interested in trying this setup. I have a few questions, i have an old super cheap compressor with a 21litre tank. It still runs but won't fill the tank past 35psi ever, making it pretty useless. Would this be suitable as a second receiver? The tank seems in good nick. Can i use the existing input & output of the tank? Don't want to mess with adding new outlets on the tank. Also how far do i put this from my compessor? My working compressor is a Peerless P17. I want to run a airline to the other side of my Shed. Thanks Pete.
    Virtually any appropriately rated tank will do the job ....... the bigger the better within reason, but a small tank is way better than none.

    Existing inputs and outputs will be fine ...... but you do need the input and output to be seperate and preferably at oposite ends of the tank ........ distance between the tanks makes very little difference but 2 or 3 meters of hose does let the air cool at little and sort its self out before entering the second tank ........ If you ae not going to use any air near your compressor, there is no ptroblem with having the second reciever on the other side of the shed ........ in fact that will increase the stability of the air pressure and its ability to deliver impulse at pressure.

    I have my second reciever right next to the compressor and it then feeds into my gal pipe system.

    cheers
    Any thing with sharp teeth eats meat.
    Most powertools have sharp teeth.
    People are made of meat.
    Abrasives can be just as dangerous as a blade.....and 10 times more painfull.

  12. #86
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    I've found that it may be necessary to have some clean bright metal to strike on at the start of the cut ...... after that the plasma arc seems to clear its own way.

    contamination of the tip by dirty material may be another issue.

    Remember Plasma will cut any metal...... where oxy will only cut iron and steel sucessfully.

    It is important to remember that the plasma arc, is way hotter and cuts by a different mechanism than oxy.

    Just think about this for a minute ...... cutting any metal with electricity and compressed air ....... must be magic

    cheers
    Any thing with sharp teeth eats meat.
    Most powertools have sharp teeth.
    People are made of meat.
    Abrasives can be just as dangerous as a blade.....and 10 times more painfull.

  13. #87
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    Quote Originally Posted by soundman View Post
    I've found that it may be necessary to have some clean bright metal to strike on at the start of the cut ...... after that the plasma arc seems to clear its own way.

    contamination of the tip by dirty material may be another issue.

    Remember Plasma will cut any metal...... where oxy will only cut iron and steel sucessfully.

    It is important to remember that the plasma arc, is way hotter and cuts by a different mechanism than oxy.

    Just think about this for a minute ...... cutting any metal with electricity and compressed air ....... must be magic

    cheers
    A lot depends on your machine type, which basically fall into two types, HF start and Pilot Arc. HF start need clean metal at the start of the cut where Pilot Arc machines do not, thus giving them an advantage in cutting painted or dirty materials. Naturally your return lead must have good electrical contact in the case of both types.
    The biggest destroyer of consumables is moist or oily air by far and I have never experienced abnormal wear attributable to galvanising or rust. Piercing with a drag type tip does however shorten tip life somewhat, particularly when piercing 5mm and up.
    One advantage/ability of a plasma cutter is their love of stack cutting, something oxy hates with a passion. Multiple thicknesses can be cut at once, even if there is rust between them, although rust does decrease capacity and quality of stack cutting.
    Plasma provides a temperature in the plasma stream of around 20,000 deg C. A workmate of mine experienced this first hand when he placed his hand, wearing a riggers glove UNDER a piece he was cutting, (yep, it beats me why he did it too!!!!), the plasma stream pierced his glove in an instant and the superheated gasses burnt a quite uniform and attractive spiral pattern around his finger - almost 3 full rotations as a matter of fact. An instant line to the brain box - and the voice box

  14. #88
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    Hi guys you have me interested as well I have been researching Plasma cutters for a CNC i am building thus been looking a the Tokentools as well as the Everlast both these units are in the 1k+ range love a hyper but that wont happen.

    Any chance one of you guys could cut some 2-3mm mild steel against a guide just want to see the cut quality I dont think it will be as good as above can put out but I may get away with it for my purpose to satrt with, can supply some steel for a bit of fun if required

    Willy
    I like to move it move it, I like to move it.

  15. #89
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    Thought i would add this something I found may interest some of you

    "Intercooled" air compressor

    http://www.dune-buggy.com/webs/Off-R...ompressor.html
    I like to move it move it, I like to move it.

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