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INDEED - it certainly is not just the young.

A few pages ago I mentioned about the general angry aggressive attitude I see so much of here. And as I said I've been making it a point to have a...

Chris, while I see some good points in what you say, do you really think EDUCATION is the root of many of the accidents here. No one here has to be a super dooper driving expert to realise that...

This seems so typical of how it all works. Maniacs everywhere causing accidents, but so long as they aren't over the limit or drugged up, no big deal and the government isn't out there trying to...

Good points about checking my speedo, I'll look into that.

Talking about other countries:

I think many would consider life cheap in 3rd world countries, and if you are on a main road when you...

We've recently got ourselves a cute little 1500cc car for fuel economy and we're loving the hugely reduced petrol costs. Our Territory hardly gets used now. Got to say I've also noticed the cowardly...

Fair enough, but you seem to be looking for the exceptions rather than the general stuff.

I don't expect people to break the law if the merging speed states a max of 80, and haven't said they...

I don't think that's possible. All gaskets were blown a long time ago LOL.

You know what, it's very interesting about Sydney vs Melbourne as far as aggressiveness goes. My first few years were in...

I think I'm going to be hated by many Australians after what I have to say, but what the hell, I can only say it as I've experienced it.

I've been here for 20 years, coming from Europe, and sorry...

Regarding getting hold of Mesa cards things seem to be taking a bad turn there. I'd read these threads before committing to a Linuxcnc / Mesa boards journey.

Mesa have just crapped on me and I'm...

You might have a bit of a problem getting a peice of steel 60 x 20 mm hot enough from a soldering iron with a 6mm opening. It might get hot to the touch but I can't see it being hot enough to brand...

Cheers Kryn,

the excavator grab was 16mm steel but the machine torch should be able to comfortably handle 19mm (3/4") at the max 80 amps. A fellow plasma cutter has the same machine torch as me...

I’ve built a CNC plasma cutter (sorry to the wood guys, I know you are looking for routers, might make one some time). I originally made it to go with some other engineering toys I bought (lathe,...

Ha ha,

it was on my mind some time ago to be one of the next projects I'll do, then I started working on the aforementioned Mach3 plasma/THC system and it's consuming me. Not the type of thing you...

Hi Willy,

got a bit lost about what you are thinking of doing with the VFD connections.

I've had nothing to do with the G540 but just had a quick look at its manual. I see it's only got 4...

Hi Willy,

a "dry" contact simply means a mechanical switch, a mechanical relay contact, etc. No solid state relays, no circuit closure across pins 3 & 4 from transistors, etc. In a nutshell, "dry"...

Willy, I completely stuffed up on my build. In my efforts to over-engineer I built the gantry too tall in case I ever wanted to fit something underneath. Too top heavy now.

Then I used chain and...

You ideally want to condense moisture out of the compressed air BEFORE the moisture trap. A moisture trap won't do that, only collect what is already condensed.

Keith.

OK if I've got this correct, a module 1 pinion with 20 teeth has a pitch circle diameter of 20mm

Pitch circle circumference (= distance travelled with one revolution) = Pi x Diameter = Pi x 20mm =...

Moisture is great for destroying plasma consumables. Clean dry air makes a big difference to consumables life, and give better cut quality.

Piercing is best done as far away from the metal as...

Hi Willy,

I haven't delved deeply into it but these are my calculated thoughts on gearing. Now bare in mind I tend to always overengineer and am generally not happy with "it tends to work".

The...

Hi Kryn,

thanks for the reply.

I just generally go to Surdex and grab a whole sheet, but that's only once in a blue moon at the moment (working on changing that), so not really on friendly...

Hi Willy,

here's the Candcnc thread I started about that issue:
http://www.candcnc.net/supportforum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=746

Yeah, moisture is definitely a plasma torch enemy. I've got a little...

Be careful using a leadscrew on the gantry (Y axis). Check out your maximum expected feedrate/cut speed. Look at your Hypertherm charts, see what is the thinnest metal you might want to cut, and...

One thing I've learned in business is that IF you think you can get the business, then getting a loan to buy a QUALITY ready to go machine may make more financial sense, because the money earned from...

Got a guy wanting me to reverse engineer and cut some fancy brackets with my CNC plasma. Now all I need is a bit of 6mm steel sheet 400 x 400mm. No intentions of buying a full sheet for this little...

All I can say is good luck. I built my own plasma table and couldn't even buy the software/electronics/parts/materials for that price. I paid $7K for the 80 amp plasma cutter alone (hand + machine...

The first slew ring change I did was due to damage when a woman thought she could slowly cruise across a freeway into the path of my little truck.

I got 7 years of use out of that slew ring...

Generally, tough dross is caused by too high a travel speed. I tend to think of it as molten metal is blown out but doesn't have time to get fried to a crisp. It normally gets called "high speed...

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Made this gantry crane about 4 weeks ago. I had to change out the slew ring on my little excavator (again). Did the same job 7 years ago but that time I used a Chinese engine crane rated at 2...

Yep, overkill for an average user with a hand torch, NOT overkill for a CNC plasma table running 85 amp nozzles and a 5 hp compressor going just about flat out. I was not suggesting members should do...

Thanks lads, there's at least 2 to check out then.

The pilot arc is a must because the Z-axis touches off, then raises to pierce height, then starts the arc.

Keith.

Just to reinforce what Karl said about clean dry air. I've built my own CNC plasma table and have a Powermax 1250 cutter with the revered Duramax torch retrofit. This is what I did to give me dry...

Karl,

didn't mean to ignore you, I just thought there wasn't going to be any more replies. I've just came back for a browse and seen your reply.

I've got a Hypertherm Powermax 1250 but with a...

Cheers Michael,

yeah, drag tips would be an issue if that's all there is.

I might look into retrofitting a Hypertherm 30 XP torch on my existing cutter. My cutter only goes down to 25 amps...

I've got a nice chunky plasma cutter but I need to find a tiny one. Yeah I know that may raise some eyebrows.

I've built a cnc plasma cutter but screwed up on the design. At higher speeds (cutting...

Fantastic,

thanks Simon.

Keith

Thanks guys, that's the name I'd been trying to think of. They're on White St, Moorabin I think. I remember looking at their ads in Plant and Equipment, and seeing gear cutters for sale.

I'll give...

That's actually what I planned on "attempting" LOL, but I thought before I go that route I'll see if there's an off the shelf cutter available. It's a high load gear and the part it's driving costs a...

Thanks Pipeclay,

that's exactly right, I'm not certain of the size, and that's the reason I want to actually check the profile against a cutter, or even a gauge. Being a high load pinion, it's...

I've got a shaft I need to replace. It's got 12 gear teeth on the end and the OD at the tips of the gear teeth is 44mm so I'd guess the pitch circle diameter is around the 35mm mark.

Pressure...

Graheme,

do you mean the arc wanders and tries to go to one side or the other of the weld joint ?

Keith.

Soundman,

I've noticed the huge prices I often encounter here. I bought my Hypertherm PM1250 plasma cutter from the same shop (as the welding rods) a few years ago. With a basic hand torch only,...

That seems to be the consistent feedback I hear about Chinese products, there is no consistency on quality. Seems whatever materials, etc they can just grab at the time, that's what gets used in...

Thanks Karl,

I feel compelled to buy some of those Murex rods now just to see how they compare LOL. Silly thinking, paying more to see if I didn't need to pay so much for the 12P rods. Maybe I'm...

Thanks for the replies lads.

Just checked the receipt again, it was $88 ($80 + GST) from Migwell in Dandenong. It could be true about the 12P rods being made in Australia. That would explain the...

Went into a supplier and asked for some 2.0mm general purpose stick electrodes. Came out with WIA 12P, 2.5kg packet. I nearly dropped to the floor when he said $85 but I went ahead and bought them....

I welded on a used propane tank. Didn't matter how much I purged it I never felt relaxed striking that arc :o

That grab was built in a relative hurry. A builder had a job coming up for a rock retaining wall in a very confined space. I had a think about the job and thought I really need a grab so made it up...

Soundman, you hit the nail on the head. So many companies can't see the sense in looking at someones capability and working it out that with just a bit of training a new employee will be good for the...

Didn't make these today (or yesterday) but they're the last major things I did. The 2nd photo shows just one of the reasons I like toys like these. Try picking that up with just a bucket. I still get...