Cut-40 Plasma cutter

[BobL]

Are you dragging the tip along the plate or using a standoff to give a gap between the tip and the plate? Usually the only time tips get dirty is if there is blow back of molten metal occurring.
From what I could see on the Token tools website, that machine has a 60 series torch and it would appear that the tips supplied are not of the drag type, meaning that you need to run a standoff. Drag tips usually have 4 little lugs that protrude down to give an air gap between the orifice and the work. !

OK that explains a lot! I'll give that a go.

[.RC.]

I have never seen a Plasma Cutter in my wanderings. From what you other fellas say, they are more than good. Would you be able to, say, make up a shape out of plywood and use the Plasma Torch to run around the edge of the plywood to cut a shape out of steel plate 12mm thick?

It will do it barely.... While the specs do say 12mm thick and it will do it, cut quality and cut speed may disappoint you.. Thin stuff is no problem though... I did 1.2mm very very fast...

[Karl Robbers]

It will do it barely.... While the specs do say 12mm thick and it will do it, cut quality and cut speed may disappoint you.. Thin stuff is no problem though... I did 1.2mm very very fast...

I second what RC has said. I recently cut up a lot of 1.2 zincseal with my plasma. Think of a 2400mm cut in under 20 seconds with zero distortion and being able to touch the cut surfaces immediately. What little dross there was on the back of the cut was easily removed with a sharp cold chisel and a flick of the wrist.
Plasma manufacturers, even high end name brand equipment are notorious for overstating the capacities of their plasma cutters. I would say that a 40A plasma is realistically a 6-8mm machine. Feed it some 1-3mm material though and it will amaze you.
The torch supplied with that plasma appears to be a PT-31, in which case consumables will be readily available.
I strongly suspect that for the price it will be a drag only model, which in your intended application should not be a real hinderance.

[soundman]

Soundman,
I have no plasma cutter yet, but am redesigning my compressed air system and would like it to accept one.
Would you mind describing how a system with secondary tank would typically look?
I mean, now I have: compressor, tank, main regulator/filter, pipes, (optional secondary regulator), tool.
How would that be changed?

Thanks,
Peter

In my case a second reciever looks like the tank off a dead compressor ( with the pump and all the bits removed and excess holes plugged) sitting beside my compressor connected by a couple of meters of hose.

I removed the filter reg off my compressor many years ago....it is poosibly THE worst place to mount one.

the output of the compressor goes into one end of the second tank. The air goes thru the tank and out the other end with a short length of hose to my filter reg mounted on the wall.

It Is that simple.

cheers

[soundman]

As far as how good plasma cutters are...I have not used one for years...but it opens up all sorts of possibilities.

Just the oportunity to cut moderate thickness metal with very little effort, little noise and no distortion...AND any metal..is very attractive.

One realy great thing I see is the ability to cut shapes and curves...AND to use templates.

I have used templates with routers in wood and aluminium a lot......the ability to do this in any metal is VERY attractive to me.

AND..unlike a router in wood it is a tool that lends its self to freehanding.

From what I understand you can cut frehand curves and shapes almost as easily as you can draw them with chalk.

Oh believe me I have wanted a plasma cutter for years.....but I didn'y think they coule be had this cheap and still be viable......we'll see.

cheers

[Karl Robbers]

From what I understand you can cut frehand curves and shapes almost as easily as you can draw them with chalk.

Oh believe me I have wanted a plasma cutter for years.....but I didn'y think they coule be had this cheap and still be viable......we'll see.

cheers

Cutting freehand with plasma presents two potential issues to be managed.
The first is that it is damn hard to track a line at the sort of speed plasma likes to run at on thinner material and slowing down can negate the low heat input of plasma at least to some degree.
Secondly, many of the cheaper plasma cutters utilise the drag mode of cutting, even if they have HF arc starting. This means that your line is obscured by the torch and tip.
Having said that, a bit of ingenuity has overcome far worse.
Not to be overlooked is the need for really clean eye wear of a suitable shade. If you can't see it, then you definitely can't follow it.
I personally find that plasma is at its best when some form of guide or template is used, be it a straight edge, plywood template or a circle guide, but I have seen some really neat freehand work too.

[soundman]

no doubt there are issues to address.

But most things we cut metal with a limited to straight lines...and free hand shapes either very badly or dangerously.

just the ability to cut any sort of curve is a big step forward for most other alternatives.

cheers

[chambezio]

When cutting rusted plate, does the Plasma Cutter cope, or is it preferable to run to run a grinder along the path to be cut?

[Karl Robbers]

no doubt there are issues to address.

But most things we cut metal with a limited to straight lines...and free hand shapes either very badly or dangerously.

just the ability to cut any sort of curve is a big step forward for most other alternatives.

cheers

Most definitely.
I took my plasma into a workshop where I do a bit of fill in work, the owner who is actually an old apprentice of mine, could be described as a non believer when it comes to plasma cutters. To be fully accurate, he refused to touch it. After about a week, the "can it do" comments started, then the "that would make XXXX easier" remarks until finally we arrived at "so how do I use that."
One particular job that required accurate setting out of 4 57mm holes each side of a piece of 100X100X4 SHS is now done in about 5 minutes instead of 20 and a recessed "T" handle latch can be fitted in all of about 30 seconds.
Plasma cutting opens as many doors as does Tig welding. Safety is increased as there is less noise produced and flammable gasses are removed, all while running costs are decreased and accuracy and repeatability improved.
What's not to like?

[soundman]

When cutting rusted plate, does the Plasma Cutter cope, or is it preferable to run to run a grinder along the path to be cut?

I am lead to believe once you get "a start", plasma tolerates dirty material better than almost any other welding device.

cheers

[BobL]

I am lead to believe once you get "a start", plasma tolerates dirty material better than almost any other welding device.

cheers

correct.

[chambezio]

It sounds that Plasma Cutter is more versatile than gas for cutting. The only thing its seems it can't do is heat steel to allow bending.
I wonder if Santa will have room for one in my stocking?

[Legion]

Damn. You guys are making it hard to resist. The only thing holding me back is no decent compressor.

[Karl Robbers]

It sounds that Plasma Cutter is more versatile than gas for cutting. The only thing its seems it can't do is heat steel to allow bending.
I wonder if Santa will have room for one in my stocking?

Yes and no.
A basic gas set will cut up to 150mm with excellent cut quality. A plasma cutter to do a quality cut on 150mm would be probably a 1000+A monster.
Oxy fuel gas cutting retains its cut quality far better than a plasma as thicknesses increase and the issues of angled, tapered or canyoning cuts raise their ugly heads.
For steel work sub 25mm, plasma is a really viable alternative. To achieve that 25mm quality cut would require around a 100A machine in my experience. For sheet work sub 3mm, only laser cutting surpasses plasma and oxy fuel is a very distant third option. When stainless or non ferrous metals are added into the mix, there is really only laser cutting and plasma to choose from.
For the average home user who only wants to cut up to 10mm or there abouts on an infrequent basis, I can see few reasons not to choose a plasma, but would add the caution that like any other tool, they are not point and pull, so take the time to do a bit of research and learn what makes a plasma work and cut well otherwise it will quickly become a shed ornament that you hate.

[Michael G]

Damn. You guys are making it hard to resist. The only thing holding me back is no decent compressor.

More expensive, but I have a Lincoln machine that has an internal compressor. However, you could buy an awful lot of compressor for the price difference

Michael