O.T. Plasma cutter

None - you'd be wanting to run a dedicated circuit from the fuseboard for it (30 amps).

Can you use a straight-edge? It's easy to follow any shaped template with a plasma cutter.

The cut with a plasma cutter is much like a very good gas cut in steel (ie: using a clean, correct sized tip, done by someone who has had a lot of practise) although you only lose about 1mm of metal.

Dunno about UK prices, but also factor in a decent compressor with a good water trap as you'll need a reasonable supply of clean air. I paid the equivalent of 600 quid for mine secondhand, but it will cut to

On or around Fri, 13 Aug 2004 23:42:00 +0100, Steve Taylor enlightened us thusly:

hang on, is that 25A input?

if so, you could run it on yer domestic ring main stylee thing by fitting 2 plugs.

My old stick welder (the one that's jammed on full output) used to eat 13A fuses when used for any noticeable amount of welding. Providing it with 2 lengths of 1.5mm² flex and 2 plugs solved the problem. You have to be a bit careful about what you plug it into, and you also have to be very careful not to plug just one plug in - the other will of course be live.

but it works.

alternatively, fit a blue industrial socket in yer garage.

Must look into the plasma cutter thing, it'd come in handy here too.

how precisely can it be controlled?

On or around Fri, 13 Aug 2004 23:23:26 +0100, Mother enlightened us thusly:

buggered if I know if it's any good, but just found this one:

You can get high frequency ones which run off a standard 13A socket outlet will cut to about 6mm thick

The cheap ones like I got from machine mart which is called a 25 means it uses 25 amps when running from the supply, use a propper circuit you can burnout the sockets ive done it !!!!!!!!!!

no problem at all just run it along a piece of wood only as good as the opperator use a guide if you think you can cut a straight line free hand you cant its impossible !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have done this and you get no distortion at all and a very clean cut and quick as well

I think a high frequency one is quite dear £500 ish the one I have seen is made by Telwin I think or something like that small compact unit but have a good compressor they DO USE lots of air !!!!!!!!!!

On or around Sat, 14 Aug 2004 14:23:27 +0100, Denis F enlightened us thusly:

well, I wasn't about to run an buy one. However, if you factor in the cost of a big enough compressor, it doesn't look so silly.

however, I reckon I'll get an oxy cutting torch instead.

Do you reckon ? It can't have THAT big a compressor in it.

Steve

my plasma king 25 from machine mart requires about 5 bar constant pressure the compressor I have is a 3HP 14 CFM 240 volt 150 psi max, and it works fine for all my air tools but if you have long air lines i.e. more than about 10 mtrs you must increase the internal dia size of hose to maintain cfm. You really don't need a compressor any smaller than this in my opinion it works fine for me and I use angle sanders and da sanders and they can be run as long as I need to and the compressor can cope with it. A oxy cutting torch is all very well but how do you cut ally with it to patch up your landy or cut out a bit of corroded panel !!!! ( a plasma cutter ) As for the question about the material having to be clean this is not true I have used mine on all manner of rusty and undersealed chassis and once you get it going it just burns away any paint etc and off you go Rich

On or around Sat, 14 Aug 2004 18:14:49 +0100, Steve Taylor enlightened us thusly:

well, I assume it has a compressor big enough for its needs. I've no details other than what's on the page.

To cut 20mm circles ?

Steve

I personally use a hole saw for that.

P.

You use an air powered hacksaw.

Alex

Thank you, I was about to say that.

And you can attach that to an Air Drill, as well

Alex

Alright, you can't easily pierce with a hacksaw. You can't cut out square shapes even, without great care, you can't follow a template.

You can't cut arbitrary shapes with a holesaw. You can't cut tight radii with a hacksaw.

And you can't cut at 6" per second in 1mm steel.....

Your move.

Steve

Take it to work, and laser cut it (250mm aluminium to cut anyone?).....our toys are better than yours, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah :-)

EMB wrote: .... and laser cut it (250mm aluminium to cut

Bloody hell yes. 250mm in ALUMINIUM. How ?

Steve

He works for British Alcan? Their ingots are around 6 feet long by a eighteen inches deep.

P.

But a laser cut in 10" of the stuff ? I wonder how they do it? Its so conductive, I's love to know how they get the power in.

Steve

I guess it helps to have your own hydro-power plant with a few tens of MW of availalble electricity.

Or more likely he meant 25mm.

P.