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Posted by Andrew Mawson on March 28, 2007, 2:25 am
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> CNC is not in my future - the $800 I spent on the plasma cutter was
at
> the budget limit.
>
> I don't generally cut large stuff, so if & when I do, a special set
up
> is acceptable. I'd like the everyday small stuff to be convenient.
> Taking the cutter outside & dragging out a cutting table is the
major
> inconvenience that I'd like to change. But having it inside really
> depends upon good fume extraction, which is much easier with a
> fixed-torch cutter. I plan on some experiments with fume
extraction.
>
> Today I cut a 9" square out of a circular piece of 3/16" mild steel.
> This is typical of my cutting jobs, so a table-saw sized set up
would be
> appropriate. Another typical job is cutting pieces out of PC cases,
> also small enough.
>
> I found that microwave oven magnets will hold down a cutting guide,
so
> that's a problem solved (having to clamp down the guide). The work
> itself still needs to be clamped & avoiding that would be
convenient.
>
> For now I'm going to build a quick-and-dirty cutting table (bed
frame
> angle) and get some more experience with my cutter. I'm kinda' keen
on
> this idea, so there's a good chance that I'll build it, someday. If
&
> when I do, I'll be sure to show it off here.
>
> Thanks,
> Bob
You may find that those powerful magnets bend the plasma and kink your
lines
AWEM
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> that I've learned is that I will not be cutting freehand, at least not any
> time soon. So I made a circle cutting guide that works really nicely and
> I was thinking about a straight cut guide, when it occurred to me:
> instead of moving the torch over the stationary material, how about moving
> the material under a stationary torch? It would work like a table saw.
> In fact, how about adapting an old table saw to a plasma cutter?
>
> You could "rip" with it, or use the miter guage. Cutting to a line with a
> miter guage would be a lot faster than clamping a straight edge with the
> right offset. Cutting to a pattern would probably be easier with 2 hands
> guiding the pattern against the torch. Hey - you could have a #5 lens
> fastened in front of the torch for helmet/goggles free cutting.
>
> It could have a water pan for "swarf" collection & fume extraction would
> be a lot easier with a fixed torch. If the fume extractor worked really
> well, you could use it inside! Foot pedal arc control. The torch would
> have to be easily removed for off-table use.
>
> Limitations: really big pieces of material (4 x 8 sheets or 20' lengths).
>
> But I'm a newbie at this plasma cutting thing and sometimes I get carried
> away solving problems that don't really exist. What do you guys think?
>
> Thanks,
> Bob