The Home/Hobby CNC Plasma Cutting Thread

[GeoBruin]

There have been several posts lately about options for home/hobby CNC plasma cutting, and as I have recently taken the plunge myself, I decided to create a dedicated thread. As with most topics, Garage Journal's user base tends to consist of hobbyists as well as professionals who use sophisticated industrial equipment on a daily basis. While I'm hoping that we (the former group) can learn from the experience of the latter group, the intention is to focus on discussions of home/hobby systems and techniques. There are dedicated forums for discussions of this topic, but a big part of what makes Garage Journal a great resource for topics like this is the synergy with other topics discussed here on the forum, and of course the great user base.

As plasma cutters have become more affordable, and with broader access to CNC control software, CNC plasma systems have come within reach of many more users. There are lots of fantastic custom builds out there, but a limited crop of "off-the-shelf" systems have also emerged. Hopefully this thread can serve as a resource for users of both, and for those considering which option might work best for them.

 

[GeoBruin]

Reserved for future use.

 

[jack stand]

Subscribed
The part that scares me is the computer. We're not friends

 

[GeoBruin]

Subscribed
The part that scares me is the computer. We're not friends

That is a valid and very common concern. That said, I think part of the advance we're seeing is in streamlining the workflow of turning a design into a part. Part of it is better integration between CAD/CAM software and the control systems, improved file type handling, etc., but there also seems to be an effort to bypass the design software component altogether. Think scan or trace an existing part or drawing and automatically generate a file that can be manipulated in the postprocessor and made ready to cut.

An even more extreme example is ArcDroid's SimpeTrace function. The ArcDroid ships with a built-in screen and a very simple user interface that allows you to define cuts using simple dimensions and a library of existing shapes, or even tracing a paper/cardboard model with the included stylus. You can make cuts without ever using a "computer" as such. Here's a quick demo video showing someone using the trace function to make real (although admittedly simple) parts.

 

[gpiggaz]

So I'll participate- JD's Garage machine ( basically a clone of the Langmuir machine but with 3D printed parts) PrimeWeld Cut60 Plasma cutter with the Machine Torch. I've made a few things I found on FireShare And quite a few small parts for friends. Just finished a really simple part for a friend that was basically a 0.120 Curved cut nail for pinning some furniture together .

He had one and traced it, I imported his trace into Fusion and used the arc commands to make the part in Fusion. Took all of 20seconds to cut it



Workflow isn't too bad, but it's not totally intuitive either. Machine works pretty well for what it is. JD's garage has a new version up- Plans cost $25. highly recommended

 

[GeoBruin]

So I'll participate- JD's Garage machine ( basically a clone of the Langmuir machine but with 3D printed parts) PrimeWeld Cut60 Plasma cutter with the Machine Torch. I've made a few things I found on FireShare And quite a few small parts for friends. Just finished a really simple part for a friend that was basically a 0.120 Curved cut nail for pinning some furniture together .

He had one and traced it, I imported his trace into Fusion and used the arc commands to make the part in Fusion. Took all of 20seconds to cut it



Workflow isn't too bad, but it's not totally intuitive either. Machine works pretty well for what it is. JD's garage has a new version up- Plans cost $25. highly recommended

We need pics of your setup!

 

[Ashgrove]

I'll join in for this discussion hoping to get some good ideas as we go. My original plan was a JD table, something I could cut prototype parts with for the repair/modification of our aging farm equipment, and then send the file off to my steel supplier to cut the bulk of the parts. After several conversations with my supplier and spending WAY too much time on youtube I concluded I needed something larger (4'x4') with reliable torch height control. So I started sketching and generating a materials list.

And then - One evening I was making the rounds of my favorite auction sites and a table was listed by a nearby university art department that had updated. So now I am the proud owner of a 5'x10' Fastcut G6 table. After spending some time with it I have determined it needs a complete electronics package update and a torch break-away mount. So the fun begins!

 

[rmack898]

I might go a little long on this and I might jump around a little so bear with me.



I bought a Hypertherm 380 hand plasma used on ebay many years ago so that I could cut aluminum sheet and it was amazing. Shortly after that I realized that a CNC plasma was what I wanted. I really didn’t need it because the 380 with the hand torch did what I needed but I wanted a CNC plasma.



After about 2 years of research and thinking about it, I finally jumped in with both feet.

I bought the plans and hardware kit from Precision Plasma, I bought the motion control software, computer, and drive motors from CandCNC. I bought a new Hypertherm 65 with a machine and hand torch from my LWS. Then I spent about a month building my own 5’x10’ CNC plasma table, and it’s a great machine.



So let me tell you about why I decided to take the route that I did. My choices wont work for everybody but I had a full fabrication shop and enough exrta room to roll my own.



I am moderately computer litterate and CAD has always been a skillset that I have struggled with. If I was going to have a CNC plasma then learning CAD was required and the choices of software can be overwhelming and expensive, so this is where I started.



All the major companies have or had free versions of their software for hobby or student users. I tried several and it seemed like just when I was getting to the point where I was becoming slightly functional with the software, something would change and cause me to start all over with another program. Most of the good free programs went to a paid subscription format, I may be alittle bit frugal but I don’t mind paying for something that has value. If I have to pay for something I want to own it so subscription based software was out, as was anything that is cloud based. Fusion 360 was out, Sketch Up was out, I forget what the hobbby version of Solid Works is called but that was out too. Any proprietary software was out. Any form of Mach was out too as Mach is pretty finicky about what kind of computer it will run on.



Open source software was what I needed and FreeCad was where I settled. Inkscape is the open source version of Illustrator and that rounded out my design software. To continue with open source, my table runs on Linux CNC. The only paid software Im running is SheetCam and the license for that came with the motion control package I bought from CandCNC.



The motion control system doesn’t care how big your table is, evrything for a 2’x2’ is exactly the same as if it was on a5’x10’, the computer doesn’t care. Since I had the room, I built a 5’x10’ table. If I was going to use my table to make money than a 5’x10’ would give me a capability advantage if I was competing for business with a vendor that had a smaller table.



Now for some strong opinions.

Hyperthem is at the top of the pile for a reason, they work. Their consumables last a long time and can be had at any LWS. Buy once, cry once.



Z axis or THC is an absolute must have, especialy when cutting thin material. Thin stuff is cut at high speeds and at that cut rate thin material will warp and bend as its being cut and without THC your torch will crash and you will get frustrated and sell your CNC. Look on MP and all the inexpensive CNC plasma tables for sale have no THC.



Break away torch is also a must have. WHile THC will eliminate 90% of crashes, operator error or poor planning on cut sequence will eventually cause a crash and a break away torch miount will pay for itself, trust me.



Having a plasma table is truly an asset to the shop but using it to it’s maximum takes a change in thought process. I’m a fabricator and it’s natural for me to grab a piece of 1/4” flat bar, cut ti to length and drill a few holes in it to make a part. It took me quite a long time to sit at the computer and draw the same part and let the CNC cut it from 1/4’ sheet on the CNC. I’ve started using my table much more in the last 2 years and I’m now to the point where I draw a part in CAD and have the CNC cut it faster that I can cut and drill a piece of stock to make the same part.



My wife wanted candy cane Chistmas ornaments cut from 1/8” aluminum. I went from a clip art immage downloaded from the net to a cut part in hand in about 8 minutes. I showed it to my wife and she wanted the size changed to a little bit bigger. I changed the size and had six oriniments in hand in less than 3 minutes. There is a learning curve and it cna take some time to integrate a CNC plasma into your work process but its worth it.

 

[rmack898]

more pics

 

[rmack898]

One more

 

[86turbodsl]

I might go a little long on this and I might jump around a little so bear with me.



I bought a Hypertherm 380 hand plasma used on ebay many years ago so that I could cut aluminum sheet and it was amazing. Shortly after that I realized that a CNC plasma was what I wanted. I really didn’t need it because the 380 with the hand torch did what I needed but I wanted a CNC plasma.



After about 2 years of research and thinking about it, I finally jumped in with both feet.

I bought the plans and hardware kit from Precision Plasma, I bought the motion control software, computer, and drive motors from CandCNC. I bought a new Hypertherm 65 with a machine and hand torch from my LWS. Then I spent about a month building my own 5’x10’ CNC plasma table, and it’s a great machine.



So let me tell you about why I decided to take the route that I did. My choices wont work for everybody but I had a full fabrication shop and enough exrta room to roll my own.



I am moderately computer litterate and CAD has always been a skillset that I have struggled with. If I was going to have a CNC plasma then learning CAD was required and the choices of software can be overwhelming and expensive, so this is where I started.



All the major companies have or had free versions of their software for hobby or student users. I tried several and it seemed like just when I was getting to the point where I was becoming slightly functional with the software, something would change and cause me to start all over with another program. Most of the good free programs went to a paid subscription format, I may be alittle bit frugal but I don’t mind paying for something that has value. If I have to pay for something I want to own it so subscription based software was out, as was anything that is cloud based. Fusion 360 was out, Sketch Up was out, I forget what the hobbby version of Solid Works is called but that was out too. Any proprietary software was out. Any form of Mach was out too as Mach is pretty finicky about what kind of computer it will run on.



Open source software was what I needed and FreeCad was where I settled. Inkscape is the open source version of Illustrator and that rounded out my design software. To continue with open source, my table runs on Linux CNC. The only paid software Im running is SheetCam and the license for that came with the motion control package I bought from CandCNC.



The motion control system doesn’t care how big your table is, evrything for a 2’x2’ is exactly the same as if it was on a5’x10’, the computer doesn’t care. Since I had the room, I built a 5’x10’ table. If I was going to use my table to make money than a 5’x10’ would give me a capability advantage if I was competing for business with a vendor that had a smaller table.



Now for some strong opinions.

Hyperthem is at the top of the pile for a reason, they work. Their consumables last a long time and can be had at any LWS. Buy once, cry once.



Z axis or THC is an absolute must have, especialy when cutting thin material. Thin stuff is cut at high speeds and at that cut rate thin material will warp and bend as its being cut and without THC your torch will crash and you will get frustrated and sell your CNC. Look on MP and all the inexpensive CNC plasma tables for sale have no THC.



Break away torch is also a must have. WHile THC will eliminate 90% of crashes, operator error or poor planning on cut sequence will eventually cause a crash and a break away torch miount will pay for itself, trust me.



Having a plasma table is truly an asset to the shop but using it to it’s maximum takes a change in thought process. I’m a fabricator and it’s natural for me to grab a piece of 1/4” flat bar, cut ti to length and drill a few holes in it to make a part. It took me quite a long time to sit at the computer and draw the same part and let the CNC cut it from 1/4’ sheet on the CNC. I’ve started using my table much more in the last 2 years and I’m now to the point where I draw a part in CAD and have the CNC cut it faster that I can cut and drill a piece of stock to make the same part.



My wife wanted candy cane Chistmas ornaments cut from 1/8” aluminum. I went from a clip art immage downloaded from the net to a cut part in hand in about 8 minutes. I showed it to my wife and she wanted the size changed to a little bit bigger. I changed the size and had six oriniments in hand in less than 3 minutes. There is a learning curve and it cna take some time to integrate a CNC plasma into your work process but its worth it.

I pretty much have the same thoughts on all this as you. Only difference is i spent 20 years as a design engineer and use Creo most of the time. I am working on linux at home though and will be going down the freecad path when i build my home table. We use a 4x4 commercial table at work with hypertherm. All the same comments as you apply from my view.

 

[GeoBruin]

I could fit a 5 x 10 table in my shop... If I sold all my other tools, or if I didn't need to actually walk anywhere in my shop lol.

I'm operating at a completely different scale here. I'm so space constrained, I had to design a table where the mount for the actual plasma cutter assembly could be folded out of the way so the whole thing can nest under my fab table when no in use.

Its going to be a pain to set up/tear down, but that's currently the case with a lot of stuff in my shop. Until I get some more room, it just is what it is.

 

[stinkity stoink]

I could fit a 5 x 10 table in my shop... If I sold all my other tools, or if I didn't need to actually walk anywhere in my shop lol.

I'm operating at a completely different scale here. I'm so space constrained, I had to design a table where the mount for the actual plasma cutter assembly could be folded out of the way so the whole thing can nest under my fab table when no in use.

It’s going to be a pain to set up/tear down, but that's currently the case with a lot of stuff in my shop. Until I get some more room, it just is what it is.

Is that the arc droid you are using? If so how do you like it ?

 

[GeoBruin]

Is that the arc droid you are using? If so how do you like it ?

Haven't even fired it up yet! I ordered it during Black Friday, then decided I wanted to order the machine torch, so I had to wait for that to arrive, then had to order some machine torch specific consumables, etc. I've finally got everything I need, but I've been trying to get my little table/cart setup. Hopefully we will achieve "first plasma" this weekend.

 

[sqznby]

That is a very cool set up. Love the idea with the tool-box plasma tabletop.
I like the idea of the Acrdroid for the exact reason @jack stand mentioned.
Definitely looking forward to hearing about its performance.

 

[GeoBruin]

Well, it turns out when I ordered the cpc port harness for my machine, I neglected to actually order a cable to connect the plasma cutter to the ArcDroid! I could try to cobble something together but, I think I'll just order the factory cable. That means no sparks this weekend. I did get it set up and calibrated though. And I played around with the trace feature a little. Pretty cool.

 

[GeoBruin]

Finally drew first blood. It's amazing how much you can learn by cutting circles. Torch height, torch speed, pierce delay, lead ins, kerf width compensation, etc.

Lots more to learn but starting to feel like I'm finally at the fun part now that I'm finally making sparks.

 

[stinkity stoink]

Finally drew first blood. It's amazing how much you can learn by cutting circles. Torch height, torch speed, pierce delay, lead ins, kerf width compensation, etc.

Lots more to learn but starting to feel like I'm finally at the fun part now that I'm finally making sparks

keep the updates coming. I have a packed garage like most of us do and would love to be able to get something like this.

 

[GeoBruin]

keep the updates coming. I have a packed garage like most of us do and would love to be able to get something like this.

Absoleutely.

First real part.

 

[stinkity stoink]

Absoleutely.

First real part.

That looks awesome. The problem I see is wanting a bigger one next. lol

what plasma cutter are you using . I have a hypertherm power max 30 . I think it would be perfect… Do you have to have that torch or can you use any torch style.

To make that part did you use the trace function or some kind of cad? Im trying to play with fusion 360 now and I am overwhelmed with that.

 

[GeoBruin]

That looks awesome. The problem I see is wanting a bigger one next. lol

what plasma cutter are you using . I have a hypertherm power max 30 . I think it would be perfect… Do you have to have that torch or can you use any torch style.

To make that part did you use the trace function or some kind of cad? Im trying to play with fusion 360 now and I am overwhelmed with that.

Goog questions. I definitely didn't have space for big dedicated table. In fact, you will (hopefully) see that my cart will eventually be able to nest under my fab table, essentially eliminating the extra footprint when not in use.

I don't know if you have looked at the arcdroid website, but they now offer their X2 product which is basically an indexing sled that allows you to cut about double the size (a full sheet width - 48"). Other than that, depending on what you want to cut, you can reposition the arcdroid anywhere on the workpiece you want because it doesn't use a typical gantry so the sheet doesn't have to fit between the uprights.

All that said, it's definitely not ideal if you're cutting full sheet material all day. If you have the space, bigger is better!

I'm using a Hypertherm Powermax 45xp. I've had it for years, before cnc was even on my radar. It didn't have the cpc port/harness from the factory, so I had to order and install it separately.

As for the torch, you do not need the mechanized torch. You can use the hand torch, but you will have to modify it to bypass the safety mechanism. This is not such a huge deal if you've got an import plasma cutter, but my torch alone cost more than a lot of the plasma cutters out there, so I was hesitant to hack in to it. Also, I liked the idea of leaving the torch attached to the quick change attachment so I didn't have to recalibrate every time I removed it to use it freehand. Having a separate torch allows me to do that.

In the case of the little part I cut above, I used the trace function on the built in display. That's was partly because the part was so simple, but also because I was trying to get a feel for the trace feature. I'm actually moderately proficient at Fusion 360, and this part would have taken no time to lay out, but by the time I exported, ran it through the post processor, saved to a memory card, and loaded on the arcdroid, I could have traced and cut.

 

[Jswain]

So what are ya at all in with the cost of the plasma cutter, torch, arcdroid, cart etc.

 

[whateg01]

I built my table from scratch about 15 years ago. I've gone through a number of small Dell computers. They just don't seem to last. I'm currently looking at building a pi using the Linux CNC distro. I need to get an updated breakout board, probably Ethernet. I started with mastercam x but use fusion now, despite my hate for the way AD changes access to different features.

 

[BFHtime]

I plan on following this thread. I am looking into a CNG plasma table myself.

 

[SwissMetric]

Technically a plasma CNC is not very complex to build. As precision requirements and feeding forces are low compared to a machining CNC, a good solution is to use pinions and racks, those are also used for wood processing CNC and in some cases for very large long travel CNCs were ballscrews become impractical though some use stationary ballscrews with rotating axially prestressed nuts but it's mechanically complex, linear direct drives are possible but tend to be very expensive, I remember some Amada lasers with direct drives while Bystronic still opted for ballscrews with rotating nut.

Electrically it's relatively trivial but with plasma one should design very carefully due to possible EMC/RFI issues, those can also cause random faults. Attention must be paid to the equipotential system and also shielding.
I've designed and commissionaed AC servodrive systems in various domains, very often it works well if designed carefully and plasma is not demanding regarding precision including 2D interpolation.
Wherever possible AC servodrives should be used instead of steppers, ideally with multiturn absolute encoding.

With plasma the guides and rack must be very well protected against splatters.

I'd be more worried about CAD/CAM than the hardware of the machine, including the whole CNC controls and servordrives. Designing the whole control system of a very complex CNC is fairly straightforward, the most difficult part is the parametrization of the CNC controller, including bus communication, etc. but not the hardware design itself.

Edited:
IIRC Hypertherm publishes the wiring diagrams (unlike Esab which I had to google to find service manuals), it's not complicated to modifiy the wiring to inferace it with a CNC.
As plasma is a mess when it comes to EMC/RFI I'd highly recommend to use a UPS for the PC and also use cables with ferrite beads to increase CMRR where required. In many automation projects I systematically used shielded cables even were not usual and it served me well.
A careful design is decisive where EMC/RFI can be an issue as otherwise sporadic hard to trace problems can occur. Filters can help too but must be implemented wisely. Very often cable shields are not grounded corrrectly.
Welding and plasma cutting are two domains which can easily cause EMC/RFI issues, also current paths must be checked carefully.

 

[1redTA]

interested in the JD table type set up in the future

 

[minytrker]

I would love a 2x2 plasma table for the shop. I have a plasma cutter and hardly ever use it.

 

[PowerWagonBuilder]

I have one of the first 100 Serial Numbers of the Torchmate Growth Series tables, back when the company was NOT owned by Lincoln Electric. After they were purchased I even went and visited the factory in Reno and everything was great, until it wasn't. They said they'd support our machines just like the original manufacturer did. That lasted 18 months until they told anyone with a 4x4 and smaller to either upgrade or get lost. I have a 2x4 and use it rather often. Its carrying an older G series Hypertherm 65A with a hand torch. I've owned it 15 years or so I think. Will NEVER buy a Lincoln product again though.

The machine is quite useful, even though I am limited in size. I tend to design my stuff around my limitations. I can cut 5/8" cleanly with it, and down to 22 gauge.

Built a rake for my mini excavator. Its a mix of 3/8" A50 and 3/16" AR400 tines, that were then hardfaced with dual shield.



I made the tines out of 3 separate pieces and they are spliced at the cross bars.

I also do a bit of artwork with it. This is 16 ga CR mild.


Right now I have my Oxy torch on it and am getting my feeds and gas pressures tuned in to cut some 1-1/4" mild steel plate. Might be a complete failure but we shall see.

Heres how the plasma does with 5/8" mild.



Loading the above 5/8"


And yes, this is in my garage. Not a full time shop, this is a hobby and the heavy machines are for my property, grandmother's place, and a few friend's places.

 

[marak]

Curious if anyone here drove a dedicated ground rod for their CNC plasma system. I am in the process of setting up a Langmuir Crossfire Pro with a Hypertherm 45XP.

This thread is what started me in the world of CNC plasma.

 

[GeoBruin]

I have one of the first 100 Serial Numbers of the Torchmate Growth Series tables, back when the company was NOT owned by Lincoln Electric. After they were purchased I even went and visited the factory in Reno and everything was great, until it wasn't. They said they'd support our machines just like the original manufacturer did. That lasted 18 months until they told anyone with a 4x4 and smaller to either upgrade or get lost. I have a 2x4 and use it rather often. Its carrying an older G series Hypertherm 65A with a hand torch. I've owned it 15 years or so I think. Will NEVER buy a Lincoln product again though.

The machine is quite useful, even though I am limited in size. I tend to design my stuff around my limitations. I can cut 5/8" cleanly with it, and down to 22 gauge.

Built a rake for my mini excavator. Its a mix of 3/8" A50 and 3/16" AR400 tines, that were then hardfaced with dual shield.



I made the tines out of 3 separate pieces and they are spliced at the cross bars.

I also do a bit of artwork with it. This is 16 ga CR mild.


Right now I have my Oxy torch on it and am getting my feeds and gas pressures tuned in to cut some 1-1/4" mild steel plate. Might be a complete failure but we shall see.

Heres how the plasma does with 5/8" mild.



Loading the above 5/8"


And yes, this is in my garage. Not a full time shop, this is a hobby and the heavy machines are for my property, grandmother's place, and a few friend's places.

Very impressive work! I had not considered how I might rig an OA torch to work in my rig, but with some fab work for a mounting bracket and some thought into the tool path, it should be doable. I think the only issue would be that the torch couldn't refire, so it would essentially need to be one continuous cut. Not really a problem for simple parts, it would have to be simple to justify OA over the plasma anyway!

 

[GeoBruin]

Curious if anyone here drove a dedicated ground rod for their CNC plasma system. I am in the process of setting up a Langmuir Crossfire Pro with a Hypertherm 45XP.

This thread is what started me in the world of CNC plasma.

My plasma cutter is plugged in to a receptical that is less than 36" from my garage sub panel, which does have a dedicated ground rod. I don't think it's necessary in my case. What about your setup makes you think a dedicated ground rod is required?

 

[marak]

My plasma cutter is plugged in to a receptical that is less than 36" from my garage sub panel, which does have a dedicated ground rod. I don't think it's necessary in my case. What about your setup makes you think a dedicated ground rod is required?

Reading on CNC forums and a paper published by Hypertherm (Recommended Grounding and Shielding Practices Field Service Bulletin, 2006). Sounds like I probably don't need one, but I have read that a dedicated ground rod pretty much eliminates any issues that arise from electrical noise/interference that can affect the machine's electronics and control system. I have gathered that this is less of an issue with Hypertherm plasma cutters than it can be with some of the cheap cutters on the market. Was just curious of people's experience here.

In a couple of months or so I will be pouring the remainder of the concrete floor in my shop. I likely won't have the CNC up and running yet as I have other irons in the fire. Now would be a perfect time to drive a ground rod, but not afraid to drill a hole in the slab later if need be.

 

[Wiz02]

Reading on CNC forums and a paper published by Hypertherm (Recommended Grounding and Shielding Practices Field Service Bulletin, 2006). Sounds like I probably don't need one, but I have read that a dedicated ground rod pretty much eliminates any issues that arise from electrical noise/interference that can affect the machine's electronics and control system. I have gathered that this is less of an issue with Hypertherm plasma cutters than it can be with some of the cheap cutters on the market. Was just curious of people's experience here.

In a couple of months or so I will be pouring the remainder of the concrete floor in my shop. I likely won't have the CNC up and running yet as I have other irons in the fire. Now would be a perfect time to drive a ground rod, but not afraid to drill a hole in the slab later if need be.

Check out a ufer ground before you pour.l

 

[PowerWagonBuilder]

Very impressive work! I had not considered how I might rig an OA torch to work in my rig, but with some fab work for a mounting bracket and some thought into the tool path, it should be doable. I think the only issue would be that the torch couldn't refire, so it would essentially need to be one continuous cut. Not really a problem for simple parts, it would have to be simple to justify OA over the plasma anyway!

Thanks for the compliments. As for the OA torch setup, if you have someone to help who is competent at either a torch or a computer, you can just run the starts and stops manually. Thats what I did yesterday.

I have some 1-1/4" mild plate I needed some stuff out of for both my personal projects and a friend's crazy idea as well.

Made a nozzle holder and mounted my hand held torch on the table.
Set my gas and feed speeds to what Victor's machine cut table said. I setup the program and gave my buddy a crash course in start / stop / and jump to line commands for the G-code and off we went.

Made a preheat pass at 150% of cut speed, and then dialed it back and did edge starts on the first few cuts. The one pierce I did try ended up trying to blow back into the torch tip and we had to stop and clean that up.

Was running a Victor Journeyman 2.0 torch and regulator set
#2 Tip with 50/8 gas setting. Cut speed was only 12 ipm so by the end of it, the plate was quite toasty. I have a big lifting magnet to load and unload these heavy plates off the table, and even had to use it to recover the parts when they started to fall through.

I did learn something that I hadn't considered in regards to continuous contour feed rate ramping. My G-Code generator software looks at curves and slows the travel speed relative to the travel speed, but at an ipm^2 calculation. Running this slow, the reduction in travel speed has a much greater affect than running at something like 40 inches per minute when cutting 1/4" mild steel at 40amps on a plasma cutter. That being said, I need to setup a change in my g-code generator to not be quite so aggressive on the feed rate reduction as it was causing some over melt in the harder turns of the parts.

 

[GeoBruin]

So I'm quite happy with the decision to purchase and use a dedicated machine torch on my cnc, especially since I've used the hand torch a lot recently and it would have been a pain to swap and recalibrate now several times.

That said, the Hypertherm machine torch is HUGE and the cable is fat, so it applies a ton of torque to the stock mount, even when we'll supported, and I was getting some movement of the torch. I see that ArcDroid make a "tall torch mount" with two brackets, but I can't tell from the pictures if the brackets are made differently, because if you try to use the same bracket as the stock setup on the upper mounting position, the little wings where the bolts clamp would interfere with the little quick release levers on the torch mount.

Anyway, I finally broke down and made a set. They're completely flush with the torch mount, so no interference. The holes are also bored to the exact torch diameter (it's such a tight fit the clamping bolts are hardly necessary ha!). They're also just beefier than the stock mounts.

The result is that my torch is now rock solid. Do I wish they were anodized black? Sure, but on the other hand, obviously shop made parts look cool too. Now I can get back to cutting!

 

[GeoBruin]

Kind of on topic, but I just ordered an "Easyscriber". It loads in your plasma cutter in place of the consumable stack and allows you to etch. It won't be fun to tune the cut height settings, but I'm glad I just finished beefing up my torch mount since, unlike plasma cutting, this might offer some resistance to the torch.

I've been meaning to order some fine cut consumables and try some of the marking cuts as well. Anyone have experience with that?

 

[PowerWagonBuilder]

I've been meaning to order some fine cut consumables and try some of the marking cuts as well. Anyone have experience with that?

I run fine cut consumables on 1/8" and thinner on my 65A Hypertherm and they cut amazing. I have a different toolpath setting for my dxf to G-Code convertor that applies a thinner kerf for when I run them. So long as I remember to utilize that, I am good. I failed to upsize my kerf dimensions for the #3 torch nozzle when cutting some more parts out of the 1-1/4" this weekend. I was running a #2 but upped to a #3 and increased my feedrate, however the kerf different between those two nozzles made my parts almost 3/16" narrower overall than they were designed for. Luckily, not a huge problem as I had left room in the drawings to machine for fit the two parts that needed to be an exact fit; and I have a LOT less material to remove on the mill now.

 

[GeoBruin]

I run fine cut consumables on 1/8" and thinner on my 65A Hypertherm and they cut amazing. I have a different toolpath setting for my dxf to G-Code convertor that applies a thinner kerf for when I run them. So long as I remember to utilize that, I am good. I failed to upsize my kerf dimensions for the #3 torch nozzle when cutting some more parts out of the 1-1/4" this weekend. I was running a #2 but upped to a #3 and increased my feedrate, however the kerf different between those two nozzles made my parts almost 3/16" narrower overall than they were designed for. Luckily, not a huge problem as I had left room in the drawings to machine for fit the two parts that needed to be an exact fit; and I have a LOT less material to remove on the mill now.

Amazing cut quality for such thick material. Also, knowing that's 1-1/4" plate reminds me how thick your platen/table is!

 

[BroncoAZ]

I keep on looking at CNC plasma tables. I was thinking about getting a 3D printer to get comfortable with the design software first. I have enough space for a 4x4 table. I’m not sure if my Firepower (ESAB) 35 amp plasma is up to the task.

 

[PowerWagonBuilder]

Amazing cut quality for such thick material. Also, knowing that's 1-1/4" plate reminds me how thick your platen/table is!

I am very pleased with it! I can't wait to get further along on this project but I am stuck waiting on some materials and the vendor keeps pushing it back a week at a time. Its been a month and they are telling me yet another month. Its a big order though with a 4x8x1/2" of AR400, which is the issue since they are plasma-ing that off of a 96" x 240" girder plate somewhere in NC.

I keep on looking at CNC plasma tables. I was thinking about getting a 3D printer to get comfortable with the design software first. I have enough space for a 4x4 table. I’m not sure if my Firepower (ESAB) 35 amp plasma is up to the task.

I ran a Hobart 700i for a number of years and it did great for anything up to 1/4". I could cut 3/8" but it didn't like to pierce it and was hard on consumables when cutting it. That was a great little Plasma cutter but I stepped up to a 65a Hypertherm. Wishing I could afford to go to an 85A as thats the largest I can get in single phase (which is my current limitation). Hence why I am using the Oxy/Acetylene torch on the table for thick stuff.

But yea, a 35a machine will run 3/16" at probably 50 ipm or so. I run 1/4" at 40a at 40 ipm. 3/8" is 65a at 42 ipm. Edit - these are mild steel numbers, without mill scale.