CNC plama

[Old Iron]

Well I went and bought a 4x4 cnc plasma Friday
Put the table together this afternoon
Not a high dollar unit but, will serve me just fine
I'll build a water tray for it in a few days too.

 

[I-R-POPS]

Well there goes the rest of your "spare time". Whatever that is.

I know you didn't ask but.... Unless you're going to try to make
a living with a plasma table I feel that a really good exhaust system is
more important than a water table and easier to maintain. I've seen lots of attempts at a water table and only a few that were worth it. Just my .02 worth.

Congrats and good luck. Post some pics when you get to cutting.

 

[Old Iron]

Thanks for the suggestions Pops
It's basicly for projects I work on.
I will check into that.
I'm not counting on it but, if the time comes that there would be enough work to consider it an income then, I maybe looking at another building to house it too.

 

[jfg455]

I would say the opposite. I had a hood system, fan vent system etc on mine and it was horrible. As soon as I built the water table 90% of the smoke, soot and odor went away. The cuts were cleaner as well. My. $.02[

 

[Old Iron]

I would say the opposite. I had a hood system, fan vent system etc on mine and it was horrible. As soon as I built the water table 90% of the smoke, soot and odor went away. The cuts were cleaner as well. My. $.02[

Thanks for the input
Due to the loss of shop heat in the winter, I'm going with a water table.
Now for a little something.
I've never worked with Sheetcam, Mach3 or even ran a CnC of any kind and a week and one day later
Everyone is invited to inject constructive criticism

This is a 2"x5" piece of 16ga. material. (yea it's galvanize) doors were open.
Hypertherm 600 40 amp plasma machine
Cut height of .0725
100ipm straight line cuts
100ipm move to start points
20ipm on the 1/4" holes.

Tada

I ran the machine through 10 practice runs to make sure it would duplicate cuts each time.
The reason for the slower ipm's is this is an inexpensive machine so it has a little shake when it changes direction at the corners, if ran too fast. I'll be stiffening it up.

 

[I-R-POPS]

I would say the opposite. I had a hood system, fan vent system etc on mine and it was horrible. As soon as I built the water table 90% of the smoke, soot and odor went away. The cuts were cleaner as well. My. $.02[

I agree that a hooded updraft system in not efficient. But....

An downdraft system will take 100 percent of the contaminates out of the air.

My system is in a 8' x 18' room with a suction fan out the side of my cutting
table which I boxed in around the legs. With an outside air duct for make up
air you can flip the switch, close the doors and cut away with out any lose of
heat/ac from the main shop. Simple, cheap, and effective. And no water to change, clean out or mess with.

As with anything, to each his own but this works very well for me.

 

[I-R-POPS]

Thanks for the input
Due to the loss of shop heat in the winter, I'm going with a water table.
Now for a little something.
I've never worked with Sheetcam, Mach3 or even ran a CnC of any kind and a week and one day later
Everyone is invited to inject constructive criticism

This is a 2"x5" piece of 16ga. material. (yea it's galvanize) doors were open.
Hypertherm 600 40 amp plasma machine
Cut height of .0725
100ipm straight line cuts
100ipm move to start points
20ipm on the 1/4" holes.

Tada

I ran the machine through 10 practice runs to make sure it would duplicate cuts each time.
The reason for the slower ipm's is this is an inexpensive machine so it has a little shake when it changes direction at the corners, if ran too fast. I'll be stiffening it up.

Congrats Old Iron!! Welcome to the world of CNC plasma cutting.
Your first "project" will turn into a Love/Hate relationship that will definitely
keep you busy. It was quite a learning curve for me as I was pretty much
computer stupid when I started 2 1/2 years ago. Hang in there, It is surely
worth it.

 

[Old Iron]

Nice setup Pops
What software are you using?

 

[RPM]

I agree that a hooded updraft system in not efficient. But....

An downdraft system will take 100 percent of the contaminates out of the air.

My system is in a 8' x 18' room with a suction fan out the side of my cutting
table which I boxed in around the legs. With an outside air duct for make up
air you can flip the switch, close the doors and cut away with out any lose of
heat/ac from the main shop. Simple, cheap, and effective. And no water to change, clean out or mess with.

As with anything, to each his own but this works very well for me.

You have the same PCAM machine I have. I also built a down draft system, very close to what you have there. Which plasma cutter are you using?

 

[I-R-POPS]

Nice setup Pops
What software are you using?

Thanks, It really does work well.
It's is a Plasmacam set up using their software.
I ran across an old guy that bought it new and after having it
3 years and not being able to get the thing figured out he gave up
on it. He said he could do just as well with a torch. I didn't want
to hurt his feelings but his torch work was not to Bueno.

I got the set up for $3000.00 and have made 5 times that with it
in the last couple of years.

 

[I-R-POPS]

You have the same PCAM machine I have. I also built a down draft system, very close to what you have there. Which plasma cutter are you using?

I'm using a Hypertherm 45.

 

[Old Iron]

Well gang, thought I was on a roll with the first successful piece cut.
Guess I'm gonna have to pull my horns back in.
I can't get the cutter to cut a small hole out completely. The table starts before the plasma does.
Here's the file that's giving me trouble:

N0010 (Filename: APU step ends.tap)
N0020 (Post processor: Mach3.scpost)
N0030 (Date:10/31/2014 Time:5:29:22 PM)
N0040 G20 (Units: Inches)
N0050 G40 G90 G91.1
N0060 F1
N0070 (Part: APU step ends)
N0080 (Operation: Outside Offset, 0, T1: Plasma cutting tool, 0.0591 in kerf)
N0090 (Plasma cutting tool, 0.0591 in kerf)
N0100 G43 H1
N0110 G00 Z0.50
N0120 X1.0503 Y0.9698
N0130 G00 Z0.125
N0135 T1 M07
N0140 Z0.0125
N0150 G02 X1.0354 Y0.9149 Z0.0125 I-0.0628 J-0.0125 F50.0
N0160 X1.0000 Y0.8945 I-0.0479 J0.0425 F100.0
N0170 X1.0000 Y0.8945 I0.0000 J0.1054
N0175 T1 M09
N0180 G00 Z0.50
N0190 X1.0503 Y3.9698
N0200 G00 Z0.125
N0202 T1 M07
N0205 Z0.0125
N0210 G02 X1.0354 Y3.9149 Z0.0125 I-0.0628 J-0.0125 F50.0
N0220 X1.0000 Y3.8946 I-0.0479 J0.0425 F100.0
N0230 X1.0000 Y3.8946 I-0.0000 J0.1055
N0235 T1 M09
N0240 G00 Z0.50
N0250 X-0.0935 Y5.0640
N0252 G00 Z0.125
N0255 T1 M07
N0260 Z0.0125
N0270 G02 X-0.0426 Y5.0387 Z0.0.0125 I0.0000 J-0.0640 F50.0
N0280 X-0.0295 Y5.0000 I-0.0510 J-0.0387 F100.0
N0290 G01 Y0.0000 Z0.0125
N0300 G03 X0.0000 Y-0.0295 Z0.0125 I0.0295 J0.0000
N0310 G01 X2.0000 Z0.0125
N0320 G03 X2.0296 Y0.0000 Z0.0125 I0.0000 J0.0295
N0330 G01 Y5.0000 Z0.0125
N0340 G03 X2.0000 Y5.0296 Z0.0125 I-0.0296 J0.0000
N0350 G01 X0.0000 Z0.0125
N0360 G00 Z1.5
N0370 M05 M30

 

[Old Iron]

Lines 135, 202 and 255 had to be move up one line.
All is good and the horns are coming back out

 

[jfg455]

I agree that a hooded updraft system in not efficient. But....

An downdraft system will take 100 percent of the contaminates out of the air.

My system is in a 8' x 18' room with a suction fan out the side of my cutting
table which I boxed in around the legs. With an outside air duct for make up
air you can flip the switch, close the doors and cut away with out any lose of
heat/ac from the main shop. Simple, cheap, and effective. And no water to change, clean out or mess with.

You are correct there on the down draft vs hood system. I put 2 55 gallon drums under my table so when I'm done I just open the valve and it all drains into the drums so there isn't any water sitting stagnent in the table. Cuts down on rust issues too. Close the valave and flip the switch on the transfer pump and it fills the table back up by the time you get all the PC, air compressor and files loaded.