converting hand torch to machine torch?

muddstopper · Oct 25, 2015

I have one of the older miller 625 plasma cutters, 220v only. I have been thinking about getting a machine torch for it so I can use it on my home made track torch. Miller is proud of there machine torches, but I have found this torch, P 80 Panasonic Plasma Cutting Torch Complete Straight Machine Head Body 12 Foot | eBay For a more reasonable price. I do want to keep the hand torch because the majority of my cutting is hand held, but If I can adapt this cheap torch to work with my machine, then I would consider it $65 well spent. Has anyone adapted one of these cheap machine torches to their machines and just how hard would it be to sawp back and forth between the two different style torches.

BukitCase · Oct 25, 2015

Sorry, not really an answer - this is probably the cheapest miller

miller4less.com

I looked into that for my PM45, Hypertherm is even prouder of their torches. Replacement hand OR machine torch for mine is $5-600 IIRC.

You might be better off (cheaper, anyway) building a cradle setup for your hand torch, I've seen a few of those done... Steve

muddstopper · Oct 25, 2015

Well, the track torch is home made to use a hand held gas torch, it wouldnt take much to mount the plasma torch to it. The thing is the trigger on the torch has to be hand held. I am pretty sure I could wire in a remote for the trigger, just didnt want to but that would certainly be cheaper than paying $400++ for a real machine torch. From what I have found as far as miller's machine torch, its expensive and for this particular machine it means having to remove the covers to attach the torch. No big deal if I just wanted to dedicate the machine to track torch work, but I dont want to have to switch back and forth for every cutting job I might do. I have downloaded the wiring schematics and I might just wire in a remote switch I can plug and unplug for when I want to use the torch on the track.

Stimw · Oct 25, 2015

I have a Miller 625, I LOVE IT!!
For those torch prices I would try to fabricate the nose piece like the 625 torch and then use the 625 consumables.
Then all you need is to connect air and electric from the machine to the fabricated part.

muddstopper · Oct 25, 2015

I like my 625 too. I have severed, aaah beaver knawed, 2in dia round rod with it. Does great gouging out old welds. It pretty much handles everything I want to cut. If I had a extra torch body, I would just make a pvc holder to put the guts into, but dont want to mess with the only cutting head I have. Buying enough parts to build a head would cost a bunch more than just buying one of those $65 torches. I am going to do some more searching and see if there is something out there a little more compatable with my current machine.

Mysfyt · Oct 28, 2015

Do you have a way to control the height on this as it is cutting? Adapted a plasma on my old Linde burning machine and I'd have to babysit the height as is went along. Some plates with nasty residual stresses are going to warp up pretty fast.
For the cost of this I'd say go for it!

muddstopper · Oct 28, 2015

Mysfyt said:
Do you have a way to control the height on this as it is cutting? Adapted a plasma on my old Linde burning machine and I'd have to babysit the height as is went along. Some plates with nasty residual stresses are going to warp up pretty fast.
For the cost of this I'd say go for it!

This is a very simple homemade track torch. Just angle iron riding on angle iron and using a 3/4 all thread rod attached to a drill to move it. No simple way to add a height control. I have decided for now to just add another switch to activate the torch and use my hand torch by clamping it to the same mount I made for my hand held o/a torch. One of these days I plan on buying a cnc plasma table and will probably upgrade plasma machines when I do. I can adjust the height of the torchbefre I start cutting, but wouldnt be any easy way to adjust once the torch is in motion.

Here a pic of the track torch I plan on mounting the plasma to.

DAVEYJR · Nov 1, 2015

I did something similar to a LN7 wire feeder. Switch hooks up to machine,a plug,stake-ons whatever. A piece of cable, a rigid conduit hard 90 (easy to hold), and a SPST toggle switch mounted in the plate of the 90. Simple on/off switch.

muddstopper · Nov 1, 2015

I went to the auto parts store thinking I would buy one of those remote starter riggs you use to bump the engine over with. I figured if i had to buy a switch, one of those would be just the trick. I fooled with it at the store for a few minutes before deciding I didnt like holding the trigger switch for more than a minute or two. I got to digging around in my old junk bins and found a push button switch. Held the button mashed for a minute and decided I didnt like that switch either. Dug a little deeper and and found a couple of toggle switches. One is just off/on and the other spring centered off. I am thinking about making a rig using the off/on so i dont have to hold down a switch. Not sure I like that ideal, but think I will give it a try. I have to make something to hold the torch body to the mount.

Big Barn · Nov 1, 2015

Maybe something like the swivel ring mount with set screws on the store bought plasma circle cutting guide from Miller. That would allow your hand held plasma torch to swivel freely as it travelled without strain from the power cable.
Maybe...

Terry

muddstopper · Nov 2, 2015

I have one of those roller guides that came with the torch. I am thinking to just go to TSC and see if i can find a weld in sprocket bushing to make a mount out of. Those bushings already have two set screws I can use to hold the torch so about all I would need to do is weld a tab to the bushing and bolt it to the tracktorch. Zip ties can hold the power cable up out of the way.

CNC Dan · Nov 2, 2015

muddstopper said:
I went to the auto parts store thinking I would buy one of those remote starter riggs you use to bump the engine over with. I figured if i had to buy a switch, one of those would be just the trick. I fooled with it at the store for a few minutes before deciding I didnt like holding the trigger switch for more than a minute or two. I got to digging around in my old junk bins and found a push button switch. Held the button mashed for a minute and decided I didnt like that switch either. Dug a little deeper and and found a couple of toggle switches. One is just off/on and the other spring centered off. I am thinking about making a rig using the off/on so i dont have to hold down a switch. Not sure I like that ideal, but think I will give it a try. I have to make something to hold the torch body to the mount.

If you look around you might find a toggle switch that is momentary on one side and held on, on the other side.

That is:
on-off-on(momentary)

Big Barn · Nov 2, 2015

CNC Dan said:
If you look around you might find a toggle switch that is momentary on one side and held on, on the other side. That is: on-off-on(momentary)

Do they make:
Off--Momentary on--On ?

Terry

muddstopper · Nov 2, 2015

Big Barn said:
Do they make:
Off--Momentary on--On ?

Terry

I dont know, but if they do, that would be the ticket. Since RadioShack went out of business around here, I dont have a decent place to shop for odd ball stuff. And I absolutely hate trying to find anything on McmasterCarr's website. I am going to see if I can get it to work with just the on/off switch first since I already have one. If it works to suit me, then I will look about ordering the off/on/on switch. Got to head down to the shop and measure the torch head to see what size bushing I need and then make a trip to TSC to buy the bushing. Shouldn take long to make a tab to hold the bushing and just bolt it to the torch holder. I need to make about 300inches of cuts in 1/2in plate. I can do that with the Oxy/acet, but why use up gas when I have the plasma torch collecting dust.

Found one, DPDT 3 Position on Off Momentary on Toggle Switch | eBay.

CNC Dan · Nov 2, 2015

Big Barn said:
Do they make:
Off--Momentary on--On ?

Terry

Headlight high/low beam switch?

I once saw a project in an electronics book that showed how to use reed switched to make any switch action you wanted.

You could also use two switches together.

muddstopper · Nov 2, 2015

Made a little trip to TSC. I found a bushing that was a perfect fit .

.

I wanted to figure out a way to mount the plasma torch where I had my gas torch mounted.

. After looking at it, I decided to just turn the mount around and figure out a way to mount the plasma on the opposite side of the holder.

Right now the height adjustment is all the way down and the tip is setting on a piece of metal about 3/16 below the track rails. With the amount of adjustment on the holder, that should be more than enough to set torch height. Tomorrow, I will cut me a piece of plate to weld the bushing to and drill a couple of bolt holes to bolt the bushing to the frame. I looked for a on/off/momentary on switch but didnt have any luck finding one so I am just going to use the on/off switch I already have and maybe order the one on ebay later.

bob 59912 · Nov 2, 2015

Digi-key Electronics on-line has 173 different On-Off-Momentary toggle switches.

No minimum order quantities, fast shipping. Page down and sort the results further by current capacity needed. I generally view 100 listings per page to make it easier to look at alternative. Also nice is that they have pin out and dimension drawings as PDF file to down load.

Might consider a small ABS box to mount and protect the switch & wiring

muddstopper · Nov 2, 2015

I plan on wiring the switch inside the plasma machine., I'll be holding the switch in my hand away from the torch when cutting. Probably use a 4 prong trailer plug so I can just plug in the remote when I need it or unplug it when using the plasma normal.
You did bring up a point, I wonder just what kind of current runs thru the trigger switch. I have a schematic, but I dont think it gives any voltage. I'll have to dig a little deeper to see what I can find out.

yomax4 · Nov 2, 2015

Most of the better plasma cutters have a 4T or trigger lock feature and they offer a hand pendant accessory that looks like a plasma torch handle kind of. You set the plasma to 4t and click the pendant on and click it off. They are about $40.00 and hook to the automation interface amphenol. Or, Some of the snow plow manufacturers can sell you a float switch for $35. momentary one direction and on the other. the on side is for float for the plow but it's hot and would work too if what you have is getting hot. Good Luck.

muddstopper · Nov 5, 2015

Made a practice cut today

As you can see, it cut pretty smooth, but cut with a slight bevel. You can also see I about burnt up my thrown together bench. Things kind of got smokey. I cut the torch loose and rewelded the mount, thinking I had it straight, but it still cuts with a slight bevel, so I guess I will be cutting it loose one more time to try and get it right. I also figured out the wireing for the remote switch. Inside the machine there is a three wire plug. the wires are orange, blue and violet. I am pretty sure the orange wire is for the thermal switch inside the torch hande. Connecting the blue and violet wire will turn the torch on. I havent been able to source a on/off/momentary on switch locally, so i guess I will be ordering one. To make the practice cut, I used a set of vice grips to hold the switch. It works, but Not something I want to rely on. To much of an opportunity to grip the switch to hard and break it. I am also going to look for some thumb screws to hold the torch in the mount. Nothing like twisting with a long handle wrench to break something.

Need to ask, I am getting a pretty good amount of dross, is this because I am moving to slow or moving to fast, or maybe not enough air pressure, to much air pressure. Torch height is between 1/8 and 3/16.