For those with a Plasma cutter...

[grsthegreat]

Drag cutting is primarily for hand cutting for ease of use. For cnc machine cutting you need to have a pierce height, then a separate cut height. Your Dynatorch table has an arc voltage based eight control that will maintain the torch at the correct height while cutting.

Height is critical for best cut quality....if you are using the mechanized shielded consumables as listed in your Hypertherm operators manual....then the torch should be cutting at 1/16" (.06") off the plate. Any higher and you will experience bad cut edge angularity, warpage and top dross.


Jim Colt Hypertherm

i use the finecut consumables for most of my work (14 - 16g) and shielded 60 amp for the thicker materials.

I was just guessing at actual cutting height, as like you say the Dynatorch system sets the cut height. Now im wondering if im cutting too high. I know for a fact that im greater than 1/16" off of the material during the cut.

i may have to mess with my settings to try and get it closer to the table . Will the tips last longer if i get it closer to the table?? I have zoro top dross, but a good amount of underside dross. If i cut round holes i can see angular cutting issues moreso than in straight cuts.

 

[charlz]

I had a job two weeks ago dismantling a 60' long steel mezzanine catwalk in an industrial building. I used a Hypertherm Powermax45....and cut up over 15,000 pounds of steel (3/16" treadplate, 1/2" and 1/4" thick I beams, bar joists, 3 x 3 x .375 tubing, 3/16" steel stairtreads, 1/2" gusset plates) into parts smaller than 2' x 5' (carryable by one man). The job took me three 8 hour days, the Powermax45 had a used nozzle when I started, the same nozzle was in it after the job was done. All cuts were drag cuts right on the plate. There is not a chance that an oxy-fuel torch would have cut that much steel as fast or as cheap! I have a few pics if anyone is interested...

Yes plasma certainly rocks compared to O/A for cutting up rusty or painted old steel. No waiting to burn through the crap to get the steel hot enough to cut, just pull the trigger and go! The drag tips are nice for just slicing up pieces but I have also used the regular tips for 'washing' away bolt heads etc when you want to save the piece underneath.... just like you would do with an O/A torch but much faster. I have a PowerMax 600 that I picked up used and I only use my O/A torch for heating now.

 

[Shield Arc]

a good amount of underside dross.

You may have told me, but I forget a lot. Do you cut over water? I built a removable tank for under my machine, really helped with the smoke / dust and believe it or not even with what little dross I got before cutting over water.

 

[jimcolt]

All of the best cut specs are in the manual for your Powermax system. Follow them exactly...and you will get nice cuts as well as the best consumable life. These specs were developed in our labs after cutting tons of steel of every thickness. Pierce height, pierce time, cut height, cut speed are all setable on the Dynatorch....and should be set to the specs for the materials/thicknesses/power levels required.


Jim

i use the finecut consumables for most of my work (14 - 16g) and shielded 60 amp for the thicker materials.

I was just guessing at actual cutting height, as like you say the Dynatorch system sets the cut height. Now im wondering if im cutting too high. I know for a fact that im greater than 1/16" off of the material during the cut.

i may have to mess with my settings to try and get it closer to the table . Will the tips last longer if i get it closer to the table?? I have zoro top dross, but a good amount of underside dross. If i cut round holes i can see angular cutting issues moreso than in straight cuts.

 

[grsthegreat]

All of the best cut specs are in the manual for your Powermax system. Follow them exactly...and you will get nice cuts as well as the best consumable life. These specs were developed in our labs after cutting tons of steel of every thickness. Pierce height, pierce time, cut height, cut speed are all setable on the Dynatorch....and should be set to the specs for the materials/thicknesses/power levels required.


Jim

those are the specs ive set....so ill need to do an aqctual cutting height measurement. Thank you

 

[grsthegreat]

You may have told me, but I forget a lot. Do you cut over water? I built a removable tank for under my machine, really helped with the smoke / dust and believe it or not even with what little dross I got before cutting over water.

no, i have an air table under mine and suck most of the bad air outside. I wouldn't mind getting a water table but their kind of spendy, and i have not been getting any outside jobs for my plasma cutting anymore with this economy. I used to cut alot of timber frame construction brackets, etc. not any longer.

Does your water table tend to rust anything standing above it? My table has about 60 sheets of 3/16'x 54" x 4" slats of steel that make up the bed. I was worried that having a water bed would create a moisture pool that would rust my table. The one dynatorch offers is perminant...not portable water table.

 

[Shield Arc]

When I first heard about cutting over water, I didn't believe the reports. I really blew it when I built the tank. Not believing in the results, I didn't want to cut out the gusseted legs of my machine. So I built the tank too narrow, and too short. Now knowing what a huge difference it makes I wish I would have done it correct. The water should be just under the slats. Now some of the better class machines have the slats underwater, and the material sets in water. I never noticed my slats rusting, but who could tell with so much slag on them.:laughing:

 

[grsthegreat]

When I first heard about cutting over water, I didn't believe the reports. I really blew it when I built the tank. Not believing in the results, I didn't want to cut out the gusseted legs of my machine. So I built the tank too narrow, and too short. Now knowing what a huge difference it makes I wish I would have done it correct. The water should be just under the slats. Now some of the better class machines have the slats underwater, and the material sets in water. I never noticed my slats rusting, but who could tell with so much slag on them.:laughing:

Thats a good idea. the table that Dynatorch sells is like $3,000

Maybe ill build a small portable water table that i wont have to leave under there. And put it on wheels so i can roll it under....


hay.. i have a new project to work on. thank you

 

[Shield Arc]

Mine is on wheels so I can roll it to the shop door and drain. Remember, get the water line as close to the slats as you can! :thumbsup:

 

[grsthegreat]

Mine is on wheels so I can roll it to the shop door and drain. Remember, get the water line as close to the slats as you can! :thumbsup:

ill be designing it this weekend...thanks for the head up. i never thought about a smaller portable unit