plasma cutters

[AlanB]

Talking with dad last night, he was making a couple hundred cut-off type cuts with the lincoln 55.

He was using an aluminum speed square as a guide, much like you would with a circular saw.

He said he got bored, distracted, whatever, and eased up pressure from the "down" a bit and the aluminum speed square being so thin, he popped the tip up over the edge of the square and was headed towards his finger.

Said it ended up cutting a nice semicircle out of the speed square face, and the tip off his glove.

He then decided he needed to modify the speed square a bit to make it thicker, and give him a bit of a handle to hold onto.

I guess I just want to caution, and maybe I am preaching to the choir, but those things can bite you hard if your attention wanders.

 

[dfkrug]

Perhaps plasma piercing is different form O/A? When I pierce w/ O/A I hold the torch on angle away from me and slowly pitch it upright as the hole deepens. Is that diff from how it would be done w/ a plasma torch?

If I pierce before I start the cut, yes, I angle the plasma torch a bit away
from me first. The plasma starts with an air blast instantly, while an OA
torch heats first, then blasts the O2. If I cut across a work piece, I start
at an edge so a pilot hole is unnecessary. If I cut holes, I use a template
made of 1/4" Al plate and there is nowhere for the blowback to go, except
for back at the torch and me. I wear protection, but no pilot hole can mean
damage to the torch tip AND damage to my template. I also use lamainate
floor material (Pergo) as templates at times; it is just the right thickness
pretty dense stuff.

 

[slowzuki]

I've got torches and a hypertherm 600, the plasma is not the tool to be hacking big chunks of metal apart. I do now and again but it tears through consumables and makes a mess of the plastic pieces on the torch.

Piercing is not a strong point, drilling or starting at an edge is definately better.

Get the gouging tip sheilds for that work, lets you lay the torch over better.

 

[Dargo]

...the plasma is not the tool to be hacking big chunks of metal apart..

I don't have any trouble with stuff up to, and including, railroad track with my plasma cutter. It's a little slower than slicing through 1/4" stuff, but no problems.