plasma Vs gas

[jdkid]

Hi ya's
well i have been thinking bout getting a cut off saw (disc type )and then thinking bout it what about gas or plasma cutter ?? most of the time it would be pipe or box ,there is a welder for sale in NZ made by liquidarc ,viking STP (stick/tig/plasma) anyone heard of them? sells for about 4 grand in kiwi bucks
catch ya
JD Kid

 

[Bird]

JD, everything I've heard is that the plasma cutter is the best thing going, but I've never even seen one being used, so I don't know.

 

[Egon]

Gas cutters are used all the time for pipe in the oil fields. They have a jig which holds the torch at a proper angle. This system has a hand crank to rotate the jig about the pipe. Small thin wall pipe they use pipe cutters.

Egon

 

[jdkid]

Hi ya
most of this pipe is 3/4 for making gates a pipecutter would do the trick but not on box or flat ...from what i have read plasma is making leaps and bounds into the cutting fields and might make gas a thing of the past for some people only good thing bout gas is ya can use it for heating to bend things or free up bolts ,can't win them all and can't aford all the toys so something that will do most jobs will get the nod
catch ya
JD Kid

 

[CVHoss]

JD Kid,
If ALL of your work will be done in a shop, then you can't beat a plasma cutter. I bought one last year and there just is no comparison. The precision of cut with the plasma cutter is amazing. The only disadvantage to plasma is the electrical and air requirement. If you have to do any field cutting, you still need a gas torch. If you decide to go with a plasma cutter, DO NOT buy one with a built in compressor. Use your own air supply. The built in compressors on some cutters are the weak link in the unit. On the other hand, if all you are doing is making straight cuts on tubing (square or round), nothing will be as fast and precise as a chop saw. It just doesn't give you the ability to do much of any other type of work.
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.thermadyne.com/tdc/literature/cutmaster50.asp?div=tdc>This</A> is a link to the plasma cutter that I purchased in case you want some more info.

Hoss

 

[RPM]

My $.02 ...

I did a lot of work with a crew that used gas torches exclusively on an oil industry project. We were mostly cutting - plate and tube up to 6" thick (long story - was a feasibility study on gas/oil rig demolition). They also taught me to weld with gas - have never MIG / TIG / stick welded though.

After having been involved with that crew I would have to say that gas is the most flexible option - but seems to be the least idiot-proof. These guys were very skilled. The steel suppliers that would deliver some of the plate would use plasma cutting gear - but that was really heavy duty - almost like something out of James Bond movies.

Plasma cutting was often discussed - my crews opinion was that it was great if you had a long run of cutting with all the materials around the same dimensions. The guys always were adamant that it wasn't flexible enough for their needs though.

Chop saws are the most economical for small stuff - in both time and money. No wheeling around the cart with the gas bottles on, changing nozzles on the torch, waiting longer for the work to cool down, turning on and off the vent system, tripping over the hoses when you step away from the work etc. It's also a lot less hassle to stock up on a few abrasive wheels than it is to call up and get your bottles refilled (or take them in) - may be a pain if you are way out in the country.

Patrick

 

[jdkid]

Hi ya
yea it's a tough one on one hand gas can be moved around and beused for other things ,plasma cutter can just cut but a lot better than gas ,chop wheel can only do drop type cuts can not make holes etc etc .i have tryed gas and for brazing and gas welding i got the hang of it fast, cutting i have to say just did not happen for this kid i have had better luck cutting with wet welding rods and high power setting with my stick welder .
catch ya
JD Kid

 

[Bird]

JD Kid, I had trouble learning to cut with gas, too, primarily 'cause I tried to keep the tip too far from my work and tried to be too conservative with my oxygen. I finally learned, but sure know a lot of guys who do a faster, neater job than I do./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Egon]

jd;

Are you trying to cut from the top or from the bottom?

Egon

 

[jdkid]

Egon
from the top ,i'll see what the prices work out for gas kits maybe gas and a cut off saw could be the best bet
catch ya
JD Kid

 

[Egon]

JD Kidd:
reciprocating saws with metal blades work well for light stuff too.

Egon

 

[Spencer]

I cut metal for my work so I have a variety of tools to do the job. My first tool was a abrasive blade chop saw. Wow what a time saver that was compared to doing the cutting by hand. I also had a metal cutting sabre saw, a recirpocating saw, die grinder, and an angle grinder. I got my first plasma cutter about 5 years ago. If only I would have bought one of these when I first went into business 13 years ago. The plasma cutter I bought then was a self contained unit with a built in air compressor. I had my doubts about the quality of the self contained unit but it is still working great and often it is my first choice for cutting jobs. Early 2001 I bought another plasma cutter for bigger jobs. This one needs a seperate air supply so now I have to carry a small compressor with me also. I have a small Harris Port-A-Torch oxy-acetylene outfit but rarely use it for cutting because most of my work involves stainless steel and oxy-acetylene is not recommended for stainless. For the easiest and cleanest cuts through pipe and box steel I would recommend using a Port-A-Band. I have a Porter Cable model that I just love. Most people have the Milwaukee brand because the Porter Cable has a weird cutting angle, but I prefer it. When you are cutting any metal other than sheet metal using plasma or oxy it is too cumbersome to either rotate the metal or rotate your torch around all of the sides. A cut-off or chop saw works fine but creates a lot of unecessary heat, sprays the metal dust everywhere, and leaves a nasty burr on the underside of the metal that you have to file off. Recirocating saws are my last choice and they rarely leave my van anymore. It is hard to get a straight cut with them and the vibration is unecessary when I know I have my Port-A-Band which has no vibration to it. For the money I would recommend you try a Port-A-Band first, you will find a lot of uses for it anyway. If you can afford it then plasma cutters are real slick. If you have to do any notching or make elongated holes then I don't know of anything faster and easier to use. My self contained model is made by Thermal Arc (A division of ThermalDyne). Its called a Drag-Gun, runs on normal 120 volt power and you should be able to pick one up for around $625. My larger plasma unit is made by Miller. It is a Spectrum Cutmate 375 and it runs on either 120 or 240 volt with the flip of a switch. I got my unit out the door for $1250 but I also had to buy a small Ingersoll Rand air compressor for $275.

Spence

 

[therrien]

JDkid
I have different cutters for different material

plasma-great for sheet stock of any conductive metal
a pain for strucural shapes

torches-good for thick materials can be moved to your work
not good for aluminum or stainless and not clean cuts

portable band saw- portable nice cut
size limited getting sqare cut not accurate

Horizontal bandsaw- the best cut on structural shapes and size limits are increased over the portable.
not portable

A horizontal band saw and a portable band saw sounds like what you need for tubings and shapes in and out of the shop.

 

[JohnInCA]

I have read that plasma cutters will leave a beveled cut when using it on thicker materials. Anyone have any experience/comments regarding this? I've was considering a purchase, but this scared me off.

 

[genelp]

We have acetylene torches and plasma cutters in our shops. We do a lot of fabricating so both come in handy. The plasma cutter I used when I was a mechanic was a fairly large one, (was hooked up to 440). It's been quite some time since I've used one but if you are going to do a lot of fabrication or production work you can't beat a plasma cutter. If you want something for general cutting and heating metal to straighten or bend (something a plasma cutter can't do) I'd go with the acetylene torch.
As for the plasma cutter cutting at an angle I would suspect the way the person was holding the cutter.
Another thing to remember is that the person using a plasma cutter needs a much darker shield than you would need for an acetylene torch. I used to use my welding helmet for the plasma cutter. Also something to remember is that a torch is portable whereas a plasma cutter is limited by the length of the cord and your air supply.
I myself would probably opt for a torch for home use and add a plasma cutter later.
I hope this helps

Gene