Plasma air requirements, also diy water beds?

[mr henderson]

I need to cut mostly 3mm mild steel, sometimes 5mm, and sometimes 1.5mm. I've had two plasma machines in the past (for similar work) and both of them used air like they thought it was free !

I'm interested in this machine with a built-in compressor
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product....ma+34+Kompressor&user_search=1&sfile=1&jump=0
but I find it difficult to believe that the built in compressor would be able to keep up.

I have one of those 2hp 50ltr portable compressors at the moment, it couldn't keep up with the last plasma I had ( a cheap Cut 20 IIRC) which I got rid of due to disappointment with it.

Has anyone used a machine with its own air supply, how did you get on with it?



Also, looking at CNC machines they often have a water bed, and that seems like a good idea, I reckon I could knock one up easily enough, and it should help to keep the dust and fumes down, any thoughts on that?

 

[richy_B]

I have never used one with built in compressor, there is a thread here that may help you.
Rich

 

[astro_al]

See above thread for in-built compressors, nothing to add to that.

Yes, water tables are good. Google 'plasma quench', and spend the next 3 weeks reading the CNC plasma section over at CNCzone.com

Al.

 

[Normsthename]

Also, looking at CNC machines they often have a water bed, and that seems like a good idea, I reckon I could knock one up easily enough, and it should help to keep the dust and fumes down, any thoughts on that?

Here is a video of my Homebuilt Table
Don't think they are that easy to build, it can be a very steep learning curve.
The actual table is easy to make, it is all the small finishing parts that takes the time, and then finetuning the machine to get it cutting nicely can take ages!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn1Sgeo6jas

I think a water table is a necessity, they reckon it reduces the dust by 90+ %
I am just starting to look into modifying my existing machine to give it a bigger cutting area

Andy

 

[mr henderson]

Here is a video of my Homebuilt Table
Don't think they are that easy to build, it can be a very steep learning curve.
The actual table is easy to make, it is all the small finishing parts that takes the time, and then finetuning the machine to get it cutting nicely can take ages!

Sorry, I didn't mean it was easy to make a CNC machine, I'm quite sure it's anything but (so much so I wouldn't even consider attempting such a thing), what I meant was it should be easy enough to knock up a water table for use during manual or template guided cutting.