cutting tidy holes lidl plasma cutter

[aidank]

I have to make a 32mm nice tidy round hole with the LIDL plasma cutter with integrated compressor. https://www.amazon.co.uk/PARKSIDE-PERFORMANCE-Plasma-cutter-compressor/dp/B0BLT63L2Z


Making the hole in 8mm stainless.

Whats best practice ? I was thinking the following

Mark the 32mm hole circle using a washer/socket.
Plasma at full power and New Tip on plasma

Drill a 6mm start off hole, to avoid ruining the tip.

Drag out to the 32mm circle i have marked using a socket.

Using another washer/socket as a guide drag around in a circle nice and slow. Guide Clamped in place with a Vice Grips.



Last time I tried to do as described above it didn't go great, I had a rather jagged edge and untidy hole.


P.S. should plasma tip be touching the SS plate or within 2-3mm same as welder.

 

[gaz1]

you wont do it with that plasma and neither will the cut 50 plasma

what you will do is create edges with gouging techniqe

 

[aidank]

you wont do it with that plasma and neither will the cut 50 plasma

what you will do is create edges with gouging techniqe

not powerful enough ?

 

[anto44]

The best way to get nice clean circles I've found is to use a template and run the tip against it. Thin plywood works well but doesn't last very long. I've managed to cut 8mm stainless with my 50amp plasma but the cut quality wasn't very good.
If I was you I'd drill it rather than plasma cut it.

 

[Gragson]

If you google plasma circle cutter you will see an attachment thing, but I think 32mm is too small and won't be suited. This sort of thing _ https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/23610264...NVOwLWNM7uTHdf/nSvN62ouA==|tkp:Bk9SR5qpsY6DZg

But I think I would agree that 8mm SS might be a bit much for the Parkside P.

I would go with a Bosch progressor, you don't get the pilot drill or the holder with this, but guess they are not a lot on their own.

Pardon our interruption...

 

[Barking Mat]

Plywood template or somesuch.

 

[gaz1]

you want a diy pantograph that makes a large circle into a smaller circle

this will make the smaller circle be slowly cut out

 

[Turbo]

Cut a 35mm hole in a piece of 3mm ply for a template and it should give you a 32mm hole using a pt31 torch.
The template needs to be 3mm bigger or smaller than your finish size for a pt31 torch.

For cutting a hole an external guide is better because if you slip you will cut the waste metal.

I have the 40a non compressor version of the parkside plasma and it will cut 8mm stainless steel.

 

[aidank]

Cut a 35mm hole in a piece of 3mm ply for a template and it should give you a 32mm hole using a pt31 torch.
The template needs to be 3mm bigger or smaller than your finish size for a pt31 torch.

For cutting a hole an external guide is better because if you slip you will cut the waste metal.

I have the 40a non compressor version of the parkside plasma and it will cut 8mm stainless steel.

Clean cut in 8mm ?

 

[aidank]

The best way to get nice clean circles I've found is to use a template and run the tip against it. Thin plywood works well but doesn't last very long. I've managed to cut 8mm stainless with my 50amp plasma but the cut quality wasn't very good.
If I was you I'd drill it rather than plasma cut it.

I would rather drill my bench drill is struggling I think it's 3/4hp and belt drive.

It just gets stuck even going from 28 to 32mm

 

[Hitch]

If you wang a tidy hole, I'd just just drill it personally.

 

[Kram]

Holesaw would be my choice. Drill a suitable pilot hole first, seperatly, and fit a peice of HSS lathe tool on the holesaw arbour where the pilot drill would go. It will give a better quality, rounder hole as it wont wobble so much.

Or you could rough cut a 28mm hole, deburr and round with a carbide burr and then finish with a step drill.

 

[anto44]

These tct holesaws are brilliant for stainless.

CTD32 | Starrett Carbide Tipped 32mm Hole Saw | RS

ie.rs-online.com

 

[Kram]

These tct holesaws are brilliant for stainless.

CTD32 | Starrett Carbide Tipped 32mm Hole Saw | RS

ie.rs-online.com

How much

 

[aidank]

Holesaw would be my choice. Drill a suitable pilot hole first, seperatly, and fit a peice of HSS lathe tool on the holesaw arbour where the pilot drill would go. It will give a better quality, rounder hole as it wont wobble so much.

Or you could rough cut a 28mm hole, deburr and round with a carbide burr and then finish with a step drill.

 

[aidank]

Is it possible put a magdrill cutter on standard pillar drill

 

[Stupoty]

Sry for slight hijack ,

Are the single cutting edge ones any good ?

Pardon our interruption...

Stu

 

[Bladevane]

Any plasma will leave a hole with hardened edges which makes further work a right PITA. I would drill.

 

[timgunn1962]

There are cheap far-Eastern TCT holesaws very similar to the Starrett ones available from Amazon, ebay, etc. They work well, though perhaps not quite as well as the starrett ones. You do need to check cut depth: some are only able to cut thin sheet metal.

Get a piece of scrap. Holesaw a hole through it. Clamp the scrap to the workpiece. Take the pilot drill out of the holesaw. Use the hole in the scrap as an external pilot. Run the holesaw through tge workpiece. It's how I've always cut discs without a centre hole from sheet or plate. For one or two holes, MDF scrap is fine. For lots, a bit of steel is better.

Use a slow drill and cutting paste.

 

[500e]

Have used the Cheap ones for one off jobs worked surprisingly well a lot of lube is good.
Cut 80 x 30mm holes in Tube at an angle still working well at the end, only cut 3mm SS with a 25mm 10 holes still cutting ok