Ebay chinese cutters

[Mags]

Been thinking about a plasma cutter as I'm in the process of restoring my VW Camper. It’s not really essential but as I see you can get very cheap low power units that will run from a 13amp plug I’m wondering if they are worth a punt? For £200 I’m happy for it to be a bit cheap and cheerful, If I have to go up to £300+ I’m probably unlikely to bother as I’ve survived so far with angle grinders but I thought the plasma would help me when I have more difficult areas to access or are they a bit more brutal than a cutting disc?
I’m only ever expecting to cut car body panels and the odd chassis leg so would one of these cut 30 or cut 40 machines do the job? I have a large compressor so air is no prob.

Cheers
Mags

 

[Shox Dr]

Well it depends on wether you can stand to possibly lose 200, or spend 300. If you know what I mean.

I bought a 50amp TIGMIG Plasma cutter from Italy, the same as R-tech weldings version (colour) they charge 500+for


They don't have any on fleabay at the moment, but here is their web site


This the one I bought

 

[langy]

Most of my stuff is water or laser cut but i thought it would be handy to have one around, I bought a Cut50 off Ebay for £260 a year ago and its worked brilliantly up to 8mm, it will do up to 12mm but needs smoothing off as the cut is not as good, I'm finding i'm using it more and more and its done a lot of work and still works perfectly

 

[knoba]

Tbh, afaic, using a plasma cutter for vehicle resto work is like using a samurai sword to cut a birthday cake... (remember John Belushi - SNL... ).

The cut edge, that a plasma leaves, has a fair bit of dross on it & will need dressing & grinding anyway, if you want a good job. The finished cut line, that they leave, isn't that smooth either, when using a hand-held torch, and will also require dressing & grinding to get those really nice tight fit-ups. A lot depends on the quality of the job you want to do - it's horses for courses.

Heat distortion isn't too bad on thin cuts, but where one has over-lapping panels / rails / seams (where only one layer needs peeling off & replacing), and "a depth of cut" is required; they're useless.

If you need to get in tight spaces, a 3" Cut-Off Tool is a better option (the one's with the little discs on them). ...think American Hotrod. Like this...

(btw; I'm not recommending Clarke tools one way or the other )

Plan your working access requirements, in advance with; cuts, welds, filling, blocking & spraying in mind. Often times one can see how the manufacturer put the thing together and a working plan can be established to follow suit. Looking at your project, though, it looks like you already know that...

Having said all that, I wouldn't give my plasma up for the world, and if you really want one, go for it! I'm sure you'll find jobs for it!

That's my 2 cents, anyway (...he said, just before he was shot down in a blaze of glory...).

Welcome back to the forum Mags!

 

[Mags]

Thanks all, different opinions then!
I'm still in two minds so probably best to just wait it out before rushing. I hadn't really given consideration to the cut depth, that will be very important in certain cases, if I were cutting through a body panel on a lower power setting, how far deep behind the cut will be affected? will I be filling the inside of the vehicle with molten metal getting blown through? something the disc doesn't do although obviously the interior is stripped but not 100%

Funnily enough I have that exact Clarke cut-off tool and its utter toilet and I have never used it for anything useful. I'm using a pretty big compressor, large tank and around 90-100psi but with a pretty long hose but it seems to have no momentum and stops without much effort, total contrast to the electric grinder that makes very light work. I use the air for a very small sander and it doesn't stop so easily so I assume the tool is toilet?

Mags

 

[Mags]

One thing I didn't mention was I see some cutters double up as TIG as well, this could tempt me more as I really enjoyed using TIG at college, especially the thought of ally welding (got nothing in mind, its just another gadget I guess!)
What sort of money would I need to spend for a low end cutter with TIG capabilites?

Mags

 

[Shox Dr]

The discs for those cut off tools are too thick. I save the ultra thin cutting discs when too small to use in the grinder. Made up a carrier to hold them in the Air tool. Works a treat and best of all they're free

 

[knoba]

Wait up Mags, other members will probably have more to say!

Mags
...if I were cutting through a body panel on a lower power setting, how far deep behind the cut will be affected?

My plasma only has one setting (Cebora prof 37c- don't know about others...?) so after ignition, it's go, go, go. The plasma jet on mine will do about a 10-12mm severance cut, but it'll make a mess of anything underneath that for a good 1". I guess that's what limits its usage, for fine work, really. It's great for breaking down big sheet sections or thick plate - like a knife, through but'ter!

Mags
will I be filling the inside of the vehicle with molten metal getting blown through? ...the interior is stripped but not 100%

Yeah... They're real fire-starters.

"In plasma-arc-cutting (PAC) systems, this gas is moving at close to supersonic speeds, and its temperature is up to 50,000 deg. F" [1]

For removing bits of spatter, metal dust, etc., in the chassis rails, I use a Blue point vacuum tool, it runs off a standard compressed air line, with a long tube I put on it. Snap-on (UK) say it's unavailable, but that's where I got mine. I don't know if any other tool maker sells them? It might be a valeting tool. The picture is quite deceiving; it has about a 20mm - 25mm internal bore and copes well with even quite large chucks of metal. It was pretty cheap too... (just don't stand behind it when it's in use... )

Snap-on link

Couldn't comment on the Clarke or the cutter/tig combo...

Shox Dr
The discs for those cut off tools are too thick. I save the ultra thin cutting discs when too small to use in the grinder.

...that's not just efficient, that's v.smart too!

 

[Shox Dr]

I keep minding to post up a picture. So I'm off into the w/shop to take some pics and post it in the tools section I'll add a link to it here once done

 

[Mags]

Thanks again, its starting to sound like I don't need a plasma cutter, its overkill for my needs.
Maybe I should focus more on a useable cutoff tool. I've been reading similar questions with people having problems with impact tools and not enough airflow, I'll see if the reg and hoses should be upgraded.

 

[Shox Dr]

Linky as promissed, to air cut off tool mod

 

[spresv]

Hello

Anyone got a plasma from LTS UK? I finaly caved a few months and bought a giant ac/dc tig welder from them, delivery was super fast and very reasonably priced, and the machine works like a charm, very pleased with it.

Now i'm tempted to buy from them again. They have two cut-40 on ebay for 199£, a Giant one, and one with their brand name on it. Theirs is supposedly and IGBT unit, so i'm biased towards that. Any ideas?

I'll be cutting 3mm and 5mm mostly, but i will need a few 10mm pieces as well. Come to think of it, their cut50 sells for 235£...

Thanks!