How much would it cost? Metal water tray for my plasma.

[Hood]

The other way around that problem is to fit a "hood" over the top, no pun intended

LOL yes but still you will be sucking the air from a much larger area unless you have the hood very low down.
I bought one of the 300mm extraction fans a few weeks back and it is almost useless even with the ducting sitting fairly close to where I am cutting on the top of the table but when I removed a few spars and directed it into the tray itself it was much better.

 

[brightspark]

ive just fitted a 4 inch woodchip fan on a laser cutter at a school I do work for and it now works perfect no fumes or smoke in room at all

 

[AdrianH]

The fan was only a bathroom extractor and I could not get the tubing under the cnc table height. If the water tray does not work then I will look at extraction, I could build a frame with sheeting to sit it on. But I was also looking at extractor sizing.

According to the plasma manual I have saved 53 psi at 90 litres per min. The bathroom extractor will do 85 m3 per hour which is 1400 litres per min according to a conversion site, but I think the issue is the air pressure blowing the crap all over the place.

I am also hoping the water tray will have a benefit as regards dross levels, if the metal is quickly quenched I am also hoping for less dross/easier removal, but knowing my luck I will probably harden the edges more!

Adrian

 

[Hood]

I am no expert as I have just recently started using plasma having only got the table finished a few weeks ago, but the biggest cause of dross I have found is too low a feedrate. It seems to be a fine balancing act and I am slowly getting some notes together for feeds/voltages/pierce times for different thickness's and materials.

 

[henry Kadzielski]

I am no expert as I have just recently started using plasma having only got the table finished a few weeks ago, but the biggest cause of dross I have found is too low a feedrate. It seems to be a fine balancing act and I am slowly getting some notes together for feeds/voltages/pierce times for different thickness's and materials.

The formation of dross is only related to nozzel condition, cut and feed rates. That being said is also correct for alli and S/S. Most plasma machines have feed and speed settings as well as cut height settings. Too high a cut height also leads to dross, so having a good THC is important to the finished product. You can also change the plasma gas you are using. I sometimes change from air to nitrogen for S/S. This gives a smother cleaner edge surface, however the top edge is slightly rounded

 

[awemawson]

My Hypertherm Powermax 45 (2010 vintage), has very comprehensive tables in the manual giving speed against thickness, pierce height, cut kerf width etc for steel, stainless steel and aluminium. I would have expected that most manufacturers would do the same.

 

[Hood]

The formation of dross is only related to nozzel condition, cut and feed rates. That being said is also correct for alli and S/S. Most plasma machines have feed and speed settings as well as cut height settings. Too high a cut height also leads to dross, so having a good THC is important to the finished product. You can also change the plasma gas you are using. I sometimes change from air to nitrogen for S/S. This gives a smother cleaner edge surface, however the top edge is slightly rounded

It is certainly a learning process, then again so were feeds and speeds on lathes/mills etc just seems to be a few more variables with plasma though.

 

[Hood]

My Hypertherm Powermax 45 (2010 vintage), has very comprehensive tables in the manual giving speed against thickness, pierce height, cut kerf width etc for steel, stainless steel and aluminium. I would have expected that most manufacturers would do the same.

Tecarc have zero
I have been using the Hypertherm sheets as a kind of guide but I am finding the voltages for mine are usually quite a bit lower and feeds can be higher or lower, seems to vary.

 

[gaz1]

you could make that tray out of 1mm steel or by using alluminium sheet its easily folded even without cutting it therefore you could make it with no joints or even soldering it up with solder

i can do it in 3mm steel but id use the cut and fold technique instead

i already have 2 but dont think its as big as yours in stainless steel 3mm the steel version of this it has a 4" hole in the metal

size using 1 1/2 gap cut from a 1000 x 530 x 3mm 304 stainless steel sheet

and its done by hand and a grinder

 

[henry Kadzielski]

Tecarc have zero
I have been using the Hypertherm sheets as a kind of guide but I am finding the voltages for mine are usually quite a bit lower and feeds can be higher or lower, seems to vary.

I have a Hypertherm so for me it's easier, even though there will still be some slight fiddling to get that sweet spot, provided you have the time to fiddle. It at least for me is, get it done and move onto the next. There is always something more to do even though you may not feed like it

 

[AdrianH]

I did a test recently with my set-up and the X axis I can move at 7 metres per minute without issue, it only has 20 steps per mm so 0.05mm step rate. the Y axis I am using a ball screw and that has 100 steps per mm so a 0.01mm step rate. The Y axis is topping out at 1.5 metres per minute.

It is all down to the motors, I can hit X axis with 140,000 steps per minute, 1/2 stepping (400 steps per rev) is giving 350 rpm.

Because of the finer Y feed rate those 140,000 steps is 1.4 metres per min, basically my feed screw needs to be a lot coarser it is a 10mm by 4mm pitch, it may get changed at some point to a belt drive, but that is major for the table and I might as well scrap it and start again.

You are all on about documentation, you get very little with a home made plasma cutter using a Cut40 and home made THC.

The THC has made a massive difference though to the cut setup. The dross is easy to remove, and is normally done with pliers, but when you have lots of curly bits it gets a bit harder and fiddly as on these things:

Both are 254mm tall


Adrian

 

[Hood]

I have a Hypertherm so for me it's easier, even though there will still be some slight fiddling to get that sweet spot, provided you have the time to fiddle. It at least for me is, get it done and move onto the next. There is always something more to do even though you may not feed like it

Yes same here, really the only thing I have done a test so far on was the 16mm stainless I cut a couple of days ago, didn't test a pierce but did do a test for a straight edge start to determine voltages and feedrates. The weird thing I am finding is my voltages vary a lot less than I expected. 2mm stainless has been the lowest at 98v and the 16mm stainless was the most at 107v.

 

[AdrianH]

Hi gaz1, back onto topic, its the nice square edging I can not do in the garage, that’s why I thought I would ask the question.

I have emailed earlier the evening a company in Blackburn, rather then Leyland where I work, will just have to see what answer I get if any tomorrow, your doing a nice job there, what is it for, you making some sort of heater? looks looks like a flue.

Adrian

 

[Hood]

I did a test recently with my set-up and the X axis I can move at 7 metres per minute without issue, it only has 20 steps per mm so 0.05mm step rate. the Y axis I am using a ball screw and that has 100 steps per mm so a 0.01mm step rate. The Y axis is topping out at 1.5 metres per minute.

It is all down to the motors, I can hit X axis with 140,000 steps per minute, 1/2 stepping (400 steps per rev) is giving 350 rpm.

Because of the finer Y feed rate those 140,000 steps is 1.4 metres per min, basically my feed screw needs to be a lot coarser it is a 10mm by 4mm pitch, it may get changed at some point to a belt drive, but that is major for the table and I might as well scrap it and start again.

You are all on about documentation, you get very little with a home made plasma cutter using a Cut40 and home made THC.

The THC has made a massive difference though to the cut setup. The dross is easy to remove, and is normally done with pliers, but when you have lots of curly bits it gets a bit harder and fiddly as on these things:

Both are 254mm tall


Adrian

Have an order to do a house name sign, house is not finished yet so I have a few months but it probably will be simpler than the names you have above. Also have a few orders for Salmon weather vanes and also a large stainless lobster
Did a smaller salmon for a Christmas present for my step father out of stainless but the DXF I think was meant for a lower powered plasma and the kerf width was a bit too much, will be fine on the bigger ones for the weather vanes though. Going to get some 40amp nozzles though and see if using them with reduced current will help for smaller stuff.
Also did an Elephant for the better halfs Christmas, 4mm Alu. Came out well, I am loving the plasma. It is not just for stuff like that, the brackets and end plates I made from stainless and steel the last day would have taken my 50 times longer on the Chiron Mill.

 

[gaz1]

Hi gaz1, back onto topic, its the nice square edging I can not do in the garage, that’s why I thought I would ask the question.

I have emailed earlier the evening a company in Blackburn, rather then Leyland where I work, will just have to see what answer I get if any tomorrow, your doing a nice job there, what is it for, you making some sort of heater? looks looks like a flue.

Adrian

the one in the pic is a stainless steel bottom piece where the riser comes up to a hot plate the one above, i have 2 of them same size just one is in 3mm steel

i did that by using that vice a grinder and using the cut and fold method

 

[AdrianH]

Like the elephant thought it was a stencil on the wall at first. i have recently joined the plasmaspider forum, there are lots of graphics on there, but must admit they are not really my style, lots of bear, dear and forest scenes, guns and the American flag. Not knocking it at all but there is a lot less pride in the British flag here then the American flag over there.

All my stuff to date is just for me and family, no business at all. I cut the plates for my vibratory tub by plasma in the early days, perhaps I need to figure a product?

Adrian

 

[Hood]

Like the elephant thought it was a stencil on the wall at first. i have recently joined the plasmaspider forum, there are lots of graphics on there, but must admit they are not really my style, lots of bear, dear and forest scenes, guns and the American flag. Not knocking it at all but there is a lot less pride in the British flag here then the American flag over there.

All my stuff to date is just for me and family, no business at all. I cut the plates for my vibratory tub by plasma in the early days, perhaps I need to figure a product?

Adrian

Yes got the Salmon and Elephant from Plasma Spider also the lobster I am about to do was from there.
Really need to learn how to do my own DXFs from photos though as a few of the boats owners are wanting their boats done in stainless or Alu.

 

[gaz1]

you will like this one

 

[AdrianH]

Looking at the middle video, I am wondering if car anti-freeze is suitable as rust inhibitor and anti fungal?

Adrian

 

[Hood]

Looking at the middle video, I am wondering if car anti-freeze is suitable as rust inhibitor and anti fungal?

Adrian

It is what I was going to use as the coolant the Americans use doesn't seem to be available here, would probably go for the older style though Anti Freeze though, not so sure about that OAT stuff.