plasma cutter?

[irondarren]

Someone on the forum asked would they get use out of a plasma cutter, well expect to spend £300 +, a cheaper but perhaps not quite as good alternative mig be a nibbler. capable of cutting shapes out of sheet, and will set you back around £60 +

A quick you-tube video to let you decide if the cheaper alternative is good enough
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mAFcHND1a-4

 

[chunkolini]

Plasma cutter any use?
I had to be ****** to buy mine, all that cash, I thought about it for ages, then tried one at the local tech college, mind made up but I still needed 'Cider Nerves' to click on the commit to buy button. Could not live without it now.
I also have power shears which I use more these days on sheet up to 1.2mm, but now and again the plasma is the only thing.
if in doubt try and get a test drive, but watch for trying what you cant afford.

Chunko'.

 

[irondarren]

yep a plasma cutter is really the ultimate in sheet profiling, most now days do at least 8mm thick. very little distortion. cutting width is around 2mm so very little material wastage. a nibbler is no where near a patch on a plasma but still a useful tool.

 

[JayRS4]

I must too have been very drunk to have bought mine, if i was now i would go for one of the cheaper ones, alas, i`m the owner of a Cebora Power Plasma 2100(think thats the right model), good bit of kit, but at around £1200 when i bought it and a load of discount, not exactly value for money.

 

[rtbcomp]

.......A quick you-tube video to let you decide if the cheaper alternative is good enough
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mAFcHND1a-4

That brings back memories - when I was a student I did vacation work on a mink farm where we used a nibbler like that to cut wire mesh for the cages.

 

[irondarren]

Its limitation is thickness which is about 1.2mm, mine will get a little use when i make a new forge sometime this year.

 

[bawjaws]

can you get electric ones? it sounds air hungry

 

[irondarren]

yes you can get electric ones but normally much more expensive £150 + which means you are half way to a cheap plasma. it is quite air hungry, but would run ok on a 2 hp compressor, needing a few breaks inbetween

 

[rtbcomp]

I thought that was electric! The one I used was, I think it was Swiss.

 

[irondarren]

no mine is air, because they are cheaper. And it gets little use.

 

[Hitch]

Ive got a cheap air one, bought it to cut 20 holes in back of lorry cabs. Also used it to do a fair bit of 2mm ally, it cuts alright, but is a bit tight in the die, you need to keep it pretty flat.

 

[eil]

Ive got one and think its quite handy, exept for them half moon chips they manage to get everywhere, easy puncture material