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doubleboost
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never tried mine
the ceramic has a metal contact on the face that fits the torch
YEp found that out tonight. I think it prevents it starting if the ceramic is off. (unlike the Lads with cut 50's) BUT it so obtrusive its not easy to go round circles or following steel strip etc.
BUT I also think I have a blocked electrode and I cant put my hand on my spares quickly lol
Paul99
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That's the one small gripe I have with my r-tech plasma neither the design of the torch or the shape of the ceramic make it easy to follow a jig or even a straight edge at times. Mostly I end up making templates from 4 or 5mm ply which just about allows you to sit the ceramic on top with the electrode hanging over the edge if that makes sense. It's a PITA having to make the template accordingly that bit smaller than the finished part each time though or in your case bigger for internal cuts / holes.
PS don't try doing the same with a metal template shorting out the side of the nozzle kills consumables very quickly - it took me a while and a few ruined nozzles + electrodes to see what was happening - cutting some 1/2" plate with it cranked up a bit you can then actually see the arc / plasma leaving the nozzle at an angle - oddly away from the edge of the metal template. The cut itself will be very rough, erratic and beveled from the start and get rapidly worse until the electrode burns out. Not easy to see happening on thinner stock / less amps.
PS don't try doing the same with a metal template shorting out the side of the nozzle kills consumables very quickly - it took me a while and a few ruined nozzles + electrodes to see what was happening - cutting some 1/2" plate with it cranked up a bit you can then actually see the arc / plasma leaving the nozzle at an angle - oddly away from the edge of the metal template. The cut itself will be very rough, erratic and beveled from the start and get rapidly worse until the electrode burns out. Not easy to see happening on thinner stock / less amps.
Gareth0123
You'll need 16 pigs to do the job in one sitting!
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That is going to happen whatever the make and model of plasma cutter, or even with Oxy/Acet, Oxy/Prop, a laser, water jet etc. There is always going to be a wall thickness on the cutting torch/jet head, which if it is being used to directly follow a pattern will require a minus external and plus internal allowance being made for on the template.
If you have got multiple pieces you need to cut using a template, then a stylus and pantograph or overhead profile follower and stylus is the way to go. With a stylus following the template, the template can be made of any suitable material.
I dont mind making a bigger or smaller jig as thats what I would expect but I have been getting exactly what you are saying erratic cuts when I follow a steel straight or round template. I thought it was me lol.
I need to make a copier ASAP now..
gerrymoore
CNC expert (well, getting there!)
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Even with CNC you have to state whether you want to cut outside the 'line', no offset, or inside. This is mainly used for precision work rather than the 'sculpture' work I mainly do, but it is very handy for hole cutting and the like. When I originally had the RTech machine and no CNC I used ply as a template and just made it smaller but, again, I wasn't needing 'precision.
Paul99
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Yes I realise that the template will always have to allow for the wall thickness of the nozzle - the minor annoyance is the shape of the nozzle - they're tapered towards their tip - which makes life a little bit more difficult to accurately follow a template. Hopefully this photo explains what I'm on about better:
To me it would make sense to forget the taper or at least have a longer parallel section before the taper. The same could be said of the ceramic - put a square edged step in it to allow it to ride along a piece of planed batten / bright bar stock of the just the right thickness to allow a 1 or 2mm gap etc. Maybe I'm just too used to woodworking routers being so simple to use with templates with their parallel bushings / collars.
To me it would make sense to forget the taper or at least have a longer parallel section before the taper. The same could be said of the ceramic - put a square edged step in it to allow it to ride along a piece of planed batten / bright bar stock of the just the right thickness to allow a 1 or 2mm gap etc. Maybe I'm just too used to woodworking routers being so simple to use with templates with their parallel bushings / collars.
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