which cutter

[Danouse64]

Hi, can anyone suggest the best way of cutting steel to shapes and sizes? Would it be plasma or gas? Thanks

 

[fingers99]

Plasma will be much neater. Laser neater still and water neatest. For the latter two you'll have to put it out, though.

 

[Danouse64]

Thanks for that. How much would I expect to pay for a reasonable plasma cutter, and what do I need to look for?

 

[jugs]

I can recomend a Rehmann LG40 plasma (£200 +2yr warranty) off flea-bay, (do auction, not buy it now price). It works well up to 8mm but wont look at the claimed 12mm. Spare tips from Shopriver @ approx £0.50 each

Look @ plasma thread on this site. here

 

[snowcat]

Gas can be just as neat, depending on the thickness, A profiler set corectly for oxy/fuel will cut as tidy as plasma, this also apply to freehand. On thin stuff a plasma will always win....

 

[Wozzaaah]

I've got a sureweld plasma 41, italian made (Telwin), nice quality Trafimet torch, 2 year warranty. Not particularly cheap but a nice bit of kit. Again, claimed cut is 12mm but that's severance cut so it would be a bit messy. Consumables are not as cheap as the chinese ones but seem to last pretty well. This is a video of it in operation, that's the model before mine, same model number but slightly different spec and front panel.

 

[wyn]

Iv'e got one virtualy the same as in woz's video, but called blueweld 41. It was around £600.
Nice machine for plate up to 10mm. really handy to make a wooden template if your'e cutting a lot of the same shape.

Was that your workshop wozzaaah......nice clean floor.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Hehe, that's not mine Wyn, I can't see the floor in my workshop at the mo .
Mine is the newer version of that one, the LEDs are in a vertical line on one side rather than horizontal like that one.

Yer tis

 

[wyn]

That's good to know.
The floor in my place only looked like that for about a week after the concrete was put down.
You can never have a big enough workshop... there's always a spare space that needs filling up with another machine

 

[jugs]

Gas can be just as neat, depending on the thickness, A profiler set corectly for oxy/fuel will cut as tidy as plasma, this also apply to freehand. On thin stuff a plasma will always win....

But you need oxo + fuel bottles, regulators etc.
Plasma = 1 unit carried in one hand, plug into air & 13A socket & hey presto...

 

[English Steve]

Plasma = 1 unit carried in one hand, plug into air & 13A socket & hey presto...

Which often gives O/A the advantage - no electricity or compressor required - completely portable and can be used in a field miles from anywhere. It's horses for courses really, all depends on your application.

I favour O/A simply because that's what I have. Have to agree that a plasma would be useful for thin stuff though.

 

[Hitch]

Plasma upto about 4mm anything over and above i always choose gas.

Plasmas just make a mass of trailing cables- Electricity cable, air line, torch, earth...

For a home workshop plasma is the way to go i feel, especially if you already have a compressor.

 

[snowcat]

But you need oxo + fuel bottles, regulators etc.
Plasma = 1 unit carried in one hand, plug into air & 13A socket & hey presto...

As said horses for courses, plasma's very handy quick etc, but portable it aint, mines 3ph, and by the time you take a compressor well nu ff said... the other problem is there great on new material, but are crap and expensive for busting stuff apart, there just not suited to burn old welds out, and hooking into corners, gas is great for that.... I lived without a plasma for years, BUT I could never live without gas, oxy/propane in my case... also I need the pepper pot for so many things.... different tools but both very suited to the right applications..