Has anybody used a Plasma cutter?
I’m thinking of Fabricating something out of 10mm steel plate and the idea of doing it with a jigsaw isnt going to be an option. A brief hunt round suggests a plasma cutter might be the tool for the job.
Question is, how do they work then and are the portable ones any good ?
I was going to ask where you planning on cutting armour plating :lol:
I want to fabricate a thing for field trials and if it works maybe fabricate a few for resale.
I could always make one out of cardboard and take that to a grown up to do the hot sparky bit.
Probably much safer but I am tempted to buy some more toys now I’ve tidied the garage out a bit and a plasma cutter is top of my list at present.
Plasma cutters work by sending a pressurized gas, such as nitrogen, argon, or oxygen, through a small channel. In the center of this channel, you’ll find a negatively charged electrode. When you apply power to the negative electrode, and you touch the tip of the nozzle to the metal, the connection creates a circuit. A powerful spark is generated between the electrode and the metal. As the inert gas passes through the channel, the spark heats the gas until it reaches the fourth state of matter. This reaction creates a stream of directed plasma, approximately 30,000 F (16,649 C) and moving at 20,000 feet per second (6,096 m/sec), that reduces metal to molten slag.
Thats the explanation in technical terms.
I used them a lot in the past and they are very effective although I would say that 10mm plate is pretty thick for a portable unit due to power etc. If the unit is only just powerful enough you will probably get a lot of hardened slag at the edges of the cut . This will clean up but adds to the work effort.
How intricate is the piece as a metal band saw may do it, try some sheet metal shops in your area as they may do a test peice for you at not too much cost.
Hope that helps.
10mm was a guestimate and probably way over the top for what I have in mind.
However the band saw option sounds much better for low volume fabrication.
… potters off to Ebay
What exactly are you trying to make, I know its a secret of sorts but maybe I can help as I used to work as a sheet metalworker or tinbasher to give it the correct technical terminol:Dgy
[QUOTE=MrTFWitt;409897]Has anybody used a Plasma cutter?
I’m thinking of Fabricating something out of 10mm steel plate and the idea of doing it with a jigsaw isnt going to be an option. A brief hunt round suggests a plasma cutter might be the tool for the job.
Question is, how do they work then and are the portable ones any good ?[/QUOTE]
Try and pick one up off of ebay, you can usually find some quite good deals on there.