Cutting metal is no picnic. Thinner metals can be cut with hand tools, but once the material thickness starts to build, so does the difficulty of cutting—and more drastic tools become necessary.
These heavy-duty tools usually involve a saw blade, an abrasive wheel or directed heat. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but directed heat is probably the most versatile. …
Should the tip rest on the workpiece?
fearlesfil said:Should the tip rest on the workpiece?
My Miller has a drag tip that is meant to touch the work. I assume other brands offer similar.
fearlesfil said:Should the tip rest on the workpiece?
My Miller has a drag tip that is meant to touch the work. I assume other brands offer similar.
fearlesfil said:Should the tip rest on the workpiece?
I always cut with the tip slightly above the workpiece. My old Hobart used to have a metal coil that clipped on the torch and kept the torch the perfect distance from the workpiece. My new Hypertherm doesn't have that but is otherwise superior in every way.
One thing you need to have, that wasn't mentioned was a quality moisture trap right before the cutter where the air line goes into the cutter. And when I say quality I mean it. The little ones that you get at Harbour freight or home dept won't cut it, I use one of the industrial ones that you would use in a paint shop, that have the removable paper filters in it. If you don't use a proper moisture trap you will go though the consumable tips very rapidly.
Rumnhammer said:One thing you need to have, that wasn't mentioned was a quality moisture trap right before the cutter where the air line goes into the cutter. And when I say quality I mean it. The little ones that you get at Harbour freight or home dept won't cut it, I use one of the industrial ones that you would use in a paint shop, that have the removable paper filters in it. If you don't use a proper moisture trap you will go though the consumable tips very rapidly.
Thank you for that reminder! I use the small desiccant traps that Milton sells (model s1173). I probably need to try a few of those inline and pay closer attention to drying out the desiccant inside. These Milton traps can be dried out if you put them in your oven all night and keep the temp around the boiling point. They're plastic and they're glued together so you can't replace the desiccant without destroying them. (edit: the desiccant turns pink when saturated and dark blue when dry and the case is clear plastic)
In reply to fearlesfil :
Re tip
Varies by manufacturer. My Thermal Dynamics says touch for under 1/4 Inch, hover if over.
In reply to Rumnhammer :
Dry air!
In reply to Carl Heideman :
I'm not fond of sparks on my feet....or elsewhere.
Grab an old clothes dryer....make a shop heater, and a roll-around plasma work-station. Reinforce the top, and do some heavier work with the lid closed.
Fill the bottom with a pan and 2 inches of wet sand.
Use bricks to hold work up off the old BBQ or oven racks.
Second on guides/ templates.
Here's another to trace or step away from form, as they can get "consumed".
Shop heater
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