Plasma Cutter CNC - beginner requires help!

[awemawson]

Peter, I bought a CNC Plasma Table that a chap had thrown together rather crudely, but had used good electronics - and it was with the objective of rebuilding it in a better physical form that I chose it because it had a THC - (torch height control). In the end it was a pretty radical rebuild and is described in detail here with many pictures:

https://madmodder.net/index.php/topic,11797.0.html

Buying the used table and titivating it was definitely the right choice as the components would have cost much more than I paid AND it came with a Hyperthem Powermax 45 and a machine torch.

It has been a most useful piece of workshop equipment.

 

[Bladevane]

I am a firm believer in trying to extract as much fume an smoke as possible before it gets into the atmosphere and coats every single surface with a black dust. So I have built a downdraft extractor unit which is sealed around the workpiece with flameproof fabric and enhanced it with a torch surround. This latter bit of kit is not all that brilliant as the sparks fly out across the sheet surface but it helps to keep the fume down. My extractor is 1.5HP 3000 rpm motor direct coupled to a centrifugal fan extracting though 6" ducting to the outdoors. I have a switch on the table leg and turn the fan on before cutting to get a flow and leave it on for a couple of minutes after the cut has finished. Works well.

My machine came with a water table but that is dry now as I was sure the air stream from the torch just blew water droplets into the air and made the job of extraction so much more difficult.

I find the spiky criss-crossed workpiece support works well for me. I made a jig to tack replacement inserts back on when the pointy bits got burnt. Replacements were cut using the table from 1.5mm steel.