Big fan here, I love seeing how you layered out the shop there…in sections. I lived in Virginia before. Navy guy, here! I appreciate you training people, hiring new employees, and also finishing your projects! I’m trying to take notes for my new adventure 🙏🙌🍻
Cut a piece of scrap into a straight edge. That will necessarily be in line with the plasma carriage. Use that as a stop for your tube, being careful not to bump or nudge it.
I have tabs on my side rail that I bolt short sections of flat bar to, like finger pointing towards inside of the table. I then cut them with my plasma. That means that straight edge is perfectly aligned to my Y axis. Now you just butt you work pcs up to it and clamp then cut.
on the plasma table precut your stops as in 3 pc of heavy angle or something in stock if its wide you could reuse and re cut each time to parallel to torch head
With the Plasma-cut pieces, couldn't you have taken the curve out when welding the two together? Start at one end and draw-in the gap with clamps as you move along the piece?
I just brainstormed a bit, and perhaps an alternative approach could have been to rough-cut the C-channels using a table saw, then set up a hand router. The router could reference the flat backside of the C-channel with a jig that could probably be plasma-cut, allowing you to precisely route down the remaining material with an aluminum cutter. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on this approach.
This is Will and honestly, this is totally above my pay grade! But, I'll holler at Tay about it and get back to you or maybe we could talk about it on one of the upcoming podcasts. Excellent idea and feedback though!
Spike, Get a dial indicator on a mag base pin down one side of the 10' tube mag base the indicator to the plasma cutter run the indicator down the length of the tube adjust accordingly
He already has a laser on the torch, just didn't bother to use it. He should have pinned one side, set the laser on a mark, then jogged the torch to the other end and shifted it to the mark on that end. It works on my table.
the sawcut didn't warp that may be the answer ? i would straighten them on your table, shim under them do 2' to 3' at a time . use your clamps to push down just like with your hand. a 4' straight edge would be good once you learn how the 2nd should take 30 to 45 min
wonder if you could set up s water spray on the alum c channel? i would try use a skill saw or your table saw leave 1/8" to 1/4 " to cleanup ,use a hand router to finish its amazing, all you need is a guide, any carbide router bit you can buy will decorate any alum part you do. all that can be done in house, but a waterjet may be the money answer. once you get the router guide set put masking tape 2 or 3 layers rough the full length then remove the tape run a finish pass the full length wd 40 is good for the cut not for the tape, your cut should be as smooth as your guide, test it your scrap bananas, clamp it to the side of your table ,use the other on the top of table for a guide
I was going to suggest everything you said about using a router. Thanks for saving me a lot of typing. Also, pulling a flexible body file will really clean up a saw cut on aluminum. With a little practice it will look factory. WD 40 works well to speed up cutting with a circular saw and will also stop buildup. I learned a thing or two having been the cut guy on 23 hand built aluminum boats from 14 to 50 ft.
You should just use a regular circular saw with a jig to hold your line/fence. Also it looked kinda yellow to me in a couple of the shots but gray in one.
I was thinking that you could have folded some channels up?? Just need to find a break press. Use paper towel to protect from scratches. Just a thought.
He said why he chose this. C-channel and bent sheet will have rounded corners, he wanted sharp inside corners, which means both those ways are a nogo. C-channel has a thick web that tapers, that's what makes it so strong, big radius on the inside. And bent sheet metal will always have an inside radius, and aluminum sheet needs a decent radius to not just crack right down the bend. Tubing is extruded as-is, so it has sharp inside corners, which is why they went this route
I think a vertical band saw might work better than a table saw. use clamps to fence it on both sides. wow I watched to the end and I was quite shocked that the aluminum was powder coated....why not steel which is way cheaper?
Maybe add enough coolant so you can over fill the table in situations like this so the bottom of the aluminum tube would instead be submerged. Would work more like ShopSabre’s tubing cutter with coolant inside the tube to protect it from the plasma droppings and sparks…just a thought.
You guys have a laser on the plasma table, so Spike should have just used that to line up each end of the tube, or to clamp a stop at each end that the tube could be pushed against. That is how I do it on my table. C channel would have been better, and there are at least two grades of aluminum, one with rounded corners for structural and then square corners for looks. I'm not sure if that applies to C channel, but that is what the massive supplier that I use has to offer. If your board is not flat after ripping it, what do you do? Run it through the thickness planer! I wonder if that would have worked to clean up those edges, and for that you want the material longer in case it dips at the beginning of the board, like mine can. One last thought.....what if you had annealed the aluminum tube before plasma cutting it? All sheet steel pulls to a certain amount when cut in a straight line, so I'm not sure if there is a way to get away from that with hot cutting. I had 1/4" hot roll sheet cut with a shear and it also warped. Just tig welding long thin parts can turn it into a banana. I made the slat holder for my water table out of aluminum angle and welded aluminum round stock every few inches, so that the slats sit on top of the angle and press against the round stock. Tig welding took too much heat for the big gap between the round and flat angle, so I used a spool gun to get a lot of filler in very quickly. My tig machine is also a 1965 miller goldstar 330abp 460 amp unit that welds at any frequency the power company gives you.........yeah, 60 hertz sine wave. You have it easy with those new machines.
use a sacrificial piece, butt it to the edge then cut a straight line parallel to the edge, once cut this cut is parallel to the actual cut line, butt the work to this edge, and it will be parallel, I use this technique on my laser cutter, but see no reason it would not work on the plasma table.
Probably a dumb suggestion, but what if you dunked the channel halfway in water ? That way the plasma cutter won’t affect the bottom part of the channel?
As thefirstcalled said, Get a Milling machine. no heat, straight cuts, Just a Bridgeport will do. check into it. Question: why didn't you just get some Alum. channel ???
I bet a hand held circular saw would have done better than the table saw, clamp the material down good with a straight edge. I've cut a good bit of aluminum with wood working tools. Buuut.... CNC Plasma :D
also, was the blade raised that high on the table saw when cutting? That might be the source of your frustration, I would try lowering the blade quite a bit.
Big fan here, I love seeing how you layered out the shop there…in sections.
I lived in Virginia before. Navy guy, here!
I appreciate you training people, hiring new employees, and also finishing your projects!
I’m trying to take notes for my new adventure 🙏🙌🍻
One word: Get a mill. 😂 But the plasma is so much fun! Makes me almost want to go back to work! Thank you so much for the entertainment!
For Aluminum I use a finer tooth negative rake blade for breaking down sheet stock. Also works great on Acrylic sheets.
Cut a piece of scrap into a straight edge. That will necessarily be in line with the plasma carriage. Use that as a stop for your tube, being careful not to bump or nudge it.
Loving the content. The new shop is coming together nicely, keep it up guys!
You guys should look into a bend tech dragon. We do all sorts of tube and railing work with ours it’s extremely handy.
I have tabs on my side rail that I bolt short sections of flat bar to, like finger pointing towards inside of the table. I then cut them with my plasma. That means that straight edge is perfectly aligned to my Y axis. Now you just butt you work pcs up to it and clamp then cut.
on the plasma table precut your stops as in 3 pc of heavy angle or something in stock if its wide you could reuse and re cut each time to parallel to torch head
Cool - LAS does really cool work. Stay safe.
With the Plasma-cut pieces, couldn't you have taken the curve out when welding the two together?
Start at one end and draw-in the gap with clamps as you move along the piece?
I just brainstormed a bit, and perhaps an alternative approach could have been to rough-cut the C-channels using a table saw, then set up a hand router. The router could reference the flat backside of the C-channel with a jig that could probably be plasma-cut, allowing you to precisely route down the remaining material with an aluminum cutter. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on this approach.
This is Will and honestly, this is totally above my pay grade! But, I'll holler at Tay about it and get back to you or maybe we could talk about it on one of the upcoming podcasts. Excellent idea and feedback though!
Spike,
Get a dial indicator on a mag base
pin down one side of the 10' tube
mag base the indicator to the plasma cutter
run the indicator down the length of the tube
adjust accordingly
He already has a laser on the torch, just didn't bother to use it. He should have pinned one side, set the laser on a mark, then jogged the torch to the other end and shifted it to the mark on that end. It works on my table.
Best show ever keep it up
mag base and indicator
the sawcut didn't warp that may be the answer ? i would straighten them on your table, shim under them do 2' to 3'
at a time . use your clamps to push down just like with your hand. a 4' straight edge would be good once you learn how the 2nd should take 30 to 45 min
If you really wanna get that piece parallel.. hook and indicator to the torch head to get it square
wonder if you could set up s water spray on the alum c channel? i would try use a skill saw or your table saw leave 1/8" to 1/4 " to cleanup ,use a hand router to finish its amazing, all you need is a guide, any carbide router bit you can buy will decorate any alum part you do. all that can be done in house, but a waterjet may be the money answer. once you get the router guide set put masking tape 2 or 3 layers rough the full length then remove the tape run a finish pass the full length wd 40 is good for the cut not for the tape, your cut should be as smooth as your guide, test it your scrap bananas, clamp it to the side of your table ,use the other on the top of table for a guide
I was thinking a wood thickness planer since they seem to have some woodworking equipment or maybe another local shop would have had one.
I was going to suggest everything you said about using a router. Thanks for saving me a lot of typing. Also, pulling a flexible body file will really clean up a saw cut on aluminum. With a little practice it will look factory. WD 40 works well to speed up cutting with a circular saw and will also stop buildup. I learned a thing or two having been the cut guy on 23 hand built aluminum boats from 14 to 50 ft.
I think its the heat mainly in this case. Otherwise your table saw cut piece would have done the same.
You should just use a regular circular saw with a jig to hold your line/fence. Also it looked kinda yellow to me in a couple of the shots but gray in one.
Hey guys use a indicator off the plasma head to alignment the 10 ft tube..
I was thinking that you could have folded some channels up?? Just need to find a break press. Use paper towel to protect from scratches. Just a thought.
He said why he chose this. C-channel and bent sheet will have rounded corners, he wanted sharp inside corners, which means both those ways are a nogo. C-channel has a thick web that tapers, that's what makes it so strong, big radius on the inside. And bent sheet metal will always have an inside radius, and aluminum sheet needs a decent radius to not just crack right down the bend. Tubing is extruded as-is, so it has sharp inside corners, which is why they went this route
I have folded 3mm ally sheet in a break press with the corners with a very sharp bend.
What's happened to Aaron? Is he no longer working with LAS?
same question
@@fozzyami also wondering same
Same
Great question!!!! People want to know.
@@Tom_H Seems pretty likely he is no longer there.
Get a better table saw!! They are wonderful tools, especially older cast iron machines like Oliver or Wadkin. And you would have fun restoring them.
I think a vertical band saw might work better than a table saw. use clamps to fence it on both sides. wow I watched to the end and I was quite shocked that the aluminum was powder coated....why not steel which is way cheaper?
You know they sell aluminum C-Channel, right?
Close both sides with tape and fill it with coolant
Maybe add enough coolant so you can over fill the table in situations like this so the bottom of the aluminum tube would instead be submerged. Would work more like ShopSabre’s tubing cutter with coolant inside the tube to protect it from the plasma droppings and sparks…just a thought.
If it was going to get powder coat and it was going to mount in a fixed place, why did the customer want to pay for aluminum instead of mild steel?
Where is mr Dijkstra?
Consider this: progress=comfort, but comfort is the inevitable death of progress !
Why didn't you just buy C Channel?
That’s awesome
Aunt Joanie's here! Uncle Bob is passed out drunk.
You guys have a laser on the plasma table, so Spike should have just used that to line up each end of the tube, or to clamp a stop at each end that the tube could be pushed against. That is how I do it on my table. C channel would have been better, and there are at least two grades of aluminum, one with rounded corners for structural and then square corners for looks. I'm not sure if that applies to C channel, but that is what the massive supplier that I use has to offer. If your board is not flat after ripping it, what do you do? Run it through the thickness planer! I wonder if that would have worked to clean up those edges, and for that you want the material longer in case it dips at the beginning of the board, like mine can. One last thought.....what if you had annealed the aluminum tube before plasma cutting it? All sheet steel pulls to a certain amount when cut in a straight line, so I'm not sure if there is a way to get away from that with hot cutting. I had 1/4" hot roll sheet cut with a shear and it also warped. Just tig welding long thin parts can turn it into a banana. I made the slat holder for my water table out of aluminum angle and welded aluminum round stock every few inches, so that the slats sit on top of the angle and press against the round stock. Tig welding took too much heat for the big gap between the round and flat angle, so I used a spool gun to get a lot of filler in very quickly. My tig machine is also a 1965 miller goldstar 330abp 460 amp unit that welds at any frequency the power company gives you.........yeah, 60 hertz sine wave. You have it easy with those new machines.
“Do i need to tell you what the (blank) you can do with an aluminum tube?” #chapelleshow … you need yellow cake for this episode…
yer a good boss man..right orn...
use a sacrificial piece, butt it to the edge then cut a straight line parallel to the edge, once cut this cut is parallel to the actual cut line, butt the work to this edge, and it will be parallel, I use this technique on my laser cutter, but see no reason it would not work on the plasma table.
Probably a dumb suggestion, but what if you dunked the channel halfway in water ? That way the plasma cutter won’t affect the bottom part of the channel?
you need a 10ft long annealing oven. :)
These two know a thing or two about not being straight, “Not that there’s anything wrong with it!” - Seinfeld(maybe)
Buy a sheet cut to size with shear then set break bend then fit 20 mins 😂 30 mins max
As thefirstcalled said, Get a Milling machine. no heat, straight cuts, Just a Bridgeport will do. check into it.
Question: why didn't you just get some Alum. channel ???
Sounds like you used the wrong blade on the table saw.
Table saw had to high rpm to cut metal an there are special blades for didn't different metal
I bet a hand held circular saw would have done better than the table saw, clamp the material down good with a straight edge. I've cut a good bit of aluminum with wood working tools. Buuut.... CNC Plasma :D
I came here to say the same thing but you beat me to it
also, was the blade raised that high on the table saw when cutting? That might be the source of your frustration, I would try lowering the blade quite a bit.
Use a router to clean the edge up. Bits are cheap and a fence would keep.it straight 😊
Don't or hear me out just buy the channel u need or ever heard of a box break ? And sheet material and a shear ?