Tools for cutting Sheet plus a Budget Plasma Cutter from Vevor
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- Опубліковано 8 сер 2023
- There's almost always more than one way to do any job in the blacksmith shop. Thats is especially true when cutting large flat material from thin sheet to heavier plate. The folks at Vevor sent a little plasma cutter to take a looks at. Will a $225 budget plasma cutter be worth the trouble?
VEVOR Plasma Cutter in US: s.vevor.com/bfQmWa
VEVOR Plasma Cutter in CA: s.vevor.com/bfQrRI
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Blacksmithing and related activities can be hazardous. These videos are not a substitute for competent professional instruction. Your safety is your sole responsibility. Always use appropriate safety equipment including eye and ear protection when working in the shop. Follow manufactures safety guidelines for the use of all equipment. In the event something shown in one of these videos seems unsafe, it is up to you to make the appropriate changes to protect yourself.t yourself. - Навчання та стиль
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I'm a newish smith jumping back into the hobby after tinkering (badly) for a few years as a teenager.
It was your "$500 shop" that conviced me to jump back in and i bought a 40kg anvil and the 2 burner forge (both from Vevor at a great price) and most of my remaining tools coming from Harbor Freight.
It is so encouraging to see someone with your skill and experiance show us that you don't need a shop full of expensive or custom made tools to make beautiful stuff.
Glad to hear the videos are helpful
@@BlackBearForge I do have a few questions about the forge itself though (it is the same style you show in your shop, but the two burner model).
How many hours does a 20lb propane tank last you?
And how long does it usually take for the forge to cool down at the end of the day?
(I ask because I don't have an indoor shop, and plan on leaving the forge and anvil outside on their stands, covered with barbeque grill covers to protect them from the weather.)
@@DH-xw6jp If it's anything like the Mr Volcano one I've played with you have a solid 3-4 hours before I would personally feel comfortably putting anything not fire rated over it as a covering. The refractory in these things hold heat a long time.
I enjoyed your review of the plasma cutter, but the blooper at the end made my day. 😂
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love the ending, John. Fun video! A cutting torch is, in my opinion, the most versatile option. It takes a lot of skill to operate well, but it can cut large stock and hardened steel. It can reach all sorts of places. With the right technique and a very steady hand, it can cut very smooth lines. Of course, it is a big fire danger too.
Hey I have trees down in my yard and my neighbor was helping move them with a tractor and he had old skidding tongs or hooks. I don’t like the ones they sell today will you show us how to make some! -Long time viewer Addison Davis
Thanks John and happy you have found a sponsor you can work with. I think you do a reputable review.
Thank you
I have used plasma cutters a little bit and worked in a waterjet shop for about 5 years. Totally agree with you that waterjeting is really for industry work. The cost of the machine and operating cost is to high for a hobbyist. Between consumables, power and cleaning/maintenance its extremely expensive. One critic I have is to read the striations of the cut. In plasma cutting and waterjeting it will let you know a bunch. You want them running as close to perpendicular to the surface as possible. If not adjusted your travel speed and slow down. Quality of the striations will let you know if the if the settings need to be adjusted. Hope that helps. Those little machines really are a godsend for thin material.
Thank you for these reviews of the budget friendly options for starting out or for occasional use cases in your shop, since vevor has a Canadian site and free shipping it makes it a very doable option for here. Definitely something I could get some use out of.
Glad it was helpful!
I used to do a lot more fab-like work in my home workshop, so I saved my pennies and bought a Hobart plasma cutter. I managed to find one that was a store return at a discount that had almost no appearance having been used. Maybe someone returned it because it wouldn't cut what they needed to cut. It is rated at 1/8", but with care and patience, I have cut 1/4" and have even chamfered and rounded corners on 5/16", but mine has cut a LOT of 16ga sheet and it does a wonderful job on that.
Cleaning that surface rust will go a long way in producing a better cleaner cut and 90 psi is a good place to start
Thanks for your time sharing your craft.
Vevor is no2 my go to for shop tools and even got my inverter for my solar set up in my camper . Wouldn't have known about Vevor without following your channel. Thanks again for sharing
Things I have learned along the way about plasma cutters. A cheap cutter and expensive air compressor yields much better results than an expensive cutter and a cheap compressor. Air pressure is important, but so is having a compressor that can deliver high volumes of air (e.g. l/hr) and if you plan on doing long cuts a large tank is invaluable.
As other have said, travel speed is important - just think about trying to cut with an angle grinder - if you move too fast, it bogs down. If the spray is not going into your boots, you are likely moving too fast. Also, DO NOT let the molten metal spray into your boots :)
I have found the best thing for marking where my cut is going to be is a white paint pen - it positively glows when cutting and makes it really easy to follow an intricate line. Also, the "kerf" on a plasma is pretty wide, especially after you grind all the dross and striations off so using a thick paint pen rather than an ultra fine tipped paint pen lets you be realistic when marking up your metal.
I prefer to cut thin metal with my plasma as it is fast and clean - although I can cut 3/4" mild steel plate, unless I am doing curves I prefer to use the angle grinder or drop saw for thick metal as it gets pretty messy with the plasma - great gobs of molten metal spraying everywhere and the back of the job gets thick scale on it that is very hard.
Finally, stainless and hard alloy steel succumbs to the plasma cutter really nicely, compared to using blades or abrasives - just wear a decent respirator so you don't die from the chrome inhalation.
Of all the tools i have in my shop to cut ..oddly enough my antique mounted shears get used the most, but efficiency isnt a concern and im a fan of quiet and dust free
I completely agree about buying a less expensive tool to see if you'll use it enough to justify buying a more expensive one. That's the route I went with my plasma cutter, and I've found I don't use it enough to spend more money on a better machine. Plus, making good clean cuts just isn't as easy as it looks on UA-cam!!!
Very good review, John! Thanks for taking the time to show us. Might be something I can use and the price is decent.
That’s great! Now the next Slack tub will be a snap to cut up! I really enjoyed the comparison of all the various options. Thank you for sharing
You bet!
I have that cutter! Takes some getting used to but once it's dialed in it's a great little cutter. I use it to make my rose and shovel blanks out of 18 gauge. I've cut up to 5/8 with it and while it isn't the cleanest cut once you get over 1/4 it will cut it
Good to know!
How is it on consumables (tips, start cartridges) and are replacement consumables hard to find?
I was having some issues , with my first plasma cutter. But when I moved to use it in My Shop, I Do body work and Paint, I noticed a Huge Difference, Then I Discover That Moisture Is A Big Enemy of Plasma. In The Shop I have Air Dryers, And With 65psi , cut 3/8 clean and sharp. Sheet metal cut I set to 12 amps and lower the pressure to 20psi. Work perfect for me. Every machine is different. And mine has pilot arc that helps. Thanks for your video.
They do hate moisture
One good thing for your air supply to the plasma cutter is a filter.
i bought their 180 cut , is arc ,tig and plasme cutter appx 300.00 . thrilled with the hot start on arc welder ! so cool .
wanted a plasma cutter for my bussiness for 25 years but hobart/miller/lincoln are expensive . bought this for my hobby shop and cut 1/4 with the plasma = works good , have torch as well but the plasma is cleaner and easier clean up . not as versatile as torch . ps thanks for the videos , learning alot from you and am a guy who thought i knew everything :-)
I've had the same machine sold under a different company name and have been surprised by it (as long as you're realistic about what you're try to accomplish with the machine😂)
I have one these clones (mine is a Lotus brand but I think they are all made by the same factory) that I have used for the last 15+ years and I love it. I have both the pt31 and the pt60 torches and for anything over 1/4" the pt60 makes a much nicer cut. I have had zero problems out of it and the consumables are cheap. I don't use mine for employment but I wouldn't be afraid too. They are great machines especially for the price
when i took an industrial ed class i made a rivet cutting chisel (beveled on only one side).
Love it that you show the lil duck up of having to open the housing to drill holes. Sponsors need to learn to provide advertisable products. Best one was R&S (famous and bloody expensive German electrical test equipment and radio transmitter maker) providing power supplies to youtubers only to have them criticised heavily...because they are crap. i verified it on ours and it made me not spend 20k more on those at work. Good one. Muppets :D .
Never thought about one of these, but I will definitely research
I have the Edwards sheer #5 from Albert Lea MN. Close to where I'm from. Don't use it for cutting thin plate steel, but it works great for square stock! Makes cutting stock for tent stakes a lot easier! Thanks for the great video, John!
Thank you for these reviews
Hi John. If you're interested, there's a Kiwi that does some pretty comprehensive tutorials on these types of plasma cutters. Pete'stools (on UA-cam). It was based on his tutorials that l ended up buying a 40 amp model with the pt31, non pilot arc, torch. I now cut like a rookie (only need it occasionally). The pt31 is the torch type that you can buy consumable kits for with like 150 pieces in them off of Amazon. In any case, another fair and honest review. Cheers.
I'll check it out!
Except for the case, it looks like the Bestarc I bought, but I didn't have to drill any holes. Good for what it is intended, and running on 240v definitely works better.
Great video. Surprising results with the plasma cutter. You did miss out nibblers as a sheet metal cutting option. You can cut some very tight patterns with a good nibbler.
Best reviews found here -- thank you Sir 🫡😊
Thanks for sharing with us John, I sure have enjoyed my plasma cutter each time I've used it. Good luck with your new plasma cutter. Stay safe and keep up the great videos. Fred.
Thanks , nice vid ...
John very nice job reviewing this. Thank for the information and testing of it. Hopefully you get great use out of it for many years to come my friend. Can't wait to see more updates an projects and many more videos soon John. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Forge On. Fab On. Weld On. Keep Forge lit. Keep Making. God bless
Thanks 👍
NICE VID. THANKS.
I just watched yours and Walter Sorrells' videos back to back reviewing the same model 50P. He had a lot more problems than you, so maybe having to drill a couple of holes wasn't so bad. He had to make about 5 trips to Home Depot to finally get it set up.
Consistency and quality control can be an issue with budget friendly tools
looks like something that a small shop could have a use for thanks John for sharing ✝️ blessings to you and your family stay safe
Thank you for the review. Glad you put the blooper at the end!😂 i was going what the H is a megapascal?
Your consumables wear out relative to the moisture content in the supplied air. Fortunately those look like the same tips as mine and they're pretty cheap on Amazon.
Up to 16ga my favorite way to cut sheet is my rotary shear. It got used a lot building my new forge hood a couple weeks ago.
Gday John mega pascal is the metric of psi🙂
Not sure what pressure that's running at, but I expect vibration would loosen it up over time
that mega-pascal is a mega-rascal!
😂👍
i'd love to get an update on the spare consumables, if they are a common size or a special size etc
great vid John
great little one for cutting out sheet leaves and roses etc,
can you cut copper sheet on a plasma cutter?
I'm pretty sure I found some on Amazon, I'll leave a pinned comment with an update once they arrive and I try them out.
amzn.to/452LxbO
I'm pretty sure you can cut copper
Looks like it would be useful for the sizes that I typically find myself using. Curious how it would do on 120v though.
I meant to try that and simply forgot.
I have a similar sized voltage sensing unit it will cut 3/16 ok ..but the biggest issue I've found was at 120v your going to use around 30amps to cut, if you don't have your compressor on a separate circuit you won't be cutting anything for very long
It looks like something I could use . Could you let us know about the consumables, if there universall or proprietor
I'm pretty sure I found some on Amazon, I'll leave a pinned comment with an update once they arrive and I try them out.
amzn.to/452LxbO
This is something that is missing from my shop right now, I'll be looking into this one for sure. One big question I have though is what about the consumables? Tips, nozzles etc, are they common sizes and shapes or are they proprietary and hard to get. Without consumables support this may be a deal breaker. Can you shed any light on this John? I haven't looked into this further.
I see now that you touched on the subject of consumables briefly in the video. Still curious to learn what you find out in your research.
Does it contain an on board air compressor or is that separate?
👍
Wazer makes a desktop water jet cutter... It's only $9,999
In the grand scheme of things, thats probably a pretty good price if you need one.
Considering that the case was likely cut on a computer controled plasma table the failure to include the mounting holes is worrysome.
Thats the kind of little details you find on the budget equipment quite often.
Now I'm wondering what thickness does metal have to be to be called sheet or plate
It seems to vary on where you live.
I think 1/4"
I have a really small forge in a museum (not many options in the UK on a small beginners budget and I don't have a rich daddy). I can't have Gas (H&S), no room for equipment. Not even small tabletop stuff. I have to cut X2 - 4ft X 12inch curved shape out of 6mm plate for a job and all I have is a 4" grinder.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks
You can slowly remove sections of the waste area with the angle grinder a cutoff disc. Then switch to a grinding disc to clean up right down to the line. It takes some time, but it can be done. A chisel would also work, but may be even more time consuming. Although if it can be done hot and you have a striker, a chisel would be a reasonable option.
@@BlackBearForge Im on my own so I was going to go with the grinder. I was just really hoping someone knew something I didn't! Thanks though. Love the videos, you're a well known name at the blacksmithing college in hereford!
I have the Vevor Cut 50 and honestly, it's not impressive. I regret buying it. I should have bought American. Lesson well learned. I had to change the pressure gauge, replace the air lines, replace the hose clamps and it just didn't cut very well.
My next plasma cutter will be a Hypertherm.
As Henry Royce stated, "Quality remains long after the price is forgotten".
Good morning
Morning
Morning
Okay... but most importantly... how well does it make a grilled cheese?
Lousy 😜
#megapascal
Looked like you were cutting a little too fast on most of the cuts. I do so little cutting that I crank the power all the way up and don't worry about the consumable life much. Gives cleaner faster cuts (at least at my skill level). I have a hypertherm, but in reality with how little I use it I probably should have bought a lower cost machine.
Thanks for the tips!
People forget 2 things when they buy plasma cutters -you need -100l/min minimum of airflow.For a 100% duty cycle you need to multiply that number by 6 .Pressure drop affects plasma cutter the most thats why they are not meant to be run on a small hobby compressors -you need to stop and let your compressor fill up.I wouldn't run this thing unless you have at least 2 pump 50L 300l/min compresssor.
Second thing is plasma cutters hate water in line and those regulators with cyclone water separators are doing poor job.its probably 40 micron filter which is bad. 5 micron filter is efficient up to 85% and they cost more the machine itself .
Best thing you can do on a budget version is to buy or make 12mm diameter copper coil that is 5m long.Buy a 25L bucket and 2 bulk tank connectors.1 serves as a water drain and you simply screw a tap to it. Other one goes to a middle of bucket and you connect one end of copper coil to it and a water trap .Other end of coil goes on compressor air line.
Water trap is made by using any type of pipe(it can be square if you want to)that is at least 50-60mm(the larger the better) in diameter and 25-30cm in length(again larger is better because you can hold more water without releasing it). On top you weld a sheet metal disc that has a 1/2" water pipe size hole in middle of it. 1/2" pipe needs to go 3/4 into the main pipe and you weld it on a sheet metal so that threaded side sticks out and it can be screwed into bulk head that has copper coil on it.
For the bottom of main pipe you can weld sheet metal plate and a 1/2" nipple to it so you can put a tap on it so you can release trapped water. Near top drill a hole into main pipe and ether thread or weld another pipe that has same thread as your air line hose fitting.
Which threads you will buy or use its up to you ,you can use flare fittings ,you can solder copper ,na water plumbings use NPT ,EU countrys use BSPT .Most compressor lines in EU use 1/4" BSPT thread so choose accordingly.
Make sure that wall thickness of pipe and metal plates is enough to hold 8bar of pressure and that welds are airtight.If you dotn know how to do it pay someone who can-its a simple job so it wont cost much.
How this whole thing works to trap water? Moist water with hot air comes trough air line and goes into copper coil.Copper coil is submerged in a cold water and cools of the air.Air flows down to a bottom of water trap but since its cold mositure cant go up so it stays trapped on the bottom and it condenses there.Clean dry cold air lifts up and goes trough a pipe on the side of the big pipe to your air line.
Combine this with a in line filter lime Motoguard M30(around 80$ ,it can use toilet paper as filters) and you will get clean moisture free air for 200$(which is nothing when you look at the price of air dryers) that wont damage your plasma cutter or your air tools.You can even spray paint with this setup.
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
I hope I can find this post again when I am ready to build it. 😮
@@alanbutler7712 I dont know if this channel allows external links(most dont or youtube doesnt show it) so i will give you channel name -Three Sons Restoration .
Video is named The Copper Coil Air Dryer/Compressor Aftercooler DIY part two
You can see how water trap works on channel Doozers shop video is named 12-24-21 - - Air compressor Water Trap That Works
I just simplified it by welding a pipe on a sidewall of a main pipe but principle is the same .
First video has a great idea but water trap is made wrong but coil submerged in water makes it extremely efficient -especially if you add a 10$ aquarium pump to circulate the water.Water in motion removes heat faster than steady water.
Good luck making it ,ask if you have any questions!
@@armageddontools Much appreciated!
I think your cutting torch was starved of oxygen. The blue flame seemed a bit longer than it should have been. Would have finished that cut a bit smoother.... unless you were going for that.... then ignore me
I would be careful assosiating my name with Vevor. They have terrible reviews. I tried to buy something from there. They accepted my payment. Then they told me they didnt have the item and returned my money. Because of the bank exchange rates i lost about 6% of the amount. I tried to ask them to make it right but they refused.
Hey I have trees down in my yard and my neighbor was helping move them with a tractor and he had old skidding tongs or hooks. I don’t like the ones they sell today will you show us how to make some! -Long time viewer Addison Davis
Hey I have trees down in my yard and my neighbor was helping move them with a tractor and he had old skidding tongs or hooks. I don’t like the ones they sell today will you show us how to make some! -Long time viewer Addison Davis