Taylor Ray - great suggestion. The intent of this video was great - but the execution is lacking. The guy that made this video should Keep on trying and refine his process.
Suggestion for your welding table. Take half of your table and replace it with a bar grading. It will be helpful when you are welding and/or cutting. Your cuts would be better and you can ground direct to the table. Go to most welding shop or machine shop with a CNC Plasma Cutter or water jet cutter, and you can see that they use bar grading for their cutting table. Good video, bubba.
@@MakinEndsMeet69 That is a fact! Also, did you notice how he is dressed and that he left a precision instrument (digital calipers) not only on the same table as, but in close proximity to, where he was performing his "?tests".
A few pointers from someone who bought their first plasma thirty years ago when even the dealer didn't know much about them. 1) you don't need to be using a grade 11 welding glass, gas welding goggles are dark enough and you'll be able to see just fine. 2) make sure that your air supply is super dry otherwise you'll chew through consumables really fast and they're not cheap. 3) plasma cutters don't like layered pieces where there is an air gap between the layers. The arc breaks through the first layer then spreads out, fails to penetrate the second layer and blows crap back into the cutting head. 4) Aluminium sucks the heat away and the part you are cutting gets freaking hot, unlike steel parts. I learned that one the hard way having got used to just cutting a part then picking it up with no gloves on! 5) You can use thin plywood to make patterns and use them to guide the torch because the heat is so localised. 6) not sure how true this is but it makes sense; plasma cutters generate a lot of NOx and breathing that isn't good for you.
Thanks for the effort & time you took to make this product evaluation. Interesting to see the perspective of someone who has never used a plasma cutter before. More realistic than an expert, making perfect cuts or dumping on the machine's performance, because it is a budget item. Keep practicing & try running the cutting head along a guide bar on flat straight cuts for accuracy. Also, a dedicated cutting table with a simple & strong overhead bridge arm, to which can be a fixed adjustable height mount on the cutter head pointing down onto a flat cutting table with a hole below the cutter point. You now have a precision coping table, just slide the piece beneath the cutting head, along the desired cut line. clean cuts at 90 degrees to the flat side, with a little practice. Thnx for the unbox & test. Cheers JASS
Just an afterthought, perhaps a small frame on casters as a floating bed for your work piece. To avoid becoming caught on burs on the underside, as you guide the piece beneath the cutter. Kind of manual Analogue of C.N.C. Except, you will be moving the entire bed as the cutter remains in position. A bit vicee versee. But you have to turn things on their head to truly innovate. That's my way of thinking, anyway. A bit like the Origami Welders mask that came with the cutter. In a pinch, it will do the job. Albeit, improvised.
good day young man, I`m a welder, retired, so when you cut with a torch, oxy-acetaline, oxygen, plasma cut left to right or right to left this will allow you to cut straight and see properly so you can see where your cutting and see how far you torch head is from what you are cutting and always clean what you cut and weld, wire brush, scrape or blow of with air. I like to carry a piece of aluminum with me in my welding truck at all times and place it under my cuts as aluminum is such a good heat sink, and if you are cutting over cement floors the cement will blow out from the slag heat, the aluminum will protect all surfaces and clean of easy {slag won`t stick, and wear protective clothing, ps i laughed when you didn't recognize the supplied welding helmet. good luck
Left to right or right to left is not how to cut with plasma. When possible always pull the torch toward you. You will find you have much better control.
@@slickguns819 lol, yes concrete, i admit dumbing it down, but my point is correct, the mixture in the concrete can and does vary a lot, the finished and cured concrete varies greatly, from heat resistant to very high in strength. slag from melted metal can cause the concrete to react explosively
Couple things: 1) Dry that air. Don't use standard compressed shop air, it'll eat your tips pronto. 2) That's not a drag tip. You should be cutting with the tip roughly 1/8" above the workpiece at all times. Your tips will last longer, and you'll get cleaner cuts. 3) Adjust your air for the minimum you can pass and maintain a clean arc. There are good tutorials on how to do this tuning. 4) As Alan Summerscales said, never run it wide open, 'just because'. It's adjustable for a reason, same as a welder. Use the minimum amps required to achieve the cut for the thickness and material you're cutting. Same as with the air flow, above. 5) It's dark because you're using a welding helmet. Plasma cutters need their own shade of lens, typically around a #4 or 5.
@TJP 81 Seems reasonable. I just cut by eye. If I'm getting a clean cut, it's good. If it's splattering, I dial it back until it looks happy and still cuts through at the rate I want to move.
You can run it wide open that just means your travel speed can be a lot quicker...For life of tips and consumables and wear and tear and the machine though and if speed is not a factor then you are right, better to turn it down to compensate for material thickness...this thing SAYS it will cut up to half inch thick which is not very thick and im guessing trying to cut through half inch is going to be painfully slow, so you are probably going to be running this thing wide open 24/7 unless you cutting sheet metal.
When I had my shop I had a Lincoln plasma cutter,it was a three phase machine and had just two current settings on a switch 30 amps and 50 amps anything above an eighth of an inch required 50 amps which would take you up to half an inch. Most of the cheap units are using the power section from chinese tig welders,well all the one I have tried,I think that is one reson they have the current adjust knob.
Cut 50's are pretty good for a cheap cutter, the trick is to keep your air as dry as possible, it'll cut better and also consumables will last longer. Grab an old 44 galon drum and an old shelve out of a house oven, bingo! new cutting table, all the sparks and slag will collect in the drum.
yes I use one of those toilet paper air filters & another kinda like the one you got ...Lots of humidity in FLorida....also know that the cutter will cut ANYTHING for a second...Gloves hands etc. LoL...also I just used cutting glasses not welding if thats what you used...cool & they pay for them selves in few jobs! Also great for SS cutting!
I was thinking the exact same thing, use a cheap sacrificial c clamp that you dont mind risking it getting ruined and make a fence to guide straight cuts.
To cut great circles; cut sample pieces from different sized pipes, maybe 7" tall. Then clamp them to the steel you want to cut a circle out of. You can even cut them slanted rather than square to make ovals. The pipe diameter should be smaller by the same amount as the dimension from the center of your arc to the outside. Then use the different diameter pipes and trace them. A little practice yields great results. Try turning your work instead of the torch. Also, try moving the plasma cutter FASTER for less slag. Great video!
All the power in Australia is 240 volts standard and our high voltage is 3 phase at 415 volts, love plasma cutters, freaking awesome machines 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🦘🦘🦘🦘
I have used 1/4" MDF to make templates to cut round holes and odd shapes, works well for short term repeatability. When cutting aluminum with any blade, I use cutting wax, it keeps the aluminum from loading up in the blades and allows faster cutting.
To be honest if you don't already have a mask & you don't use it all the time it's perfectly serviceable. I've used a mask probably exactly the same for about six months, it's not got loads of loud graphics on it but it does the job. At least they include something that does allow you to use it without burning your eyeballs out.
Thanks for the thorough, real-world review. I'm always torn when I read Amazon reviews- I think many users just don't know what they're doing. This video really helped with my plasma cutter purchase decision.
Would love an update on how the plasma cutters been working after a year? I'm just an enthusiast here working on my rusty TJ but really tired of cutoff wheels... Great comparison of value minded tools for folks with limited garage space.
I'm a metal worker by trade. Welding and cutting is about all i do. Make yourself a cutting barrel/table with 2" or 3" wide strips of 1/8" or 1/4" on edge 2 in appart. so your work top is replaceable easily and allow everything hot to fall down and not burn everything. Also make yourself a mini pipe vise/clamp with 2 piece of flat bar and a piece of angle on edge making a "V". And about 1/2" back from one edge notch out a V in the angle iron on both side across from each other and about half the width. I can provide pictures if needed.
Aaron Okamoto ..... could you please post or send me some pics of what you describe. I am reading the comments and others have mentioned this but pics would help more.
Taylor, you can but tips with stand offs machined in so you can literally drag it scross the work instead of trying to keep a short distance..... Also hold a piece of angle on the work and drag against it for straight lines 👍🏻
I'm not sure if anyone has said this in the comments, but use the straight edge of a piece of scrap steel as a guide to run the cutter along. You'll get the straightest cut line possible. ..and thank you for the video. Appreciate ya!
We used aluminum rulers as a straight edge to move the tip along in shop class. Works well for straight cuts, and you don’t have to worry about seeing the mark
Great vid, just the info you need if you have not used a plasma and want a DIY unit. No point having someone with 20 years experience and a 2k machine telling you it's the way to go. Thanks for sharing this with us.
I have basically the same plasma cutter and I've never set it up. Think you inspired me to go do so. I will say you can get a tip guide so your cut is flat and you can also use straight/curved pieces to guide the tip and get nicer cuts. Cool video man! Glad the channel is doing well.
Three things that would help make you have much cleaner cuts with your plasma cutter. (1.) Adjust your air up to a higher setting to eliminate the drouth (the stuff you think is slag). (2.)Use a straight edge to drag the torch beside to make your cuts straight and (3.)Use a spacer clip on the end of your torch to keep it constant at 1/16" above the surface of the material you're cutting. You can also eliminate the drouth by controlling the travel speed of your torch.
Looks like a good unit for the money ... look at the lines on the end of piece you are cutting it will tell you if you are moving to fast or not ... lines should be about 10 -20 degree angle in the direction you are cutting ... I build controls for Cnc plasma tubing machines so I needed to set up speeds and feeds on them... also use a piece of angle as a guide to cut straight lines guide the tip along the angle
When I got my plasma cutter I didn't read the instructions and used Teflon tape on the regulator fittings . The plasma cutter didn't last long it died and refused to turn on . Then read the instructions it said don't use Teflon tape on plasma cutter as it sucks the Teflon tape off the fitting and into the lines of your lead torch blocking it to death.
Sounds about like something any man would do,exactly what I would do,throw away those damn instructions until it breaks,then find troubleshooting section.😂
13:21 You can still ground to the table and just hang your cut on the edge of your table. Hopefully what I'm saying makes sense... Just make sure to hold it down with any sort of clamp of your choosing.
I bought my first plazma cutter in 1997, a Thermodyne 50. Still works great. Most important tip for nice cuts is to use a straight edge or pattern. riding the tip along a peice of steel strap will produce much nicer cuts. I had a bunch of round holes made from masonite to make a pretty clean round cut. your pattern must be bigger to allow for the tip offset. it is also best if you practice a steady speed. My old machine cost $2600 back in the day. used my son's HF machine a few weeks ago cuts exactly the same. Yeah for modern electronics.
Great review. Perfect for a once-in-a-while plasma cutting that I might want to do. May get one myself. Nice comparison of the band saw/grinder options as well.
A lot of comments already. Can you mount it to slide in a straight line? Set it for where to cut, then just drag it along the path. Not hand work, but guided? Or any number of ways to move in a path at a steady speed, optimized for cut. I think the spray size is related to the excess of energy needed for the cut. Automate to cut, change the current, cut, record the whole thing. One bar and you might have a calibration or rough guide. The comment about height about the surface too. Height, speed, amperage, material is maybe a lot, but once done and shared, it might take some of the guess work out. I like your positive attitude and clear presentation. Thanks for trying this and sharing your experiences. I did stone sculpture for many years and always wanted a smooth cutting tool. Abrasive waterjets can be adapted, but the fluid is a bit slow relative to plasma. If you feed a wire of different materials into the plasma, the plasma itself could be separated from the high speed cutting beam. I am just talking to myself. I do not know if it would work. Something like a shaped field electromagnetic accelerator, coil gun. The plasma just vaporizes and ionizes the material, that then gets accelerated. Been years since I studied flame spray and metal vapor spray. I think the lasers are taking over. So many tools to try, so much duplicated effort to keep reinventing the basics. There must be a better way. It would be interesting to try sculpting metal. But I would want the tool held and guide it, not stare at it and try to do it all by hand. A robotic "waldo" guided plasma cutter?Use a cheap web cam and watch on a big screen. Richard Collins, The Internet Foundation
Taylor Ray saves the Day! I’m sitting here bored outta my skull so I decided to Ck UA-cam and what do I see? A 30 minute video from Taylor. Awesome. 👍🏻
Sarcasm noted. What everyone actually says is "fuck, I am bored watching a 30 minute video from some idiot named "Taylor" that could have been about 5 minutes long if he ever got to the point.
Ive found if you remove the exterior case and clean the paint off where the ground is mounted and also run a jumper ground from the front to the back it will work alot better. I loved my Cut 50. For the price you cant beat it.
I've been an AutoZone customer for a very long time and really enjoy the people who work there at the different stores I visit from time to time. Also have a great respect for their employees who put up with my bad mood when the wheels on my ride are not rolling. If you had gone to work with them, I'm sure you would have second thoughts.
use a straight edge as your guide, and do way higher power. you can REALLY zing along fast. Also use the tip guide, you dont want to drag the tip on the metal, You want it to be just above the workpiece.
Let me give you a heads up on cutting aluminum with a plasma cutter. If you do a lot of aluminum cutting be sure to keep the plasma cutter well away and/or elevated from the cutting area. The cutting will cause tiny particles of aluminum to become airborne and could get sucked into the plasma cutter's cooling air supply. These tiny aluminum particles will build-up on the circuit board and short out the MBITs (transistors). Although these transistors are not very expensive they will charge you nearly the price of the plasma cutter to repair it.
@@cmscms123456 the American way, now days everything is disposable... Not like the old days when you could buy a tool made in the USA, & beat the hell out of it and pass it on to the next generation, and it still gets the job done! But I hear ya, for the price vs. Quality it will get enough work done to pay for itself.
@taylor ray........you need to not rest the consumable on the work peice! It should be spaced between an 1/8 - 1/4 above material........also when wanting a straight cut use a straight edge....I use to use a peice of 1/8th inch x 1 inch bar clamped to material and i rested my consumable either on that or against that. Also the quality of cut will improve when you are able to maintain a constant speed! Spacing and speed are very very important. Number one......DO NOT REST consumable on work peice the flame was not designed that way.....you will end up with blow out on the back side! Do some research you'll see.
@@scowell yes you are correct but I am assuming the CHEAPEST plasma on Amazon does not come with ANYTHING extra they have that unit set up for beginners and you def not going to receive anything top notch or name.brand or anything above n beyond......so with that knowledge I would say it's safe to assume he did not receive a drag......bc every one I've opened form Lincoln to Hobart to Miller to cheaper no names none of them came with a drag tip. I can also see the way his is convex to a flat point that is a no contact tip. But hey I was wrong once
I bought an Evolution R355CPS Multi-Material Chop Saw. I can't believe how well it cuts through steel, aluminum, etc. It was pretty inexpensive and a great addition to my arsenal of fabrication tools.
Nah, he's good. He just chilling playing with his new toy, trying to help us. I'm sure when it's time to get it popping, he'll do it not only correct but also safe. Besides, wearing shorts and sneakers in the shop is pretty dope!
I was welding in flip flops yesterday. It was all good till a piece of slag finally found the spot between my pinky toe and the next toe. I hopped around a minute and then finished the run. lol
Never had a piece hit my foot when im in flip flops or slides. But ill be goddamned if it hasnt halpend to me in multiple different pairs of workboots. Also its great ti be able ti wear what ya want in your owb shop and welding in shorts and short sleeves will give you one hell of a tan lol
I have used a Cut 40 for over ten years. Mine sticks and TIGs as well and for the past couple years I have TIG'd a lot with it. I gave about $350 for it back in 2011 or so. I bought it and a Chinese 200amp square wave TIG that was $800. I bought both to do one aluminum job and didn't expect either one to last very long. They are both still going and have not been treated will at all. I drag them around outside on a cart with 40' of 10/3 SO cord and a air hose that can plug into my Argon or air. I build a lot of 4" 14ga square tubing frames and I use TIG because little cleanup. One of these with a quality torch head would be the ticket.
This was a fun video. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I liked it when you figured out what the folding welding helmet was. All fun aside, great video, nice shop, great video presentation. Thanks!
love the demo of these tools. have you looked into using cutting oil/lube with the bandsaw? i highly recommend it on any metal. it will speed up the cut a bit, and preserve the blade
The nicest I ever saw on a automatic feed bandsaw was a "micro drop" lubricant system that used compressed air and vegetable oil. The chips could be swept up from the floor, the blades lasted as just long as with a heavy flood of water soluble oil coolant. www.accu-lube.com/en/products/lubricants/
I've been out of the industrial scene for quite a few years. The video is cool definitely a great step in the right direction for me. Be good man keep it up.
Some really good comments here. nice review. sometimes I get annoyed by so called expert reviews, at least this guy is more like your neighbor trying shit out.
Your changing hats! good for you . I'm a carpenter but I love working with steel. Welding skills took a dump after my brother finished his welding school. I just step back let him do his thing now. Wish he would step back for me . when im asking for his help building something.
Plasma cutter is not like laser or water jet cutter, they are designed for fast and efficient cutting purposes with reasonable cutting accuracy, I like to have one, not much use of it but I'm a tool lover no matter what.
valveman12 not so true, due to the arc in plasma it actually cuts through at an angle and the thicker the material the more angle the arc has, gas cutting on cnc is more accurate, I have used both
I'm a cnc operator for a living with both plasma (ranging from 30 amp to 200 amp) and Oxy. I agree that plasma is very accurate, most cuts within millimetres, if not smaller, howevee the Oxy (at a much slower feed rate) always does a much cleaner and accurate job
I love how he held the head in place as the gas bled off like you would a rig for shielding the puddle, its plasma cutting off straight air not shielding.
@@davidrossmiller8349 Actually not useless. Plasma cutters use a different shade of tint than welding, which he doesn't have (that's why he's using his welding helmet). So might be very useful for someone that doesn't already own a plasma helmet! You could also just slide that glass tint into a better helmet.
You're not including the air compressor in your calc's ... just to be fair ;)) but the only thing a compressor consumes is initial $ + amps .. compared to oxy/acet cutting ...
Not to mention those torches are dangerous as f*** even when they're not in use in there is no Open Flame near them it will rocket straight through a wall if it tips over and gets the regular or knocked off, and the gas is explosive.
You were using too high amps you just burning your consumables 50 amps will cut over half inch steel think can cut 5/8 with the settings you used Rookie mistake you will soon work it out Also too much air pressure You aim for a narrow clean cut too much grunt just makes a mess Yes these little beasts are great
The trick to cutting straight with a plasma cutter is pretty much the same exact thing as a oxy/acetylene torch... obviously use your dominant hand when possible to hold the torch and the other hand is used to hold your wrist or near your elbow/forearm.. when possible...to help guide your hand...and position your body so you don't have to reposition during the cut..once you cut as much as you can reposition to cut the next section...but even easier you can clamp a straight edge on your work piece and use it as a guide and slide the torch on the straight edge
I loved plasma cutting in high school. The air keeps the heat hotspot inside an envelope of air and thus you can basically pick it right up after cutting. your super heating air is the reaction of the plasma. Just make sure you keep it straight 90° to the work your cutting. Otherwise the air cuts off the plasma interaction and it stops the machine. Keep the gap, the same, just like a mig welder.
This 100%! I use flat iron when I disc cut/angle grind, so I assume a plasma cutter will give you a perfectly machine straight edge when the same method applied. Also saves you money on shitty overpriced markers, just use a pencil, align the flat iron, light grind a straight line, enjoy those fresh easy to see lines in new/rusted steel.
I’m in U.K. where we have 240v. However my 140 Amp stick welder (240Volt 13Amp) will only work properly on a short extension or with a VERY thick extension cord. 110 volt will double the current demand.
Cool video and lots of good info. Thank you! There was one contradiction that stood out for me. In the beginning, you said the quality of welders has improved alot over the years and you wanted to see if the same held true for plasma cutters. Then in the end, you said you would have bought one years ago.
I picked up a similar Cut50 from Amazon a couple of years ago and have used it on several projects with excellent success. Great little machine for the price but it is scratch start, meaning you have to touch the workpiece with the tip to initiate the cutting arc. I use a piece of 3/4" x 3/4" angle clamped to the workpiece and offset appropriately as a straight edge. These things cut through sheetmetal like a razor knife through tissue paper and leave a fairly straight edge to weld in a patch panel with only minor cleanup, much better than a cut-off wheel on a grinder. A multi-pack of consumables is available on Amazon for $10-20 so continued use of the cutter will not break the bank any worse than the initial purchase price. I am looking at setting up a CNC plasma table but unfortunately, the CUT50's scratch start means it will not work because it would have to touch the part to initiate the cut. If you also want to eventually use your plasma cutter on a CNC rig, you will need to step up to the $400-700 plasma machine with a pilot arc (non-contacting start). The CUT50 is a great little machine for the price if its limitations fall within your intended use.
Good review and amusing to watch. I did hours of research on the cheap plasma cutters and ended up going with a Powermax XP 45. Yeah it was a lot of $ but the machine is flawless in quality and cuts great, highly recommend powermax
A little tip if you take A piece of tile ,like that is in your wife’s bathroom .use it as a straight edge to cut along side it will give you much straighter cleaner cuts if you cut the tile in any shape you can use it as a guide for curves or circles the tile can handle the heat but works good as a guide . The torch head I slide right along the edge of the tile again it acts like a great guide.
Getting 220v plugs put in right behind your welder would be really cheap (professionally) because the panel is right there. Could do it yourself too if you're confident
Was thinking that fold-able plastic sheet could be a face protector for cutting, except it had no tinted lens. Then the lens for it fell out of the plastic bag.
Regarding the statement "you'll get a messy cut no matter what plasma cutter you get", you can get an exceptionally high quality cut with a plasma cutter once you get proficient. (Just look at parts cut on a CNC plasma table... very nice edges! Some tips: Use a straight edge for straight cuts. You can use circle guides, or make templates for curves. Use a standoff guide to help keep a consistent gap and the tip 90 degrees to the material. It's much harder to get clean edges free-hand, but using some of these techniques, I've been able to get exceptional edges rivalling that of a band saw. No cleanup necessary, with the exception of removing a minimal amount of dross. Also, pay attention to the cutting direction. One side of the kerf will be closer to 90 degrees than the other due to the direction the plasma/air stream is swirling. Make sure the piece you want to keep has the 90 degree edge on it...
LMAO. AH , the Beer Run !! Brings me back in time to my 3rd year as an electrical apprentice. JW I worked with parked his van opposite the job trailer and Foreman and I went for a case of Budweiser around 11:30am for our "Lunch"!!! 🤣
Time Stamps In the description so you can skip to what you want to see.
Got a real chuckle in when you were looking at the mask like " what the fuck is this"
Taylor Ray - great suggestion. The intent of this video was great - but the execution is lacking. The guy that made this video should Keep on trying and refine his process.
At 15:52 a flat cut through aluminum that's why "the earth is flat"
Suggestion for your welding table. Take half of your table and replace it with a bar grading. It will be helpful when you are welding and/or cutting. Your cuts would be better and you can ground direct to the table. Go to most welding shop or machine shop with a CNC Plasma Cutter or water jet cutter, and you can see that they use bar grading for their cutting table.
Good video, bubba.
P.S. You may want to invest in an auto darkening hood.
Is anyone else yelling that it's a welding helmet, when he says what is this and picks up the glass lol. That made my day.
Maybe he was joking with us.
A poor excuse of a welding helmet, but yes I was yellin' with you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a nimrod
So badly I wanted to tell him he was supposed to strap it to his feet to keep the sparks out of his shoes.
@@MakinEndsMeet69 That is a fact! Also, did you notice how he is dressed and that he left a precision instrument (digital calipers) not only on the same table as, but in close proximity to, where he was performing his "?tests".
A few pointers from someone who bought their first plasma thirty years ago when even the dealer didn't know much about them. 1) you don't need to be using a grade 11 welding glass, gas welding goggles are dark enough and you'll be able to see just fine. 2) make sure that your air supply is super dry otherwise you'll chew through consumables really fast and they're not cheap. 3) plasma cutters don't like layered pieces where there is an air gap between the layers. The arc breaks through the first layer then spreads out, fails to penetrate the second layer and blows crap back into the cutting head. 4) Aluminium sucks the heat away and the part you are cutting gets freaking hot, unlike steel parts. I learned that one the hard way having got used to just cutting a part then picking it up with no gloves on! 5) You can use thin plywood to make patterns and use them to guide the torch because the heat is so localised. 6) not sure how true this is but it makes sense; plasma cutters generate a lot of NOx and breathing that isn't good for you.
Thanks for the effort & time you took to make this product evaluation. Interesting to see the perspective of someone who has never used a plasma cutter before. More realistic than an expert, making perfect cuts or dumping on the machine's performance, because it is a budget item. Keep practicing & try running the cutting head along a guide bar on flat straight cuts for accuracy. Also, a dedicated cutting table with a simple & strong overhead bridge arm, to which can be a fixed adjustable height mount on the cutter head pointing down onto a flat cutting table with a hole below the cutter point. You now have a precision coping table, just slide the piece beneath the cutting head, along the desired cut line. clean cuts at 90 degrees to the flat side, with a little practice. Thnx for the unbox & test. Cheers JASS
Just an afterthought, perhaps a small frame on casters as a floating bed for your work piece. To avoid becoming caught on burs on the underside, as you guide the piece beneath the cutter. Kind of manual Analogue of C.N.C. Except, you will be moving the entire bed as the cutter remains in position. A bit vicee versee. But you have to turn things on their head to truly innovate. That's my way of thinking, anyway.
A bit like the Origami Welders mask that came with the cutter. In a pinch, it will do the job. Albeit, improvised.
good day young man, I`m a welder, retired, so when you cut with a torch, oxy-acetaline, oxygen, plasma cut left to right or right to left this will allow you to cut straight and see properly so you can see where your cutting and see how far you torch head is from what you are cutting and always clean what you cut and weld, wire brush, scrape or blow of with air. I like to carry a piece of aluminum with me in my welding truck at all times and place it under my cuts as aluminum is such a good heat sink, and if you are cutting over cement floors the cement will blow out from the slag heat, the aluminum will protect all surfaces and clean of easy {slag won`t stick, and wear protective clothing, ps i laughed when you didn't recognize the supplied welding helmet. good luck
Left to right or right to left is not how to cut with plasma. When possible always pull the torch toward you. You will find you have much better control.
Marnie Larocque...
It’s called concrete...
cement is the ingredient to make
concrete... comprende
@@slickguns819 lol, yes concrete, i admit dumbing it down, but my point is correct, the mixture in the concrete can and does vary a lot, the finished and cured concrete varies greatly, from heat resistant to very high in strength. slag from melted metal can cause the concrete to react explosively
Marnie Larocque... lol sorry
I’m a Concrete Tech./HDPE welder Did not mean to correct you it’s just that my wife is huge on terminology...lol
@@slickguns819 - I better straighten out this cement/concrete issue in case my wife reads it...?
Couple things:
1) Dry that air. Don't use standard compressed shop air, it'll eat your tips pronto.
2) That's not a drag tip. You should be cutting with the tip roughly 1/8" above the workpiece at all times. Your tips will last longer, and you'll get cleaner cuts.
3) Adjust your air for the minimum you can pass and maintain a clean arc. There are good tutorials on how to do this tuning.
4) As Alan Summerscales said, never run it wide open, 'just because'. It's adjustable for a reason, same as a welder. Use the minimum amps required to achieve the cut for the thickness and material you're cutting. Same as with the air flow, above.
5) It's dark because you're using a welding helmet. Plasma cutters need their own shade of lens, typically around a #4 or 5.
@TJP 81 Seems reasonable. I just cut by eye. If I'm getting a clean cut, it's good. If it's splattering, I dial it back until it looks happy and still cuts through at the rate I want to move.
You can run it wide open that just means your travel speed can be a lot quicker...For life of tips and consumables and wear and tear and the machine though and if speed is not a factor then you are right, better to turn it down to compensate for material thickness...this thing SAYS it will cut up to half inch thick which is not very thick and im guessing trying to cut through half inch is going to be painfully slow, so you are probably going to be running this thing wide open 24/7 unless you cutting sheet metal.
Great tips for novices like me thanks. What about amperage, is there a rule of thumb based on thickness and material type?
When I had my shop I had a Lincoln plasma cutter,it was a three phase machine and had just two current settings on a switch 30 amps and 50 amps anything above an eighth of an inch required 50 amps which would take you up to half an inch. Most of the cheap units are using the power section from chinese tig welders,well all the one I have tried,I think that is one reson they have the current adjust knob.
Wow, that's really nice of you. Thank you for the helpful info. I learned something.
could you maybe do an update on this thing? It's been over a year now and I wonder how its held up.
bump
Ditto
Bump
Yes please
Yes please
Cut 50's are pretty good for a cheap cutter, the trick is to keep your air as dry as possible, it'll cut better and also consumables will last longer. Grab an old 44 galon drum and an old shelve out of a house oven, bingo! new cutting table, all the sparks and slag will collect in the drum.
🥁 👨🏻🏭 💥
yes I use one of those toilet paper air filters & another kinda like the one you got ...Lots of humidity in FLorida....also know that the cutter will cut ANYTHING for a second...Gloves hands etc. LoL...also I just used cutting glasses not welding if thats what you used...cool & they pay for them selves in few jobs! Also great for SS cutting!
Yup. Mine is 2” x 1/4” thick sitting vertical wield bar and space the strips out for the grill part.
And a great start up welding table
For really straight cuts you can clamp a piece of angle iron to the work piece and run the plasma cutter down the straight edge.
scrolled down to find this, real tip right here taylor
If you use a peice of cardboard you won't cut it up because It only cuts through metal not paper or cardboard
@@thomasjohnson6860 you wont cut your guide because your not running the plasma over it, cardboard would burn
I was thinking the exact same thing, use a cheap sacrificial c clamp that you dont mind risking it getting ruined and make a fence to guide straight cuts.
John Brew I came here to say this.
Great video! This guy was just showing how well this cheap plasma cutter worked. This isn't a tutorial on how to be a pro at using the plasma cutter.
Taylor: *Holds up piece in middle of camera to focus on*
Autofocus: That tire rim all the way back there is far more interesting.
"Focus you fack!"
To cut great circles; cut sample pieces from different sized pipes, maybe 7" tall. Then clamp them to the steel you want to cut a circle out of. You can even cut them slanted rather than square to make ovals. The pipe diameter should be smaller by the same amount as the dimension from the center of your arc to the outside. Then use the different diameter pipes and trace them. A little practice yields great results. Try turning your work instead of the torch. Also, try moving the plasma cutter FASTER for less slag. Great video!
All the power in Australia is 240 volts standard and our high voltage is 3 phase at 415 volts, love plasma cutters, freaking awesome machines 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🦘🦘🦘🦘
I bought one of these 5 years ago and it's still going strong. Made me many multiples of the amount I paid for it 😊
Got a link for this product?
@Nonya Bizness I believe he was referencing that he bought this model 5 years ago. If so definitely a worth while investment for hobbyists
I have used 1/4" MDF to make templates to cut round holes and odd shapes, works well for short term repeatability.
When cutting aluminum with any blade, I use cutting wax, it keeps the aluminum from loading up in the blades and allows faster cutting.
I love having a plasma cutter. It makes cutting a lot of different materials so easy and quick.
i watched the whole video, just to see if he would figure out, the glass and that weird piece make a welding helmet when put together lol
laurie gallant I was thinking the same thing ! How is it not obvious it's a mask ??
@@christopherdrekr1078 I think perhaps he's joking. Those cheap masks are so stupidly awful, that you could be forgiven for not knowing what it was.
@@napalmpig3772 - it's NOT a mask... it's a shield. Nothing more is needed for this product.
To be honest if you don't already have a mask & you don't use it all the time it's perfectly serviceable. I've used a mask probably exactly the same for about six months, it's not got loads of loud graphics on it but it does the job. At least they include something that does allow you to use it without burning your eyeballs out.
I was laughing that he didn't realize it was a shield and the lens for it.....
Thanks for the thorough, real-world review. I'm always torn when I read Amazon reviews- I think many users just don't know what they're doing. This video really helped with my plasma cutter purchase decision.
Would love an update on how the plasma cutters been working after a year? I'm just an enthusiast here working on my rusty TJ but really tired of cutoff wheels... Great comparison of value minded tools for folks with limited garage space.
Same here
YES
Agreed
I'm a metal worker by trade. Welding and cutting is about all i do. Make yourself a cutting barrel/table with 2" or 3" wide strips of 1/8" or 1/4" on edge 2 in appart. so your work top is replaceable easily and allow everything hot to fall down and not burn everything. Also make yourself a mini pipe vise/clamp with 2 piece of flat bar and a piece of angle on edge making a "V". And about 1/2" back from one edge notch out a V in the angle iron on both side across from each other and about half the width. I can provide pictures if needed.
Aaron Okamoto ..... could you please post or send me some pics of what you describe. I am reading the comments and others have mentioned this but pics would help more.
Aaron, could you please post a short video on that setup please ? sounds great to share with all
Taylor, you can but tips with stand offs machined in so you can literally drag it scross the work instead of trying to keep a short distance..... Also hold a piece of angle on the work and drag against it for straight lines 👍🏻
I'm not sure if anyone has said this in the comments, but use the straight edge of a piece of scrap steel as a guide to run the cutter along. You'll get the straightest cut line possible.
..and thank you for the video. Appreciate ya!
Correct
You should be proud of your efforts to allow others the benefit of your experience. Keep up the good work. Thanks for here in the U.K. 🇬🇧
We used aluminum rulers as a straight edge to move the tip along in shop class. Works well for straight cuts, and you don’t have to worry about seeing the mark
Great vid, just the info you need if you have not used a plasma and want a DIY unit. No point having someone with 20 years experience and a 2k machine telling you it's the way to go. Thanks for sharing this with us.
I have basically the same plasma cutter and I've never set it up. Think you inspired me to go do so.
I will say you can get a tip guide so your cut is flat and you can also use straight/curved pieces to guide the tip and get nicer cuts.
Cool video man! Glad the channel is doing well.
I paid $600.00 for my Harbor Freight plasma cutter 5 years ago. Love it!
Three things that would help make you have much cleaner cuts with your plasma cutter. (1.) Adjust your air up to a higher setting to eliminate the drouth (the stuff you think is slag). (2.)Use a straight edge to drag the torch beside to make your cuts straight and (3.)Use a spacer clip on the end of your torch to keep it constant at 1/16" above the surface of the material you're cutting. You can also eliminate the drouth by controlling the travel speed of your torch.
Clamp a piece of angle on the work piece as a guide, and move faster!
Much cleaner cut when you move as fast as your amps will allow.
Great video!
Or save your stash and cut stuff like this with your high speed angle grinder and a good diamond blade. Cuts like butter.
Looks like a good unit for the money ... look at the lines on the end of piece you are cutting it will tell you if you are moving to fast or not ... lines should be about 10 -20 degree angle in the direction you are cutting ... I build controls for Cnc plasma tubing machines so I needed to set up speeds and feeds on them... also use a piece of angle as a guide to cut straight lines guide the tip along the angle
When I got my plasma cutter I didn't read the instructions and used Teflon tape on the regulator fittings . The plasma cutter didn't last long it died and refused to turn on . Then read the instructions it said don't use Teflon tape on plasma cutter as it sucks the Teflon tape off the fitting and into the lines of your lead torch blocking it to death.
I work with plasma cutter all the time . Rust , water 💦 coming from air tank won’t plug a plasma pieces of Teflon won’t hurt it
Stupid
@@XXXonly69 You ment to use a water trap with a air filter on a plasma cutter so that your compressors dirty habits dont kill it
@@Migman2020 that's in the filter/regulator he fitted to the back of the machine.
Sounds about like something any man would do,exactly what I would do,throw away those damn instructions until it breaks,then find troubleshooting section.😂
13:21 You can still ground to the table and just hang your cut on the edge of your table. Hopefully what I'm saying makes sense... Just make sure to hold it down with any sort of clamp of your choosing.
Yup clamp your shit to the table hanging of the edge.
I too was on the fence with this, you have convinced me to go buy one, thanks!
I bought my first plazma cutter in 1997, a Thermodyne 50. Still works great. Most important tip for nice cuts is to use a straight edge or pattern. riding the tip along a peice of steel strap will produce much nicer cuts. I had a bunch of round holes made from masonite to make a pretty clean round cut. your pattern must be bigger to allow for the tip offset. it is also best if you practice a steady speed. My old machine cost $2600 back in the day. used my son's HF machine a few weeks ago cuts exactly the same. Yeah for modern electronics.
Great review. Perfect for a once-in-a-while plasma cutting that I might want to do. May get one myself.
Nice comparison of the band saw/grinder options as well.
Right off the bat. plasma cutters cut rusty stuff, too. that's why i really like plasma cutters.
A lot of comments already. Can you mount it to slide in a straight line? Set it for where to cut, then just drag it along the path. Not hand work, but guided? Or any number of ways to move in a path at a steady speed, optimized for cut.
I think the spray size is related to the excess of energy needed for the cut. Automate to cut, change the current, cut, record the whole thing. One bar and you might have a calibration or rough guide. The comment about height about the surface too. Height, speed, amperage, material is maybe a lot, but once done and shared, it might take some of the guess work out.
I like your positive attitude and clear presentation. Thanks for trying this and sharing your experiences.
I did stone sculpture for many years and always wanted a smooth cutting tool. Abrasive waterjets can be adapted, but the fluid is a bit slow relative to plasma. If you feed a wire of different materials into the plasma, the plasma itself could be separated from the high speed cutting beam. I am just talking to myself. I do not know if it would work. Something like a shaped field electromagnetic accelerator, coil gun. The plasma just vaporizes and ionizes the material, that then gets accelerated. Been years since I studied flame spray and metal vapor spray. I think the lasers are taking over. So many tools to try, so much duplicated effort to keep reinventing the basics. There must be a better way. It would be interesting to try sculpting metal. But I would want the tool held and guide it, not stare at it and try to do it all by hand. A robotic "waldo" guided plasma cutter?Use a cheap web cam and watch on a big screen.
Richard Collins, The Internet Foundation
Taylor Ray saves the Day! I’m sitting here bored outta my skull so I decided to Ck UA-cam and what do I see? A 30 minute video from Taylor. Awesome. 👍🏻
Sarcasm noted. What everyone actually says is "fuck, I am bored watching a 30 minute video from some idiot named "Taylor" that could have been about 5 minutes long if he ever got to the point.
Ive found if you remove the exterior case and clean the paint off where the ground is mounted and also run a jumper ground from the front to the back it will work alot better. I loved my Cut 50. For the price you cant beat it.
I've been an AutoZone customer for a very long time and really enjoy the people who work there at the different stores I visit from time to time. Also have a great respect for their employees who put up with my bad mood when the wheels on my ride are not rolling. If you had gone to work with them, I'm sure you would have second thoughts.
Use a straight edge for straight cuts and you can make an adjustable arm reminiscent of a compass type tool to cut larger holes.
Yup, I have done that too. Makes making circle much more accurate.
Washers of all sizes are handy, tack it on then cut it out.
use a straight edge as your guide, and do way higher power. you can REALLY zing along fast. Also use the tip guide, you dont want to drag the tip on the metal, You want it to be just above the workpiece.
Let me give you a heads up on cutting aluminum with a plasma cutter. If you do a lot of aluminum cutting be sure to keep the plasma cutter well away and/or elevated from the cutting area. The cutting will cause tiny particles of aluminum to become airborne and could get sucked into the plasma cutter's cooling air supply. These tiny aluminum particles will build-up on the circuit board and short out the MBITs (transistors). Although these transistors are not very expensive they will charge you nearly the price of the plasma cutter to repair it.
I'd like to see a video about how it works after a year or so of use, very curious to find out
Thats a $200 machine
I have one for 3years now
I have had one for 6years and still works like new
Actually a 3 in 1 welder also
Doesn't miss a beat
@@alansummerscales3376 mine is a cut 50 accurate tool
just had to get longer welding cables
After 6 months of use, it's probably paid for itself. throw it away and buy a new one.
@@cmscms123456 the American way, now days everything is disposable... Not like the old days when you could buy a tool made in the USA, & beat the hell out of it and pass it on to the next generation, and it still gets the job done! But I hear ya, for the price vs. Quality it will get enough work done to pay for itself.
@taylor ray........you need to not rest the consumable on the work peice! It should be spaced between an 1/8 - 1/4 above material........also when wanting a straight cut use a straight edge....I use to use a peice of 1/8th inch x 1 inch bar clamped to material and i rested my consumable either on that or against that. Also the quality of cut will improve when you are able to maintain a constant speed! Spacing and speed are very very important. Number one......DO NOT REST consumable on work peice the flame was not designed that way.....you will end up with blow out on the back side! Do some research you'll see.
There are two types of tip... drag and non-contact. My Thermal Dynamics came with both types.
@@scowell yes you are correct but I am assuming the CHEAPEST plasma on Amazon does not come with ANYTHING extra they have that unit set up for beginners and you def not going to receive anything top notch or name.brand or anything above n beyond......so with that knowledge I would say it's safe to assume he did not receive a drag......bc every one I've opened form Lincoln to Hobart to Miller to cheaper no names none of them came with a drag tip. I can also see the way his is convex to a flat point that is a no contact tip. But hey I was wrong once
@@richmonsmith9308 My cheapo CUT50 dual voltage from EBAY did have a set of drag tips, and a standard tip.
I bought an Evolution R355CPS Multi-Material Chop Saw. I can't believe how well it cuts through steel, aluminum, etc. It was pretty inexpensive and a great addition to my arsenal of fabrication tools.
Nah, he's good. He just chilling playing with his new toy, trying to help us. I'm sure when it's time to get it popping, he'll do it not only correct but also safe. Besides, wearing shorts and sneakers in the shop is pretty dope!
I was welding in flip flops yesterday. It was all good till a piece of slag finally found the spot between my pinky toe and the next toe. I hopped around a minute and then finished the run. lol
@@mckrackin5324 honestly ive had stuff like that happen in boots. I've had to replace a lot of socks because of burn holes
Never had a piece hit my foot when im in flip flops or slides. But ill be goddamned if it hasnt halpend to me in multiple different pairs of workboots. Also its great ti be able ti wear what ya want in your owb shop and welding in shorts and short sleeves will give you one hell of a tan lol
I never used a plasma cutter in my life - but found this video really interesting!
I have used a Cut 40 for over ten years. Mine sticks and TIGs as well and for the past couple years I have TIG'd a lot with it. I gave about $350 for it back in 2011 or so. I bought it and a Chinese 200amp square wave TIG that was $800. I bought both to do one aluminum job and didn't expect either one to last very long. They are both still going and have not been treated will at all. I drag them around outside on a cart with 40' of 10/3 SO cord and a air hose that can plug into my Argon or air. I build a lot of 4" 14ga square tubing frames and I use TIG because little cleanup. One of these with a quality torch head would be the ticket.
This was a fun video. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I liked it when you figured out what the folding welding helmet was. All fun aside, great video, nice shop, great video presentation. Thanks!
love the demo of these tools. have you looked into using cutting oil/lube with the bandsaw? i highly recommend it on any metal. it will speed up the cut a bit, and preserve the blade
The nicest I ever saw on a automatic feed bandsaw was a "micro drop" lubricant system that used compressed air and vegetable oil. The chips could be swept up from the floor, the blades lasted as just long as with a heavy flood of water soluble oil coolant. www.accu-lube.com/en/products/lubricants/
I've been out of the industrial scene for quite a few years. The video is cool definitely a great step in the right direction for me. Be good man keep it up.
Some really good comments here. nice review. sometimes I get annoyed by so called expert reviews, at least this guy is more like your neighbor trying shit out.
why aren't you as perfect as me? I know how to be perfect = those comments
Just bought 50 amp Everlast from Amazon and 3 stage reg cleaner hope it works out but I know you got have clean air and enough of it
Yes. I liked him instantly.
@@barbarasteed3966 does it cut thick ass metal? H!!!
A wide slaggy cut is from going too slow.
You'll get the hang of it with a good manual.
Thanks for going over all that. I've been a carpenter most of my life.
It's time to do metal. Awsome video.
Your changing hats! good for you . I'm a carpenter but I love working with steel. Welding skills took a dump after my brother finished his welding school. I just step back let him do his thing now. Wish he would step back for me . when im asking for his help building something.
Plasma cutter is not like laser or water jet cutter, they are designed for fast and efficient cutting purposes with reasonable cutting accuracy, I like to have one, not much use of it but I'm a tool lover no matter what.
WHAT!!! Put them on a CNC table and the cuts are accurate.
A O I too am a tool lover...call me
valveman12 not so true, due to the arc in plasma it actually cuts through at an angle and the thicker the material the more angle the arc has, gas cutting on cnc is more accurate, I have used both
@@BESHYSBEES Sure and I agree if cutting really thick material.
I'm a cnc operator for a living with both plasma (ranging from 30 amp to 200 amp) and Oxy. I agree that plasma is very accurate, most cuts within millimetres, if not smaller, howevee the Oxy (at a much slower feed rate) always does a much cleaner and accurate job
Pretty cool, I'm impressed with that plasma cutter, I might get one. Thanks for sharing.
I bought the same one, it worked like a dream compared a cutting wheel and all the noise.
I was yelling out , “it’s a mask “like it’s blues clues or something. 🤦🏽♂️
Omg! That is the funniest true comment yet!!!! Ha i love it so true!! You are hillarious👍😂
This nigga said blues clues LMAO
🤣😂🤣🤯🤯🤯
Hahaha
you only need shade DIN 5-6 for plasma cutting, adjust your helmet or get a helmet that can go lower
Great info! Thanks. For the guy who isn't using it every day all day, it looks like a nice tool.
15:32 I just want to say... literally everything is a quick cleanup with a Flap wheel.
Anyone else notice how he lets go of the trigger and keeps the torch in place - like he's tig welding?
The jet of air helps cool the part
I love how he held the head in place as the gas bled off like you would a rig for shielding the puddle, its plasma cutting off straight air not shielding.
Enjoyed the video but I have lost my voice over it from yelling at the phone 😱 "that's a welding helmet" 😭
All kidding aside, great video
the dark glass went in the folded helmet piece to create a welding helmet.
Which is usless!
i was about to say that. Also, better to have that cheap one than none at all.
Welding shield !!!
@@davidrossmiller8349 Actually not useless. Plasma cutters use a different shade of tint than welding, which he doesn't have (that's why he's using his welding helmet). So might be very useful for someone that doesn't already own a plasma helmet! You could also just slide that glass tint into a better helmet.
It doesn’t surprise me that he wasn’t sure what it was, that literally looked like a toy.
Great vid for someone that’s never seen a plasma cutter set up/used.
Year later and there are now cheaper ones on AMZN.
A good set of torches is $250/300. Then you have to get tanks and keep refilling them. For $250, this plasma cutter is the way to go for me.
Not only that but the steel cools down a whole lot faster.
Yep, I end up using my torches for heating and bending and never welding or cutting anymore.
You're not including the air compressor in your calc's ... just to be fair ;)) but the only thing a compressor consumes is initial $ + amps .. compared to oxy/acet cutting ...
I still use bottles, I however use those bottles not just for cutting. Bending, heat treating... stuff like that.
Not to mention those torches are dangerous as f*** even when they're not in use in there is no Open Flame near them it will rocket straight through a wall if it tips over and gets the regular or knocked off, and the gas is explosive.
You were using too high amps you just burning your consumables
50 amps will cut over half inch steel think can cut 5/8 with the settings you used
Rookie mistake you will soon work it out
Also too much air pressure
You aim for a narrow clean cut too much grunt just makes a mess
Yes these little beasts are great
I agree about the subaru seats, ive been turning them into office chairs for years.
I love my AHP. I weld day in day out with it. Just add a cooler and you're set.
OneHundredYen what did you do for a water cooler
@@11trevord build one look up diy water cooler for tig juscoz Customs has a good build documented on you tube
TD Engineering This Old Tony has a video for a tig cooler.
It's been a year, I want to know how it's held up? PLEASE RESPOND.
what he said! long term review, please
Yea cmon we need an update before we buy
Yes!
Yeah usually people just make videos when they first get it, thats not nearly as helpful.
On cheap equipment, if I know it needs to last, I buy the insurance plan.
You sure have come a long way since then. Congrats!
Great comparison of different machine cuts! Really enjoyed your insightful video. Thanks for putting it out there.
The first thing I learned in working with metal is that you need to put some clothes on!
Rat Rod Bob Builds even then... lol
sparks n bare legs rookie move bro
He likes getting a tan.
@@hellojrod look's tan to 2 me
Rat Rod Bob Builds
Cotton or wool, leather shoes. Polyester or other highly flammable stuff isn’t so good.
The trick to cutting straight with a plasma cutter is pretty much the same exact thing as a oxy/acetylene torch... obviously use your dominant hand when possible to hold the torch and the other hand is used to hold your wrist or near your elbow/forearm.. when possible...to help guide your hand...and position your body so you don't have to reposition during the cut..once you cut as much as you can reposition to cut the next section...but even easier you can clamp a straight edge on your work piece and use it as a guide and slide the torch on the straight edge
how many people are here just to comment on the mask
Fockk yeah.
Yup
I was kinda surprised he dident work it out straight away?
@@phmaximus Yeah, couldnt believe that. Sometimes you gotta wonder if guys dont do that stuff on purpose to get comments.
@@ZenithClarity when you're making a video you have a lot more on your mind than when working in the shop without worrying about any cameras.
When buying a plasma cutter always buy 2 size bigger than you need if you are buying a machine that does 1/4" buy a machine that does 1/2"
I loved plasma cutting in high school. The air keeps the heat hotspot inside an envelope of air and thus you can basically pick it right up after cutting. your super heating air is the reaction of the plasma.
Just make sure you keep it straight 90° to the work your cutting. Otherwise the air cuts off the plasma interaction and it stops the machine.
Keep the gap, the same, just like a mig welder.
Those Chinese masks are hilarious being flat packed.
Dinxsy those chinese safety boots he is wearing have something to do with the sparks in his socks
Yeah, nobody normal would ever use one. I value my sight too much, very sketchy item. I'll keep my speed glass thank you lol
Never seen one befor but knew what it was straight away
I clamp a straight edge onto everything I can when I’m using a plasma cutter, they make clean cuts on aluminum as long as you’re moving fast enough
This 100%! I use flat iron when I disc cut/angle grind, so I assume a plasma cutter will give you a perfectly machine straight edge when the same method applied.
Also saves you money on shitty overpriced markers, just use a pencil, align the flat iron, light grind a straight line, enjoy those fresh easy to see lines in new/rusted steel.
I’m in U.K. where we have 240v. However my 140 Amp stick welder (240Volt 13Amp) will only work properly on a short extension or with a VERY thick extension cord. 110 volt will double the current demand.
Cool video and lots of good info. Thank you! There was one contradiction that stood out for me. In the beginning, you said the quality of welders has improved alot over the years and you wanted to see if the same held true for plasma cutters. Then in the end, you said you would have bought one years ago.
Use bees wax when cutting aluminum with a cut off wheel. Even my cut off saw and Burr bits. Makes a world of difference.
old man says: “ gotta butter the blades”
I picked up a similar Cut50 from Amazon a couple of years ago and have used it on several projects with excellent success. Great little machine for the price but it is scratch start, meaning you have to touch the workpiece with the tip to initiate the cutting arc. I use a piece of 3/4" x 3/4" angle clamped to the workpiece and offset appropriately as a straight edge. These things cut through sheetmetal like a razor knife through tissue paper and leave a fairly straight edge to weld in a patch panel with only minor cleanup, much better than a cut-off wheel on a grinder. A multi-pack of consumables is available on Amazon for $10-20 so continued use of the cutter will not break the bank any worse than the initial purchase price.
I am looking at setting up a CNC plasma table but unfortunately, the CUT50's scratch start means it will not work because it would have to touch the part to initiate the cut. If you also want to eventually use your plasma cutter on a CNC rig, you will need to step up to the $400-700 plasma machine with a pilot arc (non-contacting start). The CUT50 is a great little machine for the price if its limitations fall within your intended use.
Good review and amusing to watch. I did hours of research on the cheap plasma cutters and ended up going with a Powermax XP 45. Yeah it was a lot of $ but the machine is flawless in quality and cuts great, highly recommend powermax
Ive considered the same but that price tag, ouch
Pro tip: when you do close ups give it time for camera to focus
A little tip if you take A piece of tile ,like that is in your wife’s bathroom .use it as a straight edge to cut along side it will give you much straighter cleaner cuts if you cut the tile in any shape you can use it as a guide for curves or circles the tile can handle the heat but works good as a guide . The torch head I slide right along the edge of the tile again it acts like a great guide.
Getting 220v plugs put in right behind your welder would be really cheap (professionally) because the panel is right there. Could do it yourself too if you're confident
You're bandsawing the angle iron in the hardest way possible. Lay it down so the two long edges are on the table and cut it that way.
I was thinking the exact same thing also the fact that it could have bound up and broke the blade and sent shit flying lol
Cutting steel like butter is so satisfying.
Was thinking that fold-able plastic sheet could be a face protector for cutting, except it had no tinted lens. Then the lens for it fell out of the plastic bag.
common sense
@@davelee7572 abstract reasoning
clamp your work to the table and hang it off the edge so slag goes to the floor and eliminates the need to ground the part.
What does the slag have to do with grounding the part? Where tf the current gonna go to ?
Possibly he meant “grind” the part?
Regarding the statement "you'll get a messy cut no matter what plasma cutter you get", you can get an exceptionally high quality cut with a plasma cutter once you get proficient. (Just look at parts cut on a CNC plasma table... very nice edges!
Some tips: Use a straight edge for straight cuts. You can use circle guides, or make templates for curves. Use a standoff guide to help keep a consistent gap and the tip 90 degrees to the material. It's much harder to get clean edges free-hand, but using some of these techniques, I've been able to get exceptional edges rivalling that of a band saw. No cleanup necessary, with the exception of removing a minimal amount of dross.
Also, pay attention to the cutting direction. One side of the kerf will be closer to 90 degrees than the other due to the direction the plasma/air stream is swirling. Make sure the piece you want to keep has the 90 degree edge on it...
My first 10 minutes with my plasma cutter, I cut out Scooby Doo while waiting for my teacher to come back from a beer run....lol
LMAO.
AH , the Beer Run !!
Brings me back in time to my 3rd year as an electrical apprentice.
JW I worked with parked his van opposite the job trailer and Foreman and I went for a case of Budweiser around 11:30am for our "Lunch"!!! 🤣
Worst thing I dislike about grinders is all the dust. Second most disliked thing about grinders is they like to set me on fire.
sdguy123 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣 all of my right pant legs have holes burnt in them
That plastic piece that you showed at the beginning is the face shield that you put that lens in. I realized it as soon as I saw it.
I was cringing when you were showering the poor calipers with sparks :-).
Stumbled across this on a YT Rabbit Hole expedition...so much good info from the vids to the comments. Goldmine here, folks.
I love the positivity and helping hands in these comments