Plasma cutting

[Paul Allwood]

I think any type of dryer will interfere with airflow when added to the input side of a compressor. Probably gonna need an additional dry air feed. On a unit like that I wonder if providing a remote air feed will up the plasma output power because a built in compressor must draw quite a bit of current.

All might be right, I don't really know. I'll try one thing at a time so I have a chance of knowing what makes a difference.

 

[Paul Allwood]

I got back to the plasma cutter today to have another go at some 12mm mild steel. There's now an external compressor connected plus a drier and filter in the air line. I'm also trying contact rather than standoff cutting.

It's far from perfect but I think it's progress.

Desiccant dryer and filter.



Machine settings - maximum current and air pressure.



Ready to cut using magnetic tape for a guide - I saw this in a YouTube video @petestools.



Here's a video of some cutting in progress.

28 June 2026

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All cut.



The back - pretty messy.



The best sections looked like this.



After cleaning up with the grinder.



The next step is for my wife to fill in the middle with leadlight, them we'll mount it vertically between two old timber sleepers somewhere in our garden.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I got back to the plasma cutter today to have another go at some 12mm mild steel. There's now an external compressor connected plus a drier and filter in the air line. I'm also trying contact rather than standoff cutting.

It's far from perfect but I think it's progress.

Desiccant dryer and filter.

View attachment 176353

Machine settings - maximum current and air pressure.

View attachment 176354

Ready to cut using magnetic tape for a guide - I saw this in a YouTube video @petestools.

View attachment 176355

Here's a video of some cutting in progress.

28 June 2026

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

All cut.

View attachment 176356

The back - pretty messy.

View attachment 176357

The best sections looked like this.

View attachment 176358

After cleaning up with the grinder.

View attachment 176359

The next step is for my wife to fill in the middle with leadlight, them we'll mount it vertically between two old timber sleepers somewhere in our garden.

I have never tried this “contact method”, so I am kind of shooting in the dark.

From the pics of the back, I would try to slow down a bit to see if that cleans it up a bit.

Lots of variables to deal with, but regardless, in my opinion, it still beats the hell out of cutting it manually.

Nice work sir!

 

[Paul Allwood]

I have never tried this “contact method”, so I am kind of shooting in the dark.

From the pics of the back, I would try to slow down a bit to see if that cleans it up a bit.

Lots of variables to deal with, but regardless, in my opinion, it still beats the hell out of cutting it manually.

Nice work sir!

I was finding that keeping a consistent speed is really hard - if only it could be automated.

Agree, much easier than grinding, and thanks.

 

[Sidekick]

Looks good. Same thing I said before building a CNC table. I saw this a while back and wonder how good it would work.

ArcDroid™ CNC Plasma Robot

Simple Trace™ Operating System; NO EXTERNAL SOFTWARE OR CAD SKILLS REQUIRED! Fusion 360 and SheetCAM and QCAD/CAM and Pronest compatible Powerful touch screen interface. No external PC required! Get more out of your plasma cutter Everything you need to get started

arcdroidcnc.com

 

[Paul Allwood]

Looks good. Same thing I said before building a CNC table. I saw this a while back and wonder how good it would work.

ArcDroid™ CNC Plasma Robot

Simple Trace™ Operating System; NO EXTERNAL SOFTWARE OR CAD SKILLS REQUIRED! Fusion 360 and SheetCAM and QCAD/CAM and Pronest compatible Powerful touch screen interface. No external PC required! Get more out of your plasma cutter Everything you need to get started

arcdroidcnc.com

I've watched a couple of videos of these and they look pretty good. I think if I was going to spend that much is probably also build a CNC table too. I haven't really looked at this seriously yet, and I'm most definitely open to suggestions.

Too many projects, too little time

 

[Yooper]

You will get better with experience. I found it was not only the sight but also the sound that told me my speed was optimal.

 

[Russell King]

Perhaps you could mark out your magnetic tape with some consistent distance tick marks. Perhaps 10 to 20 mm would be sufficient. Then set up something to act as a metronome to provide you with constant time measurement (or just use some song that has the correct time and play it in the shop).

Start cutting and use the tick marks and metronome sound to guide your speed for consistency?

When welding something I find that doing a similar thing helps me with the travel speed until I relearn to have the consistent speed.

That looks like a long cut so it would be hard to stay consistent with travel speed on that much length.

For a guide, you might try cutting out the shape in a plywood piece and using that as a template. Of course you would have to have the template offset by some dimension equal to a distance on the cutting head. See this site for an example of “plasma cutter radius guide”. (There seem to be quite a few different shapes available)

https://www.amazon.com/Plasma-Stencil-Circle-Cutter-Guide/dp/B00OCH0JMQ

 

[Tarmy]

Keep that tip pointed straight up and down…it will help blow out the slag. Your pic shows that you are angling it creating a longer cut area and allowing the material to slow down and stick. Up the air flow a bit and try that. It should blow way more material away from your piece.

 

[hagrid]

I got back to the plasma cutter today to have another go at some 12mm mild steel. There's now an external compressor connected plus a drier and filter in the air line. I'm also trying contact rather than standoff cutting.

It's far from perfect but I think it's progress.

Desiccant dryer and filter.

View attachment 176353

Machine settings - maximum current and air pressure.

View attachment 176354

Ready to cut using magnetic tape for a guide - I saw this in a YouTube video @petestools.

View attachment 176355

Here's a video of some cutting in progress.

28 June 2026

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

All cut.

View attachment 176356

The back - pretty messy.

View attachment 176357

The best sections looked like this.

View attachment 176358

After cleaning up with the grinder.

View attachment 176359

The next step is for my wife to fill in the middle with leadlight, them we'll mount it vertically between two old timber sleepers somewhere in our garden.

If you have some 6mm scrap plate laying around try those same settings and see what you get.