So whats the smallest you are accurately cutting? Yes i know this has everything to do with the cutter being used, just curious.
I don’t cut anything smaller then 1/4”. I have heard you can do 3/16 but I’m just not sure how accurate it will be
I have cut 3/16 holes in 1/8 steel with no issues, but that is the smallest I would go
@SmokingGunsFab can you give me some tips how you are getting that small of hole? I’m noob at this cnc stuff. The smallest my gcode will let me cut is .4 of an inch on the inside cut. I’d like to be cutting .25" holes. I’ve tried setting lead in and out to nothing and many different sizes smaller than .25". Looks like maybe the speed of the torch has something to do with it as well? I’ve got a Thermodynamics Cutmaster 52 with the SL100 machine torch. I really feel like it should be able to do a smaller hole than .4"
What software for design and gcode generation are you using? Gcode inherently doesn’t prevent smaller holes. You tell your CAM software what to do to generate the gcode.
Fusion360 to create the code, FireControl to run the machine.
The only thing in fusion that stops you from making small holes is pierce clearance. If you reduce your clearance to 0 you can produce g code down to the size of your kerf width but obviously not going to be precision quality hole.
Any holes smaller the .25 I just pierce and drill afterwards.
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I am using Designspark Mechanical for my drawings and exporting as a .dxf, then I use sheet cam for creating the g code for my final cuts. What is the kerf width of your machine? If your width is .125" it might not let you do an inside cut smaller than .25"
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