I’m confused, what exactly is clearance shim, what is it for, and how do I calculate the appropriate amount?
I believe it’s manually used to set the distance between the plasma cutter tip and the material. Torch Height Controller, if you have one automatically senses the distance and can make adjustments on the fly to compensate for metal warping under heat.
Clearance Shims come with the CrossFire (non pro).
They help you set the proper torch to material clearance. The one I used the most was the .06". In fact I can’t remember what size the other was. Your Plasma cutter’s manual should recommend a clearance height. Thicker sheets use a higher clearance. I only used the larger provided shim when cutting 1/4" steel (it might be recommended for 3/16 and above. I just never did 3/16")
For normal sign work 18-11 ga I ran the .06.
You place the metal on the table the move the torch head assembly over the sheet. Release the lock screw and gently lower the torch down to the metal. Slip the shim in between the head and the sheet you want it to just touch the shim (when you slip the shim in and out there should be a little resistance but not the whole weight of the torch on it…just rubbing).
Then run the assembly back to your “home” position and hit cycle start.
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I’m still a little confused is there a video online?
I’m not being snarky, but seeing your posts, it looks like you would benefit from some one on one walkthrough of how this all works. There seems to be too much to cover to get you pointed in the right direction via the forum. I would charge for this and would need you to use the same daft ware as me, but you may find someone that will do it for free. You could also go back through the support page on the main site, and watch the videos.
But in short, you don’t need a video to explain the shim. You have a pro machine, you don’t need to worry about the clearance shim.
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Yeah I’ll send you a private message.
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