Goodfellas moment

8zjrfz

Thank you everyone for the help.

I made my first cuts today.

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I am super excited. I am amazed at how well it cut for the first time.

I had some difficulty making/loading a proper G code, but on my 5th or 6th attempt I finally figured out what I was doing wrong.

I had a “No Speed” error when I tried loading up my file in Firecontrol, and it ended up that I did not have a “layer” selected…I have no idea what that means, but after I selected “0” in that box the .tap file grew to 3kb and it would load in FC and it worked.

This part/s are only “test pieces” but man I am super “geeked” up.

This is my first piece of 1/8 mild steel.

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Although I am really happy, I am trying to get better, so any “critiques” are welcome.

Here are some “close ups” of my “mess ups”.

You can see that there are some “dimples” where the torch makes the transition from the “pierce cut” to the “shape cut” so I was thinking that I did not have a big enough “lead in”.

What kind of leads did you use?

I adjusted my “lead in” from .150 to .250 and it seemed to help get rid of “most” of those dimples.

Here are some “comparison photos” from the 1st test piece to the 2nd one.

It did “cut down” on the dimple, but its still there.

This next one is a decent “side X side” .

You can tell the “dimple” is much less evident in the 2nd part where I increased the lead in to .250.

I assume you are using Sheetcam, so use the “start from center of circles” option. Specify a dimension for the maximum size of circle that you want to start in the center of. I use it for anything smaller that .75".

The “layer” is your drawing. It will not always be “0”. It will be whatever name it’s assigned to it by the drawing program. Just click on the layer field and it will usually be the only one listed.

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When you say “what kinds” , do/did you mean the 'length" of the lead in?

I posted ".150 to .250 but I was typing while you posted.

Yes i am using Sheetcam.

I will try that.

Will that reduce/eliminate the “dimple” problem?

On circles, it will start at the center and spiral out to the circle. It will reduce the dimple caused by the sudden directional change from the lead in to the circle.

Using an “arc” lead in/out also helps to reduce the sudden direction change.

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I was using an “arc lead in” so maybe your idea of starting in the center will eliminate it.

I would try it today , but I decided to go out on a high notes and “take a victory lap” (or 2) :cocktail: :cocktail:

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In sheetcan, what do you have your contour method set to? Should be outside offset

@OldNBroken I think it is.

How/where do I check?

Here is a “video” of my 2nd part cutout.

All “constructive criticisms” welcome…

Holy sh!t , this is going to cost me a butt-load of money in steel…LOL

https://rumble.com/v5a3gm5-langmuir-crossfire-pro-second-cut…html

open sheetcam. Go to “operations”, plasma cut, contour method. It will be first item on the screen. It just looks to me you may not have that set to outside offset.

No joke! That is why I don’t cut much. I only cut what I absolutely need or someone requests now. I did some things for gifts and my wife’s craft booth but it never sold enough nor was it appreciated enough for me to do it again.

Good for you. I remember that feeling: All the angst built up wondering if I was ever going to get this machine to come to life and do what I expected. The moment it did, I was like “Yahoo!”

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Thanks @OldNBroken .

I did use 'outside offset".