I followed forum inputs to adjust the settings and successfully cut small test pieces that looked real clean.
46a
15ipm
cut height: .04 (to achieve .06) as noted by others
1.6 pierce delay
.13 pierce height
Triple checked everything and went for the dive to cut the actual piece which is 2 ft long. Consisting of three traces, Cutter started the first trace solid the first 18 or so inches then the surface started bubbling up and penetration failed. I could have stopped the program but I let it run its course. The trace looped around and another 18 inches later, I decided to pause the system as the bubbling was causing a lot of spark. Right before I paused, I noticed the arc somehow stabilized and started cutting clean. Regardless, I replaced to fresh tips before trace 2.
After the first trace, I let the machine run the second trace which starts from the opposite side of trace 1. Surprisingly, it cut perfectly well until the last few inches.
The third trace, which starts at the same side as trace 1 and runs about as long surprisingly cut extremely clean despite that I thought it was gonna fail the same way the trace 1 failed.
First take away is that the plate surface to nozzle distance was not consistent. The plate sat slightly higher where the first trace started failing. This leads me to think that THC is not just an “ADD ON“ but an absolutely necessary feature in plasma cutting.
But what did not make sense is how trace 3 successfully finished right next to trace 1.
I’m gonna have to get THC before I resume cutting but I wanted to check with you for any inputs so my next cut can come out successful.
You are running out of air, and you are likely dealing with a moisture issue, due to your low CFM and storage, your air has no time to cool and drop the moisture out, before it hits the cutter. Need to have double the cfm and a bigger tank(60 gallon would be good)for machine cutting. You could get away with small jobs with that setup but cutting 3/8 material you are moving slow burning through allot of air on those long cuts. Your compressor likely never stopped running the entire cut? It’s not likely that a 3/8” plate is all that affected by not having a THC setup. Unless the plate came with a significant warp. THC will be nice but what you really need is a new air compressor and at least a descant filter.
A 60 gallon compressor is useful for many things in the shop. In addition to the plasma table, I use mine for sand blasting, powder coating, paint sprayer, air tools, blowing out my sprinkler system for winter, etc..
This will defiantly effect your overall load but the only desert on earth you could get away with no water vapour extraction is Antarctic on a cold day.
Pressure Dew Point (PDP) is a completely different beast than (RH) relative humidity
My first cuts I used a similar sized compressor… I used it to cut an adapter plate to mount a HF pump to mount to an old compressor from my dad’s barn. You can use what you have but you will be limited in what you can cut, and will cost you more in the long run burning through consumables. Factor in all the extra time in pauses you will need to allow you compressor to keep up… I’d say you can’t afford not to budget for a bigger compressor. I’m not telling you what you should do… just speaking from my own experience.
What I have does not work, and I get it. My idea was that the advertised scfm at 5.1 is continuous so tank size didn’t matter but it clearly isn’t. It’s best to have a large tank like others mentioned.
Unless anyone think it’s a bad idea, I’ve decided on a husky 30 gallon 200psi 5.1 scfm @ 90psi. This will net me several minutes of continuous use before cooldown. My cut is about under 5 minutes. 60 gallon sounds great but most are oil lubed and 240V. My plasma cutter recommends oil less and I only have one 240 outlet in my garage atm.
It may not also be the best in the long run but to get you by for a while. You can often find small compressors that have burnt up pumps for little to no cost. You can slave the tanks together to increase volume.
I put a 10 gallon accumulator tank on the shelf under my Pro. Even though my compressor is 60 gallons, it creates an additional float pressure right at the cutter in case I have any losses over a fairly long pipe run.
It will certainly help a little. I understand starting on a budget.
I use a 80 gallon compressor that I have 2 30 gallons tanks slaved in with it.
It is what it is you may also need to maybe break you project up so you can cut certain profiles then let your compressor rest. You will also have to deal with hot air which means harder to remove what moisture is in it.
No pressure drop and the compressor was able to maintain pressure.
The bad news,
2 days later, I decided to cut another one. Same setting. Arc struggles to stabilize in the beginning, possibly due to being too close to the edge. Arc stabilizes at turn. Then after the turns, it starts bubbling again.
Tip change. Repositioned ground clamp
Second run, starts out fine then has a hiccup at the turn, recovers, does fine for 20” then bubbles again.
