I’m back for more feedback, I just recently got the Crossfire Pro and have been doing some initial test cuts, I have cut roughly 10 bottle openers, some leg brackets for a shelf and the cooking castle off of FIRESHARE, all out of 1/8" plate. I have burned thru my first set of consumables (cuts are starting to taper rather then be 90 degrees). I was curious what everyone has there pierce height set to compared to the cut height, is there any type of chart or equation you can do to figure it out depending on the different steel thicknesses. My cut height I have been using is .063 and i think my pierce height was set to .08, is that too little or to much? I think I burnt them up pry do to the pierce height being to small, but also don’t know what is to much either where it wont arc at all, any feedback would be appreciated, love having a forum to ask questions on and try to trouble shoot my user error! Thanks in advance!!
Cheers!
You’ll get a definitive answer if you post the plasma machine you are using.
My Hypertherm wants 0.15" for pierce height. I recall a post from Langmuir that recommends that for the RW45 too.
That’s my bad I always forget the details, I am using the RW 45 with x45 torch
THANKS James!!! I was way off, I will try it tomorrow and see if that helps, I appreciate the info!
The higher pierce height is a huge benefit of THC - the pierce has a lot of flare upwards as it’s establishing the arc and making it through the material. That will splash up to the consumables. It’s not fatal which is why the original Crossfire works fine. But it does reduce your consumables life if you pierce at or near the cut height.
Once it’s through the lower cut height gives you a narrower kerf and the arc splash is going downward (with proper speed 
) so you start high and cut low.
You should see much greater life out of your consumables once you get the head out of the splashback zone for the pierces.
Thanks James I appreciate the info, I am gonna test it out later this evening, I was assuming that since my first set of consumables were so blown out already that I was doing something wrong, thanks for taking the time to explain it! I’m a newbie so still working thru the issues, THANKS AGAIN
Cheers!