Question for existing Crossfire owners

#1

I’m an avid CNC hobbyist / woodworker that wants to do metal work. The Crossfire looks like a great shop addition, but I’m wondering about all the other stuff that goes along with use…

I would clear out a corner in my garage for the plasma table, but does it make a monster mess with the water table and sparks to where you constantly have to clean?

Also, what type of air control are you running when cutting? Would a fan blowing above the table and out the garage door be sufficient in vapor control, or did you install an air handler above the machine of some sort.

Will my garage and woodworking equipment get covered in fine metal dust?

Is drywall and inside of garage door going to hold up to the mess that shoots off the machine or will I need some corrugated steel siding wrapped around the table area?

Thanks in advance for any info you can provide. Looks like fun so I’d like to make it all work without spending a small fortune.

#2

With the water table there are no fumes. There are cold orange sparks from the cutting process that would have to be accounted for and splashes from the water table. There is some cleaning after each use but not out of line with other kinds of machines, especially woodworking stuff. If you cut aluminum you’ll get fine aluminum dust on everything near by. Oh and dross removal is what will be messy.

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#3

I’m in your boat. I am a woodworker who does metal. It’s not a big mess. I mean I get more dust on everything from running my table saw. I have started covering all my stuff with drop cloths makes keeping everything clean a cinch. But it’s not a big deal. I usually keep the garage open but with the water table it’s not bad at all. Zero issues with drywall.

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#4

Thanks for the responses. Have you guys seen those welding cloths that you can setup as a barrier? Might try something like that. I guess I’ll give it a go and adjust as necessary.

#5

The most cleanup I do on a normal basis is use a shop vac to get some dross cleanup and I use it on the dust in the area I use the air polisher. The shop vac is used several times a day.

I don’t get a lot of water on the floor and I make sure there are no flammables in the area and that there is a fire extinguisher nearby.

I do keep a pedestal fan near the door to my house that blows outward when I’m cutting but only because it’s been hot in Florida. Fumes haven’t been horrible except when I use the hand torch and cut sheets down.

I have a touch of OCD so I keep my garage/workshop pretty tidy.

I haven’t parked a vehicle in my garage in nearly five years. It’s been my welding shop for that long.

Gunny

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#6

Home Depot canvas paint dropcloths - heavy duty ones. Canvas is pretty flame retardant and it does help keep anything contained in terms of dust (aluminum) or sparks (torch). Just keep the sawdust away so you don’t get a fire that way.

#7

I found that your must keep your water level as high and as close to the metal as possible to control fumes.If you just cut a few things from time to time the smoke won’t be a issue but if you cut a lot expect a brown coat of dust everywhere even with the water table.

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#8

I actually have one attached to my welding table and it goes around all three sides. It’s pretty large so I can take it down and drape it over something or hang it and cut my garage in half.

#9

I have a few of these Tillman welding screens that go around the table when I’m cutting. They are also very handy when cleaning up the cut parts with a grinder to keep all the dust and metal bits in one place. I was accumulating a lot of micro dust while grinding so last year i installed a couple of the Wen shop filters which helped a lot.
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