I used to use a waterjet guy down the street, but thing has really enabled me to improve my workflow considering I don’t have to plan so far ahead and can make rapid updates if I don’t like how something fits.
This is not used regularly, and I dont have room to leave it in the same spot all the time, so these mods help me move it around quickly (and reconnect) etc.
Thought I would share some tweaks I made (and I know others have done similar)
raise laptop top (i am 6’2"); also added o-rings to the ‘axle’ for nicer feel/movement and hold.
integrate laptop PSU into table; including ycable so I only have one 110v plug required.
move airline up for easier changes
small shelf for plasma cutter; i also removed the handle so my plasma consumable box sits nicely.
nice work…but I have one sugestion…putting wheels on the legs of the pro…and also mounting your plasma cutter on one leg is adding stresses to the table frame that will most likely cause your table to slowly go out of square in the next couple of years…
How do I know this…?
My table went out of square and I had to rebuild the whole table.
the legs are part of the rail system and putting stress on the legs will put a huge stress on the fame as a whole.
think of a level and a pivot point…the legs are on the long side of the pivot point thus giving it hige force advantage over the short end…that is what is going to happen to the table frame.
think of when the table is cutting…it jerks around a fair bit…the vibrations can get pretty intense.
If you are tall you would be better off building a rolling platform with wheels and leveling legs to put the table on…I did that and it made all the difference…
not only is the table higher but it is easier to move…provides a storage area…
here is my rough repair done to my table after I remobed the wheel and built a base…
Interesting I had not thought of that, but it makes sense. Note it comes with wheels, I didn’t add them. I think this was a change recently for the CrossFire. Easy solution would be to tie the bottom of the legs together. Not sure its an issue for me though due to light weight material I cut.
The plasma cutter is very light, about 15lbs. I also only cut light weight material (heaviest would be a 2x2 .125thk steel plate).
I did not see that it was the OG table…so there is less chance of this as there is no extra Y rail…
so my bad on that part…the Pro table is at serious risk for this as each leg runs through the Y rails…
you do not clean work…that is clear…
although it is minimal…but putting the plasma on outrigger like you have does put forces of around 30 to 55 lbs on the top of the leg strut and the rail…you are slightly forcing the leg outwards at the bottom.
to reduce that force run a struc from the bottom of the rail right down to the corner of the plasma support…this will distribute the weight better…
@JordonMusser Tall guy here as well. I built a pallet and put my table on that. 10" Lift, and what was the floor for the table is now a giant shelf for my table fluid, cutter, and other odds and ends.
I thought I had pictures, and may have posted them in another thread last year.
No casters on my, I move it in my “Fab Trailer” and shop during the winter with a pallet jack. I just put 3 leveling jacking bolts on the base.
Ya i thought about a shelf below, could store raw material etc. I still might do that, but mine gets moved EVERY time I use it and even more often. its “home” is right in front of my lathe, so if I need that I have to move it. And if I am cutting, I need to roll it away from the lathe.
I had some ideas on how to re-org so it doesnt have to move so much, but then I realized I might be able to fit a smaller VMC in if I made those moves. LOL, never ends
Others here have done various mods to make their table moveable, incorporating that new base as or with a shelf. Any frame that you put on the bottom will strengthen it for moving in the shop, especially if the base is either rigid enough, or cross braced.
Most garage and shop floors are pretty smooth so not too much worry about “racking” the frame, again even more so if the base is rigid.
