I’m waiting for my table to arrive (just received the plasma cutter). I’m just curious if anybody has any tools that they recommend for cleaning up cuts/parts after they pull them off of the cnc machine.
An angle grinder seems like a standard, but I’m curious if people use more specific tools (files, pnuematic grinders, etc) for cleaning up those detailed cuts efficiently?
A 4.5in grinder with flap wheels to deburr and an assortment of good step bits for cleaning/sizing holes.
some guys use an oscillating tool to pull off the dross…then to ease up the work you can soak parts in cleaning vinegar to pull off the mill scale…then rise the piece off then a light brush and ready for paint.
I use a wire wheel on an angle grinder as the first step. Anything that doesn’t come off gets a flap disk next.
I like to use lower powered grinders with the wire wheel. Doesn’t kick as hard if you catch a corner. 7.5 amp Bauer is my go to, instead of the 15 amp dewalt
My fav plasma dross removal tool is a 2" wide, metal paint scraper. Works a peach! 
Yes, that too. Depending on how the cuts line up, it’s easiest to take a straight edge and slide it over to the dross from the inside. Falls right off.
I was making cooktops out of 1/4 inch and just slapping some flat bar back and forth got everything off faster and without sending it flying across the garage.
I use a masonry chisel to knock off dross and then flap disk on 4.5" grinder. Grinders at HF are $20,00 but use the blue discs. The brown ones don’t last a minute. I am now buying online for 1/3 the price of HF discs and they work good for the $.
sometimes i mess up on my settings and use this
other times I can use this
but in Canada we are very environmentally conscious and prefer to use the natural method for cleaning dross
also found this great thread…
air or electric die grinders with different size rotary files and flap wheels work great for detailing any metal project.
start off with this. takes off 99% of dross without taking off metal like flap disks do…
I basicall just use that on front and back edges to clean those up then clean the whole thing with acetone and then hit it with a lil heat from a propane torch to get rid of any moisture left on the metal, then ready for paint.
I use a belt grinder for aluminum parts, steel parts i just throw them on the ground and I am done
I use an angle grinder with flap discs. I get them from Benchmark Abrasives - not super cheap up front, but in the long run, they are the best value I’ve found, because they last for-friggen-ever, and as a bonus, they remove material faster than most stuff that costs 3x as much, too.
I keep threatening to buy a cordless angle grinder, but I have a bin full of corded ones, and I keep different discs on each one for convenience. The $10 HF grinders tend to let the magic smoke out if you run them very long at a time…
Skip the 4" units, go 4 1/2" - you have a much wider range of discs available (can’t even get the best cutoff wheels in 4"), and I like running 4" flap discs on the lower RPM 4 1/2" grinders, for aluminum or fine detail work. Keep the guard - it’s a pain in the butt sometimes, but dross flakes embedded in your hands and face are not fun (let alone pieces of a shattered cutoff disc).
Wire wheels are for removing paint and loose rust, and really loose dross - they’re not very good for much else.
Belt grinders are nice to have, but you can do everything with an angle grinder and good flap discs, and with a belt grinder, you’ll still need an angle grinder now and then (and angle grinders are cheaper).
I have a couple of them…not overly impressed…they are good for a quick cut…quick polish but not for sustained use…they run down to fast…not great at all for wire wheels…ok for zip cuts and a quick flap disk
Yep I concur with what @toolboy said. Pretty much word for word 
I have one that I pretty much only use for short time or when using a corded one will be a pain. Seemed like a good idea at the time…
Drop it on the ground dross side down. The metal will flex and the dross pops off.
I can blame old age and grabbing hot metal by accident and dropping it by telling everyone I am cleaning the dross off…I like it
So I’m not the only one that thinks the water table is also my burn treatment tank in the shop?
Grab hot steel, drop it on the floor, spout something about “dang that’s hot”, plunge offending digit(s) into water table…AAAAAHHHHH. Remove, repeat. 
I just use a bar of flat iron 1"x1/4"x10" to knock off the slag and use a 2"x72" belt grinder to final things up.
Air Chisel!
