Ive had my XR for 2 years. It has been great. I am a hobbyist user using it a few times per month for an array of parts from tractor repair to car repair to signs and model trains. All of the cutting I have done has taken its toll on the painted water table finish.
I just scraped the table clean after my last cutting session and noticed the peeling gray paint and generally scratched condition, now coated in rust. I am thinking that I need to periodically scrape and paint the table with a good quality epoxy paint. Or…I am fairly certain that it will be not long before a hole has corroded through and will require a more involved repair.
Does anyone else have a plan? Maybe Langmuir will offer a stainless steel upgrade? Anyone else painting in order to delay inevitable corrosion?
I think I will paint for now, not having much of another choice. Any suggestions for a good paint product?
I don’t have the XR, so I can’t really say what others do. As far as paint, I might consider something that is meant to be on the bottom of a boat. I did a quick look on home Depot and this is such a product.
But, you might wait to hear from others. This “anti fouling paint” leeches copper into the water to limit algae and barnacle growth. I don’t know if that sets up a harmful situation with the plasma stream.
Another concern is that is the plans stream hits the painted surface, I am not sure if will survive and you will be back to exposed metal.
Are you using a rust inhibitor additive like Sterling Cool or Plasma Green?
I dont use a rust inhibitor. I was thinking that that would just get vaporized and added into the air during cutting and probably dont need any more crappy byproducts in the air…metal is bad enough.
I think i am going to try epoxy paint. If Langmuir offers a SS upgrade, probably would go for it…might make my own.
Mercy sakes. I just read that statement. I must have been in more of a hurry than I should be. Here is the Rosetta stone interpretation of what I meant to say:
“Another concern is the if the plasma stream hits the painted surface, I am not sure it will survive and you…”
The two products I listed have been around for some time. I really like that Sterling Cool is even safe for the environment so it won’t contaminate water and streams. But as for your concerns, who is telling me that it is safe? Yep, the snake oil salesmen who are selling the product. I don’t know. It is really hard to trust a lot that you read and hear. I get it.
If you do get a good coat of paint, try not to be so tidy. Many are going with the theory that if they leave the sludge in the pan, it protects if from the plasma stream if you cut thick plate regularly.
Same here but I dont have any rust. I drain my table when done with it and I use steeling cool.
I agree on the rust-oleum paint. Clean well and let the paint dry as long as you can ( 2 weeks would be great) and you will have a very durable finish.
we’ll see. I have (somewhat) cleaned the trays, used some mineral spirits to degrease a bit, and coated with a couple of coats of rustoleum. I have seen many locations in the tray where the factory paint is blistered and corroding underneath. I scraped these and re-coated with paint. It wont be perfect, but it will hopefully delay some corrosion, and I can make it a yearly ritual if need be. That said, I think stainless is the way to go. Ditto for the slats…mine are rusty.
Wish the stainless was not so pricey. Maybe it is not worth the squeeze.
Regardless, the table has been great. I’ve been very happy with it.
I have not. I fill the table, cut, and then drain the water. I dont use it often enough to leave it filled constantly, and I have not committed to an under-table storage solution. If I were to do that, I might try an additive. Which one(s) do you like/recommend?
