New plasma cutter

[crazyal]

I've always wanted a plasma cutter but just didn't have enough projects to justify the cost of one that would cut what I would want. I wanted to be able to cut over 1" on occasion for things like tooth shanks on buckets, etc. Well after reading some of the posts here and over at the Pirate 4x4 forum and getting a feeling that Mark wasn't just a salesman who when asked a technical question would just give a canned standard answer I found myself at Everlast's website. The price was about half of what I expected and was low enough to justify jumping in.

 

[k0ua]

Let us know how it holds up, I too would love to have one, or perhaps one of the multiprocess machines. maybe someday:licking:
James K0UA

 

[crazyal]

So today UPS arrived with my PowerPlasma 60. I'll post pictures below as I upload them. I quicky connected a 50 amp plug, the one that looks like an over sized 110v plug and connected up the cables. The cutter came with a small in-line filter, one thing I would like to have seen is a bracket to mount it to the back of the cutter. Other than that with in a few minutes I was ready to cut.

I ran into a few problems though. First I didn't have anything I didn't mind cutting. I finally found an old flywheel that I had welded a pipe to so I could drive ground rods. It had been sitting outside for a few years and was kind of rusty. So I cleaned some of the rust off to get a good ground and I was ready. Well not really. My pressure regulator was/ is stuck. Mark has said that if you put a full 175 psi into the back of it you could blow off a line inside the cutter so I shut off the compressor at 95 psi. It's 33 degrees out so I didn't want to run my refrigerated water separator (don't think I needed to). So I was ready to go.

I guessed that the flywheel was 3/4" of an inch thick so I set the power to 50 and with all the messing around with the compressor I left the pressure at 75 (I remember reading Mark suggesting 60 to someone else but being a new toy I forgot to dial it down).

The next problem I ran into was the flywheel was very rusty and being new to cutting I wasn't very smooth. I found I was moving too fast then would have to wait for the arc to catch up to where I was. I'm sure it made the cut more rough than it would have been if I was smoother. As I got a feel for it I felt like I was doing better however after I stopped I was down to 60psi so it could have been the drop in pressure helped out too.

So as I was taking a few pictures I threw a tape measure on the flywheel and it turns out it's over 1 1/8" think. Now I'm left wondering how much better it would have cut at full power (60). Over all I'm very impressed. I can't answer long term durability since I've only used it for a couple of minutes but so far it's been more than I expected.

 

[crazyal]

 

[crazyal]

 

[crazyal]

 

[crazyal]

Until today the thickest thing I had ever cut with a plasma cutter was a bearing race that had fused itself onto a crankshaft. It was maybe 1/4". I did it at a friends shop with a small cutter so I didn't play with any of his settings. Now I'm lining up as many projects as I can think of but most will not happen until spring .

 

[Shield Arc]

crazyal I went to Everlast website, but didn't see it. Does that machine have a scarfing setting?

 

[crazyal]

crazyal I went to Everlast website, but didn't see it. Does that machine have a scarfing setting?

I don't know, lol. I haven't downloaded the manual yet. I know they say it will do a light gouge but having such little time on it I really haven't had time to explore it yet. I'm sure Mark would be able to answer easier.

 

[Shield Arc]

In a lot of ways I'd ratter use a plasma for scarfing than a carbon arc torch. A lot cleaner!
Only draw back is sometimes you can't get the plasma torch in where you can a carbon rod, but sometimes you have to use a lot of stick out with a carbon rod too.