Use of Plasma Cutters in restoration

[Stuart Fedak]

I am just discovering the many uses of the latest generation of plasma cutters and their use in vehicle restoration. Besides the obvious uses in cutting out rusted and damaged areas. these devices are amazing at cutting out replacement panels, and speed up replacement panel creation.

One can also make various templates out of wood and aluminium and use these to manufacture all sorts of parts that can be used for welded projects.

I find that a Plasma Cutter, in combnation with a MIG welder opens up all sorts of potential for home garage restoration projects. For sheet metal use, these are far superior to oxy-acetylene cutters (at least in my hands).

What sort of restorations/projects have you been able to do with a Plasma Cutter?

http://www.expertvillage.com/video/4...sma-cutter.htm
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/4...hape-piece.htm
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/4...bend-metal.htm
http://www.millerwelds.com/products/plasma/
Check out the video clips at:
http://www.millerwelds.com/products/...m_375_x-treme/

Cheers!
Stuart

[aj.lec]

They are a great tool for a whole variety of jobs
The one i have is a combination Plasma ,tig welder and stick welder
The plasma is very good at blowing off unworkable bolt heads allbeit a bit savage on the tips when you do a larger bolt or rivet

[maple_leaf_eh]

Stuart:
What are you building / cutting?

[Ken Hughes]

Stuart,some plasma machines can be turned down to cut just the outer layer off where you have more than one thickness of panel steel,they are that good.
I would like to use tig for panel repairs,less clean up involved,but only have mig so lots of grinding.
A chap in my workshop some years ago used tig to put the bottom of panels back on.
(The old ones rotted off from sitting on the ground)it was a 33 chev coupe and had been used as a chicken coup.

[Phil Waterman]

Thanks Stuart for starting this thread-

I've been using a plasma cutter for years, but the links you brought in showed/told me something new, that is the impact of high-frequency arc start on many plasma cutters. Namely that computers don't like it, I often had my shop computer shut down, reboot, etc, if the plasma cutter was plugged into certain outlets in the shop. Now I know the cause.

The Miller site is particularly interesting as it is talking about the smaller size plasma cutters and how much they really can do.

One comment that I would make for any one considering buying a plasma cutter is to look at the tip of the cutting head some of them are made with a cone shaped tip and some are cylinder shaped. The cone shape is much harder to cut to a template as the tip tends to ride up. The straight sided cylinder tips are easier to to follow along a template.

Speaking of templates when cutting complicated shapes out of thin sheet metal I often cut my templates out of refrigerator magnets. You would think that the heat would burn the magnets but in reality you can get a number to parts cutout with the same template.

Cheers

[Bob Carriere]

...pulled out the Pee cutter this weekend and it would not fire up.....

....kept getting a yellow caution light that the tip needed servicing.... took tip apart and replaced all the components.....still no go !!!!!

Miffed !!!!

Now its sitting in the truck of the car for a visit to the doctor !!!

Boob

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

....
Now its sitting in the truck of the car for a visit to the doctor !!!

Boob

You have a car !?! I thought you just had that wheeled battle cruiser of a truck!

[Bob Carriere]

Being a Furd battleshit it is parked at a Ford dealer in Pcikering where it broke down a week ago......

....wiring harness grounded behind the dash...... setting the 4x4 on and off..

the short was fixed for .050 cents.... damage to the electronics still not fully resolved.....

so I am driving a car.... a Chev no less!!!

Totally Pi***d

Boob