The Ups and Downs of Owning a CNC Plasma Cutter // Lift Arc Studios
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 มิ.ย. 2024
- Howdy viewers!
You guys have seen bits and pieces of what it's been like for us to get to know our Shop Sabre CNC plasma table over the past few videos, but we wanted to make a more in-depth video walking you through all the facets of this machine, the good things, the bad things and the things we wish we knew before we bought it!
Consider this an unofficial review hosted by a barely qualified CNC plasma owner/operator. Tay walks you through his thought process before he bought the machine, what it was like to take delivery of it, how the set up process went, what early issues he ran into and what adjustments he's made since to get the table to cut the way it's supposed to.
If you're curious about buying a table like this, we would strongly recommend checking out @shopsabre their customer service is outstanding and their product is top notch for the money.
A good example of another small (ish) metal shop who does a lot of CNC plasma work is @42Fab , Tay watched a lot of their videos before pulling the trigger on our own machine.
Also, check out @MakerTable for more juicy plasma and laser cutting content, and to get rad DXF files for your plasma table!
Timestamps for those who are curious!
0:00 Background & Recap
3:29 Overview of the Market
5:18 Customization Options
9:38 Our Experience with the Computer
12:27 Examples of Cuts
16:09 Projects We've Made Using the Plasma Cutter
19:35 General Overview
20:59 Important Research Before You Buy
Thanks for watching!
To inquire about a custom build we can help you bring to life, or to be a sponsor of the channel, shoot Tay an email at: Tay@liftarcstudios.com
Hosted by: Tay Whiteside
Filmed by: Tay Whiteside and Walker Hooper
Edited by: Walker Hooper
Music Licensed from Artlist.io
Be sure to follow Lift Arc Studios on Instagram and Facebook!
@liftarcstudios
Liftarcstudios.com
Any technique or methodology shown in this video is purely for entertainment and informational purposes only. Lift Arc Studios and their associated craftsmen are not liable for any injury or damage to your shop or surrounding areas you man incur while trying to emulate these builds.
Remember, be safe, have fun, work smart! - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Pretty good overview!
Hey thanks man! Love your channel 🤙
Try to go up when u cut.i have povermax 105 and bottom side is clear.whats your cutting speed od that 5 mm steel?
I recommend cutting triangular gussets with holes in them for your test pieces, at least those problem piece can be made into useful reinforcements on tables, cages, etc.
Searched for a while about pros and cons of a plasma tables and this was one of the best!! I’m in the market for a table and this was super helpful! “Buy once cry once” I love it!
Great video, thanks for creating. Currently exploring my options for a table. Love the old line drive shaft hanging from the roof. Powering the tools from yester year.
I’m digging those line shafts! What a cool building!
Thanks for the video!! Our CNC plasma should be here in September (Langmuir's new XR). Luckily we have the CAD skills already. The insights about setup and operation were really helpful.
Another awesome video. Tons of great information! I went with the powermax 65. The only reason for me to have gone to 85 is to get 100% duty cycle at 65 amps. Kinda kicking myself for that one but your right it’s an expensive jump for the power! I just need to pause my table to give the cutter a little time to cool down. Keep up the great work!
6.50 the best and clearest explanation of how a plasma torch works on the Internet. Thanks.
SUPER helpful. Thanks for this one. I've been shopping for a plasma but didn't really know where to start. This was it. Thanks!
Glad it was a useful resource for you! Enjoy your plasma adventures! - Tay
Extremely helpful information on plasma cutters.....I'm in the very early stages of setting up a fab shop, so this information will be valuable!
I just bought my shop saber. Don’t cheap out and buy a bolt together one. You’ll regret it LOL
I built my own 8ftx12ft plasma table over ten years ago. I love having the extra size to leave thick sheets on the table and being able to cut small parts off of the thicker sheets in the back to compliment the designs I cut from the thinner sheets I could easily load myself.
Great content and wonderful to see your shops progression. So, what I have heard before is true, size matters LOL :) John here.
I don't sit in front of the computer every afternoon, but taking a break paid benefits with your latest post! And I love the shirt, Thanks.
You're the best! So glad you like the shirt! Aren't they comfy!
Hello Tay,
A very interesting and informative video... thank you...
Take care.
Paul,,
Thank you for the video I’ll keep all the information in mind👍👍👍
Good video. There was a lot of helpful info packed in there for prospective plasma table buyers. I think shop floor space may be a consideration, too. Seems like everyone will run out of shop space, eventually, except you... and Keith Rucker... and Brian Block, lol. Stay safe.
Great video. Looking forward to trying my first cuts
I really enjoy your content and presentation. Having recently retired and not ready to pasture yet, I have toyed with the idea of setting up a plasma table based business, though I'm a mile away from that actually happening since I don't even have a facility to operate from. I have been a Lincoln fan forever and went through the effort to have them send me pricing for the Torchmate line. Like you, I found their pricing to be quite high and well beyond any profitability metric I could imagine. Shop Sabre looks like a good alternative (providing all else were to pan out).
Very good and easy to understand video. Like you say the software (specifically the drawing software) is the killer for most folks. I actually started drawing with CoralDraw before CNC machines were mainstream. I then bought a vinyl cutter to hone those skills with, I now have 2 CNC plasma cutters and a CNC router is on the 2 build list as well.
Now my dig.. Computer? who needs a stinking computer??
Great video, thanks for sharing this information 🙏🙏🙏
Great job on the explanation !
With your computer freezing, try a battery UPS from a reputable brand. It will clean up the power coming in preventing the computer from freezing. Also run the plasma on a different circuit in your shop. High frequency noise can be a pain and very intermittent. All the best!
Pretty decent learning curve and realistic expectations is a must. I bought a PlasmaCAM table and a Hypertherm 1250 plasma. Dialing in your cut speed very well (sometimes 1 or 2 ipm make the difference) will make the dross almost non existent or fall off when you touch it but the wrong setting can make it super hard to remove. Also 1-3deg of bevel on part edges is normal with plasma. I had 0.9-1.3deg bevel and was chasing my tail trying to figure out what the problem was, not knowing its just how plasma cuts. Wish someone made a video like this before I spent $15k and expected to be off and running in a week haha.
Nice plasma and workshop .. :) Im building from scratch my CNC combo plasma 2.4 x 1.5m . Thanks for sharing
Love ❤️ your Sasquatch!👍😎
I am very impressed with your cutting knowledge. ( I have worked for Hypertherm for over 30 years and have over 25 years of cutting experience.) Hole quality is difficult to perfect. I am not familiar with your software package. I suggest experimenting with your lead-in, radial or arc tends to work better than straight lead-ins. And also experiment with your lead-out length, again radial probably works best. These settings, will vary by material thickness, material type, and hole size. As you stated in the video the book settings are a good place to start but you may need to tweak things.
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Nice video thank you for all the details you shared...
My pleasure!
Very good and very informative video, thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the video. Very useful.
Not sure if its of any help but I did watch another video on torch height control. The guy was talking about how the shape of the plasma jet contributes to the beveling of the metal. He talked about adjusting torch height so that the square edge of the plasma jet ( he had drawn it like a flame...elongated ellipse) was adjacent to the metal. This flat part of the ellipse did the cutting and helped create more square cuts. So torch height varied depending on material thickness. HTH.
Absolutely, i didnt know that until i actually bought this table, and i had been using plasma cutters for years! There is certainly more dialing in that i need to do to make sure the "flat" part of the plasma jet is as centered as possible. It just takes a lot of test cuts and fine adjustments. One day itll be perfect......one day...... Cheers! - Tay
Thank you for the great video and being honest and upfront about your experience. Six months ago I bought a 4x8 table from FastCut CNC and after hearing about some of your troubles I feel even better about my purchase. I also bought my machine with the banks money. Many of the concerns you have about the computer and software are much more streamlined and intuitive with the FastCut software / computer package. I am also really glad mine came with a far superior torch break away mount. Honestly I am a bit surprised yours is even offered with that mount. I don't know if anyone would be satisfied with that mount in the long run. Thanks for staying positive with the video, it's all too easy to come away with a negative impression when starting in on such a complex piece of equipment.
Great video I really enjoyed it, I ordered a 5x10 table myself and it’s supposed to be here 8/11/21. With your holes not being straight cut is there a A-B axis that’s possibly turned on? I used to run and program a waterjet and that was the case
Thanks for the great info
Since my fab shop is Bigfoot Fab and Design love your video! I wish I had bought a 5x10 but got the 4x8 from Arc1cnc. I have the Hypertherm 65. Thank you for sharing your info.
Very helpful information nice to know 👍. Thanks 😊!!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching! Cheers - Tay
i like the torchmate 4400 from lincoln electric the 3 balls on the torch breakaway to keep it aligned is really nice
Build your own CNC, like that idea 💡👍😉.
Nice video :)
Regarding the torchholder: I copied the method from TruCut, which works really well: It consists of two V blocks in where the torch is held by 2 tension springs strapped around it. And in each point of the "V" I've mounted a limit switch which I wired in the emergency stop circuit. Even a small obstruction pushes the torch from the bottom of the "V" and the machine stops. When you remove the obstruction, the torch snaps back because of the spring tension. Such a simple system, can highly recommend to look into make something like that yourself :)
Do you have any video or pictures of your torch mount?
Thanks Dude!! learned alot
Kinda curious if you had to tweak the THC at all to prevent it from diving or rising too much or were all the THC defaults okay? I operate a sidekick 12 at the fab shop I work in and we had some trouble with the THC.
Loved Black Dog Salvage. A very talented group of people.
One small clarification, the powermax xp45 is specd to cut up to 3/4 inches thick cleanly and sever up to 1 inch ( I believe)
Fair enough! Like I stated, i think I over-ordered on the 85 but what's done is done! Thank you for watching and for the kind words! Cheers, - Tay
Helpful video. Thanks! That sucks with the hole misalignment issue on the table. That would send my OCD into overload. I have a Hypertherm 65 (no table yet). I'm curious as to why your torch is mounted into the holder with about 5-6 inches sticking out. I would think it would be better for rigidity, accuracy and misalignment purposes if it were to be mounted much closer to the torch tip end. You could then lower the whole vertical torch mounting thing on the cross rail to compensate.
One thing to consider when buying a plasma cutter is that a larger unit not only cuts thicker material it cuts thinner metal faster. When I get an order for 4 or 5 hundred gussets out of 1/4in yes the 45a amp will cut it but 85a will cut much faster.
thanks a lot... great info.
Enjoyed the video. I didn't get a good look at it but I would suggest drip legs in the air system. Even with a good dryer, condensation will build up especially in southern humidity.
Yes, my air system is not perfect, it was a bit of a rush install to get up and running, im sure ill be fine tuning it in the future. Luckily, the hypertherm has a water separator on the back of it as well for one last ditch effort. Thanks for watching! - Tay
Brilliant explanation on this mate appreciate it. To hard basket I think. I’m just handy man looking into it. Think I’ll just make templates up and use my manual plasma cutter do make stuff. Cheers for the reality check dude I needed it.
I did it that way for 15 years! I feel lucky to be able to speed up the process with technology now though! Thanks for watching - Tay
You are an excellent teacher. I am thinking about getting a CNC plasma cutter for about 14 gauge steel plate.
Well you're awful kind, im no teacher, just bringing yall along for the ride! I say go for it, the good news is if 14ga is all youll be cutting, you can get a machine for much cheaper than i paid. Happy cutting! - Tay
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Most informative. One thing, how difficult is it to clean out the water table? Really enjoyed your delivery. What water jet would you purchase? Best of luck in your bus.
Thank you!
I kinda regret not spending more and getting the Shop Sabre. I ended up getting a Langmuir Crossfire XR. When it works, it's awesome. It's basically a kit that you have to assemble and fine tune the best you can to get something usable out of it. For the price, I understand that. What I didn't care for is how much they cheapened out on the electronics. No name computer and touch screen straight from China and the limit switches are insanely fragile. I do plan to modify it in the future with linear rails and bearings and make my own 1 piece water table.
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that was disappointed with the mag holder. My rep had kind of talked me out of the collision detection even though I made it very clear what we do for work on a daily basis. We just upgraded to it this week and I'll tell you it is a night and day difference. They really should just make it a standard option and do away with the magnet all together. Otherwise, these tables are phenomenal! Tight, fast, and extremely accurate once its dialed in and has the upgraded torch holder.
That's really good to hear! Its an upgrade im considering in the very near future. Our machine doesn't run 24/7...yet, so its not a super crucial downer at the moment but if i ever do a job as big as that custom fab table we made again, there's no way I'm tackling it without doing the upgrade first. I agree with you, it should be standard equipment. Cheers! - Tay
Hi! Great explanation! Can you let me know which software comes along with the plasma cutter? you mentioned it, but couldt get hold of it, my language is spanish. Thanks in advance!
The only thing I seen that the shop saber has over the JD squared is linear rails.. but the JD has a really nice torch holder, a nice computer stand and it also is ran through cat5 cable. The plugs you have on the shop saber is the same as a printer plug from years ago. Very hard to find.. I paid about 10k less for my 4x8 JD and believe you would be surprised.. they also uploaded all Parameters into the interface. So you can click what consumables you are using and thickness of metal.. another thing it comes stock with a laser dot to zero with..
We use an abrasive machines for some parts, old as hell and keep getting problems with it breaking down and having to fix it. Damn was really hoping to be blown away but thank you for the video
awesome video! shows me exactly why I don't want one! setup requirements are no small deal!
Quality vid thanks. Do you pay yearly or whatever for enroute or once u get it is it yours for life?
Damn good video. Thank you for the information, it helped a ton.
Hi, I m on the fence on buying a 63a or 120a plasma source. I am a beginner. Does the operation cost between the two is too much? By any chanche do you have an estimated?.
Love your channel!
What did you play with to fix the bevel problem on thicker gauges?
With slag you get to it quickly and using stainless to scrape works well on it...
It would be pretty easy to modify your magnetic mount so that it has positive positioning stops and still breaks away on collision.
When you were doing your research did you ever consider Langmuir? Less industrial and more hobbyist but was considering it to get my feet wet.
Why haven't you built a way to secure the plasma head to the Z axis? Even if you need it to break away for collision you could put a base plate it rests on and lines up with every time and it could still twist with impact.
I have a powermax 85 and don't have a water tray so I have a huge amount of distortion. I have to use a spirit level on the material to be cut or the torch will stop when it hits. I need to make a heavy duty water tray. How often do you need to change the water in your machine.
Very nice
Thank you, I am from Mexico and your video help me a lot to invest in my first CNC plasma, the only question I have is with the water bed it help for the steel to not “fold” when the plasma is cutting ?
Short answer: Yes! Water table helps immensely with deformation. Cheers! - Tay & Walker
thank you
If water is splashing up onto the underside of the material when you're cutting you must know that it is quenching the steel and therefore weakening the material by changing the grain structure of the metal?
You would be rapidly cooling the metal making it a martensite grain structure which is hard meaning it is also very brittle.
Sooo I recently bought a Shopsabre Sidekick 10 and your videos are very helpful and well done! I live in SW VA, can you tell me a good place to get sheet metal? Thanks so much for your help!
Bmg metals! Free delivery
Hay much thanks for ALL the info given in your vlogs, I truly appriciate. I am looking to ask my Boss to purchase a Shop Sabre table. So, SHOP SABRE this guy is doing a absolutely great job getting sale for your product so, assist him in some way with the COLISSION HEAD!! Plz. Thanks.👍💯
What is the 3 phase voltage lines? is it 240? or 120v?
You need to look at Vcarve software, 100 times easier than fusion or most other cad systems especially for plasma 2 d files, seriously it saved me from CNC frustration
Boss laser makes some ok priced metal cutting laser machines I think I will get one of those
7:15 Point of order... according to the manufacturer a Hypertherm Powermax 45 can cut up to 5/8" steel (16mm).
I work, assembled machines with the same structure, only they have, a tank between the rails. My problem has been aligning the rails on each side, to ensure parallelism and squareness. The rails are located at a distance of 3 meters from each other. Do you know any technical and effective alignment system. Well, I do it empirically with a tensioned steel wire.
I would say most of problems come from windows itself, you have best solution to just without connection to Internet, it most reliable way to keep windows update from braking things. Sad that manufacturers don't have software for Linux and mac, it would bump reliability of computers way up. Someone mentioned ups, they usually don't have filters for grid power, just basic ones. It's more complicated and involves transformer and tricky circuitry.
Very cool man! Thanks for this video. I'm trying to purchase a plasma table right now! I want to take a look at the ShopSabre's operating and maintenance manual before I go and spend $20k+ on a new machine. But they wont share it with me! Do you or (anyone in YT land) have a .pdf of it to share?
email me at Tay@liftarcstudios.com
In my area , having 3 phase adds 120 on to your bill for availability. Not too efficient around here.
I'm about to pull the trigger on a new Shop Sabre sidekick myself and it looks like you've dialed in the settings for the 1/4" plate you made your welding table out of as the holes look like the bevel was eliminated. Would you be willing to share your settings for the 1/4" plate as I too would like to build a fixturing table?
For sure! I took a picture of the setup screen and uploaded it here: netorgft4547315-my.sharepoint.com/:i:/g/personal/tay_liftarcstudios_com/EXquFJGzxCBFsZT75s2OjfwB5KvpSxcyCBZW2_-H3zZadw?e=SbGO95
So if a tornado blew away your shop and you had to buy a new machine, software and cutter, would you absolutely go the same route and buy the same set up? OR.... are there some features, equipment etc that you don't have that you would like to add. (The reason I used the tornado reasoning was to eliminate the question of a "second" set up.)
Love the question man! I think i would definitely go with shop sabre again because of the build quality and customer service BUT i would definitely get the collision detection torch holder. The magnetic torch holder is kind of lame, needs constant adjustment and i dont trust it enough to walk away from the machine while its cutting which is also lame. Ill probably upgrade soon! Cheers, - Tay
@@LiftArcStudios Thanks for the response... I'll be narrowing down my choices in the next couples of months. Your video is good ammunition.
@@LiftArcStudios my archlight has a double magnet and 2 bolt heads for quik alignment also my xp 45 amp cuts 1/2 like butter......
What type of inexpensive computer would you recommend running this same hypertherm powermax 85 setup on. I have the table and cutter but no computer. Just learning the basics right now.
for sure, you dont need much power, if you're at all handy with computers, you can build one with used parts for cheap. the only thing it must have is enough PCI ports on the motherboard to support the CNC controller card. a used dell workstation or something would have plenty of power
is it worth it? YES! subbed : )
can cut 10mm with our powermax 45, with square edges 3/8"
What is your opinion on the enroute software? Just bought a used plasma table that is running enroute. Hoping it's a powerful easy to use program.
Enroute is definitely a bit antiquated. If you're used to any modern drafting software, the controls, button layout and navigation is going to feel very cludgey. I do most of my drawing in Fusion 360 and just export the DXF to EnRoute for the cutting.
Thanks for watching! - Tay
Hi, I just recently built my own CNC plasma table and now I would like to know if you're using something in your water pan to prevent rust from building up?
Yes, I use the Plasma Defense additive from Shop Sabre. Cuts down on rust, smell and mold/other living organisms. Good on ya for building one yourself, that's a good chunk of work! Cheers! - Tay
Arm & Hammer Washing Soda! its about $4 a box at Wally World and will treat 100 gallons
Why would a magnetic attachment be an option over something like a fixed-position, indexable head?
Cutting better on the right side could be due to the direction of the spiral in the torch head.
U know where i can download the chart?
MAX Drift sticker!!!
Thé bank has no money !
You work,you pay...
The bank robs you not only in interests but your entire hard earned cash!
Say no to them thieves people! Keep your money in your pockets and always try to deal in cash!
Go bless and thanks for sharing.
Only going on what I can see in the video. Why don't you place the bracket further down the torch? Look like you have plenty of scope to do so.
I HAVEDOWNDRAFT TABLE WITH CURTAIN AROUND AND WORK BETTER CLEANER PARTS, NO RUST, THERE IS BASICALLY NO SMOKE GOING OUT IF YOU LOOK FROM OUTSIDE TO THE CHIMNEY, THE SMOKE MIX WITH AIR ARE MOVING SO FAST YOU NEVER SEE ANY SMOKE FROM THE CHINMEY, AND YOU CAN ALSO INSTALL AN IN-LINE FILTER FOR CLEANER AIR
I USED AN OLD COMPUTER WITH WIN XP AND MACH 3, NEVER HAD PROBLEM FOR 15 YEARS NOW AND DONT WANT CONNECT TO INTERNET AND NEVER UPDATE TOO, STILL WORK FAST, STAY AWAY FROM INTERNET AND UPDATE
...THANK YOU ...i am a small organic farmer in bavaria and i need to built some machinery ...therefore i want to built a 2m x 1m PlasmaCNC Table , so that i can cut large steel plates with 2x1m ...i could built the table by myself, but is there a complete xyz-system-set including motors, axis, steering / controll and software etc? Does anybody has an link to alibaba or aliexpress etc. ...where do i find the best price for the best components (in terms of price & performance) ...would be great if you could help!!!
Can u please give me the model number for this machine and all the details about, planning to buy same machine please. THANK YOU
Good vid, Tay. Questions: Pen drive? (same as thumb?) WHAT? They get $15k for the 2x2'? Egad. What a shame about the computer. Won't they swap it out for you?
Yeah, idk why i call it that, i think PNY used to make a lot of flash drives so maybe people jumbled the letters and started calling it pen? Maybe just a southwest VA thing haha. Computer is fine now, controller card was not fully inserted into the motherboard and customer service helped bring everything back online after windows updates. Cutting great now! $15k is super cheap in the CNC plasma world. THanks for watching! - Tay
What is your rate what do you charge$$
I would like to have those lineshafts off of your ceiling
Don't knock the powermax 45xp I cut 1/2 super clean!
THE METAL DONT WARP MUCH WITH ANY PLASMA CUTTER BECAUSE THE FLAME IS VERY SMALL COMPARE TO OXI-ACETLINE TORCH THAT HAS TO HEAT A LARGER SURFACE AREA