Plasma cutter

[eatapeach]

Hi

Has anyone got any experience with plasma cutters? We need to cut extruded aluminum - it's a profiled aluminium about 10mm high by 120mm wide. We've tried a radial arm saw with a proper aluminum blade but the cut isn't fine enough for what we want. We also tried a bench saw but that was even worse......

I know most plasma cutters are hand held - has anyone tried attaching a plasma cutting head to a radial arm?

If not has anyone got any suggestions for how to cut neatly and reliably with a straight edge? I know the stock answer is a £1500 heavy duty table saw but we haven't got that kind of cash......

 

[Gav Peter]

From my limited experience of using a plasma cutter, it won't give you a better cut than the methods you have tried so far...

Try a local fabricator with a band saw - set to fall nice & slow, that should give you a tidy finish. How come you need it so precise?

 

[Chris]

Don't think Plasma is the answer like Gav says. It would need a high end model rather than the typical DIY type. I find it creates a bit of a snow storm with alloy too. That needs sawing. I would have thought a table top saw with one of those Rage? blades would be the answer.

If you have a local double glazing place they might be able to help. No I don't mean uPVC.

 

[eatapeach]

they get an alloy runner screwed to the side - so need to be precise so that no gap shows. eg



We tried a table saw but you can't get it pushed through the blade without catching - hence we are now trying to keep the ally held in position and pass the blade through it with the radial saw. We have a proper aluminium fine toothed blade but it still needs loads of cleaning up after cutting - although we can get it square now.

Problem is that we have variable lengths to cut eg 600mm / 800mm / 1000mm etc. I guess we'll have to look at farming it out if we can't find a cost effective solution to cutting it. cheers

 

[Mal Eade]

Hi Gav

We cut alloy here for different jobs and when a fine edge is needed we finish the end with a disc sander that has a 36''inch face. Set a block at what ever angle is needed and just touch it to finish the edge face.
The other way is with a belt sander like this.
http://www.ronmack.com.au/products/...110101-3-vertical-horizontal-belt-sander.aspx

Mal

 

[stumog]

You cant cut profile likr that with a plasma cutter the change in the thickness all the time will cause the cutter to cut badly. Another way would be a circular saw with a guide and the correct blade. Could you find a local company that will cut it for you shouldnt charge you alot. what about a horizontal band saw our one in work can cut 600mm wide.
Stu

 

[eatapeach]

Another way would be a circular saw with a guide and the correct blade. Could you find a local company that will cut it for you shouldnt charge you alot. what about a horizontal band saw our one in work can cut 600mm wide.
Stu

we tried the circular saw - because of the ridges on top it won't push through properly and keeps snagging. So we bought a big radial saw but even that doesn't cut neatly. We'll probably have to take it somewhere with a big mutha of a table saw. We've got about a mile of this stuff to cut up - and by mile I mean just that - 1500 metres.

All in 600mm lenghts. It doesn't sound too much of a problem except it's all in 5m lengths so it's difficult to transport and you can't just cut it in half and put it in the LC because you'll end up wasting half of it.

 

[Shayne]

I would just clamp it between 2 bits of wood and use a 12" disc cutter freehand allowing the wood to guide the blade .

 

[froggy Steve]

TCT circ saw, nice big blade, 3000 rpm or water jet? Used to sell them, , best bet would be find a window company/fabricator near you, with a nice TCT blade - band saw high blade speed with carbide blade would also do it, but only specialist metal stock holders would have one.

Steve

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Pretty sure my relatively cheap and cheerful Clark band saw with fine blade and arm weight backed right off would cut that and give clean results. You just need to get the cut light enough or fine enough blade not to snag. I've cut a fair bit with it but nothing quite as prone to snagging as that profile.

 

[eatapeach]

Pretty sure my relatively cheap and cheerful Clark band saw with fine blade and arm weight backed right off would cut that and give clean results. You just need to get the cut light enough or fine enough blade not to snag. I've cut a fair bit with it but nothing quite as prone to snagging as that profile.

yes it's a pain. This is what we're using now


I'll try getting something like this to square it up - mebbe not as grand as that might be

 

[Dave Docwra]

I have one of these http://www.screwfix.com/p/evolution...tracking url&gclid=CM-syv-ZpLsCFRSWtAodAUgA8A

which should cut it cleanly, if you can post it to me I will cut for you.

Dave.

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

I'm talking about one of these (gone up a bit since I got mine): http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cbs45md-41-2in-x-6in-metal-cutting-ban get some 24 tpi blades and screw the weight adjustment all the way in. If it does snag the blade will stick and it will stop cutting till you relieve it but it doesn't damage what you are cutting just gets annoying. I also have a Dewalt DW872 which I'd expect to cut it ok but not as tidy as the band saw.

 

[Chris Green90]

I'm talking about one of these (gone up a bit since I got mine): http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cbs45md-41-2in-x-6in-metal-cutting-ban get some 24 tpi blades and screw the weight adjustment all the way in. If it does snag the blade will stick and it will stop cutting till you relieve it but it doesn't damage what you are cutting just gets annoying. I also have a Dewalt DW872 which I'd expect to cut it ok but not as tidy as the band saw.

+1 JW they are spot on for this kind of stuff. Alternatively how about a variable speed jigsaw. Be through it in no time with a good clean cut and low outlay.

 

[Mal Eade]

We do use one of these a 30inch disc and bobbin sander. Used with different sized bobbins that rotate and also bob up and down. So you can sand almost any shape. Bobbins come in sizes from 20mm to 150mm.

The table tilts to allow different angles to be edge finished.

 

[stumog]

+2 jw
that's what I meant as a band saw in my post.

Shane
You shouldn't cut aluminium with a cutter as it can clog the blade and they over heat and explode which is not good for you.

 

[eatapeach]

We do use one of these a 30inch disc and bobbin sander. Used with different sized bobbins that rotate and also bob up and down. So you can sand almost any shape. Bobbins come in sizes from 20mm to 150mm.

The table tilts to allow different angles to be edge finished.

That's the thing for truing it up - but Wadkin - that's serious money. Plus we haven't got 3 phase and the installation costs are large - plus the landlord won't pay so we'd have to move units. ah well - thanks for the suggestioins - the bandsaw looks like an option if the dewalt doesn't work out.
Anyone got any experience with these - bearing in mind we have tread at 250mm and 300mm so the wider tread would be right up to the stated capacity limit of the saw

• Cutting capacities at 90° - 180mm dia. tube & 180x300mm box

 

[Shayne]

Is this a business venture or a one off project because if its the latter the outlay seems ludicrous for tools that will likely sit unused for years once the jobs done . Why not just get in touch with someone like these guys http://www.laser-eng.com/?gclid=CNmynurcpbsCFZGWtAodEQoAIA and get the them to cut it . Even if it was a business venture contracting out is often the way forward .

 

[eatapeach]

Is this a business venture or a one off project because if its the latter the outlay seems ludicrous for tools that will likely sit unused for years once the jobs done . Why not just get in touch with someone like these guys http://www.laser-eng.com/?gclid=CNmynurcpbsCFZGWtAodEQoAIA and get the them to cut it . Even if it was a business venture contracting out is often the way forward .

Like I said at the start of the thread - we've got a mile of this stuff to cut. Orders come in without any pattern ergo no idea how to cut the tread to reduce wastage. The ally comes in 5m lengths so it's a pain to hire a van or get a haulier to take 2 or 3 lengths every time to a subbie to cut it.

 

[grantw]

Out of curiosity what is it that you're making? It looks like you would be able to make some very nice fridge slides ...