Welding Tips and Tricks

I would appreciate opinions on the best way to achieve long clean and straight cut on thick sheet material. I have a 40" shear, 7x12 band saw, carbide metal cutting circular saw, and plasma cutter. However, the shear can't handle anything greater than 16 ga material, and the other methods I listed either don't yield a clean cut or have a very limited width of cut. Anyone get good results without a massive hydraulic shear?

I use a straightedge guide for my plasma cutter. Works great.

Larry

Straightedge and the right amperage should get a fairly clean cut within a small constraint. Or a straight edge to ride your circular saw and go the right speed.

i use a morse 9" worm drive circular saw.
cuts up to 3/8" mild steel.
straight edge and your off the the races.
cut very cool and almost spark-less.
i think it spins about 2600 rpm
craig
MK Morse CSM9MB 9-Inch Metal Cutting Circular Saw

ldbtx wrote:I use a straightedge guide for my plasma cutter. Works great.

Larry

+1

Yeap, if you already have your plasma cutter all set-up, connected, air compressor filled, no reason to not grab the plasma torch. I just recently used a Powermax30xp at my school where we bought one for our Solar Car project----my very first time with a Hypertherm plasma, and my God that thing cuts awesome! Just practicing showing the students how to use it; it cut through 1/2" pretty darn easily! Makes my Eastwood look like a toy.

ldbtx wrote:I use a straightedge guide for my plasma cutter. Works great.

Larry

What air pressure do you run?

ttreb4 wrote:

ldbtx wrote:I use a straightedge guide for my plasma cutter. Works great.

Larry

What air pressure do you run?

I've got the Hypertherm Powermax 30 Air with the built-in compressor. Don't know what the pressure is, but it's always right

Larry

I also have a hypertherm 30 air. Great machine just clamp on a 1/4in thick 1/4in offset guide bar ( flat or angle) on the stock piece ( not the cutoff piece) set your amperage as required and cut. With a bit of practice and a tiny bit of clean up (tap off a bit of slag -maby a touch up with a grinder) you will have a clean -straight and easy cut. I have cut a bit of 5/8 mild steel ( very slowly ) and needed only minimal grinding with a 36 grit flap disk to dress it up. When I bought mine in 2015 I just practiced on some scrap to get the feel and have been finding new uses ever since.

Check the tips of your plasma, as well as the quality of your air. If those planets are aligned, it will give a beautiful cut on steel.

I cut everything on my 4x8 CNC plasma table eversince I got it a month ago and love every minute of it!