Welding Tips and Tricks

I was Father's Day gifted a CUT50F pilot-arc plasma cutter. Tried it out on some 1/4" material and wow. I've been requested to make some yard art figures. Looking online I was going to use 16ga. steel and make templates. My gun came with a bent wire standoff applied. I have read that if you take off this standoff and drag the tip it will cause premature wearing of the tip. I see many dragging the tip on the metal using templates. Is it OK to drag with this cutter?

Thanks,

Mike

Hopefully Jim will be along soon with more knowledge than I have on the subject - but from what I've seen the generic Chinese cut 50 or 60 use the AG60 torch - while cutting in straight lines is best done with the standoff - cutting shapes / templates etc is best dragged - couple of people I know had them & they don't see that dramatic a difference used either way - the consumable life is not great however you work the machine & if you order in good time just buy a good quantity from " Shop River " or your personal favorite Chinese Ebay seller ! they are not that expensive - accept it's a small price to add to a job - I think from memory they have a slight cross milled on the cutting face ( which is usually only done on the cheap nozzles if they expect it to be used as a drag tip )- if you make this more pronounced it helps with nozzle life - just remember they eat themselves away from the inside anyway & having air that's not clean & dry will cost more nozzle life than dragging - hope this helps.

Thanks - that was very helpful. Since my post, don’t know if it’s good info but they said if you were below 40 amps dragging is ok.

Mike

I got the Chinese plasma 50 amp. I drag most everything. Done it both ways but the tips last the same for me.

mbg wrote:Thanks - that was very helpful. Since my post, don’t know if it’s good info but they said if you were below 40 amps dragging is ok.

Mike

That makes sense. We primarily use Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 80 at work, and while it comes with cut guides, and even a specific drag tip, I find on 16 ga. stainless, for example, I can drag the standard tip directly on the metal for a cleaner more precise cut at 50 amps or less.

Steve

Heres a "mold"

1/4 ply....drag tip[ around it

Final product. No fancy table needed (then)

Very nice!

Steve

I love the trees!!!!

Wow - puts me to shame. Love that design!

Here is my first attempt. Found out that using 3/8" ply the pilot arc tip is the same distance from the work piece as the wire standoff provided (about 1/8"). I did some trials to dial it in with short straight cuts and all the spark spray was well behaved below the piece. When I went to the real thing lots of spray till I really slowed it down. Normal? Or am I doing something wrong? (Ha, or both):



Edited - after following suggestions I cranked up the amperage and I can cut not only faster but more smoothly with natural motion. Even though it’s more amps I think it’s less work in the machine because at lower amps and slow speed I was able to trip the overload. No so with higher amps.

Mike

My higher amperage angel looks much better but I still notice a larger diameter circular hole where I start the cut. Any way to avoid this?

Thanks

I start on the scrap side of the piece and then approach the line.

Antorcha wrote:Final product. No fancy table needed (then)

P4191189.JPG

Just incredible !!!