Mighty lil cart (1 Viewer)

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chicago

chicago

Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Threads
434
Messages
9,615
Location
Reno, Nevada
Just got a plasma cutter to add to my arsenal...Started building a cart for it, but then I got a BRIGHT idea...Why not put it UNDER my welder on the cart that I built for it?
So that is what I did. Got some practice time in on the plasma...made the bracket for the filter with it, got the ground, torches etc mounted and life is good.

Here it is.

Chicago
cart 012.jpg
cart 007.jpg
cart 009.jpg
 
couple more....
Its like a little R2D2 unit!
cart 010.jpg
cart 008.jpg
 
Chicago,
Great cart. I built one years ago for a grinder. The only problem was that it was top heavy and tipped over once. It only took once to kill the grinder and hurt my foot. Be sure to take care if it is top heavy....

Cool idea though. Might have to do the same with the welder set up now.

Goebs
 
Goebeler said:
Chicago,
Great cart. I built one years ago for a grinder. The only problem was that it was top heavy and tipped over once. It only took once to kill the grinder and hurt my foot. Be sure to take care if it is top heavy....

Cool idea though. Might have to do the same with the welder set up now.

Goebs
Click to expand...

Thanks man...
Im gonna widen the stance a bit as Im not too fond of the casters that are on there now. One sticks, and the ones on the back are non swivel, and Im not as crazy about that as I thought Id be.
So I plan on widening it a bit when I do that at the "feet".
Ive had that cart for a couple of years now with just the welder on it and never had a tip issue, so the extra weight on the bottom it will help that even more.

Thanks for posting up.

Chicago
 
Need to do the same for my Parker plasma. How is the Northern Tool unit?

Flux core only in the welder?

Looks good. :beer:
 
No tank...
I just use the flux core, but there is space for it if I decide to run that some day.

Chicago
 
CruisinGA said:
Need to do the same for my Parker plasma. How is the Northern Tool unit?

Flux core only in the welder?

Looks good. :beer:
Click to expand...

It works great!
Im still getting used to how to cut with it though. Its not quite as easy as i thought itd be. For some reason I thought it would cut smoother (as far as the edges are concerned).

How is yours?
Got any tips?

Chicago
 
I've got a Parker, and when it's working, it works pretty well. The biggest tip I've picked up is to use a straightedge and move quickly. You don't need to move as slowly as you would with a torch. Also dial the plasma down so that it's set for the thickness you're cutting. I had it cranked up figuring what could it hurt, and it wasn't cutting very well. When I called Parker and asked what I was doing wrong they asked if I had it cranked up. They said you should have it set so it JUST cuts through cleanly.
 
Arya Ebrahimi said:
I've got a Parker, and when it's working, it works pretty well. The biggest tip I've picked up is to use a straightedge and move quickly. You don't need to move as slowly as you would with a torch. Also dial the plasma down so that it's set for the thickness you're cutting. I had it cranked up figuring what could it hurt, and it wasn't cutting very well. When I called Parker and asked what I was doing wrong they asked if I had it cranked up. They said you should have it set so it JUST cuts through cleanly.
Click to expand...

If its cranked way up, do you get a lot of that slag on the back side of the incision?
I was cutting some 3/16 in plate, and kept getting that damn slag...Had to hack it off with my slag hammer that I use for the arc welder.
 
chicago said:
It works great!
Im still getting used to how to cut with it though. Its not quite as easy as i thought itd be. For some reason I thought it would cut smoother (as far as the edges are concerned).

How is yours?
Got any tips?

Chicago
Click to expand...

Arya's tips are the same I would give. The straight edge makes the biggest difference, I haven't played much with the power setting aside from having it "cranked up" so that is the next step. Cardboard templates have worked well for me as well.

Good condition tips make a big difference, and proper use seems to make the tips last a lot longer.

Next up is a better water seperator than the one that came with my Parker. I have a feeling contaminant getting past it is part of the reason my consumables aren't lasting all that long.
 
CruisinGA said:
Arya's tips are the same I would give. The straight edge makes the biggest difference, I haven't played much with the power setting aside from having it "cranked up" so that is the next step. Cardboard templates have worked well for me as well.

Good condition tips make a big difference, and proper use seems to make the tips last a lot longer.

Next up is a better water seperator than the one that came with my Parker. I have a feeling contaminant getting past it is part of the reason my consumables aren't lasting all that long.
Click to expand...

Cardboard?
Id have thought that would catch fire. I actually thought about that, but....
Havent gone through a tip yet.
Ive played with the power settings...18ga I set at around 20 amps, and the 3/16 I put at 35, though it seems that I could go lower as Im getting the slag on the back side of the cut.
Apparently the filter set up I got is recommended for plasma cutters, so you might wanna check into that one. They sell them on Ebay...Im sure you can get them from just about any weld shop too. That is where I got mine and it was about 80 bucks.

Chicago
 
Does anyone have any pics of what their cuts look like with their machines?
Id really like to see for reference, how other rigs cut and how it come out.

Thanks,

Chicago
 
chicago said:
Thanks man...
Im gonna widen the stance a bit as Im not too fond of the casters that are on there now. One sticks, and the ones on the back are non swivel, and Im not as crazy about that as I thought Id be.
So I plan on widening it a bit when I do that at the "feet".
Ive had that cart for a couple of years now with just the welder on it and never had a tip issue, so the extra weight on the bottom it will help that even more.

Thanks for posting up.

Chicago
Click to expand...

Looking good man!
On the the caster / stance improvement : I would think if you If you 45ed the horizontal leg up and then fit a real caster in there you could keep the same height or even drop it a bit.?

Keep it going Bro!
 
chicago said:
Cardboard?
Id have thought that would catch fire. I actually thought about that, but....
Apparently the filter set up I got is recommended for plasma cutters, so you might wanna check into that one. They sell them on Ebay...Im sure you can get them from just about any weld shop too. That is where I got mine and it was about 80 bucks.

Chicago
Click to expand...

I thought the same, worked for me.

Thanks for the tip on the filter.

Bailey
 
I've had good success with templates made of 1/8" hardboard (masonite). It can be cut to shape w/ a bandsaw or jigsaw, and trimmed w/ a utility knife and a rasp. After several uses, the edge will get blackened, but so far the only way to actually damage the shape is to let the torch head get up on top of the board and try to plaz through it. Didn't catch fire, but did blacken it pretty good.

I'll have to try cardboard for a one time use template.
 
450 DUDE said:
Looking good man!
On the the caster / stance improvement : I would think if you If you 45ed the horizontal leg up and then fit a real caster in there you could keep the same height or even drop it a bit.?

Keep it going Bro!
Click to expand...

For the record...Ive never had an issue with the cart being top heavy and Ive only had the welder up top for the past couple of years.
However, the casters I have on there SUCK!
I was thinking about taking some angle iron and welding that to the ends on the legs, and bolting the casters on that.
Dropping the height would be nice of only to fit the cart UNDER my work bench.

Gettin the itch to do some wheelin man!
Its been TOO LONG of a winter!
 
FJ40Jim said:
I've had good success with templates made of 1/8" hardboard (masonite). It can be cut to shape w/ a bandsaw or jigsaw, and trimmed w/ a utility knife and a rasp. After several uses, the edge will get blackened, but so far the only way to actually damage the shape is to let the torch head get up on top of the board and try to plaz through it. Didn't catch fire, but did blacken it pretty good.

I'll have to try cardboard for a one time use template.
Click to expand...

X2
I use templates all the time, but I was a bit concerned with the cardboard for the combustibility factor.
If I get into building bumpers, Ill definately keep that 1/8 in hardboard in mind for the templates.
 
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