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CNC Plasma Cut British Motorcycles

Tmate

Well-Known Member
This may not be the place for it, but here are some 19 inch long shapes I just cut from 11 gauge steel using my small CNC plasma table.
 

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DPittman

Ultra Member
Premium Member
This is definitely the place for it! However if you're selling them then there is a classified section that might generate more sales results for you. Cool stuff
 

Tmate

Well-Known Member
This is definitely the place for it! However if you're selling them then there is a classified section that might generate more sales results for you. Cool stuff

I have no interest in selling them. I just do it for fun. Here are some more shapes I cut out for the Holidays.
 

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Snocrusher

(Greg)
Very nice, I belong to the Antique Motorcycle Club of Manitoba.
I'm sure there some in the club that would like a silhouette of their bike.
 

Tomc938

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Very cool!

Do you do your own designs or are the files available online somewhere?
 

Tmate

Well-Known Member
Very cool!

Do you do your own designs or are the files available online somewhere?
I do them all myself. Most of the on-line dxf files are either overly simplistic or unworkable using plasma arc. They either contain shapes within other shapes that will fall apart, or lines that are way too close together for plasma unless your figure is impossibly huge.
 

Janger

(John)
Administrator
Vendor
I built it myself. I used Flashcut driver software & electronics. Draw the shapes in CorelDraw.
Tell us more! That’s a fantastic build Tmate. Does it have a torch height sensor? What was your budget? More pictures!
 

Tmate

Well-Known Member
My table has a small capacity (about 18" square) so it doesn't need a height control. I buy 11 gauge steel in 15" or so squares, and in that small size it is flat. If I want to make something bigger, I do it in two pieces and tack weld them together. All the bikes were done this way. The table itself is a pretty simple build using a lot of off the shelf parts, and not particularly expensive. The Flashcut CNC electronics and software aren't cheap, but are virtually turn-key and vastly superior to that used on most of the bargain cutting tables out there.

I keep the machine under my back deck, with the compressor, plasma cutter, and computer just inside my basement door. Origa (Parker) linear rails and roller cassettes were used. Cheap ball bearing linear rails won't work here. The table is constructed of 8020 aluminum extrusions. See photos.
 

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Janger

(John)
Administrator
Vendor
My table has a small capacity (about 18" square) so it doesn't need a height control. I buy 11 gauge steel in 15" or so squares, and in that small size it is flat. If I want to make something bigger, I do it in two pieces and tack weld them together. All the bikes were done this way. The table itself is a pretty simple build using a lot of off the shelf parts, and not particularly expensive. The Flashcut CNC electronics and software aren't cheap, but are virtually turn-key and vastly superior to that used on most of the bargain cutting tables out there.

I keep the machine under my back deck, with the compressor, plasma cutter, and computer just inside my basement door. Origa (Parker) linear rails and roller cassettes were used. Cheap ball bearing linear rails won't work here. The table is constructed of 8020 aluminum extrusions. See photos.

Nice machine. Where did you source the gears?
 

Chris Cramer

Super User
Vendor
Premium Member
I do them all myself. Most of the on-line dxf files are either overly simplistic or unworkable using plasma arc. They either contain shapes within other shapes that will fall apart, or lines that are way too close together for plasma unless your figure is impossibly huge.
I agree that online dxf files are often too simple, but if you use a hypertherm plasma cutter you can cut some pretty small detailed designs with the fine cut consumables, as long as the metal is thin enough. Hypertherm also manufactures consumables that can be used for marking thicker steel which I use for engraving.
I like the designs you put into the motorcycle, I also like cutting highly detailed designs for decorative purposes.
 

Chris Cramer

Super User
Vendor
Premium Member
The way you designed the gantry for your plasma cutter is pretty similar to the way I designed my laser engraving machine. Only the laser I use is not nearly powerful enough to cut metal, so I purchased an crossfire pro from Langmuir Systems, and use a hypertherm powermax 45xp.
 
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