• Spring 2024 meetup in Calgary - tentative date Saturday, April 20/2024. Other regions are also discussing meet ups. If you want one in your area get going on organizing it! discussion
  • We are having email/registration problems again. Diagnosis is underway. New users sorry if you are having trouble getting registered. We are exploring different options to get registered. Contact the forum via another member or on facebook if you're stuck. Update -> we think it is fixed. Let us know if not.
  • Spring meet up in Ontario, April 6/2024. NEW LOCATION See Post #31 Discussion NEW LOCATION

CNC plasma cutter build

YotaBota

Mike
Premium Member
There is(was) a program called WinE (Windows Emulator) that we used a bunch of years ago. Some Windows programs would work and some wouldn't so it was a matter of trial and error.
 

DavidR8

Scrap maker
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
@David_R8
You might be able to run a virtual machine on your Mac to run pc software. I’m sure somebody here’s got the know how but it ain’t me.
Yeah, I've thought about this. I only recently found an open source windows emulator called VirtualBox. Haven't tried it yet, but I'm interested in giving it a go.
I'll need to find a copy of Windows too.
 

DavidR8

Scrap maker
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
Bit more progress today.
Made the bracket that mounts the torch holder bracket.
Made a start on the actual ring to hold the torch.
Had an aluminum piece with a hole almost the same dimension as the torch head. Bored it out on the lathe and parted it off at the right length.
Now I just need to figure out how to attach the ring to the bracket.
4654d2c57cb6d38e9c73428755a9c560.jpg


cf5396ba8cc46910ff908666b847acaa.jpg

a3163d98635ffae06395bbb41965a52c.jpg

I might TIG a rectangular piece to the side of the ring, drill and tap it for a cap screw through the upright bracket.
 

YYCHM

(Craig)
Premium Member
Bit more progress today.
Made the bracket that mounts the torch holder bracket.
Made a start on the actual ring to hold the torch.
Had an aluminum piece with a hole almost the same dimension as the torch head. Bored it out on the lathe and parted it off at the right length.
Now I just need to figure out how to attach it to the bracket.

LOL..... a bracket for a bracket, an actual ring, and a piece with a hole in it? Sorry couldn't help it:p
 

ShawnR

Ultra Member
Premium Member
What I have liked for attaching circular objects to flat surfaces is to drill a larger hole in the outer portion of the ring and the right size hole in the side of the ring that mounts to the bracket. You can then use the screw drive through the outer ring larger hole? ...or weld it as you say....;)
 

DavidR8

Scrap maker
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
What I have liked for attaching circular objects to flat surfaces is to drill a larger hole in the outer portion of the ring and the right size hole in the side of the ring that mounts to the bracket. You can then use the screw drive through the outer ring larger hole? ...or weld it as you say....;)

I like this idea too.
I have a roll pin I could use to stop the ring from rotating about the screw.
 

ShawnR

Ultra Member
Premium Member
I like this idea too.
I have a roll pin I could use to stop the ring from rotating about the screw.

Or two screws? top and bottom? Don't know what stresses will be on it as it drags the cable around but you could put a strain relief on the arm. I plan on suspending the cable above the table. I saw that DAC had his dragging over the edge but anyone that tig welds knows the cable dragging over something messes up the welds sometimes...or is that just me...? :oops: That dragging stress will wiggle the fasteners loose eventually. Welding might be the best solution for long term reliability. Just my 2 cents
 

DavidR8

Scrap maker
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
Today’s progress.
Took a couple of iterations to get here.
Milled a flat on the torch collar so it would stay in one place while I messed around with locating it.
0a2fd5d7e7710405b7a6695b5f742090.jpg


e5ae650b494d1d948bb0fc0373f5b4c0.jpg


See the hole peeking out from behind the torch? That’s a 1/4-20 hole that I made to mount an aluminum plate which had the collar attached.
Turned out the screw heads interfered with the torch body so that version was scrapped.
Second iteration ended up by drilling the steel plate and directly attaching the collar. Should have started with that in the first place.

I have also been thinking ahead to how to hold the thing down to the table and made a happy discovery.
The X-axis is exactly 24” wide, the same as my welding table.
So it fits perfectly across the width.
I think I’ll swap out end plates for a couple of pieces of square tube. I’ll cut out one side and mount the with the open side facing out so I can clamp it down.
6d9c7b56d006db492184e5190cbcd65e.jpg
 

DavidR8

Scrap maker
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
A bit of work last night to make a better torch holder.
2x2 block, bored to 1” in the 4-jaw. I plan to cut it vertically, parallel to plate so it can clamp the torch head.
Also need to mark and drill to attach it to the vertical plate and mill recesses for 10-24 SHCS to hold the two halves together.
I might also break out the rotary table and radius the front [emoji1]
Ignore those two holes. They are from a prior attempt to make a mount. [emoji23]
a4d384d6def3d2a24a51b0c66cdc9d11.jpg
 
Last edited:

DavidR8

Scrap maker
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
Torch holder is done.
8a5a5ae0fb35b653a165134fdd608674.jpg

3802a15e9e0188cb6cf04c6921c49e25.jpg

8ea8044211304b6f150dd6165b5dec77.jpg


Had a rethink on how to attach it to the table.
Some 1x tube with openings cut for a C clamp.
644b1b58dcb8d721b7dff345bef14d14.jpg

b06a8e8a63c175e6464d114d0af9749f.jpg
 

DavidR8

Scrap maker
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
I don't see any smoking holes in metal:(
Well, alive in the sense that I made a CAD drawing, converted it to G-code, sent it to the controller and the steppers moved the right amounts in the right directions.
Next I have to build an enclosure for the electronics and fab up the actual cutting table.
 
Last edited:

YYCHM

(Craig)
Premium Member
Well, alive in the sense that I made a CAD drawing, converted it to G-code, sent it to the controller and the steppers moved the right amounts in the right distances.
Next I have to build an enclosure for the electronics and fab up the actual cutting table.

This makes my projects sound like child's play:rolleyes:
 

ShawnR

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Well, alive in the sense that I made a CAD drawing, converted it to G-code, sent it to the controller and the steppers moved the right amounts in the right directions.
Next I have to build an enclosure for the electronics and fab up the actual cutting table.

Nice work @David_R8 You got it beat now! I have been reading on the process of the CAD drawing to the gcode in the Arduino. Still can't say I am comfortable with it but think I can get there. Good to know I have someone to ask if I have questions. It sounds like if you wanted to just put gcode into the arduino, you could without doing a cad drawing too, eh? Or would that be more difficult. Say you just wanted a square cut. Could you just punch it in? or still easier to do a drawing and let the elves do the programming?
 
Top