New User with questions on Plasma Cutter

[Zulfur]

Hello,
Let me start off by saying I do know how to weld. I can torch, Mig and stick weld. I am a hobby Blacksmith. I bought the Everlast 40D so I could cut some freeform shapes for sculptures and projects.

I got it all setup, hooked up my compressor to it and made a stand for it. I hooked the clamp (+) to the metal I wanted to cut and then used the gun (-) to start. I had the amps on 30 and the air on 50. My first cut produced a hole and some green smoke.

I realized the smoke was from the copper end and I was not getting air. I corrected the issue and have air blowing now when I squeeze the trigger. I had set the compressor for regulating not the air flow on the back. Now thats fixed.

But now I do not get spark. The light is on, I have fan and air. Now the O.C. led is on, which I am going to assume is the open circuit light. If my clamp is on the metal and I have the gun near the metal doesn't that close the circuit or do I need a grounding strap for the cutter?

What am I doing wrong?? Please, any assistance would be appreciated.

[Tensaiteki]

I'm fairly certain that O.C. on these machines stands for over current not open circuit. I have a Parker plasma that is essentially the same model as yours and I have never seen the O.C. light come on. I'm not saying Parker is necessarily better just that that light should not illuminate under normal circumstances.

First of all, if you haven't already, replace the tip and the electrode. If you had an arc for long enough to make a hole in your material with no airflow, you probably trashed the tip, electrode, or both.

Have you tried turning off the machine and turning it back on?

Was the O.C. light on at all before the no-air fiasco?

Does the O.C. light stay on all the time or only when you press the button/switch/lever on the torch?

Disclaimer: I am not an expert on these machines, I'm just asking question so that when someone who is more knowledgeable about the inner workings of your machine comes along, they have enough information to be able to make an accurate diagnosis.

[EVERLAST]

Hello Zulfur

Please call me on Monday @ 650 588 8588 x201 and i will take care of you

Alex

[Zulfur]

Thanks Alex, I will call you Monday. have a good Holiday

[EVERLAST_SUPPORT]

Hello,
Let me start off by saying I do know how to weld. I can torch, Mig and stick weld. I am a hobby Blacksmith. I bought the Everlast 40D so I could cut some freeform shapes for sculptures and projects.

I got it all setup, hooked up my compressor to it and made a stand for it. I hooked the clamp (+) to the metal I wanted to cut and then used the gun (-) to start. I had the amps on 30 and the air on 50. My first cut produced a hole and some green smoke.

I realized the smoke was from the copper end and I was not getting air. I corrected the issue and have air blowing now when I squeeze the trigger. I had set the compressor for regulating not the air flow on the back. Now thats fixed.

But now I do not get spark. The light is on, I have fan and air. Now the O.C. led is on, which I am going to assume is the open circuit light. If my clamp is on the metal and I have the gun near the metal doesn't that close the circuit or do I need a grounding strap for the cutter?

What am I doing wrong?? Please, any assistance would be appreciated.


Hello Zulfur

In CUT40D unit, once you press the torch switch , and unit is not getting any air it will switch to "short mode".If unit stays in "short mode", for more than 5-10sec it will burn Mosfet chip.

Please contact Alex , I am sure he will get you new unit under warranty

David

[Tensaiteki]

Very first thing you did wrong was buy EVERLAST. Next thing was to think it would.

agreed

What the heck is wrong with you guys?

This guy came here asking for help and you give him arrogant belligerence? How very professional of you.

The first sentence of 69 chevy's post is rude and the second sentence is a fragment, not even a complete sentence. Hammack_Welding's post was simply one word and was neither helpful, insightful, nor informative.

Edit: this applies to you too MicroZone.

If you dislike these import machines so much, why do you even come to a section of the forum that is devoted to them? I don't like modern hip-hop music but you don't see me going to hip-hop forums to tell people that they are making a mistake for listening to it. Are you simply too immature to accept that people can and will make a carefully considered and informed decision to buy an imported machine instead of a brand name one? Are you incapable of accepting someone else's decision if you would have made a different one?

The problem Zulfur is having probably stems from him trying to run with no airflow (a common and, frankly, understandable newbie mistake), doing this is likely to damage any plasma power source, imported or not.

[Larwyn]

Not intending to badmouth the import in any way, just for information purposes;

My Miller 375 Extreme, by design, will not start without air at least being present at the unit itself. Not sure if it would start with a plugged/clogged hose or tip.

The point is that I tried to start it without the air hooked up and due to an automatic safety device it failed to even light up the pilot arc. It took me a minute or two to figure out the problem, so I know how easy it is to try and start cutting without proper/any airflow.

If it is only a mosfet preventing your machine from working, that is really not a big deal, they are cheap and an easy solder job should have it going soon.
I wish you good luck with the Everlast unit, I chose Miller mainly because it was the only unit for which I could get consumables locally. Well there is Hobart but the only dealer for Hobart locally is TSC and their stock of consumeables is sketchy at best.

[EVERLAST]

What the heck is wrong with you guys?

This guy came here asking for help and you give him arrogant belligerence? How very professional of you.

The first sentence of 69 chevy's post is rude and the second sentence is a fragment, not even a complete sentence. Hammack_Welding's post was simply one word and was neither helpful, insightful, nor informative.

Edit: this applies to you too MicroZone.

If you dislike these import machines so much, why do you even come to a section of the forum that is devoted to them? I don't like modern hip-hop music but you don't see me going to hip-hop forums to tell people that they are making a mistake for listening to it. Are you simply too immature to accept that people can and will make a carefully considered and informed decision to buy an imported machine instead of a brand name one? Are you incapable of accepting someone else's decision if you would have made a different one?

The problem Zulfur is having probably stems from him trying to run with no airflow (a common and, frankly, understandable newbie mistake), doing this is likely to damage any plasma power source, imported or not.

Hello Tensaiteki

You are right. It was a newbie mistake and even thou it would have been easy for customer to replace the chip himself we still preffer to send him a new unit that will be covered under waranty .

[EVERLAST_SUPPORT]

Larry,

Thanks for your response. I had to remove the other posts as they were simply people that have Millers, Lincolns, or whatever and bashing the Everlast product name. Very unprofessional welders and not out to promote new people that want to learn plasma cutting or welding it seems.

We do not need their type activity or want to continue entertaining them. We are here to support Everlast customers. I would think they would hang out in "their" favorite forums or at least be out welding. Rather than acting like children.

Zulfer probably cooked a MOSFET and if he calls Everlast I am sure they will get him a new unit shipped out. I personally (like you) can check for a bad FET and replace it (I can solder three legs really fast :) ). He might not be able too. But it would be a lot cheaper to mail an FET over a plasma cutter.

I personally have the Cut50D and it works great, but I know to make sure I have air hooked up :D. Like the argon for the TIG. Things can get hot fast.

[mudbugone]

In CUT40D unit, once you press the torch switch , and unit is not getting any air it will switch to "short mode".If unit stays in "short mode", for more than 5-10sec it will burn Mosfet chip.



David

While I don't have this machine(although I've been looking at them lately) I did this exact same thing the other day with my PowerArc 35. I just forgot to turn the air line on. I guess I was lucky in the fact that I didn't fry anything and the machine worked fine after I got air. I "WILL" be more careful in the future and "Thanks" for the heads up on what can happen when you forget the air.

Question?... Why is there such a difference in the cost of consumables between the Cut 40 & Cut 50.... I can't see much difference in their make-up. I ask this because I looked at both units,but was surprised to notice the added expense of the Cut 50's consumables over the Cut 40. The Cut 50 units don't cost much more,but the consumables would make the Cut 40 a more attractive purchase.

I almost bought the Cut 40(and should have) a while back,but got a "deal?" on the PowerArc unit. It functions fine,but the machine support has vanished which is the pits.This prompted me to look into other options(again) for a cutter.

I hear a lot of conversation about repair parts and consumables and availability.... I truly don't see the problem.If a company sells a machine and has the parts just order them...they'll be in the mail and delivered,but then I live in the country and I'd have to drive 100 miles round trip anyway. If it's that important that it's needed today,perhaps you need 2 machines. As for consumables...I just bought a lot and don't worry about running out.

Glad to see you support your machines,this point has always been the number one issue in most of the discussions I've read on these machines.

Sorry for the long post & "Thanks" again for the lack of air "heads-up"

[Zulfur]

Thank you for your replies. I guess I thought it was more something I was doing wrong technically not mechanically. I posted thinking I was doing something incorrect and was looking for guidance .

Alex has been both helpful and quick to support, I would not get that from many vendors even here locally to me (I live in the middle of nowhere in Kentucky not LA or Houston or Chicago). I have to drive 64 miles to get steeI and coal so I can work on the weekends. There is not a delivery guy or a shop truck like some of you have.

My local tool company is on the internet. UPS and FedEx deliver them.

I know my local TSC or Southern States cannot answer questions or provide links to sites for tutorials. Maybe a supplier would if I was buying 1000's of dollars in equipment or setting up a full time shop but I am a weekend blacksmith and new to the cutter scene. There was no way I was going to spend 1000's to find out this was not what I wanted and then have to sell it at a loss. Reality is I can cut the shapes I want with the torches I already have, why buy new equipment. Reality is also that Alex has been immensely helpful and supportive, I will buy from him again with confidence.

I will work with Alex to get it corrected, if it is just the chip or a new unit, although I feel bad if I burned up a new unit.

[EVERLAST]

Please dont forget to call us ..

alex