Plasma cutting question.

[stefuel]

Years ago when I was a auto mechanic I was a artist at blowing out snapped off studs from cast iron exhaust manifolds with O/A torch. Can the same thing be done with a plasma torch? My only experiance with plasma was cutting mild steel. I have a plasma cutter coming next week for my home workshop because I want one. Also, what won't a plasma machine cut?

[Gamble]

I don't see why it couldn't as long as it can cut as thick as that stud is.

[denrep]

Originally Posted by stefuel

. . . I was a artist at blowing out snapped off studs from cast iron exhaust manifolds with O/A torch. Can the same thing be done with a plasma torch? . . .

Plasma wouldn't remove studs using the same technique that you used with oxy-fuel to "burn" apart the close-but-separate pieces. Oxy-fuel's unique requirement for pre-heat before ignition and burn is what allows it to make clean cuts that distinguish adjacent parts.

Since oxy-fuel is consuming the steel stud itself as fuel, it's easier to prevent a carryover of preheat to the separate cast manifold, while burning up the stud. Plasma doesn't distinguish close-but separate pieces so much (which sometimes has its own advantages) and so plasma isn't so well suited for bolt and pin burn-out. Maybe there is a plasma trick for this task, but I don't know of it.

Good Luck