A little help please

[ctmike]

Finally put my LP50D to hard work this weekend and she hung in there pretty good. I'm thinkin' it can perform better though. Cutting 3/8 plate, it seemed like I couldn't find the right arc distance or maybe too much air. Seemed to be cutting slow.
My cutting guide(hardwood trim piece) gives me a 1/16th arc gap to the material and I'm running 75PSI with the trigger on. Also have 'er set at 50 amps.
Do these settings seem right to you guys, or should I "tweak" something? In any case I cut a lot of plate today and the machine never hiccuped. Just want to be running at optimum performance.

[Rojodiablo]

That setup should eat right through 3/8" metal. Maybe not aluminum, but yes on metal. Is there an air filter in place? I run a Lincoln PC25, and when I run with no filter, my tips go to hell fast, and the speed and quality suffer quickly. Don't turn the air down, 75 is about perfect. Maybe try to lift the tip further off the workpiece to allow a bigger arc to form.

[specter]

You did not say how much experience you have had with plasma cutting or the use of this machine. With more experience you gain a better understanding of amp setting & air flow psi/flow to metal thickness and be able to adjust your speed for optimum.

The air regulator/water separator is a neccessity on a plasma unit! If the unit does not have one your cutting and machine operation will be effected. And even if it did come with a regulator/separator its best to get an additional one. Harbor Frieght, Northern Tool and other places have them. But be sure to get a sturdy one! Example Harbor and Northern have one that is made of pot metal but the drain valve on the buttom is made of thin plastic. The thin plastic valve will break under the high pressures and when you turn the valve to drain it.

Tom

[ctmike]

Lotsa oxy/ac eperience but not much on a plasma cutter. I am only running the little filter/seperator that came with it. I was thinking about buying a better one. My buddy has a Thermal Dynamics machine and he says I should be using a "paint quality" filter/separator. I may need some practice, but maaan it's hard to hold an arc without dragging....and I'm a pretty darn good stick welder, so arcs are not unfamiliar to me.
What filter are you guys using and where can I get one? Have 35 more 9" diameter steel plates to cut this weekend. I'd like to be ready to go by then.
By the way, I truly appreciate the advice fellas! Please keep it comin'.
Mike

[longevity-inc.com]

Hi Mike,

We recommend you turn the pressure down a bit to 70psi. Although, you can run the unit on 75, we usually do that with our 60amp machines.

Also, what voltage are you running? If you are at 110v, the machine will not be as powerful. For maximum performance, try 220v at minimum 30amps.

For the regulator, make sure you get at least 70psi running through the machine. Also, please let us know what your air compressor is capable of producing and what size tank.

You should be cutting 1/2 inch without a problem.

Simon

[ctmike]

Simon, I'm running a 220/60 amp circuit. Plenty of juice. Are you saying I should have the machine set on 30 amps for 3/8 stock? Seems low, but if you say so I'll give it a try. My compressor will do 11cfm at 90psi, so I have plenty of air.
Don't get me wrong. It was working ok, but I thought with 3/8 material, I'd be moving pretty fast. I KNOW I need more practice, too.
I honestly think the consumables that came with it may be better than the ones I picked up later. Is that possible?

[longevity-inc.com]

Mike,

You got is hooked up ok. You do not have to run at 30amps for 3/8 - we usually run it at full power or 45amps.

The unit should be cutting smooth without any issues. The consumables do have a lot to do with the cut. If not properly fitted or not properly threaded, they can effect the performance.

Also, which torch do you have the 50 or 60amp?

Simon

[ctmike]

Thanks for the reply Simon. I have the 60 amp torch that you guys supplied with the cutter. Really appreciate you packaging a better torch with the machine. Have a bunch of plates to cut tomorrow. Can't wait to get to it. I picked up a pretty good filter/ separator at the local auto paint store today. Hoping this helps a bit. I'll let 'ya know how it goes.

[ctmike]

OK. All set. Installed a REALLY good filter/separator, set the pressure at 70, put on my last set of consumables that came with my machine. Pedal to the metal at 50 amps(54on the display) and started cutting circles. We cut 31, 9 inch circles out of 3/8 diamond plate, which is closer to half inch, on the raised "diamond" part. NICE!
Machine worked fantastic. The diamond plate was free, so that's why we used it. After we ran out of that steel we cut some circles and groundhog shapes from 1/8th plate for rimfire shooters. Man, you can fly through 1/8th material. After that we had a piece of 3/8 brand new plate 4' x 9', that was donated to our club. It was a real bear to move around the shop, so we cut that into 4, 27 inch pieces to make it managable. Those pieces will stay in my workshop until needed.
Basically a whole lotta cuttin' went on today. A whole lot. And it went great. The machine never hiccupped and the consumables actually still look pretty darn good(clean, dry air?).
I can now see that plasma cutting is a lot like stick welding. You need practice. Once I got comfortable and my circle jig clamped, I did pretty good. Coulda been better but that will come with time.
I don't know how long my machine will run, but it has certainly been put to the test and it passed. I am very comfortable knowing I have a good warranty. I see absolutely no reason to pay 4 times as much for an American machine. My garage is filled with Hobart, Miller, Milwaukee, etc. I was very skeptical of Chinese tools. Was.

[longevity-inc.com]

Mike,

Great to hear our equipment is working as or better than you expected. The little plasma cutters are very powerful.

One tip I have is get a steel brush and brush the slag off the tip in between the cuts. It will allow your consumable life to be much longer. We do that in between testing the equipment and it helps.

Keep us updated and show the other skeptical people some pictures.

Thanks,

Simon