2x4 Plasma Table Rebuild

[BrooklynBravest]

So I purchased this Plasma table in october as a pre-order deal. It arrived in February and I have been using it regularly since. It works, it has some design flaws but in this build I intend to improve on it. The two main ones being the very tall risers and the dual smaller linear slides on each side rather than a single larger one. (they create resistance off one another)

Before anyone says im basically throwing out everything I paid for, I got the table for like 30% off and it paid for itself already so it isn't a big deal and its a good learning experience for me as well as a fun project.

Backstory on my purchase is I needed a 2x4 plasma table which is rare. Most companies don't make under 4x4 but due to my limited shop space its the best I can fit. I jumped on this because I was going to build my own table from scratch and this came out at a ridiculous price point. There is more to that story but its Wright CNC's issue not mine. If anyone was actually looking into these tables id be happy to go into further detail but otherwise im sure no one cares.

The main plan is to start with a 3x3 11g welded frame. This alone should be a massive improvement as the bolted frame is bent 11g and suffers from being both lightweight and lacking overall rigidity.

The stock water pan is also 16g paper garbage. So I will replace that with 11g which will once again further add weight and rigidity.

In my design youll see two configurations. One which I like more, involves fixing the riser/rail flaws with another manufacturers risers who agreed to supply them to me at cost. The other is lower, and resembles the stock design. Its a difference of about $400 so I will see what I want to do there.

The best piece to save on this thing is the THC/Lifter assembly as it was actually very well designed and made in my opinion. The problem is they put 75% of the build funding into it. But again, their mistake...

Anyway, here is where I am at I plan to get to work on it today. The tubing just got dropped off I rough cut it from the full sticks with my portaband to make it more manageable to cut on the actual bandsaw.

[farmersammm]

I don't see a problem with a table redo. If you have the time, and money, why not? It'll be hugely better when done.

I don't cut a lot of tubing on the bandsaw. I'm running a 14tpi blade, and it's not optimal for tubing. Usually just cut the stuff on the chop saw.

[TJS]

Beef that baby up. When I build my cnc plasma table, I cut all my tubing with my horizontal band saw. Then I milled each end in the Bpt to make them exact length and really "square". Overkill maybe but it worked for me.

[Brand X]

Having two motors for the Y Axis is probably the standard way to do things anymore.. They sync fine... The single motor setup was the way it was done many years ago.

AT some point I am going to convert my 5X10 to a 5x5 table.. It's 80-20 design allows for that flexibility,and I will just store the extra rails. If I go that way, a big lathe will fit in my shop.. Its full but flows well.

[BrooklynBravest]

Made a lot of progress the last couple of days.

Waiting on 1/4" plate to come to make the extrusion mounts from.

Shes heavy.

Fortunately it stayed dead square all around. any of the butt welds I did vertical down to minimize heat. I did the fillets at 14g settings for the same reason. I don't have any concern as to strength in this application its got plenty of weld.

I love being able to use a tool to make improvements to itself. In this case the plasma table.

[BrooklynBravest]

[BrooklynBravest]

[acourtjester]

Very nice looking, there will be no moving about when cutting.
I see you like to close the the ends of tube too, I did it slightly differently, my caps were on the outside.

[TJS]

Wow. Really nice. Now I want to close up my tube ends on my table.

[BrooklynBravest]

Very nice looking, there will be no moving about when cutting.
I see you like to close the the ends of tube too, I did it slightly differently, my caps were on the outside.

So for this application I did that with them on the inside, knowing I was going to be grinding it flush. Otherwise i usually make the cap smaller the thickness of the tube with tabs on it so it can’t fall in and then make a (hopefully) nice bead around it.

I know i suck at grinding a nice profile to match the tube radius so I do it to the inside also so i don’t have to touch the outside edges with the grinder

[acourtjester]

I use a 4.5" angle grinder with a 60 grit flap wheel

[BrooklynBravest]

Got some lower supports cut out of some scrap I had and did some really slow and careful grinding of the top for the water pan to sit flat and the corners for
No reason.

The missing weld will be covered by the plate that holds the extrusions on.

[BrooklynBravest]

I regret my decision to have done the expanded metal with the framework to hide the rough edge. It took hours.

[acourtjester]

Getting very close, you will get the Wright table fastened to that base and sparks will fly. Are you going to put the Hypertherm under the table?

[BrooklynBravest]

Getting very close, you will get the Wright table fastened to that base and sparks will fly. Are you going to put the Hypertherm under the table?

I actually have it mounted to the wall behind the table, at a height that clears the table.

I'm not sure yet if I can put this on casters or not. Depends how level it is in its final resting place I guess. It would be nice to push against the wall when not in use.

[acourtjester]

I have casters on mine that I can flip over to use a 3/4" bolts as feet to help with stable footing and mobility. HOme depot has casters rated at 500 pounds each.

[BrooklynBravest]

My care package from STV CNC showed up. They sold me these parts basically free... I paid $140 plus shipping for the entire picture including the 20mm linear carriages and rails. They hate Wright CNC so I think he just hooked me up to watch me stick it to them.

Anyway now that I had the larger rails I was able to take measurements and do an unfortunate amount of math and get the brackets (hopefully) right and cut out.

I decided to integrate the carriage stop into the rear mounting plate to save some space as well. In the original wright design they are mounted to the extrusion and the full travel ends up putting the torch immediately to the edge of the water table making a god awful mess...

Also made the brackets to be welded on for the electronics enclosure. The stock one is bolt on and has a design/fitment issue I corrected.

The guys at STV CNC really hooked me up. Everything in the picture below I paid $140 + shipping for. I couldn't buy it myself for that price.

[BrooklynBravest]

[acourtjester]

Some deal those linear rails and carriages are not cheap.

[BrooklynBravest]

Yah I’m not sure how he even sold it all to me at that price. But I’m ok with it.

Got the electrical box brackets on today as well as the extrusion mounts. Lot of careful measuring.

The bottom bracket of the electronics has a fillet to the frame and the upper will have some support added integrated with a cable track I’m still planning that out.

In the picture that clamp and flat bar was just my alignment tool.

[BrooklynBravest]

Planning out the cable track. There is a back support on the upper electrical bracket you can’t see as well.

I was hoping to get away with a single holder for the cable track and i probably could but I don’t think it would be optimal.

[BrooklynBravest]

Got it all primed.

It is slightly off level at the bottom by 1/2” diagonally on the long span but considering the conditions I put it together in its pretty good. I don’t think it will effect anything noticeably.

Painting it red, just gonna rattle can it it’s too heavy to bring to powdercoater and I don’t really want to drop the money on that either.

[acourtjester]

somebody is getting very close to finishing a nice projects. Time to look for another, from you past posts you have some lined up

[BrooklynBravest]

somebody is getting very close to finishing a nice projects. Time to look for another, from you past posts you have some lined up

I still have to devise some computer holder that can stow under the table like I currently have. My current one works, but I dislike it.

[BrooklynBravest]

about 10 cans of paint/primer later.

My measurement was slightly off on the electrical box mounts. Actually I think the brackets werent dead square they're off 1/16" I think at one end. I reamed them out a little with a die grinder i'll cover it with a washer no big deal.

Everything fit together nicely and its all level in place. I decided not to use casters after all I got nice swivel/padded leveling feet off McMaster.

The Y axis here uses different pinions that are shorter than my original table so I had to change them out, and I don't have a puller. So I used a pin punch to the shaft and hoped for the best... One motor is fine the other unfortunately sustained internal damage so thats gonna cost me a few bucks sadly. The stacked core inside separated and now it binds when they fall out of alignment. (i opened it up to see what was up)

Anyway overall I think it came out just as I envisioned it. The original water table is on it right now, when the pandemic ends (if ever) i will have a 11g one made that is a bit larger.

Oh and I did goof a little on the side rails. Not having the new parts available to me when I ordered the rails, I ordered the same length as the original table. My design was more efficient and actually opened up an additional 2" per side so I will replace these at some point. The original table cut 25x49, this will cut 27x52 when its fixed.