Plamsa cutting

[wakeboardsteve]

Should I be worried about using a plasma cutter on a vehical? Could I ruin the electronic boards? What precaution should I do?

[Freebirdwelds]

when ever in doubt, just disconnect the battery and keep the ground close as possible to the torch.

[smithdoor]

What are you cutting on the vehicle?

Dave

Should I be worried about using a plasma cutter on a vehical? Could I ruin the electronic boards? What precaution should I do?

[Flyer58]

I've read many posts saying it's OK to use the plasma torch without disconnecting the battery but it sure won't hurt to disconnect it. Same question could be asked about MIG welding after you cut. I see exhaust shops MIG weld the brackets all day long without any problems.

[cwby]

when ever in doubt, just disconnect the battery and keep the ground close as possible to the torch.

What he said. Electricity always finds the shortest path to ground. Keep your work lead close to the stinger & on the opposite side of electronics & you should be OK.

[wakeboardsteve]

What are you cutting on the vehicle?

Dave

I am a manager at a Truck Accessory Store. Besides manager I also do all the work along side the rest of the employees. Sometimes I have to cut front bumpers when installing baseplates like on certain jeeps. It was something that I thought I had to do today but luckily didnt pan out that way. Last thing I need is to have all the air bags go off the second I pull the trigger, if that happend I would **** my pants just as fast as the bags deployed.

[whtbaron]

Be aware of heat transfer into bumper shocks as well... I've never done it myself, but I've heard of them being blown up when somebody got too close with the heat.

[smithdoor]

It does sound like good thing to use any type of heat on that location.

Dave

I am a manager at a Truck Accessory Store. Besides manager I also do all the work along side the rest of the employees. Sometimes I have to cut front bumpers when installing baseplates like on certain jeeps. It was something that I thought I had to do today but luckily didnt pan out that way. Last thing I need is to have all the air bags go off the second I pull the trigger, if that happend I would **** my pants just as fast as the bags deployed.

[Sberry]

No one has ever explained how disconnecting a battery did anything. A lot of problems with that, lots of accidents happen with batteries and new cars got so much connected equipment it can be a real deal to get it started. I never do it, I welded 0n 5000 cars, trucks tractors, couple plane, ships and trains. . Millions including a couple posters work off of truck platforms every day, can you imagine unhooking a welding truck every time use d the bumper for a vise?

[Sberry]

Considering the millions of cars worked on every day, as was said, muffler shops alone you would think the forums would be littered with incidents if it was a problem?

[Sberry]

I am a manager at a Truck Accessory Store. Besides manager I also do all the work along side the rest of the employees. Sometimes I have to cut front bumpers when installing baseplates like on certain jeeps. It was something that I thought I had to do today but luckily didnt pan out that way. Last thing I need is to have all the air bags go off the second I pull the trigger, if that happend I would **** my pants just as fast as the bags deployed.

I don't think I ever heard of this happening.

[Willie B]

The most complicated electronics I've ever seen on a machine is my "new" backhoe (Case 580 Super N).
Many years I have used my loader bucket as a welding table. The manual gives an impossibly big procedure to prepare to weld on the machine. I've opted to not weld on it for fear of even more electronic problems.

If I were working on someone else's vehicle I'd avoid it. Even if you do no harm, you'll be blamed for any & all problems that might crop up in future.

[Sberry]

If I were working on someone else's vehicle I'd avoid it. Even if you do no harm, you'll be blamed for any & all problems that might crop up in future

5000 cars and trucks,, at least,, ,, never had that happen.

[Sberry]

Well kind of. I have had 2 things over 40+ years and neither incident cost me. Owners involved with both. The one,,, Bud does a conversion and puts 350FI in a 74 wagon. He been working on it and decides he needs a frame patch right then and shows up juiced with another 12 or so, no big deal and I really look it over due to extensive work, no lines, no insulation, no wires, under but workable. I fix this and we even sit and BS, finally he blast off and about 10 mins on the phone, hey MF,,, ya burned my car up, was on fire as I pull in the drive, I run in for eext and got it out.
I know for a fact I didnt miss this, I do, so I just drop it and next day,,, he calls back, shate,,, I forgot to tie up a harness and it fell on to the exhaust.
Only other incident was with a plasma. Guy brings the gf car over, was olderm some chevy and had a failed or damaged door post/latch post, maybe it was rusted, dont recall now but we snip it, cut it fix it all up perfect except dipstick fits in in wrong spot and not sure why we didnt test it, dont recall but got all done and it is off so I pick up plas and gonna burn a circle around it and we will move it, no big deal. I cut a window thru the jamb, we had been working on it and had fire watched but fire must have went elsewhere this time and whoosh. Turned that 1/4 hot right now, we ext is fast but burn the paint off of it, half the side of the car.
Was a good excuse to trade it. I was gonna paint it but they sold it the next day or 2 for a nicer one anyway.

[Sberry]

So, I do some cripple steps to a couple for neighbors, to little older cars and while back the social serv people call and said, thats great, no one will do something like this,,, ha. I told her, with good reason, everyone scared of the liability and sorry I really wasnt looking to do these.