Centroid Community CNC Support Forum

I'll post a pic tomorrow of the part number on the gearbox when I get to the shop. I'm surprised I don't have one in the album.

I'll be plasma cutting all day tomorrow. I've got 98 Caterpillar track shoes to cut holes in tomorrow. The customer is bringing the excavator to the shop and removing each track shoe so I can plasma cut four 1" holes in each track shoe so he can bolt rubber pads on the steel shoes. The area I'll be cutting is 1/2" thick. Always something fun and different with the plasma cutter.

Started a photo album for the twin tables. You can check them out here https://photos.app.goo.gl/FXsZhYdZjGXiKmUf7

Joey wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 12:49 pm Started a photo album for the twin tables. You can check them out here https://photos.app.goo.gl/FXsZhYdZjGXiKmUf7

Great, I'll have a look later today when I'm done plasma cutting.

I uploaded a pic of the gearboxes on the ShopSabre to my Google album.

Here's a link to a short video in my Google album plasma cutting four 7/8" diameter holes in Caterpillar track shoes so the owner could bolt on rubber pads. I'm setup at 85 amps for 1/2" steel at about 60% of book speed. I edited the G code to cut the four holes then retract to Z0 and move back 12 inches to load another track shoe. Then upon cycle start it moves to X0, Y0 and rapids to safe height set in the profile and then cuts again. I cut 98 track shoes in total today.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/dnBBDXT5xmCrJ9Vz9

great plasma project! thanks for posting all the good photos and videos, keep it coming, love it!

This is not quite plasma related but I just had to share this. I got our 12K fiber laser up and running today. Here's a quick video of it cutting 1/8" 6061 aluminum. It's slightly faster and cleaner than my plasma cutter.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TPngKN9mRoo8axTb9

Wow that laser is quick. So the metal doesn't even have time to start flexing? no need for height control? What is the cut height for the laser?

Joey wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 12:00 pm Wow that laser is quick. So the metal doesn't even have time to start flexing? no need for height control? What is the cut height for the laser?

Yup, it cuts 1/8" aluminum at just under 1200 IPM. The part is barely warm when I retrieve it from the bin below the machine. The height control is controlled by capacitance sensing in the nozzle. Even when it's just idle you can move a piece of metal under the nozzle and the Z axis moves up and down to maintain the "follow" distance from the material. It's almost eerie how it knows. The cut height for that part was .0197". It has gas inputs for compressed air, nitrogen and oxygen. That was cut with compressed air for testing and has a really nice edge finish but typically I'll cut aluminum with nitrogen for a better cut finish if needed.

Lots to learn for sure.

lasers way to go cut aluminum nitrogen . now compressed air systems cutting 1500 ipm

Check out friend of mine he sells lasers hill come to your house or shop set them up he got lot cool videos
Garry Ramsey Ramsey customs https://www.youtube.com/@turbocobra

jcoldon wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 1:39 pm lasers way to go cut aluminum nitrogen . now compressed air systems cutting 1500 ipm

Check out friend of mine he sells lasers hill come to your house or shop set them up he got lot cool videos
Garry Ramsey Ramsey customs https://www.youtube.com/@turbocobra

The book speeds for 3mm or 1/8" aluminum ranges from 1575 IPM up to 1970 IPM. Since I'm just starting out I wanted to stay on the conservative side and work my way up to 1970 IPM. This is cutting with compressed air from a 30HP screw compressor capable of 290 PSI and 90 CFM. Built in dryer with a 5 stage filtration unit. The fiber laser has three gas input ports, air, nitrogen and oxygen, and it witches between gases automatically in the software and sets the gas pressure automatically per your cut parameters.

I've seen Gary's videos.