plasma

[lutchman]

has anyone ever tried to rig a plasma to their shopbot? is this even possible?

[hh_woodworking]

Yes, but really need a different table insert, water pan ect. Shopbot did make a plasma system several years ago

[lutchman]

thanks, i figured that the table would have to be altered. i remember seeing in me sbparts folder, there were two files in a "plasma" folder, if we get the plasma addition from sb, can those files be used? is there any special parameters that needs to be configured on the bot? has sb discontinued their plasma line? btw we have a prt alpha.

[jTr]

My neighbor is a metal fabricator and has a Torchmate plasma system. Rather than vacuum hold downs, he's got a fume-ventilation system through table base that he constructed with massive I-beams. He frequently has to adjust a turnbuckle tension system underneath to control warpage of the rails due to repeated heat exposure.

What a completely different ballgame - personally, I would not do it unless you were never going to process wood with the machine again.

[lutchman]

OK...so we have to get a plasma cnc...lol...anyone knows what software is used to control plasma?...i did some (some meaning very little) on plasma software and got a large number of programs but which is most common, which is best, is mach 3 good for this type of application?

[bob_dodd]

You should contact Brady W. I know at 1 time he had a 4 ft. X 16 ft. Bot , half was cnc the other was plasma

[wmwmacs]

I had a Plasma cam for about 4 years and the software came with the machine.

However saw dust and molten metal do not mix. so my shopbot is in a different location.

[hh_woodworking]

The Plasma Cam software is also very user friendly. You can use v carve to design in and use the postpossessor to write the code or save it as dxf file and use the plasma cam software for the code.

[makeCNC]

Most of the hobby guys i know doing Plasma and many pro's use SheetCam its inexpensive and has all the features you need for Plasma work.
i had a shopbot PRT 96 a few years back that i converted to Plasma
and you really can only use a bot for one or the other ..its is correct that you need a whole different space to work in that has a concrete floor and is fire safe..and cutting metal can be really dirty ...fire and wood dust are a bad mixture..so my humble advise would be make sure you keep your wood shop and your Plasma shop in totally different spaces..but yes the shopbots can make excellent Plasma tools although i think its overkill because you do not need the rigid frame for plasma as there are no forces of bits going through material to worry about so a much lighter CNC frame can be used...but the rack and pinion drive on a shopbot gives nice fast rapids and that is what a plasma likes when quickly cutting thin sheet metals..just my two cents