Interesting machine

If you read what I wrote , you will see I referred to the plasma cutter that you posted a link to. The hypertherm Maxpro 200. It requires both Argon and Oxygen and runs on three phase power. In addition it weighs 740 lbs., but that probably does not include the Oxygen and Argon bottles.

Do you own a plasma cutter? Have you used one? Have you seen one being used in a scrap yard?

Dan

Yeah, what a great idea. [not]

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A google search for "knee mill conversion" produces 4,174,000 hits, but Iggy's page is truly special...

--because "it contains lots of useful information" (most of which came from the very same RCM members whom he now seems to think ought to be overflowing with gratitude for his selfless act of philantrophy)

I am somewhat familiar with plasma cutters. They are great especially for some things. But Plasma cutters work by converting electrical energy to heat gas to a high temperature . The hot gas melts the metal and the melted metal is blown away by the hot gas. So they are somewhat limited by how much electrical energy they consume. The older model use nitrogen for the gas. Later models use dry air. Moisture plays hell with the consumables. The Hypertherm model you referenced is the first one I have seen that uses both oxygen and an inert gas. So some of the energy comes from the oxygen burning the metal instead of all the energy coming from electricity. Smart idea. But I expect that the oxygen does not help much with stainless.

Plasma cutters may be used in some scrap yards but I doubt if very many scrap yards use plasma cutters. I am personally acquainted with only two scrap yards, And neither of them uses plasma cutters. I am also familiar with a company called Net Systems that makes trawls and trawl doors. They have a nice cnc cutting set up. But it does not use a plasma cutter. It uses oxy acet.. I have also toured two steel mills. One in near Sidney and the other in West Seattle. Both of them do continuous thin slab casting. Both of them use oxy acet for cutting the slab.

I was just giving you an opening to show your credentials as a expert on plasma cutters. So actually owning and using a plasma cutter would establish you as having practical experience. I have used a plasma cutter, but do not own one. But I do own a welder or two and have an arc air torch.

Dan

Quite possible. But the physics has not changed.

Dan

Easy. On the back of a heavy flatbed. A 500 gallon Propane tank. A propane generator - 3 phase say 50 amps a phase. A transformer taking said 3 phase from the rated voltage to that of the needs of the plasma. Have said generator drive a compressor.

Key in switch and drive to the job.

Mart> >

On heavy stuff - that takes cranes to move and the like - a LOX lance is hard to beat. We have scrap yards that generate their own LOX and have it to the side of the work area. They cut gears several times the size of my truck and as thick in steel. They got the deal of getting the bad part - large gears - cut them into 4 or more wedges and then sell the parts back to the foundry. They made good money as long as the foundry was working. Sadly it is being scrapped out as I type and will take several years in the process. The foundry was one of the first industries in the area. It used to make cannons. It was thought that the revolutionary cannon came from the furnace. However I don't think it is that old. Just a tall tale. I figure the cannon came from New Orleans being left over from the French or British fighting in the area.

Mart> >

Miller 2050 (Autoline) cuts 10" per minute on 1" material. Single phase 220-460 (or 3 phase)

Its now a 12 yr old machine (the model is)

The methodology of the left has always been:

1. Lie
2. Repeat the lie as many times as possible
3. Have as many people repeat the lie as often as possible
4. Eventually, the uninformed believe the lie
5. The lie will then be made into some form oflaw
6. Then everyone must conform to the lie

No, I will do both welding and learning about welding. No point in limiting oneself to just one aspect of welding.

Dan

How will you actually remove this machine, after slicing/dicing? Forklift, dollies, handtrucks? I gather you have a flatbed? Tilt? How many helpers do you have?

If you have a tilt flatbed, you could get into machinery moving, as well.

My GR510 was moved with a forklift with at least 10 foot tongs, with the back wheels mounted to a 4,000# weight, that slides in/out hydraulically, for leverage, a distance of 4 feet. This mechanism can also be used to get the forklift out of ruts, etc, by pushing against fixed objects. Very inneresting to watch.

15k and 5k forklifts, and semi truck.

I have two semi trailers, one beavertail (foldable hydraulic tail), and another, a regular flatbed.

That's cool.

i

So do you have helpers, or is this all solo? Can't imagine not having at least one helper.

Road crews use gas powered cutoff saws, with, like, 16" wheels or sumpn. Track workers use the same, but with a clamp/pivot system that keeps the saw locked in a plane, but on a pivot, for greatly increased safety, ergonomics, speed. And in track-workers' cases, for accurate square cuts.

You should be an O/A 'spert by now, but iffin you ain't (and ahm certainly not, but I've lernt a few things the hard way), you should have a goodly array of cutting tips, and mebbe a couple each of the more popular sizes, lest the holes get clogged, which is real easy to do. Yeah, dats why god invented tip cleaners, but that can sometimes be time consuming. Also, the right tip will save gas. B tanks are great, but mebbe not for a job like this, you might want to cart in some biggies. Also much more economical, $ per cu ft of gas.

You proly already lernt the hardway about leathers -- flaps fer shoes, too. Have you ever gotten slag inside sneakers??? Holy shit.... I've read about guys getting slag in their EARS, over-head welding/cutting without hoods.... Can you imagine????? And I"m sure some unfortunate souls have gotten it in their eyes.... goodgawd.....

I risked that just the other day, hadda cut out my garage door opener for the GR510 with O/A in sort of a hurry..... God was smilin.... for once. But it was really taking a chance. Looked very impressive, tho.... one-handed..... lol

All great advice. Thanks

i

Not just multiple cutting tips but Rosebuds as well.

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I have a cupla rosebuds. They deliver *immense* amounts of raw heat. They aren't for cutting, but rather for heating large-ish masses of steel, for (iiuc) bending, forming. They might help in cutting very thick sections, by preheating mass, making it easier for the cutting tip to get shit up to temp. But few people, I think, will have occasion to cut material that thick.

As your link indicated, rosebuds can be dicey, and the volume flow of gas is so high on them, B tanks are not recommended. I've done it, with smaller rosebuds on a full B tank, but not with larger rosebuds.

The thickest sections cut with O/A are between 24" and 36" thick... !!!. AND, iiuc, the linear speed of the cut is not THAT much slower for very thick sections. Mebbe someone can ferret out the current record for an O/A cut.

24" is hard to comprehend.

Machine has been disassembled. 4,000 lbs of scrap 3 phase motors and also two potentially resellable new motors. 770 lbs of copper wire. Miscellaneous parts also (the best are Vickers DG series hydraulic pumps)

The steel is going to scrap yard tomorrow, will take at least two semi truck trips.

i