Consumable limit finally reached!

Information on plasma cutting nozzles, electrodes, and other consumables.
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Wine Country
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Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by Wine Country »

Last night I had a 16 minute cut using one of Jason Henry's fantastic patterns I just purchased to fab a coat rack. It was a 16:45 cut time and 933 inches of cutting. Normally I would always check the condition of the nozzle and electrode. I use a Powermax 1000 with fine cut consumables 75% of the time. But when the cut was almost finished,I notice the "green"arc ($ lost) and then it developed a shrill while cutting. Tonight ,new electrode and nozzle. Cut turned out perfect for me. I guess it is time to stop relying on memory of what I have cut and check the consumables always. Especially on a large material consuming part! The packs of 5 electrodes and nozzles ran me $85 at my friends welding supply. Cheap when I think what I make with them without wasting material!
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elkriverfab
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Re: Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by elkriverfab »

I check mine every time I go to cut.......
I have done just what you mentioned before too.

Most of the time you can just change out the consumables , go back to the bad spot and finish cutting.

I hate when you have a large design and that one little piece pops up at the last few cuts and the torch drags your entire sheet a half inch or so.....

You can never get it placed in the same position to keep cutting. ( = start over :x ).

Any more I watch the entire cut while ready to hit the stop button so I can remove that piece that tries to ruin the entire project.

I am thinking about making a breakaway torch mount to keep that from happening again.

I have seen some good ideas as far as the breakaway torch mount.

As far as consumable limits, I need to start filling them down (nozzles) like mentioned in the post here on plasmapider.

I keep all the nozzles and now is the time to try it, everyone says it really saves money.

I wish there was a way to salvage the electrodes too........

Those nozzles and electrodes really start to add up after a while $$$$$
"OK, Now hold my beer and I'll try it"
jimjimmac
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Re: Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by jimjimmac »

I have been buying my HT 1000 consumables from this site. Fine cut electrodes, 5 in a pack for $31.50, 5 nozzels at $23.80. Shipping was 7 bucks. Only takes about 3 days to get em. It's an ebay thing, but you don't bid, you just place the order. I ordered twice and call the 800 number to talk to the guy rather than do it online.

http://stores.ebay.com/Harris-Welding-S ... 34.c0.m322

Saturday I loaded a sheet of 10 ga. cold rolled to cut ornamental garden stuff. I put in a new tip and electrode and cut 4,126 inches with 896 pierces, including 35 little humming birds with 16 pierces each that go on sticks. My pierce height was .12, cut height was .062, speed was 90 at 42-43 amps. Clean dry air out of a refrigerated air dryer. Then checked the consumables. The nozzle hole was slightly larger than when new, but still round. The electrode had a dimple. I sanded the nozzel to make it smooth again, checked the inside of it for any build-up. If there is, I use a dremmel with a round stone to clean it up. There was none. Then I took my wife's metal finger nail file :lol: and filed down the end of the electrode a little bit which made the dimple less noticable. She wonders where they all go. I always give her the 'Not Me' look. :roll:

Sunday, I mounted a sheet of 16 gauge and cut an additional 1,832 inches with 470 pierces. Same pierce and height, but the speed was 160 at 37-38 amps. That's a total of 5,958 inches with 1,366 pierces on the same nozzle. I quit for the day after that. I did notice that the kerf was a little thicker eventhough it was still on 16 gauge. I'll check the tip before I start cutting again, but I am sure I can still get some inches out of it. Maybe I'll send it in to Colt to put in a glass case for the Hypertherm hall of fame. BTW, when I put the tip in before the 10 gauge, I also changed the 'O' ring and added a little lube.

Jim
Wine Country
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Re: Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by Wine Country »

Thanks for the input guys! I guess this was one of those lazy moments for me (Sunday) and wanted to get this done. And as we all know,it happens when you are out of new consumables. I religiously check my parts before a big part and realized what had happened was my fault. Monday I installed the new electrod and nozzle. Cut the part and it lifted right out of the sheet,even down t the 1/16" wide details! I guess I just needed a reminder after 3 years! Thank You!
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elkriverfab
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Re: Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by elkriverfab »

It happens,

I was cutting the other day and thought "I better put a new set in"

Guess what, I was out.

40 miles away from the only place that sells them.
It was on a Saturday and they are not open on the weekend.

I keep my consumable blister packs in large plastic Folgers coffee cans with lids.
It keeps me from reaching in a tool box or on a shelf (rattle snakes and scorpions love those places here).

Opened the cans up and I was out! No electrodes.........

I bet if I looked for a rattle snake in the shop I would have found one though.........
"OK, Now hold my beer and I'll try it"
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AnotherDano
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Re: Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by AnotherDano »

I got a kit for my PowerMax-30. It's a neat little box with fitted foam, like you'd see something verrry expensive packaged in. (Not that a set of electrodes and tips are cheap).

If someone complains about prices, I open it up and explain that these tips aren't cheap, ya know.
:lol: :lol:
Dano Roberts
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Kentuckyfarmer
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Re: Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by Kentuckyfarmer »

For what its worth I would have to find a new shop if i start findind rattle snakes in mine. I dont think there is room for both of us. Me or the snakes,
Mike
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Re: Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by jimcolt »

Don't forget that when you are talking about the price of the Hypertherm consumable parts....that if you figure out how much they are costing per foot of cut...or per part cut.....that they are the lowest cost plasma cutting consumables! You can buy really cheap electrodes and nozzles for the import plasma systems......but you will use as many as 10 sets during the same amount of cutting that you would get out of 1 set of Hypertherm parts!

It is harder for us to convince buyers that the most expensive plasma systems and most expensive consumables will turn out to be the lowest cost after you use them for a while.....but this is what our systems have been engineered to do.

I love seeing posts like this.

Jim Colt
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elkriverfab
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Re: Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by elkriverfab »

Jim colt,

I figure if I spent the money to get a good cutter (hypertherm) I should stick with the original parts.
In the end I am trying to cut quality pieces and the cheap consumables are a bad idea.

At first the price sounds good but that old saying rings true " you get what you pay for"
I have never bought the cheap ones and if you look at the track record of quality coming from overseas you can get the picture.
"OK, Now hold my beer and I'll try it"
boodog710
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Re: Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by boodog710 »

I have a Hypertherm 1250. A couple of months ago I cut some floor drain covers for one of the local casinos. Floor drains, think bunches of holes. The cut had 527 pierces. I used the fine cut consumable and cut 12 ga stainless. Started with new nozzle (220329) and electrode (120926). Cut it all without having to change either nozzle or electrode.
Wine Country
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Re: Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by Wine Country »

No complaints about the cost of genuine Hypertherm parts when I realize what I make from a single pair! You get what you pay for. Thats why I add $.15 a pierce in my pricing on items.
vmax549
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Re: Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by vmax549 »

For those that use Mach3 and Sheetcam it is possible to let MACH3 track your consumables.

(;-) TP
Largemouthlou
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Re: Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by Largemouthlou »

Is there a post on here describing the sanding method for cleaning up consumables?? I did several searches but came up empty this morning.. Thanks
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AnotherDano
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Re: Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by AnotherDano »

Largemouthlou wrote:Is there a post on here describing the sanding method for cleaning up consumables?? I did several searches but came up empty this morning.. Thanks
I use the disposable nail files. (Emory boards, finest grit)

Go slow, be gentle. One light swipe at a time and try to keep the tip square.
Electrodes are a lost cause... They get tossed.

However, I'm still doing something wrong. My electrodes are shot well before the tips.

Green flame = time to replace.
Dano Roberts
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Serving Laramie, Wy since Thursday
muzza
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Re: Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by muzza »

Largemouthlou wrote:Is there a post on here describing the sanding method for cleaning up consumables?? I did several searches but came up empty this morning.. Thanks
This is one from "Admin selected" might be what your looking for
http://www.plasmaspider.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=727

You get accustomed to what's happening and can pick the change in sound, look and cut quality when the consumables are getting to the end of their life. I used to only replace the electrode or nozzle that was at fault and continue on but found it was normally only a short time before I had to replace the other so now when ones spent I swap both of them out. Might waste a few dollars but in the context of things it really costs me more if I don't.
As Jim points out regularly the price per inch on consumables is minimal even though here in Oz we are paying nearly double what you are in the US, besides it helps keep Hypertherm financial enough to employ the best in the business.
Murray
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Re: Consumable limit finally reached!

Post by Largemouthlou »

Thank you gang!! :D
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