DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
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DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
Looking for inspiration on what guys are doing to add rotary axis to their tables. Enough room for about a 6" piece of pipe under the z axis on my precision plasma gantry. For tables that turn under the z axis on the table how is the workpiece being supported? Temporary rollers you mount and remove for plate cutting?
- acourtjester
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
Here is a simple one which seems to be easy to make. I did it differently for the one I built, mine was more involved. David has one that is different from this one maybe he will post info for you.
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- Joe Jones
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
Rolling the pipe beneath the torch is the easiest way to cut pipe. The torch does not know if it is cutting flat material, or a round pipe. it only knows that the top dead center of the pipe is the surface of the material, and the pipe rotates to maintain that TDC position as it cuts the design into the pipe.
You already have the gantry motor and the carriage motor for the X/Y motion, and the Z motor for the torch, so why complicate things by adding more motors? Simply lay some square tubing onto the grates to act as a track for the pipe to roll on, and use some bolt on or clamp on wheeled guides to push and pull the pipe parallel to the gantry tube.
Larger diameter pipe is also easily cut by designing a torch riser that will raise the torch higher than the carriage and extend it out over the taller pipe.
Joe
You already have the gantry motor and the carriage motor for the X/Y motion, and the Z motor for the torch, so why complicate things by adding more motors? Simply lay some square tubing onto the grates to act as a track for the pipe to roll on, and use some bolt on or clamp on wheeled guides to push and pull the pipe parallel to the gantry tube.
Larger diameter pipe is also easily cut by designing a torch riser that will raise the torch higher than the carriage and extend it out over the taller pipe.
Joe
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
Still need to make time to fab up brackets and rollers like your pipe cutter Joe. I'd like to try that out for shorter pipe.
Ended up buying a rough 6x12 Lonestar table that has a rotary on the side. Planning on using that on the next upcoming table build. Or running the Lonestar if I can clean it up.
Ended up buying a rough 6x12 Lonestar table that has a rotary on the side. Planning on using that on the next upcoming table build. Or running the Lonestar if I can clean it up.
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- Joe Jones
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
Wow. you are ambitious! I am guessing that you can get the LoneStar up and running. i know nothing about them, or the software they use. Where are you located?
Joe
Joe
Franklin, KY., USA
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
That's a neat idea you got there Joe, but what happens with the X motion....wouldn't the wheel guides put some drag on the X motion?Joe Jones wrote: ↑Sun Oct 15, 2023 2:42 pm Rolling the pipe beneath the torch is the easiest way to cut pipe. The torch does not know if it is cutting flat material, or a round pipe. it only knows that the top dead center of the pipe is the surface of the material, and the pipe rotates to maintain that TDC position as it cuts the design into the pipe.
You already have the gantry motor and the carriage motor for the X/Y motion, and the Z motor for the torch, so why complicate things by adding more motors? Simply lay some square tubing onto the grates to act as a track for the pipe to roll on, and use some bolt on or clamp on wheeled guides to push and pull the pipe parallel to the gantry tube.
Larger diameter pipe is also easily cut by designing a torch riser that will raise the torch higher than the carriage and extend it out over the taller pipe.
Joe
PIPE CUTTER GANTRY PUSH PULL JPG.jpg
- Joe Jones
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
The wheel guides are not mounted to the carriage. They are mounted to the gantry tube, and the carriage moves back and forth between them. They offer no resistance.
Joe
Franklin, KY., USA
Samson 510 & 4x4
6” Z Rail Lift Kit for PlasmaCam
CreatBot D600 PRO 3D Printer
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It is more fun when it isn't necessary!
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6” Z Rail Lift Kit for PlasmaCam
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It is more fun when it isn't necessary!
- acourtjester
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
Here is another style of tubing cutter shown in this video, the guy is a little long winded. His second video shows he is quite busy running a company using a DIY table.
DIY 4X4 Plasma/Router Table
Hypertherm PM65 Machine Torch
Drag Knife and Scribe
Miller Mig welder
13" metal lathe
Small Mill
Everlast PowerTig 255 EXT
Hypertherm PM65 Machine Torch
Drag Knife and Scribe
Miller Mig welder
13" metal lathe
Small Mill
Everlast PowerTig 255 EXT
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
Super impressive DIY design, thanks for the vid Tom ![Like :Like](./images/smilies/icon_new_like.gif)
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
I see now how it works...thanks for explaining, Joe. I cut a lot of 1.5'' holes in pipe anywhere from 5'' to 7'' od, this would speed it up if I took the time to set this up.
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
Absolutely! Set up level saw horses off to the side of the plasma table. Set up a jig to roll the pipe beneath the plasma torch, and cut! You could also set up a path to cut that angled end. The nice things is, if the holes are pass through, you can set up the file to have the two holes EXACTLY opposite the other two on a given diameter of pipe. No more guesswork.
What do you do? SCREW these into the ground?!?
Joe
What do you do? SCREW these into the ground?!?
![Wow :Wow](./images/smilies/icon_new_wow.gif)
Joe
Franklin, KY., USA
Samson 510 & 4x4
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- Joe Jones
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
That is an awesome setup for rotary cutting.acourtjester wrote: ↑Mon Oct 16, 2023 9:53 am Here is another style of tubing cutter shown in this video, the guy is a little long winded. His second video shows he is quite busy running a company using a DIY table.
Joe
Franklin, KY., USA
Samson 510 & 4x4
6” Z Rail Lift Kit for PlasmaCam
CreatBot D600 PRO 3D Printer
12 Lasers
FREE DesignEdge Training!
It is more fun when it isn't necessary!
Samson 510 & 4x4
6” Z Rail Lift Kit for PlasmaCam
CreatBot D600 PRO 3D Printer
12 Lasers
FREE DesignEdge Training!
It is more fun when it isn't necessary!
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
Yes, these are what they call screwpiles, the ones I build are 20 feet long with 24'' dia helix, 1/2'' steel. This cement plant sits on screwpiles.Joe Jones wrote: ↑Mon Oct 16, 2023 11:21 am Absolutely! Set up level saw horses off to the side of the plasma table. Set up a jig to roll the pipe beneath the plasma torch, and cut! You could also set up a path to cut that angled end. The nice things is, if the holes are pass through, you can set up the file to have the two holes EXACTLY opposite the other two on a given diameter of pipe. No more guesswork.
What do you do? SCREW these into the ground?!?![]()
Joe
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
I wondered how these things are anchored to the ground.
Joe
Franklin, KY., USA
Samson 510 & 4x4
6” Z Rail Lift Kit for PlasmaCam
CreatBot D600 PRO 3D Printer
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It is more fun when it isn't necessary!
Samson 510 & 4x4
6” Z Rail Lift Kit for PlasmaCam
CreatBot D600 PRO 3D Printer
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It is more fun when it isn't necessary!
- acourtjester
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
Upgraded tubing rotary device DIY type by the guy I posted above again long winded but neat.
DIY 4X4 Plasma/Router Table
Hypertherm PM65 Machine Torch
Drag Knife and Scribe
Miller Mig welder
13" metal lathe
Small Mill
Everlast PowerTig 255 EXT
Hypertherm PM65 Machine Torch
Drag Knife and Scribe
Miller Mig welder
13" metal lathe
Small Mill
Everlast PowerTig 255 EXT
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
I'm a sucker for any project cnc machine. My daily driver was abandoned when I bought it.
Its probably more adhd than ambition, my current table does everything I need but I cant leave well enough alone. I think Lonestar uses their own modified screenset of mach3 on most of their cnc machines. This one got beat up in a storm, I picked it up on auction, mainly for the rotary and scribe mount parts but we'll see what it takes to straighten everything out this winter.
Thinking about mounting that rotary chuck on the rear or front inside the table under the gantry. Lots of room under the gantry.
Was going to plug the existing x axis driver into the rotary. I use mach3/sheetcam on this one too, I assume each different diameter of pipe will need the steps/unit changed?
I have an industrial plasma gantry and enough gear rack and t rail to build an 8x14. It has ac servo motors/drivers, helical gears, oxyfuel. With the wider gantry I cant make my mind up to run the rotary on the table and keep the 8ft wide cut for plate or bring one side in a couple feet and cut pipe on the side like the Lonestar does. Cant find many examples of a rotary built into the table so Im leaning towards giving up a couple ft of cut width and cutting pipe off to the side.
Tom, I really like this guys table, especially the rotary and follower. No need for any kind of pipe/tubing holder on the floor. Thanks for those videos, thought I'd seen all the diy plasma stuff on youtube.acourtjester wrote: ↑Sun Oct 22, 2023 12:02 pm Upgraded tubing rotary device DIY type by the guy I posted above again long winded but neat.
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- acourtjester
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
Reburbing an older table that has good bones will save time, finding and replacing the bad/damaged parts will save money too. The old "one mans trash is another treasure". Many times a company will dump equipment, as they see it is cheaper time wise to buy new, you win.
Keep us posted on your progress, pictures too.![Like :Like](./images/smilies/icon_new_like.gif)
![Yay :Yay](./images/smilies/icon_new_yay.gif)
Keep us posted on your progress, pictures too.
![Like :Like](./images/smilies/icon_new_like.gif)
DIY 4X4 Plasma/Router Table
Hypertherm PM65 Machine Torch
Drag Knife and Scribe
Miller Mig welder
13" metal lathe
Small Mill
Everlast PowerTig 255 EXT
Hypertherm PM65 Machine Torch
Drag Knife and Scribe
Miller Mig welder
13" metal lathe
Small Mill
Everlast PowerTig 255 EXT
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
There have been quite a few nice used tables go for sale on auctions and classifieds.acourtjester wrote: ↑Tue Oct 24, 2023 9:49 am Reburbing an older table that has good bones will save time, finding and replacing the bad/damaged parts will save money too. The old "one mans trash is another treasure". Many times a company will dump equipment, as they see it is cheaper time wise to buy new, you win.![]()
Keep us posted on your progress, pictures too.![]()
It didn't take a whole lot but it's cleaned up and going again. Some of the motors wouldn't spin so I replaced those and changed the tb6600 drivers and 24v power supply to some dm542 drivers and 36v. New linear bearings, it jogs pretty nice but will occasionally stall at 750ipm and above. May bump it to 48v. It's direct drive so I'm not sure how much more performance I can get out of it. 600ipm seems like the sweet spot for jog speed
I really like the mach3 screenset/setup they use. You can home with limit switches and have multiple park positions. You can even do a dry run of the perimeter to make sure the part will fit. The thc responds pretty well but I haven't done any sloped.
Haven't gotten around to setting up the rotary yet, main point of this thread but that's next now that I know everything works.
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- acourtjester
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
Not sure what thickness of metal you are going to cut, but you will not need more then 350 IPS. And that may be all that needed to rapids for one cut to another.
![Funny :HaHa](./images/smilies/icon_new_haha.gif)
![Funny :HaHa](./images/smilies/icon_new_haha.gif)
![Funny :HaHa](./images/smilies/icon_new_haha.gif)
DIY 4X4 Plasma/Router Table
Hypertherm PM65 Machine Torch
Drag Knife and Scribe
Miller Mig welder
13" metal lathe
Small Mill
Everlast PowerTig 255 EXT
Hypertherm PM65 Machine Torch
Drag Knife and Scribe
Miller Mig welder
13" metal lathe
Small Mill
Everlast PowerTig 255 EXT
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Re: DIY rotary pipe cutter add on
Nice refurb job, looking really good!