Toying with PIPE CUTTING

[Joe Jones]

This was just a concept, not even a prototype, but it works!

[Joe Jones]

That pipe was thick, which is why it is moving so slowly. Also, the table is equipped with my 6" Z rail riser kit.

[weldguy]

Very clever

[WyoGreen]

Now that was a cleaver idea! Just shows there's more than one way to do something. I may have to do a little experimenting with that idea myself!
Steve

[Joe Jones]

It is possible to do end cuts by using the two rollers at the far end of the gantry, and let the carriage operate in the area of 0,0 to 48,10
The pipe would roll on the square tubing on the grate, and UNDER the raised rail to a third rolling surface outside of the table.

Here is another experiment in pipe cutting WITHOUT the pipe cutter or the pipe cutting software. I like to think OUTSIDE of the box

[Joe Jones]

These photos were shared with me by a student of mine, who hired me to come to his home and train him on the use of DesignEdge software. Sorry, PlasmaCam. I will not post his name here.

Here is a perfect example of Out of the Box Thinking!

He needed to cut holes into square tubing that would NOT fit beneath the Samson 510 gantry tube, which only offers two inches of clearance. So he redesigned one frame member, so that the vertical web curled DOWN rather than up! Then he removed a few of the top inserted grate slats, to give him a fantastic channel to use for cutting pipe! The lower slats run from frame to frame, but the cross slats that are inserted from above are really NOT necessary across the entire table, and one or more of them CAN be removed to give you this space.

This mod will NOT affect any warranty by PlasmaCam, because it is a BOLT-ON option (the newly designed frame rail) and there is NO DRILLING or WELDING involved, so the original table is not modified in ANY way. It can be restored to factory design at any time.

I wasn't going to share these photos, but I decided that this simple modification to the table is just too bitchin' not to share! It will give you FAR greater options for cutting tubing, or routing tubing, or routing names and addresses into 4x4 posts, or whatever.

The photos are self-explanatory. I just LOVE this addition to the table's functionality!

Joe

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[Joe Jones]

Now that was a cleaver idea! Just shows there's more than one way to do something. I may have to do a little experimenting with that idea myself!
Steve

Okay ... Show us what you've come up with! I LOVE out-of-the-box thinking!

Joe

[acourtjester]

this is my take on rotary cutting I have a jig that mounts across the table and has a separate stepper for drive. I disconnect the X motor and connect the plug to the rotary stepper. I change the steps per setting to match the distance around the pipe so no changes are needed in the G-code planning.

[see&see]

Excellent, WAY out of the box application Joe. I almost needed your rail riser kit not long age to cut some square tubing but I was able to remove an end slat, make a drop clamp as the pieces were short. Very nice work Joe!

[Joe Jones]

Excellent, WAY out of the box application Joe. I almost needed your rail riser kit not long age to cut some square tubing but I was able to remove an end slat, make a drop clamp as the pieces were short. Very nice work Joe!

Thanks, but that is not MY idea. Although I really like it! Another table owner came up with that idea to cut tubing without needing to raise the rail or disassemble the table. I have omitted his name to protect the innocent.

Joe

[Joe Jones]

this is my take on rotary cutting I have a jig that mounts across the table and has a separate stepper for drive. I disconnect the X motor and connect the plug to the rotary stepper. I change the steps per setting to match the distance around the pipe so no changes are needed in the G-code planning.

Cool! I will assume that is not a PlasmaCam table. Is it a "STAR LITE?" I never heard of the brand, but I am all in favor of anything that eliminates the requirement to partially disassemble a PlasmaCam table in order to assemble a pipe cutting attachment for a simple cut, only to have to reassemble the PlasmaCam table and square everything up after the project is done.

PlasmaCam should really consider building a stand alone pipe cutter. They could set up a gantry tube on a sawhorse frame
(on WHEELS, please!) with a separate gantry motor to rotate the pipe, perhaps as a direct drive to the rollers instead of a belt around the pipe. They could offer the "BASIC" model, or the "DELUXE" model which would include another carriage assembly. You could buy another machine torch and simply move the table's main harness to the pipe cutter unit, and plug in the pre-mounted machine torch to the plasma machine. Gosh, wouldn't THAT open up pipe cutting options for PlasmaCam owners.

I have three different pipe cutting designs on the drawing board, for pipe cutting options for PlasmaCam owners. One rolls under the table, another sets up off to one side, and still another is incorporated into the table frame. I am shooting for "oil drum" and fire ring size tubing capacity, thus eliminating that max. 13-1/2" diameter capacity of the original PlasmaCam cutter. Imagine rolling a fire ring, welding it, and THEN cutting out the designs!

My designs will also cut square and rectangular tubing, angle iron, T-bar, I-beams, and other shapes.

As a bonus, they will also serve as a rotation tool for those who want to use a ROUTER on their table, to carve a nice wood, plex or foam totem pole for their front porch

I will TRY to get at least one of them developed by ... Christmas?? I could sure use an assistant!

Joe

[Joe Jones]

I have started another thread here. I am really excited about what is developing!

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