Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

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Joe Jones
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Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by Joe Jones »

So we set up the fiber laser table, and had two good days of training on it. Everything went well, until I noticed that BOTH large, full bottles of assist gas are now EMPTY! :shock:

We used oxygen assist or Nitrogen assist, depending on what we were cutting.

I am going to have to re-evaluate the price structure for products cut with this laser. We went through $150.00 of bottles gas in only ten hours! :Wow

I will contact AIRGAS tomorrow, to see about getting their 12-pack of gas bottles, which may last a week to ten days if I am lucky. The price of everything I will cut on this table just DOUBLED!

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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by acourtjester »

Ah yes the hidden expenses they don't tell you about, bummer X 10
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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by Joe Jones »

We are learning the software (partially in CHINESE!") and getting things done.

Here is my sign cut in 14 ga mild steel and 16 ga stainless steel
agit signs.jpg


This laser is only rated for 6mm steel, but we pushed it and got it to cut a 1.5" hole through 1/2" steel! The smaller hole was drilled.
HALF INCH MATERIAL HOLE.jpg

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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by Joe Jones »

Off to Bowling Green tomorrow, to get 24 bottles of gas (on the wall ...)

12 O2 and 12 N2

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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by djreiswig »

That's why laser shops have the big tanks outside and a tanker that comes by and fills them.
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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by Joe Jones »

They say they deliver these 12-packs of bottles. So I will order two oxygen and two nitrogen today, to get me started, and see how long they last.

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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by plasmanewbie »

Awesome you have it up and running and the cuts look great! Bummer on the gas consumption but that is cost you will have to pass on to the customer I suppose.
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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by Joe Jones »

I will get a 12-pack of gas bottles and keep track of the cut inches. When they are all empty, I will divide the cost of the bottles by the cut inches, and come up with a "Gas Price Per Cut Inch" to cover the costs.

On the plus side, the word is getting out and I am already receiving many requests for work using this laser!

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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by Joe Jones »

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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by acourtjester »

Well Joe not for everybody
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.

How about posting some of pictures of your table and info about its model, you know the neat stuff, don't be shy. :Yay
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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by Joe Jones »

I have decided to get the 'YUGE bottles of liquid oxygen and nitrogen. The 12 packs are okay, but the liquid bottles give you more gas for the same basic price. I will probably get three of each, and then swap out four empties at a time, while still running on the remaining two bottles.
HALF INCH MATERIAL HOLE.jpg
cut samples.jpg
chiller fan and bottles.jpg

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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by Joe Jones »

acourtjester wrote: Sat May 10, 2025 9:47 am Well Joe not for everybody
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.

How about posting some of pictures of your table and info about its model, you know the neat stuff, don't be shy. :Yay
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So the Facebook links cannot be viewed unless you first "friend" me.

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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by Joe Jones »

Cutting 1/4" mild steel, a table leg gusset for a client. I am not sure I will ever use my plasma table again :lol:

Joe
FS LASER COLT GUSSET.mp4

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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by weldguy »

Watched your vid! That is slick, mesmerizing to watch, love the thin kerf!
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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by Joe Jones »

weldguy wrote: Mon May 12, 2025 12:39 pm Watched your vid! That is slick, mesmerizing to watch, love the thin kerf!
Check out the kerf on this piece of 14 ga aluminum!

Joe
aluminum kerf.jpg

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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by Jason@bc »

That's impressive!
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Re: Aye! Chihuahua! Bottled gas is 'SPENSIVE Lucy!

Post by Joe Jones »

Yep!

Joe
ALUMINUM KERF 2.jpg

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