Re: plasma on mill

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., "Don Chandler" <chandler@n...> wrote:

> Roger,
> I bolted a piece of 6" channel to my mill table. It extended out
>about 4 ft.
> in front of the mill. The plasma torch was mounted on the end of
>it. I put a
> small water tank under it to catch the sparks, dust and smoke. The
>mill had
> an Anilam series M control on it. I cut a series of slots in 16 ga.
> stainless sheet. It worked real well. Try to keep the crud the
>plasma
> produces off the ways of the mill.
> Don

Hi Don,
I did the same about two years ago so that I had a quick facility for
emergency jobs.
I had a spare metal framed bench about 2' by 3' with sheet metal
sides.
I didn't bother with the water tank.
I mounted a small air cylinder on the end of the arm that pressed the
trigger on the plasma and used the M10 / M11 air clamp command to
work the plasma.
My son wrote a post processor for me that just swopped the spindle
speed for the clamp.
Works fine, Got me out of trouble late at night on a few occasions.
Biggest job was cutting some 14" diameter disks up out of 1/2" steel
to fabricate a generator end housing.

John S.