Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Waterjet cuter Vs. EDM?

no falloff wrote:

> Does anyone have any experience with building a waterjet or abrasivejet cuter? I was thinking of it as an alternative to trying to build an EDM. I have ideas for many parts that would be best made on an EDM, and a friend of mine suggested I look into waterjet cutting. After a little research, it seems simpler and safer than EDM but I haven’t found much info for the DYI’er. Anyone have any good sources for parts and info?

You are talking thousands of dollars for a pump which will do
80,000 psig at some volume of water, plus aluminum oxide nozzles
(sapphire or ruby) that are very precision. Waterjet cutting is
not very safe either. Very fast to lose a finger or arm if safey
considerations are not taken. Probably laser cutting is safer
than waterjet, and certainly less expensive and less maintenance
intensive. Certain wire-cut EDM is a lot simpler and cheaper.
Plasma cutting should be pretty easy to CNC too, and doesn't cost
much.

This subject comes up periodically and you can find other
comments in the archives, depending on yur ability to search them
:-).

JerryK