Planning CNC plasma table build

Hi everyone,
I am planning to build a 4x4 CNC plasma table in the coming months, i had planned on using a plasmabot gantry kit and aluminium v-rail extrusion. I was almost ready to purchase the gantry kit and have found that the No Sleep Studio is not trading "until further notice", this led me to investigate other options, one of which is a Mechmate based plasma table. The design seems a heap sturdier than a plasmabot, but i'm not sure how much of a difference that would make when using it is as a plasma table compared to a router table.

What is your opinion? Which would you build given the choice?

Do you have any other suggestions?

Look at Precision Plasma LLC and www.candcnc.com .

Jim

Thanks Jim!
I will certainly be using a CandCNC system of some kind, possibly the Dragoncut Servo, as for Precision Plasma, they seem a touch expensive for what they provide, and I have read that their customer support is terrible, they also do not sell to anyone outside the US (I am from Australia).

The Plasma Bot gantry kits from what I can see, will end up with a similar product to that of Precision Plasma but at a lower cost

I suggest you wait a bit for John to open back up.

John operates NoSleep Studio by himself, plus works full time, plus has some family demands that are unpredictable.

I bought the parts to make a ShopDroid [though got distracted at the 90-percent completion point!!]. After all my research [this is my second build] I found his to be better thought out that others, and a lot less expensive. Also, he ships all over the world.

I strongly suggest you learn all your software before you start into the hardware part.

First, you will be a lot further ahead as you will then have a better handle on who the software/machine interaction, and how that relates to the build.

Second, you will end up a lot less frustrated as when the machine is setting there all built and you can't make it work because the software has got you confused, life ain't gonna be pretty, especially when your wallet and/or wife starts making comments about how much money is sitting there being unproductive...not a pretty picture!!!

Even if you do not get a PlasmaBot, definitely start learning software. First CAD, then CAM, then Mach3. It will definitely be time will spent.

I would also suggest getting a total on all the parts before you build. You may not be far off from buying a table that's ready to run. I would also make sure I had every single part before I started to build.

I looked long and hard at building. When comparing apples to apples I found that the best I could do as far as saving by building was about 30%.

I talking about a Mach 3 based table with a nice gantry from Precision Plasma & a control package from Tom.

I figured that I could easily re-coup the 30% extra I would spend on a turn-key by being up and cutting roughly 3 months sooner.

I use three months because that is about the shortest duration I have seen a build start and be up and running by a person that was not already in the fab business and had a 40+ hour a week job to work around.

Three years ago this would not have been the case . . .

My thoughts . . from my standpoint . . .

Steve

so which turn key machine did you go for?

I have built two three-axis wood routers and fully agree with CNCCajun and Sean. A welder has approached me about helping him build a plasma cutter, and after talking to him and doing some research, there does not appear to be much difference between the builds even though one is for metal and one is for wood.

First, you will never have all the parts.. really. Its amazing how you will need one more bolt/nut set.. at midnight.. to finish off part of the build.

Second, calibrating the machine, then the software, and then the software with the machine is VERY time consuming, though once you get it done, its done. And you will never forget, until you need to do it again. HINT: have a bound-type notebook you write notes in about calibration and use...you will never regret it.

Third, if you are going to make a living with this, and even if you are going to use it for hobby pursuits, time is more valuable than money. If I had it to do all over again, I still would have built the small one [as I need to learn a bunch of technical skills] and then purchased a larger one, even used would have been better than building from parts. When building there seems to be bumps and distractions that imped a reasonable forward momentum to completion. It will easily take 3-months as CNCCajun indicated, though I'd put my money on 6-months.

If you need to learn about all the ins-and-outs of a plasma cutter and its operation. and there isn't one close by, find one at a distance [which might be better anyway...], call the owner and offer to pay him to spend a couple days in his shop watching/listening/helping. It will be time/money well spent.

And, again, learn the CAD and CAM before you go out and buy/build a machine.

Once someone has one of these machines built; how does a person find work for it?