Hello,

I have been trying for years to avoid CNC plasma production and have finally given in. Deciding that I needed a small CNC plasma table I started looking a couple weeks ago at complete table systems (Tracker, Dynatorch, Plasmacam, Practical, Torchmate, any others?) and it blew my mind you would have to spend ($7000.00 - $12000.00) to get off the ground. I suppose just a few years ago it was a LOT more expensive and prohibative, but that was then, this is now. Torchmate seems initally to be the low-cost leader with their base offering but you wind up welding everything including the gantry and the rest seems to be off the shelf items anyone can buy. Buy the time the sale person was done with me I was spending $7100.00 on an added dual drive kit and the torch height control and thats without the base, table and gantry which I have to buy the steel for, cut and weld-up! That dosen't seem like a deal. I am one of those people that likes to DIY but I also know when I am over my head and don't like the prospect of doing lots of research and experimenting and cussing, not that I haven't done my fair share of all of that.
So all I can do now is cry uncle and throw myself upon the mercy of members here and hope someone has DIY plans for a plasma table. I am Ebay aware, as well as Sheetcam-Mach2-THC300 aware but need some direction. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it. Oh, my needs are to cut thin gauge steel generally for small production runs. I do my own design in CorelDraw.

Thanks,

Duane Goff