Tried cutting a 3/8 inch plate with a plasma cutter on low amp setting instead of max and got way cleaner cuts on a job in Pittsburgh last Tuesday

Everyone says crank it up for thick steel, but the dross practically fell off and I barely had to grind the edge, has anyone else found that running lower works better on certain thicknesses?

2 comments

2 Comments

ivanl7621d ago

You mentioned "the dross practically fell off" and that got me thinking. I read something a while back from a guy who used to run a shop in Ohio, said the exact same thing about 3/8 inch plate. He claimed low amps let the gas do more of the work instead of just melting everything in a big hurry. Might be something to it, especially on stuff where you don't need to punch through fast.

dylan41321d ago

Wait, are you saying you actually got better results dialing it back? I used to think you always needed max amps for anything over 1/4 inch, but then I tried it on some 3/8 plate for a fence job and yeah, it changed my mind completely. The cut was way smoother and the slag just peeled off instead of needing a grinder for ten minutes. Your mileage may vary depending on your machine and gas pressure, but for me, lower amps gave me more control and less cleanup time. I think the slower travel speed lets the heat soak in better without blowing through so violently. It goes against everything you hear, but in practice, it just works.