Eye protectioin for plasma

[Pat]

I bought a #5 shade for using with tha plasma cutter but there was a warning with it stating not for protecting your eyes from the rc rays of arc welding. So can one or more of you welding experts comment on plasma cutting eye protection? The manual with my cutter said #4 or #5 but the welding supply only had #5 (intended for a gas torch I think.) Is there a problem?

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Stimw]

I've been using dark O/A glasses for 2 1/2 years with my 40 AMP Miller. I think they are #5. I haven't noticed any problems with vision or even sun burn. I can weld for 10 minutes with my MIG and get tender areas on my arms.
I cut a lot of dirty 3/8" and 1/2" bolts with mine and the arc is sticking out almost an inch when I cut. For normal cutting most of the arc will be under the metal. Be careful with Aluminum or Stainless, the reflecting will be more intense.

[Pat]

Stimw, I started using the #5 glass and it helps. I can see the chalk markings and other details much better with indoor lighting with the #5 than my auto-darkening helmet switched off.

Cut my first sheet metal with the plasma. Man oh man, talk about like a hot knife through soft butter... I like the edge it leaves, no fishooks. You can rub the edge with your finger and not come close to being cut, way safer than handling metal cut with snips.

With the #5 I can see well enough to free hand. Beforre I made circle templates to make round cuts and used straight edges for guides for straight cuts. Templates still are a super neat and easy way to do good work but it is GOOD to be able to see what you are doing and be able to free hand as well.

I will be making curved two piece guides for the saddle cuts on the ends of pipes where you weld two pipes together in a "T" or "Y" configuration. I was N E V E R able to make a satisfactory saddle freehand with O-A cutting torch, even though I bought one of those hinged templates. To guide my plasma torch the template has to be at least about 3/4 inch thick.

The 40A Miller sounds like a SERIOUS piece of gear. My little HyperTherm unit maxes out at 27A and I suspect I paid way too much for it compared to some of the stuff I have seen advertised. 40A units under $500 and 60A units for under $800. Even combination units that do plasma, TIG, etc.


[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Goldchaser]

I got one of those 60 amp combo units. I love it. A friend of mine is a distributor and also sells some on ebay and I got mine from him. Does arc and tig though I havent used it yet for either, just for cutting so far. I figure to try some tig this winter. Got a project in mind where it would be great to do the tig welding on it rather than mig or arc. Most of my welding in the past has been with mig and I have a couple of mig welders. Torch welding I never did much. Mostly use the torch for cutting where I cant take the plasma.

[Pat]

HMMMM, I haven't actually seen one of the combo units. Is there much capability lost to compromise?

The instruction manual with my 40 amp (max) Hypertherm unit cautions against shooting the plasma into the air and not being in close proximity to the work piece. My torch is designed to be dragged along in light contact with the work. This is a good thing for me as it makes me way steadier to be able to contact the work and not try to hold a 1/16 inch or whatever gap. Still, I prefer to use a "fence" to guide me for straight cuts and templates for circles and such. I'm no artist with the torch and can't freehand neat circles and pipe saddles and such. I have trouble enough cutting to a curved soapstone line. I may make me some templates/guides for standard pipe sizes to guide the torch when cutting a saddle. The trick will be cutting out the guide without a guide to make that cut. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Pat

[Goldchaser]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
HMMMM, I haven't actually seen one of the combo units. Is there much capability lost to compromise?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not that I have seen. But then, I havent used another plasma cutter prior to getting mine other than trying the same model out over at my buddies house so I am no expert on it. It does what I need it to do so am satisfied with it. I used it to cut a 1.5 inch bent bolt off a piece of equipment. Not something it was exactly designed for but it worked quite well though it took a couple of passes to cut all the way through.

It can be used as a touchless or dragging it. You dont need to touch it to the piece to strike the arc, which works quite well. I am VERY unsteady trying to freehand any cut. Looks like waves on the ocean and lots of grind time. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Sounds like you definitely have the power to get 'er done. Contact is not a requirement for my torch either but the tip is designed to let you drag it which is an advantage for me as I have trouble maintaining a close and constant gap while moving quickly. I can do it with my MIG but the rate of advance is much less.

Just curious but does your handle, Goldchaser, relate to a hobby activity such as promoted by the Gold Prospectors Association of America? Been there, done that, had fun, but didn't change my tax bracket.

Pat

[Goldchaser]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Just curious but does your handle, Goldchaser, relate to a hobby activity such as promoted by the Gold Prospectors Association of America? Been there, done that, had fun, but didn't change my tax bracket.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hahaha....good guess, Pat. Yep....same as you...been there, done that and definately didnt raise my tax bracket. Actually, if you counted time, cash spent, equipment...I lost money. But gained alot of knowledge and had fun. Still have some of the equipment but dont get out to do much. So many restrictions now and hard to find a place to just pan a bit for fun where you have a chance of finding something. I actually own the internet domain of the same...Goldchaser.com. I have a basic webpage up there, just for a lark for now.

This plasma cutter I have is perfect for me. Enough power to do heavier cuts if needed and plenty for doing anything else. And its not too bad on the consumables either. I still havent run through the 1st batch of consumables I got with the machine. Not what was included in the box, bought an extra batch. If interested in something like it, let me know and I can PM you with his email address and link to his auctions. Not here to sell the things though, so no misunderstandings on that. But I can recommend the units and the service is great even if he is a friend, he takes service of the units his priorty. And he has good prices. I think he is now branding them with his own brand and specifications.

I dont use mine as much as I could, but my neighbor borrowed it for a few days to dismantle an old stock trailer. He raved about it when he brought it back. Trying to remember offhand but I do believe at full power it has a 60% duty cycle and at half power its at a 100%. Regardless, whether this or another type or brand, I dont know how I got along without it. And being able to do TIG welding with it, when I do have time and motivation to learn to do it, is a big plus without having to buy a seperate unit. Well, guess I have raved enough myself on it. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Note, I said didn't CHANGE my tax bracket! Neither up nor down. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

I have my jacket patch, cap, and pan and directory of locations but haven't used any of this stuff in years.

I recall panning near an old dredging operation in Alaska. A buddy and I got sunburned necks leaning over a water trough panning dirt we dug near where the huge gold dredge used to operate. I got a few itsy bitsy small flakes that you need 20-20 vision and a magnifying glass to appreciate.

I once designed a wet suit heater for an electronics technician I had hired who worked to get a grubstake, went out chasing gold till he went broke or found gold and then went broke and then he'd get a job to make a grubstake and do it all again.

He used a portable Keene dredge and wore a wet suit and had a hookah rig. His limiting factor was time in the cold water prior to hypothermia. I designed a heat recovery unit that used the heat from his engine that ran the suction dredge and his air pump to heat his wet suit. He could stay in till he ran out of gas for the engine or got tired or hungry.

I was never into gold in a big way or even a serious hobby, just messed around a few times with pans. The membership was a birthday present from a good buddy who used to go camping with us and who had wasted time along side me panning.

Pat

[bobkrack]

Hi Pat,
Even though this thread is well over a year old, I was a weldor in a previous life and learned the plasma operation the hard way.
One of the shop clowns told me to use no eye protection other than impact resistant safety glasses. One of the shop supervisors stopped me after only a few minutes and admonished me to use UV protection. In our case that meant one of the following:3 or greater colored face shield, auto darkening hood at any level including "off" (still supplies 11+ protection), or any standard welding lens.

We had 20A, 60A, and 200A plasma cutters, the 200 would cut at least 3 inch plate without a groan. I found that I needed full welding protection on any but the 20A, and was comfortable on the 20A with a 3 or my auto darkener off.

Bob