Plasma cutting is one of the cornerstones of modern-day welding. It is often the go-to cutting tool for many DIY or industrial projects you will come across.
Even if you are learning out of the hobby and not so serious about taking welding as your primary profession, learning how to use a plasma cutter can help you to do a range of works. It will be useful in doing art projects to some pretty advanced renovations for your home.
So if you are looking to get started with plasma cutting, here are our top 5 tips to quickly get started with the use of the plasma cutter for anyone.
Get familiar with your plasma cutter
Don’t be surprised by seeing such non-technical tips being shared at the very beginning here. As you will be using the plasma cutter for the first time, getting comfortable with it is quite vital. You need to do it before you even start using it.
Also, try to read the manuals and get as much information as you can about the model of the plasma cutter you are using. Also, learn about settings of your plasma cutter as well. Find out if there is any change from the usual two settings plasma cutter in the particular model you are using.
Get your safety gear
Safety gears are essential. When it comes to welding, it is the last line of the defense between you and the bright lights and radiations. Wearing safety gear for weldings like the gloves, fire-resistant jacket, and a welding hood is necessary. Brands like MWG Apparel and Carharrt offer certified fire resistant clothing to ensure safety with dangerous equipment like plasma cutters, torches, electrical wires, etc.
Otherwise, It can turn out way too costly than you might even imagine. A good quality welding hood is more than essential as it will save your eyes from flying sparks.
Set it up for the cutting
Are you done with the safety gear? The next step would be getting yourself ready for using the plasma cutter with the proper setup. You will need a welding table and an excellent location to set it up as it is where all the action will take place.
Place the metal into the table and attach it with the ground clamp for better stability and more precise cuts as a beginner. Now turn on the plasma cutter’s air compressor. Now turn on the cutting machine itself and set the current for you as per your requirement.
Find the right cutting technique for you
This is where most beginners tend to suffer the most. Most beginners struggle with finding the right cutting technique for themself. They either go too fast or too slow or doesn’t know the difference between cutting thick and thin metals.
When cutting thin metal, you can go a bit fast. But when cutting thicker material, it is better to go slow as it will make sure you are getting a precise cut. There will be fewer sparks all around if you go slowly.
Also, when dragging the torch on the metal sheet you are working, it is better to keep it off at least by half inches.
Get your angles right
Another costly mistake most of the beginners make is not knowing which angle is right for them. When starting, aim to keep your hand as straight as possible, aka maintaining 90 degrees.
Following this as a rule of thumb will make sure you get the cleanest and most precise cut possible as a beginner.
Conclusion
Are you getting to know more about the world of metal fabrication? You certainly need to learn about how to operate the plasma cutter. Plasma cutter one of the most widely used cutting tools in welding.
However, getting started with the plasma cutter seems a bit daunting. That’s why we decided to cover our five best tips to get you started as simply and quickly as possible to begin using the plasma cutter.