PP50 cup

[jtybt]

Are there any ceramic cups going to be offered for the PP50? I've already burned up 2 of the plastic cups in one day.

I've also checking into a high temp ceramic cement that I can bond a ceramic cup to the brass base of the stock cup...which I just cracked the charred plastic off.

[performance]

If your burning up your cups, then you are doing something wrong, or there is another problem. I have used those torches for months, really, almost a year without burning them up. That torch is not designed for a ceramic cup and it is completely different in design. The plastic is a heat resistant plastic, more like bakelite. Excessive piercing, cutting in blind holes, wrong start angle allowing too much blow back(straight down in thick metal will do it), cutting at or near maximum cut for extended periods of time at maximum amps, or any condition that causes too much blowback will speed up destruction of the cup.

But no, there will never be a ceramic cup offered for the torch on that model, unless the torches change.

[jtybt]

Yeah I'm using it to cut welds to break down stuff and getting a lot of blow-back. I gotta make it do work. At this rate, oxy/acet is cheaper.

I'll be developing a ceramic cup to try to make it more useful. Got some ideas to direct blow-back in a specific direction. Specifically, a specialized tip just for cutting holes.

[performance]

Piercing should be kept to about 40% of the machines recommended capacity to ensure best and SAFEST operation. It is a dangerous activity, particularly when done wrong. All manufacturers give the same basic recommendation.


Keep in mind that plasma is not suited for ALL types of cutting situations, but I do think you'll find the cost of replacing cutting tips on O/A is quite expensive and similar cutting activities will foul even O/A tips.

With that said, I have whacked and hacked a lot of material with a S45 torch. Its all in technique.

When you are piercing, you must lean your torch to the side and "work" it vertical once the arc has penetrated fully. Similar techniques must be used with O/A to prevent blowback.

Due to the torch design, a Ceramic cup is not practical. It will only over heat. The "plastic" shield is covering a metal brass interior. This must remain. Covering this with ceramic or adding some sort of shield will cause the torch head to overheat.

[jtybt]

Looking at the PP60 and PP70, the torches look to have ceramic cups. Also looks like the torches will connect to the PP50. Is there any reason I can't use the PP60 or PP70 torch on the PP50 machine?

[performance]

Yes, many.
They function entirely different. They will not connect. The design of the torches are entirely different. The ceramic do not retain the nozzles. The nozzles are independent of the cups and form an area for air jets to direct the plasma. On these torches the nozzles screw directly to the torch. And there are other reasons, such as the ceramic nozzles do not provide part of the interior surface of the chamber where the plasma is formed.

[jtybt]

I wasn't talking about the torch tip but the whole torch/hose set-up. They look to have the same connections at the machine.



Also, on the replacement torch, I inspected it and on the 'ball-point' pins, one looked like it arced because the tip looked a little melted. It is also doing the same thing the other torch did. There is a 1-2 second delay before the pilot arc starts and some times the arc stops after 1-2 seconds. Not enough time for any temp build up to cause shut-down. I don't think the trouble is in the torch.

All air hoses are now tight without any leak.

[performance]

You'll need to talk directly to mike.

The delay is normal. But I am wondering if you have a pinched line inside the unit that is preventing full flow once the torch line is inflated to full psi, and blows the piston back it drops as the pressure is relieved, then the piston slams back shut.

But no the torch start technology is entirely different and they will not interchange. You don't have high frequency on this unit and the other torches are high frequency. Technically, if you could adapt it, a Miller, hypertherm, Radnor, or even a thermadyne torch with blow back start would work but not any other type.

It is possible that you have a weak solenoid.

[jtybt]

I did mention when there was no arc at all, that I could hear the solenoid activating and shutting down when the hose filled and collapsed with air. Not sure what that meant but got it kinda working before the replacement


Today I was cutting tack welds from a SS swim platform on a boat that was in an accident. The SS parts are expensive so I wanted to re-use what I could. most of my cuts were only 1 sec long so there was no problem.



I will soon be starting on a SS exhaust system and the 3/8" SS mounting plate was a concern If there was no continuous arc cutting out the exhaust ports.