New PowerUltra 205 owner

[rychchef]

Well I'm finally saying hello to all...going to show off my latest work..and ask a question.
So after a very bad experience with another company, Oleg made it a point to take care of me, going well beyond what most people would have. I have to say many thanks and I've been spreading the news around of your fine services and product.

I do metal sculpting as a hobby and I've completed two projects so far with my powerultra 205 plasma/welder. The heart was a birthday gift to my grandmother that turned 90. The other is a gift for myself..hanging above my bed.

I do have a quick question about porosity. What is the best way to avoid it? I'm getting it in my latest sculpture and don't know how to prevent it or now that it's there..how to get rid or deal with it. I'm still new to welding..so any and all assistance would be appreciated.

I'll share new pics of my latest creation...soon.

Rych

[trackmaster]

Hey Brother, welcome! Man love the art! Nice stuff! I love plasma wall art, etc. bring it on, show some more! As for the porosity, some more info would be helpful, what material, what your doing with it etc. Porosity can be due to any number of causes, so there is no real generic answer, but it usually relates to dirty material, material that has impurities imbedded into the durface layer, and or cast materials, which by nature are prone to some porosity. Other issues are more user related such as shielding gas, technique, machine settings etc. Lot's a experienced folks around here to help. Just a little more info and I'm sure you'll get some good tips!
- Lou

[Slick]

Nice art! the silhouette of the women is kick ###!

Did you do that free hand or project a image on it?

[rychchef]

Thanks...I used a projector.. black sharpie then the plasma on the powerultra 205 to cut her out.

[rychchef]

Hopefully this will get out to a few people...
I'm trying to use a plastic form to weld onto but afraid that it's going to melt/burn. Is there anything I can do to protect it? How about spraying it with high temp engine/bbq paint. Would that work? I also bought some meatl HVAC tape but my form has some curves to it and the tape might cover some of them up?
Any ideas would be appreciated!

[maxspeedman]

You may want to have a look at the following two products.

The first is a thin ceramic blanket which can be glued to your plastic. I have attached a picture of a 1/8" thick blanket but you can also get 1/16". You could glue the blanket to your plastic using a silicone or high temp adhesive. I have attached a snag of the sizes available.

The scond is a high temperature adhesive putty. You could coat the plastic with this putty but it would not give you the same insulation as the blanket. You may still burn the plastic but it may be worth a try. I have attached a snag of some adhesivie types. The Zirconia Adhesive looks interesting.

"This paste forms a hard surface and resists rapid temperature changes, molten metals, and most chemicals. Bonds ceramic, glass, metals, and graphite. It also serves as a corrosion-resistant coating for graphite, ceramic, and thermocouples."

It also has the lowest cure temperature, 200F for 2 hours so it should not affect your plastic too much.

Go to http://www.mcmaster.com and type in the page numbers from the screen snags below.

Hope this helps.

[everlastsupport]

Do you use anti-spatter spray? Not sure if that will work/help, how close are you to the plastic?

http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CBoQ8wIwAA#

[rychchef]

I'm planning on welding on top of the plastic..so it's going to be close!

Thanks maxspeedman..I'm checking out that web site..very cool products. They actually have a rigid sheet that you can wet..then form to whatever shape. Thanks again. Much appreciated!

[maxspeedman]

No problems Rychchef. Glad I could help.

McMaster Carr is my go to place for a lot of stuff. They are a bit expensive but you get the product the next day and they have everything in stock. Their website search engine is also amazing.

Good luck with your project.

[rychchef]

So I also found this place, www.graphitestore.com, and they carry alumina silica paints..though expensive @$85/pt..that should also be an option. This way I can paint my plastic form and be able to do my welding without having to somehow hold a ceramic sheet down.
I'll let you know how it turns out..hell I'll be showing off my new piece..but it's probably going to be a few weeks.
Thanks again for the assistance.

[maxspeedman]

I look forward to seeing your latest creation.

One thing to keep in mind is that a paint or ceramic coating can be rated for high temperature, but in thin sections, it will not provide much insulation. If you will only have a very short burst of heat, the paint or thin coating may protect the plastic. But if you are doing some more serious welding, you may need a much thicker coating or perhaps a flexible ceramic blanket.

When you're done, post some pics of your new creation and how you did it. It would be interesting to see how you solved your heat problem.

[rychchef]

Just finished these two sculptures and thought I'd show them off.

[maxspeedman]

Very nice. You're a real artist!

Was this the project that you needed to protect the plastic mold?