Need some advice from the pro welders in the audience. I'm mostly a hack at this, trying to get better, took a class and everything. Was using the plasma torch the other day to cut up a bunch of plate and 2x3 stock for a buddy, lots of intricate cuts at weird angles. How the heck do you guys follow a marked line, and what do you use for a marker? Once the helmet goes down and the button is pushed, I can't see the damned line any more! I cut a little, stop, lift and look, cut a little, repeat. Very slow. Started with black Sharpie, can't see that AT ALL. Then I tried laying maskng tape along the line, that just caught fire and stunk. Tried soapstone, it was better but still not great.

So, any suggestions? Tried a search, couldn't find a criteria that turned up anything on this. Thanks!! :beer:

simple and easy, clamp a straight edge to the Stock( scrap metal )
and stick with soapstone:D

I've seen silver-colored pencils at welding supply places before. Kinda spendy at about a buck apiece IIRC, but they leave a bright silver line when you draw on steel.

Worth a try?

the silver pencils kick ass,I love em. The straight edge is your best bet.

yea just use soapstone and a thick peice of scrap metal... try resting your hand on what you're cutting too and just slide along.. i've never been able to get a "perfect" cut.. just grind the edge down and it's fine

same as them...soad stone or silver pencil. werx fine.

A grease pen should work well. You can get them at office supply, art stores, caligraphy, welding places, etc. Also called an oil-base pen.

I dont use a welding helmet when I cut with a plaz. I use brazing goggles, and sometimes just safety goggles.

I agree with h8, I use a #6 shade goggles. You can see more. Oh and soapstone, the plasma just burns the marker away

Same here - a simple set of tinted safety glasses are enough to shield your eyes for short cutting runs with a plasma... Why the heck are you wearing the welding helmet? :confused:

Gee, thanks guys!

Yeah, I do use the straightedge method with a scrap of angle iron and some Vicegrips. Works well. But this doesn't work for an irregular cut, like a curve or tracing a pattern of an odd shape. I'll try to find one of those silver pencils.

The guy that taught my class said that a lot of folks make the mistake of not using a heavy welding lens with a plasma cutter. He said the arc is no different than your MIG, so you need full protection, so that's what I always use. Maybe I'll see if we have some lighter lenses, I think my helmet has a #13 in it. For some reason I can't use an auto helmet, I always end up with a nasty headache later on. Really SUCKS.

I wear a welding helmet too. It is recomended and my eyes are soemthing that I want to work for a long time. Dont listen to these guys about that. Do whatever your plasma torch manual says!!! I can see fine with my adjustable shade weldign helmet (one of the best tools we own!!!)

About the lines, I use soapstone too but sometimes I use whiteout. In fact, I use whiteout pen for a lot of stuff. Makes a really nice line. Wont rub off like soapstone too. Plus you can get it for free in your girlfriend/ mom/ grandmom/ girl next door's desk!:D:D:D

Whiteout pen! What a great idea! Cool, I'll give that a try.

Another way is to lay down a bunch of center punch marks along the cutting line. The light from the cutter reflects off of the dent very nicely. Then it´s just a game of connect the dots!!!:flipoff2: :D


:beer: :beer:

Spray the surface with a light coat of flat white primer, then scribe the line. Seems to work for well for a regular tourch.

use a lighter lens filter. soap stone, stop drinking caffine and use a piece of angle iron clamped to the surface of the piece being cut!:D

punch marks work for me and all the welders in my shop.

use Crayola brand kids Flourecent sidewalk chalk..the UV light in the welding/plasma arc lights it up BRIGHT...works real good..

yellow or dayglo orange is the best but all of em work

When I have troubles like this I'll take a grinder or dremel tool to scribe the line. A center punch (like said above) would work well also.

Any physical change you make to the surface would be the BEST method since it's state won't change until the metal is cut, where are marking it with any type of maker or chalk can be burned away (from heat) before the flame even reaches it.

I use the soapstone and gas welding goggles method posted above and usually keep the tip in contact with the base metal. :cool:

It might burn up with a plasma, but I use a white paint pen for most of my work. It is 1000X easier than anything else I have tried and will write on anything, super smooth, greasy, rough whatever. I buy them at my local welding supply but probably cheaper at an office supply.

DO WHATEVER YOUR PLASMA TORCH MANUAL SAYS!

I bet you make sure to read the instructions on your toothpaste as well, don't you? Or nothing smaller than your elbow in your ear hole? :flipoff2: Well, hell, then I bet you never threw knives at your brother or ran with scissors, did you? You poor, deprived child.:(

Flame away if you want, I have a hood and leathers to protect me. I use a shade 10 lense for almost all welding. The only time I use darker is for carbon arc gouging, then its time for a shade 12. For cutting, its shade 5, both oxy/acetelene, and plasma. Never have any trouble seeing soap stone, unless its outdoors and the sun is shining on the inside of my lense. If that happens, I just drape a rag or the leather bib from my leathers over the back of the helmet for shade.

Kwrangln

Originally posted by kwrangln
Flame away if you want, I have a hood and leathers to protect me. I use a shade 10 lense for almost all welding. The only time I use darker is for carbon arc gouging, then its time for a shade 12. For cutting, its shade 5, both oxy/acetelene, and plasma. Never have any trouble seeing soap stone, unless its outdoors and the sun is shining on the inside of my lense. If that happens, I just drape a rag or the leather bib from my leathers over the back of the helmet for shade.

Kwrangln

Thats what I was sayin. a #5 or a #6 (whichever you're comfortable with) works well for cuttin. Now, do you wear earplugs too? :D

Originally posted by mike


Thats what I was sayin. a #5 or a #6 (whichever you're comfortable with) works well for cuttin. Now, do you wear earplugs too? :D

As a matter of fact I do, whenever I weld anywhere but flat on the work bench. Yea it took a couple of times, but when a hot piece of slag lands in your ear canal and sizzles for a bit it really fawks up your bead or cut. I also keep my mouth closed, was talkin while cuttin some painted stuff once and a piece of slag popped and hit one of my front teeth, hurt like a mofo. Still forget to wear the leathers most of the time, got the burn holes in my uniform and scars to prove it. Best I've found for out of position chit is a soft hood with a small welding lense from eastwood. Its similar to a sandblasting hood, it covers your whole head down to the shoulders. Best part is it fold up pretty small to tuck into a box for trail welding. Even with leathers, over head tig aluminun when you fawk up and drop a bit or flick some droop off your filler metal will burn like a biatch. Aint it funny how welding sunburn never tans?? While on the topic, never weld with someone else welding behind you, the reflection from the inside of your lense will give you the sandy eyes, best cure I've found is a slice of raw potato on the eyelids. Think its mostly psychilogical, just keeps your eyes from movin, but helps a bit.

Kwrangln

I found 2 cold teabags, 1 on each eye, work well if ya do fawk up and get the eye

the tater skin works well...when i was little i wasnt told dont look...

Chris G.

followup...

I just got a plasma cutter and the paint pen works great on that too.

I found this here:

http://www.millerwelds.com/pdf/techart/Plassaf.html

Current Level in Amps / Minimum Shade Number

< 20 / #4

20-40 / #5

40-60 / #6

60-80 / #8

i like to use an awl to score the line, the new shiny scratch is easy to see and doesnt go away with the heat. plus not too dark a lens, i just use my dark safety glasses.

Originally posted by BillaVista
I found 2 cold teabags, 1 on each eye, work well if ya do fawk up and get the eye

You've been tea bagged?:D :D Better you than me!:flipoff2:

If you are making more than one of the same item (brackets) you can cut it out of cardboard. Use the piece that you cut the shape from and use white spray paint, just cut outside the line.

Originally posted by Cliffhanger
When I have troubles like this I'll take a grinder or dremel tool to scribe the line. A center punch (like said above) would work well also.

Any physical change you make to the surface would be the BEST method since it's state won't change until the metal is cut, where are marking it with any type of maker or chalk can be burned away (from heat) before the flame even reaches it.

I'm with Cliffhanger here. Grinder or Dremel on weird edges work pretty well.

Originally posted by CHOKEu


You've been tea bagged?:D :D Better you than me!:flipoff2:

Bwahaha!!

I bet it was sleeepy time tea to!

whata sac