Torchmate 3 Build

[xr8ed]

WWW.TORCHMATE.COM

Thank you to Bill and everyone at Torchmate for providing killer pricing for pirate members. I was able to pull the trigger on a Torchmate 3 and couldn't be happier. I deicided to go with Torchmate for several reasons.

Customer Service is a top priority for me, and Torchmate has the best tech support, and best support after the sale of any table i looked at. They provide lifetime tech support, and 1 year warranty on the machine. What more could you ask for?

On top of their awesome customer service they provide a top notch, high quality product.

Most importantly they are involved in our industry and support our industry. I always love to support someone who supports me.

Here are the specs on the table:
-TM3
-5x10 capacity
-Hypertherm 1250 w/ machine torch
-Arc Voltage Torch Height Control

I'm just getting the table put together and thought i'd post up here about my experience. Here's the progress so far:

[bigtoy302]

Looks good. You will be glad you went with the 5x10 and nothing smaller. I wish I would of built a 5x10 instead of the a 4x4. Got any big plans for the table?

[Todd W]

NICE!

5'x10' would be nice that's a big table for a home garage though

How big is your overall shop ?

[xr8ed]

Of course there are big plans for the table. But don't want to get ahead of myself just yet.

It's definately a big table for a home garage, i've got it at my shop, it's just over 20x60. with 20ft ceilings.

[Todd W]

Nice setup...

Post up once you make your first cuts

Are you going to use fine cut for the 1250 or normal consumables?

[MC]

Fantastic! Remember to make sure the table is square. Sometimes you need to add a shim behind the angle brackets to make sure its square. After seeing the frusterations of a friend with this type of construction we shimmed the table and it cut pretty good. You will be miles ahead on paint if you can add a water tray and a suction system for smoke. Those are clean white walls right now

[bigtoy302]

Originally Posted by MC

Fantastic! Remember to make sure the table is square. Sometimes you need to add a shim behind the angle brackets to make sure its square. After seeing the frusterations of a friend with this type of construction we shimmed the table and it cut pretty good. You will be miles ahead on paint if you can add a water tray and a suction system for smoke. Those are clean white walls right now

X2, on the water table. Worth every penny. No more dust. Only a little bit of smoke.(not enough to worry about an axhaust system)

[xr8ed]

i'm going to use the normal consumables first before i buy some finecut, but i'm sure i'll be getting the fine cut soon, i've heard they produce better results on the stuff under 1/4".

I've been double and tripple checking that everything is level and square.

The water feature may come later, for now i've got 2 garage doors on either side of the table and a 4ft fan to give it a cross draft. Cleanliness is a concern, but i'm not jumping straight into production so i'll have time to work it out.

I will be sure to post pics, i picked up my slat materials yesterday, and some 4x8 sheets to play with. I'm waiting on a few other things before it's up and running, but i promise to post more pics.

[Torchmate]

Looks good!!! Let us know if you need anything. Do not hesitate to call for even the simplest question. Like I said in the other thread, I have a handful of guys sitting here waiting to field your phone calls. You did not just buy a piece of equipment, you bought a relationship.

The water table option comes with pro's and con's. Little to no smoke or dust, but more cleanup on parts because slag sticks a little more readily when the water splashes up.

Keep the pic's coming!

[xr8ed]

Bill, your customer service is awesome, it was a key factor in my decision. I have already had a few simple questions, and calling the tech support got me the answers i needed instantly. I already feel i've made the right choice and i haven't even cut anything yet.

got my slats done this evening, thank goodness for my bandsaw But i still need a little more material, i bought all they had and still need 3 more slats for the end. but hey 9ft is fine until then

[xr8ed]

i got my table a little further along, i got the electronics almost all hooked up, and just need to tie up a few loose ends, I'm hoping to cut soon!!

[Big91RustyBucket]

Very Nice Looks Great.

[jpmassey]

Originally Posted by xr8ed

i'm going to use the normal consumables first before i buy some finecut, but i'm sure i'll be getting the fine cut soon, i've heard they produce better results on the stuff under 1/4".

Fine cut is the ONLY way to go on 10ga and smaller. You can litterally cut for a week with dry air on a single tip. Just pierce relatively high, and use the THC to keep the tip off the material. 1/4" and above use the highest amp nozzles your machine can do.

[jpmassey]

Originally Posted by Torchmate

You did not just buy a piece of equipment, you bought a relationship.

This really is a big deal when buying a table. Its dang near impossible to trouble shoot a CNC plasma on your own. I know because I had to.

EDIT: My table wasn't a torchmate.

[xr8ed]

small bit of progress on the wiring, should be done with the table tomorrow, and electronics tomorrow, then it's on me to get an air line and 220 to the table. I can taste the finish

[rugburn]

damn that is sexy

[Torchmate]

Clark,

There are a couple of things that I want to you watch out for. If you have any trouble with communication between the electronics and the computer, then I want you to cut all those zip ties holding the torch lead to the other communication wires. The torch is shielded and so is the other wiring, but nothing good can come from tightly binding them all together. That cable carrier is great stuff, but it will cause your wires to begin to twist over time so more slack is better. Another thing that you might want to do is pull a little more slack out of the end between the torch head and the cable carrier. Too much tension there can cause excess torque on the height control. Again, it is only a big deal if things start acting funny.

C'mon, c'mon, we want to see some cuts already!

Just kidding! Take your time and don't rush it. The machine will work for you for a long long time. Give yourself some time to get the hang of it. Looking at your shop there, you could also use the machine to cut skirting around the sides and end of the machine by the computer. Then put that fan between the machine and the door. The suction should exhaust everything really well. Kind of like a downdraft would. Just a suggestion. Careful though, that might even suck the sparks outside.

Do you mind if we post of some of your pictures on our "Photo of the Month" page?

Bill

[xr8ed]

you're welcome to use my pictures anywhere you want, i should actually have some better ones today or tomorrow when i get the gear racks back on, and all the end caps back on. and all the little details to make it "complete"

I also like the idea of the sidedraft, i was thinking something like that already. I'll also make sure to keep an eye on the zip ties. Maybe add a little slack here and there.

[xr8ed]

here's a slew of pics to choose from, i'm waiting on dry air basically at this point.......

[xr8ed]

[Jeep07]

I'd look into a water table.. Your cars will be covered with rust with that fan blowing all the plaz dust out. Nice table btw.

[xr8ed]

theres an empty lot/field out that door. I usually don't park there. and neither does anyone else. But we'll see how it goes, there's always room for improvement.

[RedBullJeep]

I was wondering about using glass-mat filters like you shove in the bottom of old-school furnaces. Put the side skirts on, create a simple suction duct, a number of feet after the table but before the fan, slide in a filter or two...Those filters are so crazy cheap, it might actually work out...???

[xr8ed]

I got everything done, all the wiring finalized, got the table working, axis' calibrated. The only thing i am working on now is getting more framiliar with the cad and driver software. The machine is ready to cut. Oh and i need someone to help lift a sheet on the table, i'm a one man show.

The directions torchmate sends to walk you through the software, and getting things calibrated is awesome. Infact it was the easiest part yet.

[SeanP]

you will want to get your PC into a box with a fan/filter as the metal dust will wreak havoc with the electrical components. I have a down draft table on my plasma cam and it blows out the side of the garage. You will know that you have the right amps/cut speed when you see billowing clouds of black smoke coming from cuts. It will deposit a fine layer of black silt everywhere, including your nose and lungs. Wear a respirator rated for fine particulate, especially with cutting Stainless. I hear good things about the Torchmate. When I bought my plasmacam in 2004, after-the-sale support sucked balls. I hear its better now, but that's the most important thing. They did call me and leave me a message last week, must be trying to sell me an upgrade.

Good luck!