[TheForge] New Toy

[Ben Barrett]

You might be interested in some of the DIY 2-axis controllers which
some crafty people get going for torch and plasma work.
There's enough done out there, that you shouldn't have to muck with
low-level drivers much, and once it is integrated with a PC,
CAD designs can be fed in... might be just the thing for special
purpose work -- maybe a mag-base unit could be rigged that has a
smaller working area (all you need for leaves), then you could clamp
it down on the stock with a nice strong electromagnet?  I can try to
dig up some web-references.... I wouldn't try that for production use,
per se, but it seems like a possible fit for items which will be
forged and reworked... you'd also put a bit more energy into aligning
the stock, etc, but a 12"x12" area could cut a lot of nifty stuff for
blacksmiths and other metal artists ;)  Stepper motors, serial control
board, ... fun!  Again, prolly not a profit scenario on or off paper.

~ben


On Sun, Jul 27, 2008 at 6:50 PM, robert hensarling
<rhrocker at hilconet.com> wrote:
> Me and a friend looked into that very carefully several years ago.  Initial
> setup is high, but it's an all in one business.  We checked all around the
> area trying to find products we could make, including our own line of
> specialties.  Maybe we just weren't smart enough, but we never were about to
> make it pay for itself on paper.   In realife it may have been quite
> different.  Along came the water jet systems, and seems that more people
> liked it than the Plasmacam, at least in Southern Texas.  Now I'm shopping
> for a place to send my work to have it waterjetted.  This is mostly several
> sizes of leaves, and other odds and ends.  To this day though I still think
> I could have done something with the plasmacam, it's just a lot of money to
> tie up into one thing.  That, and the fact we're not in a "industrial" type
> of area here, just ranching and farming primarily.
> rhrocker
> ----- Original Message ----- From: <lance at bentoaks.org>
> To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2008 7:49 PM
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] New Toy
>
>
> My son in law has one and they are not that fun.
>
> Lance
>
> --- On Sun, 7/27/08, Mike Linn <bamablacksmith at comcast.net> wrote:
>
> From: Mike Linn <bamablacksmith at comcast.net>
> Subject: [TheForge] New Toy
> To: "theforge" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Date: Sunday, July 27, 2008, 6:28 PM
>
> This would be really neat to play with...
> http://www.plasmacam.com/orniron.php
>
> --
> Mike Linn
> Artisan Blacksmith
> McCalla, AL
>
> Start a revolution...
> www.fairtax.org
>
>
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