Thought of a new toy!

[wedg1e]

Just realised that there's a vital piece of equipment missing from my workshop: a bandsaw!

I was contemplating a slab of 12mm alloy plate that I acquired :cough: recently and thinking of things I might make from it, when it occurred to me that I have no way of cutting it up... apart from laboriously, with a hacksaw...!

Right, off to Ebay...

[mybrainhurts]

You'll have your eye out with one of those....

[Pigeon]

Dare I say the words... plasma cutter?

[blindswelledrat]

Pigeon said:

Dare I say the words... plasma cutter?

Do they exist???????
If so I must have one. I can keep it in my shed with my never-opened hammer drill (2 years), ciruclar saw (3 years), power tile-cutter (3years).
Arousing things power tools.

[Vitesse39]

I'm rapidly warming to the idea of a compressor and pneumatic wrench.

Never had any problems with car nuts, but nuts on the bike......

[mel]

Water Jet.......Only problem being you'll need about £300K and a big shed or £30 cash to your local firm on a saturday morning

[arh]

What you want is one of these www.hurco.com/Hurco/English/Products/Machining+Centers/VMX+Series/VMX+42+Machining+Center.htm I have one in my workshop and it will make really nice things from Ali. As for band saws you will have to get a decent one to cut your ali, and then get some good metal cutting blades for it. Use trendi wax http://uk.search.yahoo.com/search?fr=fp-tab-web-t-1& to lubricate the blade.

[ofcorsa]

mmmm plasma cutter. work experience was at my dads engineering place. spent two weeks cutting up various bits of metal with very powerfull tools, In hindsight i was probably only allowed to sweep up and observe, But Grrrrr

[wedg1e]

Yeah, a plasma cutter would be nice, but the cost

The annoying thing is that the basic electrics are more or less those of a TIG welder (which I have), and I have seen a few (mostly Chinese-made) TIG/ plasma units. My TIG is built by a small Brit company so I emailed them and asked if a conversion would be feasible: miserable gits never answered me.

Thanks ARH, I'll check those links out: plan was to buy an older bandsaw rather than a Machine Mart special - old is good, that's my motto

[Autonotiv]

You need a Laser Cutter.
14K
Got one at school, Does a gd job.
Bit much for a home workshop?

[wedge girl]

Autonotiv said:

Bit much for a home workshop?

Not met our Wedg1e then You could learn a thing or two.........

[wedg1e]

mel said:

Water Jet.......Only problem being you'll need about £300K and a big shed or £30 cash to your local firm on a saturday morning

Thirty quid!? Where the hell d'you think I'd find thirty quid? I have to sell my rotting old carcase to Lithuanian sailors just to put glass beads in the blast cabinet, I'll have you know... and when the MIG set needs wire, I have to allow the wife to have sex with me! Whose wife isn't important here...

The point of having all this gear is that I don't have to spend thirty quid here and there... in an ideal world people would give ME money... but everyone seems to think electricity is free and welding rods grow on a little tree, like spaghetti does...

[wedg1e]

Update: might have found my chrissy presssie...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Powershack-PLASMA-40-Plasma-Cu

Yes, I know it's Chinese, but what do you want for 300 bar?

[ultimasimon]

Ah but it only does 8mm

[wedg1e]

ultimasimon said:

Ah but it only does 8mm

8mm steel maybe... sure I read somewhere that 25A is more than enough for 12mm alloy...

[cosmoschick]

Vitesse39 said:

I'm rapidly warming to the idea of a pneumatic wench.

Is that the standard model or a delux version?!

[wedg1e]

cosmoschick said:

Vitesse39 said: I'm rapidly warming to the idea of a pneumatic wench. Is that the standard model or a delux version?!

Wasn't the term 'pneumatic' used in Brave New World in 'that' context?