One of the problems you run into with plasma cutters is that the tip is hot electrically. If you get right down on your metal and touch the metal while you’re cutting, you short out the machine. Once, twice, three, four times: no problem. But if you have a habit of touching that tip to the metal, you’re going to blow up something in the machine.
The standard tip is fine if you’re freehanding or working in tight spaces and want to be able to see what you’re doing. But if you shake a little or want to make a long cut, you can replace your regular cap, or nozzle, with one that has a drag guide on it. It screws right into place and lets you keep your distance, and you can see what you’re doing.
There is also another option: a drag cup. The brass part is insulated from the tip, so it’s cold electrically! It has relief cuts in it so sparks can escape. It allows you to go right down on your metal. It helps put more of the light and sparks under the metal rather than above.
It’s time to make some sparks! Kevin has the AHP AlphaCUT 60 running at 50 amps and 75 PSI air pressure. He has a piece of 1/4″ steel set up.
He puts on his safety gear and cuts the steel using the cup with the drag guide, then cuts off another piece of metal with the drag cup. You can see that the cup makes a real difference, with the light and sparks directed downward, which is a safety feature for both the person cutting and anyone watching.
Where can you get them? George’s Plasma Cutter Shop has them for any IPT 60 and PT 60 torches and is apparently going to have them for the IPT 80 torches, too, like on Everlast’s big 80 amp plasma cutter, the Everlast PowerCUT 80. Mention you learned about it through Kevin, and George might just send you a little something extra.
Kevin is ready to go back to work, so you can check out his amazing sculptures. Well, you might want to wait one more moment to see Kevin Caron go X-rated ….