Now it’s time to put the part, which Kevin transferred to a thumb drive, into the computer and program that runs the CNC machine.
Before you open the program in the computer, you have to turn on the CNC plasma table. Once the table is on, the computer lets you know with a little sound.
Next you open the “Dynatorch SuperB CNC” program. You accept the little warning, then allow the machine to go through its warm up routine and the table homes itself. Then you open the file, so Kevin opens the file of the base plate with its four bolt holes.
Before cutting out the base plate, though, Kevin likes to do a dry run of the cut, just to make sure your metal plate is positioned properly on the sheet of metal. To do so, you make sure that your torch height control and the button that turns on the torch are “grayed out.” Then when you click on “Start cycle,” the program – and CNC table – will go through the motions without cutting.
Now Kevin knows that that his sheet of 1/2″ steel is sitting in the right position. He has water in the table to cut down the smoke and dust. He’s got his ground attached and the plasma cutter is on and cranked up, so now it’s time to turn on the table and make some sparks!
He clicks on the two buttons that were grayed out (torch height control and plasma cutter activation). Then he clicks the “Start cycle” button and the table starts cutting the metal. It takes about 2:09 minutes to cut out the bolt holes and the plate itself.
Kevin then uses his permanent lifting magnet and engine hoist to lift the base plate out of the metal and shows the edge. The cut is “as smooth as a baby’s butt,” Kevin declares. He points to a little dross around the edge and says increasing the cutting speed a little might eliminate that.
The bolt holes look perfect.
Kevin is ready to go back to work, so you have time to click on the “notification bell” in the upper righthand corner of the YouTube screen to be the first to know when he uploads a new video.
Well, you might want to stick around for another moment to see Kevin flub his mother’s advice ….