{"id":7584,"date":"2015-08-26T08:51:49","date_gmt":"2015-08-26T13:51:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/blog\/?p=7584"},"modified":"2024-02-09T16:23:20","modified_gmt":"2024-02-09T22:23:20","slug":"plasma-cutter-basics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/blog\/plasma-cutter-basics\/","title":{"rendered":"Plasma Cutter Basics"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>Learn about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/s\/?keyword=plasma+cutter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">plasma cutter<\/a> basics with Blain&#8217;s Farm &amp; Fleet.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Using a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/s\/?keyword=plasma+cutter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">plasma cutter<\/a> is one of the most efficient ways to cut through metal. Hot plasma is used to cut through electrically conductive materials such as steel, aluminum, brass and copper. A plasma cutter can be found in welding and automotive shops, as well as industrial and fabrication jobs. Plasma cutters have even become popular in art metal work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Blain&#8217;s Farm &amp; Fleet<\/a> has several plasma cutters to choose from including ones made by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/brands\/hobart\/\">Hobart.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Plasma Cutter Advantages<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Plasma cutters are known for their high speed and precise cuts. Their relatively low operation costs are perfect for large scale jobs to small work done by metal craft hobbyists. A plasma cutter can be used to cut out shapes, as well as pierce and bevel metal.<\/p>\n<p>All of these advantages make them the perfect alternative to oxy-acetylene cutting or hand tools.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How a Plasma Cutter Works<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The plasma cutter&#8217;s torch has three main parts: an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/s\/?brand=Hobart&amp;keyword=welding%20electrodes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">electrode<\/a>, a gas baffle, and a nozzle tip. Pressurized gas is sent through the torch. When the electrode is powered, and the nozzle tip touches the metal work piece, it creates a circuit. As the gas goes through the torch the spark from the metal and electrode heats it up, which creates plasma, and the electrical plasma cuts through the metal. A shielding gas protects the cutting area, just like how it protects a weld pool.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Manual Plasma Cutter<\/strong> &#8211; Most hobby welders, and welders that need portability, will use a manual plasma cutter. A manual one comes with a handheld plasma torch, which is used to cut through the metal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mechanized Plasma Cutter<\/strong> &#8211; For larger cutting jobs, there are mechanized plasma cutters. The cutter is used with a cutting table, which holds large pieces of metal. The metal is then cut using a computer system that controls the cuts and the torch height. These systems can be used for punch presses, laser cutting, and even robotic cutting.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Plasma Cutter Safety<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Plasma cutting uses an electric arc, so you&#8217;ll need a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/s\/?brand=Hobart&amp;keyword=welding+helmets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">welding helmet<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/s\/?brand=Hobart&amp;keyword=safety+glasses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">safety glasses or goggles<\/a> to protect your eyes from arc flash. Sparks will fly so it&#8217;s a good idea to wear <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/s\/?brand=Hobart&amp;keyword=welding+gloves\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">welding gloves<\/a>, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/s\/?keyword=welding+apron\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">apron<\/a> and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/s\/?keyword=welding+jacket\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">jacket<\/a> for protection. Blain&#8217;s Farm &amp; Fleet can provide you with all the safety gear you need, including a large variety of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/welding-apparel\/?brand=Hobart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hobart gear<\/a> that is sure to make sure your welding job is a safe one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn the basics of owning and using a plasma cutter. From cutting sheet metal to punch presses, a plasma cutter comes in handy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":22446,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1509],"tags":[469,1486],"content_type":[1373],"class_list":["post-7584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tools-diy","tag-tools","tag-welding","content_type-article"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Three Plasma Cutter Basics | Blain&#039;s Farm &amp; Fleet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn the basics of owning and using a plasma cutter. 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