Cutting letters problems

[wickedinhere]

I cut this today and some of the letters didnt cut right and some cut great. I am new to cutting and tried different offsets and outside offset seemed to cut the best. I am using a bulltear setup with sheetcam and mach3 with hypertherm pm45.

[FiveORacing]

I have the same table, same torch and same software so I know what you're going through. Some real simple basics to start with.

Once in sheetcam and after setting up "operation, plasma cut" right click and zoom in and take a look at the start points. If here is too much going on go to view and unclick paths etc until you just have the rapids and start points. Now take at all the start points. They should all be on the side of the parts you want to throw away. If most of them are wrong change the offset to the other side. If a few are still on the wrong side but most are right, first try shortening the lead-in (adjust the length under edit operation) (right click the plasma operation and choose edit) so and they may fit in. If it's a small part and the lead-in doesn't fit in go to "mode-edit start points" and learn how to change them by right clicking and then choosing properties. The lead in should be in a meaty part of the piece, move in around until it's starts as far away from the finish edge as possible.

There should be only one start point for each cut, they should all be on the correct side, very small pieces may not have room for a lead in, and you choose none. play around with it and then try running "simulations and watching how it works. Each piece should only be traced once, if it repeats a line, you have double lines in your drawing so go back to TurboCad and look at the drawing.



One thing I find myself doing is importing a drawing into sheetcam, looking at all the start points and paths, then going back to the drawing, make corrections, save , then re-import repeat repeat repeat until sheetcam likes the drawing. White dots in a sheetcam plasma cut operation drawing usually show extra lines and start points that need attention(The only exception is a point to point line which is supposed to have a white dot at each end). All other shapes, letters etc should not have dots. Remember to save changes or sheetcam won't pick up the changes.

The last cut should be the outside of the project so the metal stays put while all the inside cuts are made.

Takes time and practice. email me at jda104@comcast.net and I'll give you a hand where I can.

Joe

[wickedinhere]

Thanks thats alot of great info.