Suggestions for Plasma Cutting Perfectly Staight Lines

[weldingtwopotatoes]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to plasma cut a straight line? I need to cut some pieces but getting the fit is important. I need a simple solution for cutting in a perfectly straight line. I know that cnc is probably the best option but I don't have access to one so I'm looking for other low tech solutions. I was thinking of rigging up something that would hold the torch and roll along on some wheels? And I would just push it by hand. Does anyone have anything like this? I’m looking for something that’s hand powered without motors.

[LONGEVITY]

Hello,

Use two clamps to clamp a long ruler or piece of metal to the workpiece you are cutting. Make sure you have a straight ruler or piece of metal and a straight line.

Drag the torch along that ruler.

Check out Metal Cutting and Metal Fabrication With a Plasma Cutter for more tips.

Thanks

[vault]

do as Simon suggested and use the plasma roller guide longevity sells to maintain distance and torch angle

[KHK]

I use a piece of metal for the streight edge and a spring spacer.
Go to longevity-inc.com and do a search for torch spacer.

[weldingtwopotatoes]

Thanks for the tips. I looked on the Longevity website and the spacers are only for the pilot arc cutters or the 80/100 amp cutters. I couldn't find anything for the 60amp cutter? Also I couldn't find any roller guide on the Longevity website. Am I just missing these things?

[KHK]

I think that you need to call Longevity and see if they have a torch spacer for your torch. One of the spacers shown on the web site is a roller spacer.

[weldingtwopotatoes]

So I was all set up to do some cutting this last weekend and I go to plug in the plasma torch and it has the wrong plug, which totally blew my weekend plans. Called Longevity and their sending me a replacement and a new plug to put on the torch I have which they said I could keep as well. I guess that's a nice consolation but it would have been better to just send me the correct plug to put on the torch that I have and some consumables for the trouble. Consumables I can use. I can't use two torches.

I appreciate the suggestions on how to cut straight lines. I'm going to use the clamp method to cut a bracket for extending my tubing notcher.

[vault]

is that the plug for the pilot arc?

[ksmeggy]

I'm getting better with a piece of wood for a straight-edge. I don't have the pilot arc torch, so I have to touch it to the piece to start the plasma. Which rules out, I think, most spacers and rollers. So I use a piece of 1/2" x 1" scrap pine, as a bonus I can angle the torch any way I like. No I haven't set the wood on fire, I did blacken the edges a little. I'm checking rather carefully though, I've had 'incidents' before in the shop. Gotta be careful where that stream is going, if you start a fire you don't notice until you take off the welding helmet.

[weldingtwopotatoes]

I don't have a pilot arc torch, I have just the 60 amp HF torch, the plug that came with it has two holes and the 520D takes a 7 prong plug.

kdmeggy: I thought about using wood but decided against it because of the fire hazard. Does it smoke when you make a cut?