[ssutton]

Complete newbie here. Stupid post to follow...........


So I spent ALL day in my shop cutting on the plasma machine burning up one and 1/2 sheets of 16 gauge. Trying to understand the software, the plasma cutter, and how they work together and all of the settings. I would cut 1 part and examine it and try to understand whats happening. As the day progressed and my cuts started to look really good (minimal dross and clean kerf) I noticed a light brown powder substance on the bottom of the parts. I compared these good cuts to the earlier cuts that had a lot of slag/dross and they did not have this coating on them. Anybody have anything information about this? Could this be used to determine when the settings are optimum? Or, was this just my setup and conditions and this is unique to me?

Thanks,
Scott

[Mike 1948]

That brown/black dust is a product of Plasma cutting. It is your vaporized slag/dross/steel and it will start to get into and on everything in the shop. More bad news, its is magnetic and electrically conductive if I'm not mistaken. I lost my first computer to that dust, it got inside and fried the motherboard. That is why many people cut on water tables and/or have exhaust fans to the outside. I moved my computer outside the room that I cut in and ran cables to the machine.
Mine is a Garage/Hobby shop, I use the plasma cutter in the warmer months with the doors open and fans going. In the winter when it is closed up I switch to a router and cut wood.
At any rate that dust is nasty as you will find out when cutting more.

Mike