Plasma Cutter?

SimonWright · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:48 pm

Anyone have or can point me towards a plasma cutter for a small strut tower adjustment? I'm upgrading to adjustable top mounts and need to open up the top of the strut tower to accommodate it. But we've reinforced the strut top there and it'll be a bitch to do with a blade.

Thanks.

Simon

JohnByers · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2012 8:51 pm

It's too bad I'm so far away or I'd be more than glad to let you use mine

SimonWright · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2012 10:26 pm

I found out that Tech Shop RDU has one and, conveniently, I'm a member. Going to try there. Hopefully they have someone who knows how to wield it.

Simon

Bernie Baake · **Posted:** Tue Jul 03, 2012 12:14 am

there's not much to using it Simon. If you've taken a welding course I'm sure you can cut with it with no training.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Tue Jul 03, 2012 8:10 am

It's easy to use and fun! I highly recommend playing with one if you get the chance.

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Tue Jul 03, 2012 8:50 am

Vincent Keene wrote:

It's easy to use and fun! I highly recommend playing with one if you get the chance.

Its one of those things that I don't have a specific use for but I REALLY want one for some reason :twisted:

JamesShort · **Posted:** Tue Jul 03, 2012 4:05 pm

When I was in college, I found that a plasma cutter was a great solution for Duke Parking/Traffic cops booting your car if you didn't pay for a parking pass

.

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Tue Jul 03, 2012 10:34 pm

JamesShort wrote:

When I was in college, I found that a plasma cutter was a great solution for Duke Parking/Traffic cops booting your car if you didn't pay for a parking pass

.

This is funny, but it is funnier if you then weld it to some close-by metal structure.

--Donnie

SimonWright · **Posted:** Wed Jul 04, 2012 5:45 pm

Booked for Friday evening at 5:30. I'll drive the rally car over there and Kieran will meet me to help prep. Have to pull the existing struts before I can make the cuts. Hopefully I won't screw it up so badly that we can't drive home! Did some reading online - looks easy enough. Anyone know how wide the cut is normally?

Simon

Bernie Baake · **Posted:** Wed Jul 04, 2012 8:30 pm

about an eighth of an inch and as clean as you can hold your hand steady. When I cut your skid plate I used a straight edge to steady the tip.

SimonWright · **Posted:** Thu Jul 05, 2012 3:05 pm

Do you have one Bernie? Just got an email from TechShop that they are waiting on a part for theirs and may not have it fixed in time for me.

So I'm looking for a plan B.

Simon

Pete Guthrie · **Posted:** Thu Jul 05, 2012 6:30 pm

Harbor freight... use it once and throw it out! :lol:

Really I dont know man, we have a welder but not a cutter... Good luck winning 2wd again though!

Bernie Baake · **Posted:** Fri Jul 06, 2012 12:52 am

Simon I don't have one, but might be able to use the one at the school. How soon do you need it done??

SimonWright · **Posted:** Sun Jul 08, 2012 10:46 am

OK, just to close out this thread:

Thank you to everyone offering advice and help. TechShop RDU finally got their plasma cutter repaired and Kieran and I spent a couple of hours there yesterday (in 100° heat) getting the job done. Drove the rally car there and stimulated a lot of interest in it. Kieran and I each did one side and Kieran is clearly more skilled in wielding the cutter - I'm going to blame it on me wearing reading glasses under the goggles for the close up work but I suspect his younger eyes were able to see better past the glare to the work. Also due to the original strut tower construction and subsequent reinforcement by us we had widely varying thicknesses of steel to cut - sometimes one or two or three layers of steel. After some test fitting of the new strut mounts we found we needed to make some refinements to the cuts so Kieran finished up while I used the grinder to clean up the work.

Waiting on a spring to come in Monday then I'll mount the new suspenders after painting the bare metal in the strut towers. Alignment on Tuesday morning - should be able to get some serious negative camber now as well as having a more robust mount.

Will try to post some pics.

I'm liking TechShop RDU more and more. On Friday I was putting new rotors and pads on the rear when I found one of the caliper guide pins was totally seized in the bracket. Put it in the vice, soaked it in PB Blaster, applied gentle force to free - sheared the pin leaving half of it inside the bracket. That bracket is very hard to find and Ford have discontinued it. I'm in a bind. So I take it to TechShop to see what can be done. With the help of one of the employees there (Matt) we mounted it in a drill press and drilled out a small hole, tapped it and put a 1/8" bolt in and tried heat/hammer to free. Broke that bolt leaving half inside the guide pin inside the bracket! We drilled a bigger hole being careful not to damage the inside of the bracket, tapped that hole and tried a bigger bolt but with a nut and stack of washers to apply a pulling force as we gave it more heat. Success! And bracket undamaged. We spent nearly 3 hours at it. I cleaned up the bracket and went hunting for new guide pins and booties (AutoZone had them). I thanked Matt profusely for his help but he just shrugged it off saying it was his job to help

Kieran and I also recently took a class there and now we're both doing small projects using their computer controlled laser cutters.

Simon

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