Building a Hand Plasma Cutting Table with Water Pan

I couldn't find a handheld plasma cutting table with water table for sparks and slag, so I built my own. This video covers the design, material and the steps to build your own.

The Handheld CNC Plasma Cutter Video is COMING SOON, Subscribe and stay tuned. The hand plasma cutter table was the first thing I needed to build to be able to use the handheld CNC plasma cutter.

▼ MATERIALS: - 2X Aluminum 80/20 Extrusion (Long Side Rails), 1x2x36in: https://www.mcmaster.com/47065T107

- 2X Aluminum 80/20 Extrusion (Short Side Rails), 1x2x24in: https://www.mcmaster.com/47065T107 Choose 2ft length.

- 3X Aluminum 80/20 Extrusion(Slat Supports), 1x1x36in: https://www.mcmaster.com/47065T101 Choose 3ft length.

- 4X Aluminum 80/20 Extrusion (Legs), 1x1x12in: https://www.mcmaster.com/47065T101 Choose 1ft length or buy longer and cut to length.

- 24X T Slot End Fastners: https://ebay.us/DSEITk (Much more expensive on McMaster: https://www.mcmaster.com/47065T155 )

- 54X T Slot Nuts: https://amzn.to/3oJL22r

- 54X 1/4-20 x 1-1/4in Long Threaded Rod: https://www.mcmaster.com/91565A544

- 6X 1/8in thick by 1in wide by 6ft Flat Steel Bar: Available at Home Depot, hardware store, steel mill

▼ TOOLS: - MARKSMITH Titanium permanent marker made by us: https://amzn.to/3nWisMa

- Drill - Ryobi Brushless 18V

- Drill & Tap Guide: https://amzn.to/327hFPZ

- Tap Guide: https://amzn.to/3oK58d8

- 1/4-20 Spiral Point Tap (buy good quality, otherwise you'll regret it): https://amzn.to/3cyfJSy

ALTERNATE WATER TABLE PAN SOLUTIONS

911 Motor Sports sells a 36"x 24" Plasma Table Roll-Around WAter Table Kit. They use a common 36"x24" steel service cart.

The cart that they recommend is available from Harbor Freight for only $80. It does have to be sealed as you're assembling it.

They added wave breaks that go into the bottom of the cart to prevent water from sloshing around as you move the cart.

The whole red frame gets screwed into the cart, which is odd, because it seems like that would make it more difficult to clean.

I don't see a provision for draining. I would add a drain valve to the cart. Could put a tank underneath the cart to drain the water into to clean the pan. If the tank is strong enough to withstand 3-5psi, air pressure can be used to raise the water back up into the pan.

6 gallons gives 1.5in of water and a 5.5in air space to minimize splashing. For handheld cutting, having the water a distance away from the workpiece is ideal to minimize splashing.

The cart is painted steel, not sure how long that will last with water sitting in the bottom. The water needs some anti-rust additive.

My 80/20 extrusion frame design could be built to fit the 36"x24" steel service cart in the same way.

STAINLESS STEEL WATER PANS DESIGNED FOR WASHER LEAK TRAYS

An inexpensive source for stainless pans suitable to be used as water tables are ones sold for washing machines. They are available in several different sizes.

• https://amzn.to/48GvW2D 

• 36" x 36" 2.5" Heavy Duty Washer Machine Drain Pan Catch, Stainless Steel

IMPROVEMENTS

Replace the slats with 2in tall slats. The 1in tall slats are barely adequate. The plasma cutter can easily cut 1/2-3/4in into the slat, leaving the slats weak. To accommodate 2in tall slats, the slat supports need to go under the side extrusions.

Shown with 2in tall slats.

▼ IN THIS VIDEO

0:00 Intro

2:26 Materials Needed

3:52 Fasteners

5:11 Legs

5:40 Slat Support Design

6:28 STEP 1: Tap Rail Ends

8:34 STEP 2: Legs/Corner Brackets

11:56 STEP 3: Slat Support Holes

13:40 STEP 4: Install Slat Stops

15:26 STEP 5: Add Slat Supports

16:11 STEP 6: Assemble Frame

19:44 STEP 7: Making Slats

20:38 STEP 8: Install Slats

21:00 Test Cuts

21:14 Conclusion & Handheld CNC Plasma Cutter

22:05 What's Next?

#plasmacutting #plasmacutter #cncplasma #plasmatable #cncplasmacutter #cncplasmacuttingmachine #plasma

DIY Hand Plasma Cutting Table w/ Water Table Is Easy To Build For Handheld Metal Cutting

The products shown here were purchased by me with the intent to use them. I did not receive any free items, and I am not being paid or compensated for this review. The video, description, and comments may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link, I may receive a commission. Money earned helps to support my channel and bring you more informative videos about engineering, crafting, and DIY.