Project 4 from KSmith. Category: Decorative Metal Art – Wall Sculpture

[undercut]

Today I began putting some texture in places on the branches. Instead of plasma cutting you could call it plasma scratching. I set the machine to 5amps, and proceeded to draw on the metal. I wanted to make scores, like worm tracks or bark texture. The technique worked well. A little 220grit sandpaper over the scratches knocked off the bit of dross. After the patina coat the marking will look even more realistic.

Really good and imaginative use of your tools. Great, another reason for me to salivate over getting a plasma cutter!
Is plasma scratching something you came up with or is this a common technique?

[KSmith]

Really good and imaginative use of your tools. Great, another reason for me to salivate over getting a plasma cutter!
Is plasma scratching something you came up with or is this a common technique?

I never saw it mentioned before, but tried it awhile back for fun. I had seen scoring on metal sculptures, but not sure if they used a plasma cutter or not. I suspect alot of scoring is with hand tools, dremel tools, etc. I thought, why not, and just went ahead. Kinda cool results, and I have some other ideas that will use the technique.

ken

[undercut]

I never saw it mentioned before, but tried it awhile back for fun. I had seen scoring on metal sculptures, but not sure if they used a plasma cutter or not. I suspect alot of scoring is with hand tools, dremel tools, etc. I thought, why not, and just went ahead. Kinda cool results, and I have some other ideas that will use the technique.

You have the artist mindset - scratching with an arc.

This forum is truly fantastic. So many people with such diverse specializations. I learn something new every single day! And it's not just in one discipline. On any given day I can ignore a bunch of threads and still find useful information.

Thanks for making my wishlist a little bit longer. Just when I convinced myself that did not need a plasma cutter .... Gotta win a lottery.

[KSmith]

You have the artist mindset - scratching with an arc.

This forum is truly fantastic. So many people with such diverse specializations. I learn something new every single day! And it's not just in one discipline. On any given day I can ignore a bunch of threads and still find useful information.

Thanks for making my wishlist a little bit longer. Just when I convinced myself that did not need a plasma cutter .... Gotta win a lottery.

Thank you also. Trust me, you will never be sorry you bought a plasma cutter. Suddenly, you can do alot of things you could not do before. (And dream up a few more.) Just one example, I was cutting sheet metal with an air nibbler prior to getting a plasma cutter. Half-moon ninja weapons all over the floor, embedded in the soles of my shoes, wanting to scratch the wood floors in my house when I tracked in. Also the nibbler was only good up to 18 gauge. Done with that! A plasma cutter is great for so many things.

ken

[ncsugrad2006]

Nice!

I, too, am now wanting a plasma cutter. So many toyssss

[Rambozo]

Is that what they mean by gouging with a plasma cutter? I often see that mentioned in the spec sheets. I think there is even a special torch for doing that.

[KSmith]

Is that what they mean by gouging with a plasma cutter? I often see that mentioned in the spec sheets. I think there is even a special torch for doing that.

Goughing is a much more violent action than what I am doing. At 5amps, it is barely doing anything. Gouging does use different torches and nozzles, and is used to remove welds, as one example.

ken