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Straight answers to the questions people ask most when choosing cutting guides, circle kits and air filters for a plasma cutter.
The most useful are a straight-line or roller guide, a circle cutting guide, an air filter or dryer for the supply, and spare consumables. Guides help you hold the torch at a steady height and follow a line, which gives a neater cut and keeps the nozzle working properly. The air filter protects the torch from moisture and oil.A cutting guide does not replace good technique, and you still need a straight edge or template for long cuts. Check that any guide is designed for your type of torch, because fitting depends on the torch head and the shield or cup that you use.
It holds the torch tip at a fixed, correct distance from the plate while you move along the cut. Stand-off matters because the wrong height can shorten the life of the nozzle and shield and change the angle of the cut edge. Torch makers say reducing stand-off generally gives a squarer cut, so a guide helps to keep that distance steady.The wheels can usually be locked for straight cuts or freed for curves. A roller guide keeps the height consistent but does not steer by itself, so use a clamped straight edge for long, accurate cuts and check your torch manual for the right stand-off.
A circle guide has an arm that swings around a pivot point, with the torch held at the other end. You mark the centre of the circle, set the arm to the radius you want, place the pivot on the mark and move the torch round. Because the torch turns with the arm, you can cut the full circle without twisting the torch.Check you can move the torch freely all the way round before you start. Guides cover a limited range of circle sizes, and larger circles may need an extension or a different pivot, so follow the instructions for your guide and torch.
A plasma torch's swirling gas makes one side of the cut squarer than the other. On the torches where this has been tested, the right-hand side of the cut (looking along the direction of travel) is the squarer one. That means a hole that you want to be accurate should be cut counterclockwise, while the outside of a disc that you want to keep should be cut clockwise.The swirl direction differs between torches, so check your manual or do a test cut. The side that is not square can be bevelled, and you should allow for the width of the cut (the kerf) when you set the size.
Make a template from a stiff material and clamp it firmly so that it cannot move while you cut. Run the shield cup or a guide along the template edge so that the torch follows it. Check your torch manual first: some makers say that a straight edge used with a drag shield cup must be non-conductive, so a metal template is not always suitable.Remember that the cutting line is offset from the template: allow for the width of the cut and for the distance from the edge of the shield to the centre of the nozzle hole. Work out the offset with a test piece before you cut the real part, and clamp the work as well as the template.
Plasma torch makers say the air supply must be free of oil, moisture and other contaminants, because they can cause double arcing, quick wear of the nozzle and electrode, poor cutting and even damage to the torch. Water and oil build up in compressor lines and hoses, and the part of the system between the compressor and the cutter is often forgotten.A filter or dryer close to the cutter catches what is left in the line and is the usual way to protect it. One kit is often enough for light use, but heavier use or damp conditions may need more. Check what your plasma cutter's manual says about air quality.