Water tables

[ssderick]

does anyone have any experiance with water tables

Derick

[jimcolt]

I have been working with plasma and water tables for 32 years.....

Jim Colt

[plain ol Bill]

I made my own table w/ a water table and love it. What do you want to know?

[Traneman]

Yep we have one.its the only way to go

[jeeplogic83]

OK when it comes to water tables I am a total newbie. I have had a down draft table since I started doing this. Does the piece of metal that you are cutting actually sit in the water or just above it? How do you keep the water from getting everywhere? (Compressed air and water usually make a mess) How deep does it have to be? Why isn't consumable life drastically reduced if they are getting wet? (especially when we try so hard to get dry air) Does there need to preservative in the water to keep it from getting rank? what about rusting?
Water tables for a guy that never used one or saw one in action is like a mystery of the universe. They seem like a great idea but no one has really posted how they work or setting one up. can some one please do this cause I am pretty sure I can build one in an afternoon.

[plain ol Bill]

A: Your material can sit in the water or just out of it really. I like to cut with the water kissing the back of the material personally. I do have the capability of raising the water level to the top or even over the top of the material.
B: Yes the water can fly at times especially if you are cutting along the edge. I generally (when possible) set my material about 8" away from the sides of the table and it does not make much mess that way. If I am cutting along an edge close to the edge of the table I generally stand there with a sheet metal piece that deflects water being sprayed back into the table. Water covering the bottom of your material or being close enough that the air blows it onto the bottom also is a BIG help in controlling warpage from heat. That is a BIG plus of a water table. I cut some 16 ga. yesterday w/ some intricate cuts and no warpage.
C: There is compressed air coming out of the tip (OK JIM - Nozzles) and that blows any water away from your torch.
D: Water can cause rust on parts and table components. So I use an additive in the water to prevent that from happening. Read this thread for more info
http://plasmaspider.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=572
E: Yes you could likely build something that would work for you in an evening. Think about this - how are you going to get water level to the top of your slats? If you can overcome this then you can likely build something that will work well for you.

[ssderick]

How deep does the table need to be? Is it a good ideal to be able to drain and fill table? Anyone have pictuers or sketches to help
thanks
Derick

[plain ol Bill]

Derrick the water doesn't need to be deep. 2-3 inches of water is fine. The main thing in my mind is getting the water to the proper level that will let you enjoy the most from a water table. Go look at your table ---- How can you you put a pan under the table? --- How can you get your slats into the pan? -- height of slats plus an inch or so of water under them should be sufficient. You do need a way to fill the table --- just use a hose from a near water source or a bucket --- you do need a way to drain it -- a plug welded into the bottom of the pan would work or even an Oklahoma credit card (siphon hose).
I'd like to send you some pics of mine but they would be of no help with an existing table. I built mine into the design as I built my table.

[ssderick]

Bill i have not started my table yet. i just purchased a torchmate last week.
any help would be appreciated
Derick

[DARRYL21270]

I purchased a Tracker Nitro table a few months back and after coating my entire shop with a film of dust and breathing in all that crap I decided to build a water tray and mount it to the table. It's a simple box design I came up with on Corel Draw and I added a dran plug to the underside to make life easier for me when I do finally drain out the Plasmaquench. I think I have a picture in one of my earlier posts but I will try to upload one on here as well.