What's new
By:
Filters

Small CNC plasma tables

AKnate

AKnate

Icehole
Joined
Mar 5, 2022
Member Number
4908
Messages
1,275
I'd imagine this has been discussed, but I'm not finding any threads.

I had a thread on the other board when the "homeowner" Langmiur Crossfire table came out a few years ago.

I believe it was around $1000 then, currently it's about $1500. With a few add ons and shipping I'll be into it about $2k.

CrossFire CNC Plasma Table | Personal CNC Plasma Table

Affordable personal CNC plasma table for only $1495. This ultimate fabrication tool is perfect for the garage or small business.
www.langmuirsystems.com www.langmuirsystems.com

Worth the money?

I have several projects that it would be very useful on. I can hire it out, though I'd be able to pay for the table, so there's that.

My brother is an engineer that does tons of CNC programming and design on AutoCAD, Fusion, etc.

He says it's quite simple to design parts once you learn the program, but learning the program has a fairly steep learning curve.
 
AKnate said:
I'd imagine this has been discussed, but I'm not finding any threads.

I had a thread on the other board when the "homeowner" Langmiur Crossfire table came out a few years ago.

I believe it was around $1000 then, currently it's about $1500. With a few add ons and shipping I'll be into it about $2k.

CrossFire CNC Plasma Table | Personal CNC Plasma Table

Affordable personal CNC plasma table for only $1495. This ultimate fabrication tool is perfect for the garage or small business.
www.langmuirsystems.com www.langmuirsystems.com

Worth the money?

I have several projects that it would be very useful on. I can hire it out, though I'd be able to pay for the table, so there's that.

My brother is an engineer that does tons of CNC programming and design on AutoCAD, Fusion, etc.

He says it's quite simple to design parts once you learn the program, but learning the program has a fairly steep learning curve.
Click to expand...

Without having owed one, I think it's a no brainer IF YOU CAN design the parts and troubleshoot the machine.

Much like when I partnered with a buddy to buy Bend Tech Pro he quickly found he could not get it to do anything for him outside of simple templates.

If simple 2D parts are easy draw in their software (or another software) then I would say go for it all day.

I myself will be getting the 4X3 PRO as funds/shop space allows.

Maybe download trial software and give the part design a test.
 
Any idea if the Langmiur and Fusion 360 work together like bread and butter? 2D parts sketches are quick and easy in Fusion 360. .dxf files are easy to pull from it. Just might order myself a table if it doesn't require exclusive software to design parts for it in.

Edit: Says Fusion 360 included. Technically don't "include" it as it's a cloud-based software. Schweet that it uses it though.
 
Last edited:
JNHEscher said:
Any idea if the Langmiur and Fusion 360 work together like bread and butter? 2D parts sketches are quick and easy in Fusion 360. .dxf files are easy to pull from it. Just might order myself a table if it doesn't require exclusive software to design parts for it in.

Edit: Says Fusion 360 included. Technically don't "include" it as it's a cloud-based software. Schweet that it uses it though.
Click to expand...
I tried to load it on my desktop computer at home, but didn't get time to mess with it before I left for work.
 
I've got a Langmuir Crossfire pro. Have had it a bit over a year now. Love it.

Do all my cad/cam in fusion 360, export the .nc files using the Langmuir specific post processor loaded up in fusion, and away I go.

While it doesn't get used all the time, I'm damn glad to have it.

Here's some of the stuff I've made with it in the past year.

IMG_20200316_201131.jpg
PXL_20210311_001658119.jpg
IMG_20200714_201921.jpg
PXL_20210316_230023106.jpg
IMG_20200323_201623.jpg
PXL_20211129_212757359.jpg
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
I've got a Langmuir Crossfire pro. Have had it a bit over a year now. Love it.

Do all my cad/cam in fusion 360, export the .nc files using the Langmuir specific post processor loaded up in fusion, and away I go.

While it doesn't get used all the time, I'm damn glad to have it.

Here's some of the stuff I've made with it in the past year.

IMG_20200323_201623.jpg
Click to expand...

Stuff like that seems like a super easy way to pay off the machine. Make some Niche parts for yourself, save the files and "shop" them on forums ebay etc.
 
I love the lathe tool holder. I just built one but used angle iron scraps and box tubing but yours is way more compact and easier to install than mine was by myself.

PXL_20220323_032813795.jpg
 
I've had the Crossfire XL with Z axis for a few months. I originally bought it for just simple stuff like brackets, tabs, big washers ect.. Took a bit to learn enough Fusion 360 to make parts even with a buddy that uses cnc stuff at work.

Download Langmuir's post processer into Fusion to get your .nc file. Then Langmuir has its own program called "FireControl" that uses the .nc file to run the table to actually cut the parts.

All in all if you are willing to learn the design part the plasma table is well worth it.

Here's a couple things I've designed and cut out.

This is a cooler hold down for the RZR.

20220225_175749.jpg


And a ramp holder for the back of my trailer that is strong enough to load and unload the 6 ton excavator with out tearing off.

20220301_112259.jpg


Here it is welded on.

20220305_173338.jpg
 
CarterKraft said:
Stuff like that seems like a super easy way to pay off the machine. Make some Niche parts for yourself, save the files and "shop" them on forums ebay etc.
Click to expand...

Agree. The plan was to sell those firepits, but then the price of steel tripled. Spent a lot of time figuring out how to get three of those smaller pits out of a single 4x8 sheet of 3/16" plate. They work pretty damn well, and knock down flat.
 
Tinstar said:
I've had the Crossfire XL with Z axis for a few months. I originally bought it for just simple stuff like brackets, tabs, big washers ect.. Took a bit to learn enough Fusion 360 to make parts even with a buddy that uses cnc stuff at work.

Download Langmuir's post processer into Fusion to get your .nc file. Then Langmuir has its own program called "FireControl" that uses the .nc file to run the table to actually cut the parts.

All in all if you are willing to learn the design part the plasma table is well worth it.

Here's a couple things I've designed and cut out.

This is a cooler hold down for the RZR.

20220225_175749.jpg


And a ramp holder for the back of my trailer that is strong enough to load and unload the 6 ton excavator with out tearing off.

20220301_112259.jpg


Here it is welded on.

20220305_173338.jpg
Click to expand...

Nice stuff there.
I watched some videos of Clough42 on YT and he explains F360 sheet metal pretty well, I copied his parts as tutorials and it was pretty easy and Fusion is so damn powerful and intuitive I could see getting very efficient with it with repetition.
 
AKnate said:
I'd imagine this has been discussed, but I'm not finding any threads.

I had a thread on the other board when the "homeowner" Langmiur Crossfire table came out a few years ago.

I believe it was around $1000 then, currently it's about $1500. With a few add ons and shipping I'll be into it about $2k.

CrossFire CNC Plasma Table | Personal CNC Plasma Table

Affordable personal CNC plasma table for only $1495. This ultimate fabrication tool is perfect for the garage or small business.
www.langmuirsystems.com www.langmuirsystems.com

Worth the money?

I have several projects that it would be very useful on. I can hire it out, though I'd be able to pay for the table, so there's that.

My brother is an engineer that does tons of CNC programming and design on AutoCAD, Fusion, etc.

He says it's quite simple to design parts once you learn the program, but learning the program has a fairly steep learning curve.
Click to expand...
Not trying to shit on your show, but you will outgrow that in about 12 minutes
I have a 10'er and wanted to stretch it within a year
something to think about
 
SomeGuyFromOlympia said:
Not trying to shit on your show, but you will outgrow that in about 12 minutes
I have a 10'er and wanted to stretch it within a year
something to think about
Click to expand...
Really? If 90% of your use is suspension brackets, flanges and accessory drive stuff it seems like it would be great. Sure you'd be annoyed when you're torching skid plate drain holes by hand but how often do most of us do work like that on big parts?
 
I have one of the first Crossfire tables and used it a fair amount. I'm not making making art and signs just brackets and mounting plates for my own stuff. I love it for what it is. I'm probably a little slow on the cad end of things but it takes me the same time to make it by hand and be cutting/grinding with a sub-par outcome. Having shit that the dimensions and finish are sweet is worth it. I did go with a Hypertherm 45xp right away. That little table and a press brake you can make some nice stuff. I've been remaking some of my brackets on my dunebuggy that i built 25 years ago. It's quick and easy once you get the hang of it.
 
SomeGuyFromOlympia said:
Not trying to shit on your show, but you will outgrow that in about 12 minutes
I have a 10'er and wanted to stretch it within a year
something to think about
Click to expand...
From my point of view I think that's a bullshit excuse.

If you get to a point in 12 minutes where the business of your plasma cutting can afford a 10'er then loosing $500 bucks to sell your Crossfire won't matter.

Wanting a 20'x40' lazer is one thing but having it be economical in your business plan is another.
Getting a Crossfire and training yourself to create a self sustaining plasma cutting business for a worst case $1500 loss is a pretty damn good deal in most circles.
 
It's going in my 2 car garage, so not like I could realistically fit a large table.

I can't think of much that I've made that is larger than 2ft that couldn't be done in pieces.
 
AKnate said:
It's going in my 2 car garage, so not like I could realistically fit a large table.

I can't think of much that I've made that is larger than 2ft that couldn't be done in pieces.
Click to expand...
can't think of it "yet":laughing:

it will happen, just trying to give you a heads up, happened to me that is all
 
While I see SomeGuy's point, around here you can throw a stick up and it will hit someone with a 10' or longer burn table. There's a 40 footer just down the road. Those guys are always scrambling to feed that monster.

A table that can handle a 4 x 8 sheet takes up a lot of real estate. My XL can cut about 25" x 32". It along with the Hypertherm 45XP take up plenty of shop space. I wouldn't want to dedicate much more shop space to a burn table.

Maybe its been mentioned. You will need a fairly healthy air compressor and a much better than average way to dry the air.
 
Tinstar said:
While I see SomeGuy's point, around here you can throw a stick up and it will hit someone with a 10' or longer burn table. There's a 40 footer just down the road. Those guys are always scrambling to feed that monster.

A table that can handle a 4 x 8 sheet takes up a lot of real estate. My XL can cut about 25" x 32". It along with the Hypertherm 45XP take up plenty of shop space. I wouldn't want to dedicate much more shop space to a burn table.

Maybe its been mentioned. You will need a fairly healthy air compressor and a much better than average way to dry the air.
Click to expand...
For sure, I see the point and I can absolutely see a USE for the big table before I even think about a small one but for some of us it's a way to rapidly produce brackets, tabs and assemblies that might take several hours to manually complete with sometimes more complicated tooling.

Need to rip a run of widgets, sure a 5x10 sheet gets them made in a hurry but those are much different needs and price points than a $1500 2x2 machine.

You will always regret the size of the shop you built, the amperage of the welder etc.
but economics and feasibility drive the purchasing decisions.
 
Tinstar said:
While I see SomeGuy's point, around here you can throw a stick up and it will hit someone with a 10' or longer burn table. There's a 40 footer just down the road. Those guys are always scrambling to feed that monster.

A table that can handle a 4 x 8 sheet takes up a lot of real estate. My XL can cut about 25" x 32". It along with the Hypertherm 45XP take up plenty of shop space. I wouldn't want to dedicate much more shop space to a burn table.

Maybe its been mentioned. You will need a fairly healthy air compressor and a much better than average way to dry the air.
Click to expand...
I have a 60 gallon tank in my shed plumbed with 1" line about 75ft to the garage and have a 30 gallon tank there.
Standard water separator then the plasma has a water separator and 2 desiccant dryers.
Air hasn't been an issue with hand cutting, I think it'll be ok with a CNC.

Plasma cutter is a 60 amp Everlast I've had for quite a few years.
 
Tinstar said:
While I see SomeGuy's point, around here you can throw a stick up and it will hit someone with a 10' or longer burn table. There's a 40 footer just down the road. Those guys are always scrambling to feed that monster.

A table that can handle a 4 x 8 sheet takes up a lot of real estate. My XL can cut about 25" x 32". It along with the Hypertherm 45XP take up plenty of shop space. I wouldn't want to dedicate much more shop space to a burn table.

Maybe its been mentioned. You will need a fairly healthy air compressor and a much better than average way to dry the air.
Click to expand...
all great points
you will loose real-estate with a large table for sure
also as mentioned, big air compressor
also comes big sheets of metal
and larger consumption of power

I wasn't trying to be a dick, I just saw a different point of view and am a little further down the road
 
The Crossfire pro is a nice middle ground. Wide enough to take a full 4' with some wiggle room, and 32" of depth. A 4x8 sheet will slide all the way through the machine uninterrupted, meaning you can cut large parts with some clever indexing.

With the small amount of cutting I do I've ran into the space limit a few times, but don't want to dedicate space to a full 4x8 or 5x10 machine.
 
Just for reference, I learned that I can cut a 32"x48" piece off a full sheet and use it on our table. I use a small stand with an adjustable roller on it like you use with a table saw. That stand holds up the part of the sheet that hangs off the table.

Screenshot_20220327-090841_Gallery.jpg
 
I checked around and it will run about $100/hr for places to cut stuff for me.

What's cutting let's say 4 20" wheel centers going to take, time wise?
 
AKnate said:
I checked around and it will run about $100/hr for places to cut stuff for me.

What's cutting let's say 4 20" wheel centers going to take, time wise?
Click to expand...
that depends on what is cutting it

cut inches/min has lots of variables
They are probably going to have a minimum charge just for set up too
 
AKnate said:
I checked around and it will run about $100/hr for places to cut stuff for me.

What's cutting let's say 4 20" wheel centers going to take, time wise?
Click to expand...
They should be able to do that in around 1 hour depending on if you have a good cut file. Computer time to build the file usually takes longer than the cut. .125 (1/8") and thinner cuts pretty fast, maybe 130ipm. .5 (1/2") is maybe 18ipm for our setup.

I cut some 24" clock faces out of 14ga. Took maybe 1 minute for the actual cut at 150ipm.
 
benw said:
Draw the part, send the drawing to the shop and have them quote it. Every shop quotes differently.
Click to expand...
There are many places that do this online and instant quotes.

Sendcutsend.com for smaller items,
Laser or different materials.
 
CarterKraft said:
There are many places that do this online and instant quotes.

Sendcutsend.com for smaller items,
Laser or different materials
Click to expand...

I'd imagine shipping costs make that service not practical
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh