In this project, I’ll be using a plasma cutter to work on an intermediate-level assignment for my course. To start, I downloaded a diamond template from Canvas and opened it in Illustrator. The template serves as a base, and I have the creative freedom to modify the diamond shape while keeping the overall scale intact.

My design in Adobe Illustrator

The goal is to maintain consistency in the base dimensions, ensuring that the “diamonds” remain uniform across all projects. The diamond shape, chosen for its simplicity, is easy for the machine to cut out, with a large and straightforward inner design.

Once I decided on the shape, I used the shape-building tool in Illustrator to combine every line and shape. This step is crucial to prevent the cutting software from recognizing separate shapes.

I followed The instructions on how to operate the plasma cutter located by the machine. however while importing my file to Torchmate.EDU was pretty smooth when I exported my modified file to the cut software Torchmate 4, the lines were automatically doubled. And to add to that when I did a dry run with the laser pointer, I noticed that plasma cutter went round my piece twice. To fix both issues, I had to manually jump to certain cuts within the G-code while the plasma cutter was running.

My Design in Torchmate.EDU

My Design in Torchmate 4

After the cutting process, I used an angle grinder to remove dross/slag from around the edges of my cut piece. Understanding why it’s called an angle grinder was key to the straightforward process. Subsequently, I used files with varying teeth sizes to smooth out the dross near the sharp corners of my pieces. My final pre-painting post processing step was to use the sand blaster to obtain the smootest metal piece you could find at the OEDK 🙂 as seen below

My Piece after Angle-Grinding

My Piece after Filing

After Sand blasting

After First layer of paint coating

Final Piece

I opted for a clean workspace after angle grinding, ensuring a neat environment for the subsequent steps. After spray painting, my workspace remained tidy, marking the completion of the project.

Clean work place after Angle-Grinding

My clean work space after spray painting.

Cost Breakdown:

– Labor: $60 (4 hours at $15/hour)
– Metal: $10 (6″ x 12″ stainless steel, 0.018 inch thickness)
– Plasma Cutter Rental: $27.5 (4 hours)
– Angle Grinder: $26
– Black Spray Paint: $3
– Clear Coat Spray Paint: $3

Total Cost: $129.5