How I Made My Own

Plasma Cutter From Junk

By Joe Eichholz

Table of Contents

How I began Making My Plasma Cutter

Page 1
When I started assembling my cutter, I began with taking a good look at my parts. As
shown in Section 5 and Section 6, my parts are laid out so I can begin checking off from
my parts list. Once this was accomplished, I would study each the parts pictorial to get
familiar with each part/component and they would be placed.
The next step was to study my schematic and create a layout diagram. My board layout
diagram is the most valuable piece in the building, repairing, and modifying process of
my cutter.
As I began mounting my parts, I organized my board into four sections. Those sections
are Power Control, High Current DC, Low Voltage DC and High Voltage Arc Start.
Power Control
3KVA step down transformer and contactor. The transformer is mounted off board
because it is big and heavy, as you can see in Section 13. The contactor became my first
part on the board. I wired it so when the head trigger is pressed, it turns the contactor on
and allows my DC components to come on line. Then I began with my next system,
High Current DC.
High Current DC
Bridge Rectifier
Large Capacitors
Reed Switch (which I used as a current sensor), what it does is allow the high voltage arc
system to fire and as soon as high current starts to travel to the head and cutting starts it
shuts down the high voltage arc system while cutting since its not needed at this point.
If you lose your fire it restarts the arc and gets you going again automatically.
My next system was placed on board.
Low Voltage DC
The low voltage DC components are mixed with power switch and 120 volt terminals.
Power Switch
120-volt terminal blocks
12 volt transformer
Low voltage bridge rectifier
Auto relays
Terminal strip, 4 position is all I needed but 5 position was what I had in my toy box.
High Voltage Arc Start
Microwave capacitor or run capacitor, a household dimmer switch rated for 15 amps. A
Ford or Chevy ignition coil. I used the Chevy on this cutter. As you can see, I have
terminals to all parts that get an external connection outside of their system so all I have
to do is run a piece of wire in-between. Now look at the pictorial of board mounted parts
in Section 11. It shows all the wires on the board, but here you can see all terminals and
parts mounted, as I wanted. When wiring all my components, I used my Chevy board
layout diagram to run my wires.

How I began
Page 2

I checked and re checked all wires before mounting external parts. If you go to the final
wiring section, you will also find pictures of my rigging of these parts. I could have done
it many different ways, but this is what I chose at this time.
It took me about 3 hours of procrastination to finally assemble it all. You know how it is
on a project, once you are ready with all your parts, your mind starts giving you a million
ways of doing something. And, at last you just pick a way and go with it.
Once I got it all together, I connected my air tank hose and put the pressure setting at 28
for a safe point to start. I fired it up and BAM - that baby didnt need any more adjusting.
It was cutting!
You can imagine all the relief and pride I felt when the Plasanator started kicking ass.
Yea, I said it Kicking Ass Baby. Oops Wife just told me I need to stop, hee hee and for
all you creators ah ah ah ahhhhhh.
I hope you enjoyed riding along with me in my journey.
Take care and be safe.
The Plasmaman

Introduction

Parts
Pictorial

Chevy Coil
Schematic

Chevy Board
Layout

Ford Coil
Schematic

Ford Board
Layout

View of Board
Mounted
Components

Power Control
3 KVA step down
Transformer

120 volt Primary

240 volt Secondary

Slides 13/14

Transformer
Connections to Board
Terminals

High
Current
Section
Slides 16-22

Low Voltage
Power
Section
Slides 24/25

Relay Terminal
Connections
by Color

Slides 26-30

Ground Lead to
Head Terminal

Chevy Coil Stud

Assembly

High Voltage
Arc Start
System
Connections
Slides 34/35

120 Volt Power Lead to Relays

For Air Solenoid & Arc Start
Slides 36-38

Arc Tip wire

Assembly

Plasma Head Hose

Assembly

page 1

Plasma Head Hose

Assembly

page 2

Final wiring
of
External Mounted Parts,
like the
Head,
Water Heater Element,
Air Solenoid & Air
Regulator
&
Work Clamp
Slides 43-47

HomemadeTerminal