Sometimes we get so caught up in all the fancy tools that we want that we forget you can make the parts you need with simpler tools. Brackets and the basics can all be made with a grinder and a cutoff wheel in most cases, and if you are patient and smart you can come up with really clean parts that way. Sure there is more waste and it takes more time, but you can do it for sure. If you are trying to make more complex shapes, a plasma cutter is certainly an advantage, and if you want to make cool shapes quickly, and with the ability to make multiple of the same part, then a CNC plasma table is clearly the way to go. But if you don’t have the room, the funds, or the real need for a CNC plasma table on a daily basis, there are other options.
Templates.
Yep, templates. Lets say you have a simple tab like you would use for shock brackets or something and you want to make more of them. You can simply clamp that part to your sheet of steel and run your plasma cutter around it. Done. Copy of the bracket. With one problem. The size of the new bracket is going to be slightly larger that the original, because the plasma tip can’t get right into the corner. The simple fix is the set your plasma torch next to the part to see how much it is adding to the overall dimension, and then grind the one you are using as a template down by that much. Now when you trace the smaller “template tab” with your plasma cutter it will come out the correct size.
But what if you want to make a bracket or part and don’t have one already? Make one out of something else that is easy to cut and then trace that material for your bracket. Hell, it can even be something as simple as cardboard. Our friend Aaron at GarageFab uses masonite templates all the time. They work great and are easy to work with. He’s got several videos on the subject.
In this video below, our friends at Bennetts Customs are sharing some tips and tricks on using cardboard. Watch, learn, and get out there and cut some stuff!
Video Description:
On this Episode it’s back to basics. We discuss CAD and in these terms its ‘Cardboard Assisted Design’. Using our template we show how you can use them to accurately trace and cut out shapes into steel , aluminium , and stainless steel. Transfer your ideas from simple cardboard templates to steel objects to help create your project.
