PlasmaCam Water Tray

It's taken over a week of working here and there but the water tray is complete! This video wraps up the build by picking up where we left off with the frame and getting the bottom and sides fabricated. The tray is sealed, slats trimmed, drain in place, and water tested.
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[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

That looks like a first class job. Thanks for the video.

[@TomZelickman]

Thank you, Harold. As with any project, as soon as you get done you think of 3 other things you should have done to make it better. There is a fine line between done and finished. :) Best wishes, Tom Z

[@garyramsey4925]

Nice work on the water table, I know your happy to have it up and running !

[@TomZelickman]

Thank you, Gary! It's been down for WAY too long. How is your new table? Have you tried it out yet? Sincerely, Tom

[@turbocobra]

Well I know your happy to have it back up and running. Got the electrical and airlines brought over to the table, now just making final connections, need to get a 1.5 NPT drain valve to go in the water table, should be making some test cuts on it in a couple days.

[@RGSABloke]

Hey Tom, great stuff, really looking forward to 'firing-up' the plasma table. It looks like moving into that shop was a good choice for you. Please keep sharing young man? Kindest regards. Joe.

[@TomZelickman]

Thank you, Joe! I'm making some real progress but it takes longer than planned most days. Learning to wrap my head around the time management aspect has proven a challenge. Appreciate you watching and the kind words, sir. Tom Z

[@chillierdavro]

We call that Cardboard Aided Design in these parts :) Plasma table upgrades are looking real nice

[@TomZelickman]

Thank you, David! I was going to call it the Carboard Aided Design - DoRite Method but it just didn't flow. Did you see Jim's video where he joked about me using Fusion 360 as being antiquated? If not, it's worth the watch. :) Best wishes, Tom Z

[@donsteveson4790]

Just looking at the size and height of the pan it looks like it will add about 500 pounds of water to the table. Would that be correct?

[@nickchervenka9391]

Nice! I really like the Do Rite Aided Design. Keep up the good work.

[@TomZelickman]

Thanks, Nick! Looks like you had a good day today from the photos I saw.

[@Regalmetalworks]

Turned out nice Tom!

[@TomZelickman]

+Cole Regal Thank you, Cole! It's made a big difference on keeping the shop clean. Are you back from your vacation? Looked like you had a great time! Best wishes, Tom Z

[@ChrisB257]

As someone else said - "Cardboard aided design"!! Fabulous job on the water tray Tom. That's a pretty large project... I am so envious of your plasma cam set up. Nothing wrong with a mark 1 eyeball :) No leaks - relief eh! You must be super pleased.

[@TomZelickman]

Thank you, Chris! Until I got the PlasmaCam, and even sometime since then, that was what I used for "CAD" for all of my drawings. I'm an old pencil and paper guy but once I got the hang of using the software I have hardly touched the old drafting tools since. I'm very happy with the overall project. Time will tell how it works out and I've already thought of a few modifications but I think this will be much better than the last version. The only thing I plan to to right off is to take the support frame from the old tray and get it under this new one. I built this strong but I'd sleep better at night knowing there was a bit more support holding up all of that water. Thanks for watching and taking the time to write. Wishing you the best, sir. TZ

[@ChrisB257]

Thx for the reply Tom - haha, pencil & paper, me too for ages. More like back of an old envelope. I wish I was younger with a bigger shop - plus extra gear! Best, Chris.

[@builtrodewreckedit]

looks good... and holds water. thats about as good you can ask for

[@TomZelickman]

Thanks, Ron! I need to get back to the shop and see how the overnight test worked but it held for several hours yesterday while I was there working. How was your hunting trip? TZ

[@builtrodewreckedit]

got skunked but it was a good time.

[@danradusinovich332]

How do you like your water table? I have the same machine and have been thinking of adding a water table. Your design allows the machine legs to support the water table versus a frame work separate from the DHC2 Plasmacam.

[@TomZelickman]

+Dan Radusinovich Hi, Dan! The water table is working out pretty well overall. It's not quite as clean as I was hoping for but it's much better than what I had. If I fill it high enough to trap most of the particulate, water splashes up onto the torch and eventually shorts out the cutter. Unless I am missing something it seems that the water table plus good ventilation is the key to keeping the shop clean. Best wishes, Tom Z

[@reideichner8597]

HI Tom, Nice looking water table. Got to be nice to have that part done. Are you going to use a plasma quench of some sort to stop the rusting? I use it and works great. You have made a lot of progress since your move! Good for you! Wishing you all the success in the world, Tom!! Take Care, Reid

[@TomZelickman]

Thanks so much, Reid! Appreciate all of your support along the way as well. What sort of additive would you recommend? I'm open to suggestions of course! Trying to keep motivated. The progress is slower than I had hoped for but I'm still moving forward. Got an interesting order in today that will likely be a 2 part video as well. Best wishes, Tom Z

[@reideichner8597]

I use a mixture of Sodium Nitrite and Physan 20 - (1/4 lb Sodium Nitrite, 1 tsp Physan 20) mix well with a little water and it is good for about 75 gallons. I get evaporation since my shop is heated so I end up mixing this stuff up about every 3 months. Do you have welding blankets to cover the table that you don't have metal to be cut on? I do this all the time and it slows down the evaporation and helps with the smoke too. Let me know if you don't have any welding blankets. I can turn you on to the ones I got from my welding shop. They are very nice. All the Best, Reid

[@bluehandsvideo]

Great to see you're getting it back up and running! How often do you need to change water in that setup? Mike

[@TomZelickman]

Hi Mike! Needing to change and actually changing it are two totally different questions. With this setup I'll likely change it out about once a month, maybe two, depending on how lazy I get. The old setup didn't have the drain on it so it only happened when it forced me to... Best wishes, TZ

[@bluehandsvideo]

Do you just have a bung nut in the hole? If you put a ball valve under there and then a piece of tube that go down to the top of a 5 gal bucket......or a fitting that you can connect a hose to.....draining won't be any grief at all. :) Maybe you already did that......I haven't had much time to watch vids lately. I'm way behind!! lol

[@TomZelickman]

I didn't even get that fancy with it. Drilled a hole and used a threaded brass fitting on top with the ball valve underneath and lots of silicone to make sure it doesn't leak. The both top and bottom have standard fittings so I can put a "cap" over the opening to keep crud out and a hose after the valve if I wanted to. The handle is up front so I will likely use the bucket method.

[@grandpacocky7618]

If I was making a tray such as this, I would fit it with a sump, the size of a brick. Complete with a basket and a drain. To make cleaning easier. But I can't, I'm a cocky!

[@TomZelickman]

I did think about something like that but opted for a ball valve for simplicity sake. It's going to be a lot easier to drain and clean now so I plan to schedule it for monthly maintenance instead of "whenever it gets so bad that I have to do it". Thanks for watching and offering suggestions! Hopefully someone else will get some benefit from it as well. Sincerely, Tom Z

[@duramaxmak]

Tom I think if you put Borax in your water it will help it from becoming stagnant

[@TomZelickman]

Hmm, I've never heard that before! I wonder if there is any potential chemical reaction to the heat from the plasma cutter? It's worth a try though. The new design has a drain valve so I could always swap it all out if needed. Thank you! Tom Z

[@danradusinovich332]

How do you like your water table? I need to do one for my DHC2

[@TomZelickman]

Hi Dan - The table does ok in general but there is a sweet spot to find where the water level is high enough to catch the majority of the smoke and dross while not so high that is splashes up into the cutting tip. What I really need to do is combine this with a downdraft ducting system or some sort of negative pressure air filtration. I'm not where I want to be on this project yet, that's for sure. What are you doing on your system now? Would love to compare note. Best wishes and Happy New Year! Tom Z

[@danradusinovich332]

I am using a 12 fan and blow my smoke outside. Dross goes on the floor. I am using Hardy Board on my side panels to keep all dust and dross inside the machine. I need to add some skirting around the machine grid to increase the vacuum area. I think it is best to run booth if you can. I have a lot of mods to do this year to add a laser pointer for positioning parts, material rolling system for loading large panels when needed, etc

[@brianlegrand826]

Hey would you be willing to share the measurements for your Water Table? Length, Width, Height.... Materials?

[@TomZelickman]

+Brian LeGrand Hi, Brian. It's basically designed to closely fit inside the frame with a 1" flange to hold it in. The closer the lower pan is to the side of the frame, the better. I used mild steel in 3/16" and 10g. Still experimenting with water heights though. Hope this gets you started! Tom Z

[@brianlegrand826]

Hey Tom, I have been doing a lot of research since I have been dreaming of owning a PlasmaCAM CNC Table. I have watched several people building Downdraft (Jody-Welding Tips and Tricks) and Water Tables and also combos. As far as Water Tables... I think the consensus is with the water touching the bottom of the Table Grates. Keith Fenner has an Awesome Combination Downdraft/Water Table with Baffles. For my needs I believe I will be Trying something just a little different, that has not surfaced yet, but when I am finished I will share my results if you are interested.

[@bcbloc02]

Jim Bolinger and his advanced techniques saved the day! lol Too big eh, sounds like somebody failed to allow for material thickness, tisk, tisk.

[@TomZelickman]

Hi Brian! I couldn't let Jim take a shot at me without a little jab in return... Those slats were cut over time since I cut them diagonally on the material. I didn't know I was making this table when I cut them! The design will definitely be changed before the next set get cut, that's for sure. Hope all is well, sir! TZ

[@iceberg945]

do rite aided design!

[@TomZelickman]

+Zach Berg Did you see he called me and Saunders out a week or two ago? It was hilarious so I couldn't let it go without a response... :)