Plotting table +Plasma Torch = ?

[Mark Williams]

A poor mans profile cutting machine.

I've often wondered if a crafty knifemaker could use the parts from an old plotting table and put a plasma torch on it.

Food for thought.

I see the plotting tables around here junk prices on occasion.

 

[Sweany]

Buddy of mine built A CNC ROUTER on the same principal. dunno why it would be any different

 

[Ivan Campos]

There is a guy in town who assembled his cutter on a CNC controlled table but he did star from scratch.
But try to drill the handle holes on the tang after the knives were cut on the plasma...

 

[Matt Shade]

Sounds doable. The beauty of a torch or plasma cutter for the head is it doesn't require any significant force to move it around the way a router or milling head does. Plasma cutter will cut stainless, aluminum, and probably Ti also
Downside is like Ivan said, the work hardening would be pretty bad. You'd also have to make your patterns oversize to account for the heat affected zone.
Now....here's a question....how fast would I get fired if I were to get caught stacking the vacuum table full of fire bricks and duct taping a torch to the head on the CNC router at work