Metal Artist Chad Dietz speaks to Fabricator Magazine about why this automated plasma cutter is such an essential shop tool for his one-man shop and how the tool paid for itself on its first job.

Fabricator: How many people work in your shop?

Dietz: I have been creating metal art work for 23 years, and I am a one man show.

Fabricator: What kinds of projects do you typically work on?

Dietz: Iron staircases and railings for nicer homes.

Fabricator: What made you decide to buy PlasmaCAM?

Dietz: I had a contract to provide over 1,000 feet of decorative railing along the riverfront in Fairbanks, AK. The fence had over 200 very detailed silhouettes of animals that were to be perfectly mirrored on both sides of the railing. The PlasmaCAM paid for itself and then some in that first project. I am good with a torch, but why walk when you can fly.

Fabricator: What was involved in setting it up in your shop - did you have to buy other equipment/tools/software to go along with it, and does it take up much space?

Dietz: The PlasmaCAM table was very easy to set up in one afternoon. Wiring the plasma cutter was a challenge, but PlasmaCAM provided an instructional video that made it simple. I had to replace my plasma cutter from a cutmaster 75 to a cutmaster 80 because the frequency of the plasma cutter can interfere with the computer running the CNC machine. I also bought an older "shop computer" that is solely dedicated to running the machine. I have a 1,600 square foot shop in Arizona (winter) and the same size in Alaska (summer). I actually bring the PlasmaCAM with me back and forth but hope to get another one soon.
The PlasmaCAM takes up hardly any space. You need a 10-foot by 10-foot area to have enough room to walk around the machine and sit in front of the computer. I finally built a special room for the machine to control the dust, since I use it almost every day.

Fabricator: How do you use it on various projects?

Dietz: The software is easy once you figure it out. The manual that came with the PlasmaCAM was very helpful. I use the software to import and draw cut patterns for the machine. I also use it almost every day to design layout for every project I work on. Almost all of my work is artistic drawings that I freehand, scan into the computer, and cut out of plate steel. These are usually the centerpiece of my railings and gates.
After having it for over a year now I don't know how I could live without it. It is awesome for making special brackets, tabs, mounting plates, etc. It can cut a perfect circle or square with just the right size holes in it. I hardly ever use my drill press anymore since the PlasmaCAM cuts all my holes for me.

Fabricator: Can you tell me about a recent project you used the system on, and how it helped you to work more efficiently?

Dietz: I just finished a staircase in a beautiful log home in Alaska. The customer wanted a monolithic stringer down the middle. The entire project was designed on the PlasmaCAM software within a few hours.
It was easy to factor the math on the program, such as angles, hypotenuse, and even code concerns. I drew the tread support brackets to weld to the stringer in just a few minutes, and within a few hours I had all the supports for each tread cut out with notches to mark each bend in the brake. From there I sketched a dead tree design for the railing and scanned it in. With the PlasmaCAM software, I resized the drawing to fit the exact space and angle needed to fill in between the upper and lower rails. The final result was a stair that thrilled the customer and made their home unique.

www.cdstairs.com