By Mashum Mollah
Around 32 percent of homeowners have put off at least one home improvement project for more than a year. Knowing you have the ability to do the work and reaching project completion are two concepts that merge only with the right motivation.
Having tools that allow projects to be completed faster is one way to gain motivation. Consider the personal waterjet cutter.
Personal waterjet cutters a great buy because they make home improvement projects easier to complete. Check out these top reasons you need a waterjet cutter right now.
What Is a Waterjet Cutter?
A waterjet cutter is a machine that uses water pressure to cut through materials.
The high-pressure stream of water that comes from the cutter erodes a narrow line in the material you are using. Materials you can cut range from steel to titanium to foam.
Water as a method of cutting is not a new technology. Early forms of cutting were fairly low pressure and machines could handle only softer materials like paper. High-pressure waterjet technology became more popular after the 1970s when pressure pumps became more reliable.
Pure vs. Abrasive Cutting:
Two main types of waterjet cutting existing: pure and abrasive. Pure waterjet cutting is for softer materials like foam or paper. With this type of cut, the water stream does most of the work.
Abrasive waterjet cutting mixes water with a granular abrasive to make the cut. Think tiny bits of glass or concrete granules mixed into a high-pressure stream of water.
The granular abrasive add-on is what allows almost anything to be cut with a waterjet cutter.
What to Consider Before Buying?
Waterjet cutters allow you to quickly cut through materials you could not otherwise cut without the machine’s high-pressure stream. This advanced technology comes at a cost.
You earn a return on your time investments into home improvement projects. It is not a good solution if you are on a tight budget.
Waterjet cutters are best for DIYers with a dedicated workspace and space for new equipment. Review the specs on your waterjet cutter to determine how much space your machine will take up.
Industrial grade waterjet cutters like Flow are usually floor standing and far too large to be practical in the average garage. Hobbyists should consider desktop waterjet cutters instead that allow them room to maneuver around the machine to work with materials.
Setting Up Your Waterjet Cutter:
Technology is another important consideration when buying your first waterjet cutter. Your computer’s operating system needs to be compatible with the software included with your cutter.
There are platform agnostic cutters available on the market like Wazer. Wazer runs its waterjet cutting software from internet browsers instead of your computer’s desktop.
If you have Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Internet Explorer you can operate the Wazer cutter. A computer, preferably a laptop, is necessary to creating drawings cuttings before sending them to the machine.
It is helpful to have a basic knowledge of creating .dxf or .svg files. Drawing Exchange Format (.dxf) and Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg) are commonly used in AutoCAD software where you create 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional drawings.
How a Waterjet Cutter Benefits You:
Unlike a table saw, waterjets cut without heat. This means you don’t risk changing the chemical property of material before cutting it resulting in a clean cut.
Cutting without heat also means that things like thread-tapping can easily be done on a waterjet-cut blank. With lower cutting forces, waterjets can make a very narrow cut.
As a hobbyist, you can use waterjets to make intricate parts that would be impossible on other consumer grade machines. Waterjet cutters make complex shapes and contours easy to do quickly and with little waste.
Personal Waterjet Cutter at Home:
Your imagination is the only limit with your waterjet cutter. Here are a few reasons to use a personal waterjet cutter at home:
1. Unlimited Materials:
Just think of how much simple building a desk or table could be if you owned a machine that could cut through glass, metals, and composites. No splitting wood or cracked plastic to fight with.
This option alone opens the door to a range of products you create at home on your own time. Waterjet machines can cut materials up to 10 inches thick in some cases.
2. Cold Cuts:
Cold Cutting has two main advantages on a project: safety and precision. With no heat present during the cut means less of an opportunity for burns or delays in waiting for machinery to cool down.
Precision cuts give your projects a seamless, professional look — not to worry. The machine is not portable enough to lend to neighbors and friends.
3. Materials Remain Intact:
Heat exposure isn’t an issue with cold cutting. This feature is most relevant when handling materials like metal. The goal of cutting metal is to remain burr-free with an end product that has smooth edges.
4. Finished when Finished:
As long as your drawings are accurate in waterjet software, you first cut should be your final cut. There is no need to do additional finishing or tweak the cut after it’s been made.
This makes for a much smoother workflow than eyeballing the cut or trying to troubleshoot materials distortion.
5. No Hazardous Waste:
There is very little waste with waterjet cutting and none of it is hazardous. Fumes and gases are nonexistent which means you can be comfortable working in an enclosed space.
Top quality cutting and eco-friendly machinery are the two really convenient features of waterjet cutters.
Prepare for Your Waterjet Cutter:
The setup time of a waterjet cutter is longer if you have no experience with 3D modeling software. The machine produces cuts using the quality of drawings it receives.
Watch online tutorials to help you maximize the results you get from your machine.
Personal waterjet cutter options are not common which means shopping online might be your best option for finding a machine with the features you need. Used and new options are available from a variety of brands.
Visit our website for more inspiration to create incredible home improvement projects.
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