Pipes made of steel, cast iron and other materials are usually cut with dangerous angle grinders or heavy and un-wieldy pipe cutting machines or manual pipe cutters. The Exact range of pipe cutters resolves all these issue in one machine. Here are just some of the advantages:

• A finished surface ready for installation
• Superior work comfort
• No fire hazard or flying debris
• Versatile, handy and quick

Exact pipe saws can be used to cut all types of pipe material such as copper, steel, cast iron, stainless steel,acid-resistant steel, multi-layer materials and plastics. The 170 and 170E models cut through pipes with an outer diameter of up to 200mm and can penetrate a wall thickness of 8mm for steel and 14mm for plastics. The range tops out with the 360U which can cut pipes up to a maximum diameter of 360mm.

Get to see more of our Pipe Cutting Machines

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We are proud to sponsor Rob Austin, British Touring Car Supremo, with a supply of Plasma Cutting Equipment and feature on his 2011 Audi, which has been competing all season long. Rob has been enjoying some fantastic racing this year in the UK’s premier saloon car champoinship. In a demanding environment like touring car racing the value placed on reliable, accurate and quality built plasma cutters is paramount.

Catch the latest round (Rockingham) here on ITV player:

Rockingham Round: British Touring Car Championship

For more details on our fantastic range of Plasma Cutters visit our Plasma Cutter range now.

Founded in 2005 the team initially focused its attention on the Ginetta G20 championship successfully running up to 6 cars in only their second season. They then moved on to be one of the most successful teams in the Ginetta G50 championship while handling various historic projects along the way. The team have since gone on to be British GT championship runner up and European GT champions. Meanwhile the historic motorsport side of the company has steadily grown and the team look after a number of classic Formula one cars and touring cars

To see more of the work and race prep services of Rob Austin and his dedicated team of professional see his site here: www.robaustin.com

These six new machines feature four new TIG Welders (three AC/DC machines and one DC TIG) together with two all-new Plasma Cutters. The 240v TIG welders feature Power Factor Correction (maintains a clean supply and is more energy efficient) and our new digital control panel – giving easy access to all the features and parameters you could possibly want within the touch of a single button. All our Digital Panels feature a ten-job memory store as standard, allowing easy storage of predetermined jobs.

Our 415v TIG’s are 320 Amp and 500 Amp – producing enormous weld capabilities and amazing reliability. All of our new range come with a factory-backed 3 year comprehensive warranty. All of the new digital series are designed with the professional in mind; making light work of set-up and producing the kind of weld quality rarely seen on machines in this price bracket.

See all of the new range of TIG Welders and Plasma Cutters here.

Hours and hours of training and preparation are required to undertake such a physical challenge and his dedication is an inspiration to us all.

Stephen needs all the donations he can to get to his target of £50,000. You can see how much he has raised so far by going to www.justgiving.com/stephenauker. If you can find a way to make even a small donation it would be massively appreciated. Just go to Stephens JustGiving page and you can donate from there or you can donate between £1.00 – £10.00 by text  via ‘justtextgiving’ here’s how : Text NIMB50 (and the amount you want to donate ie:  NIMB50 £1.00)  to  70070. It’s as easy as that , all donations are  gratefully received and will do so much to help Cancer Research UK.

If you are on Twitter please follow Stephen at @nimblerunner

1. Clean, dry, oil-free air is important.
Plasma cutters do not like any form of moisture, particularly water. Moisture can condense into droplets within air lines so it is vital that if your cutter comes with a water trap that is regularly checked and emptied.

2. Stay at recommended air pressure (more air is not necessarily better!)
Plasma Cutters are designed to work at certain air pressures. It is not advisable to exceed these as it can place strain on internal component s and air line fittings. Most machines will specify and optimized PSI rating to ensure the best arc for cutting

3. Touch torch tip gently to workpiece.
For HF contact start machines it is important to carefully place the cutting tip onto the workpiece and let the arc jump to the surface of the work. Heavy handed use can shorten the life of the cutting tip.

4. When initiating a cut, start on the end of the material to be cut and ensure the arc has completely penetrated the metal before proceeding further.
One of the most common problems faced when cutting is that of travel speed. It is important to move the torch along the cut at sufficient speed that all the metal has been cleanly cut through. Travel too quickly and the cut will be incomplete; leaving dross on the underside of the cut.

5. When completing a cut, pause at the end to assure severance.
The end of a cut is very important; leave enough time to slow down and finish the end carefully. For larger pieces of metal it may be necessary to support the piece being cut off to prevent twisting of the end of the cut as it falls away from the workpiece. This will help produce a better finish at the end.

6. Torch should be perpendicular to workpiece.
This will allow the arc to have the best penetration through the metal and help give a cleaner, more natural cut.

7. Work cable should be attached as close to workpiece cut as possible.
Correct earthing is important so situating the cable close to the workpiece as possible will help get the best grounding.

8. If the cut is poor, check you r consumables
Many problems associated with plasma cutting are down to poor fitting or worn out consumables. Regularly change the electrode and cutting tip at very least top ensure the best possible cuts.

9. Set the right amperage for the right thickness of metal
Setting your cutting amperage too high for thin work will often result in a jagged and rough looking finish to the work as the arc is too powerful for the thickness of material.

10. Travel away from you
Work away from your body when cutting – pieces of hot flying metal can hurt!

To read more on his build and stay up to date with the goings in in his world go and see his excellent BLOG and subscribe. It’s also a valuable resource for all things chop related.

All our current range of quality electrodes are made by SIF, a trusted and well respected name in the industry. Like our TIG filler rods and MIG wire too – we trust SIF because of the excellent finish their products allow. Most arc welding electrodes come packs of either 2.5kg or 5kg dependent on the type of rod. We also have 1kg packs of some of the more specialist items too.

When we sell our welders we don’t just stop at that. We like to know how and what they are being used for wherever possible so that we can learn from our customers about their real-life experiences with them. Ironwood Motif is a company based in France and owned and run by David Low, who has 20 years experience of metal fabrication & forging. He has worked creatively with wrought iron on large & small client commissions for indoors & outdoors in both the U.K. & in France and also fabricates unique sculptures using metal & stone, featuring mythical & imaginary creatures. Each piece is made to order & the craftsman brings together his own ideas with those of his clients to create unique commissions.

Strength, durability & beauty are key facets of his work in wrought iron, along with quality of workmanship. He set up the business Ironwood Motif in France in April 2005. You’ll notice his incredible attention to detail in the photographs but also the beauty of the shapes and forms he creates. David has our TIG welders and one of our plasma cutters too.

A lightship is basically a lighthouse on a ship. They were built to position themselves near sand-banks.  These underwater obstacles tend to move over time due to the currents. Hence it doesn’t make sense to build a permanent structure.  A light-ship however can be moved together with the sand-banks over time.  Since the movement of sand-banks is not dramatic, most light-ships had no propulsion: they were towed to location, dropped their anchors and stayed there until it was time to move or when they had to go into a harbour for maintenance. The lights were oil-fired, later changed to electric. These lamps were mounted on a rotating assembly.

Over the past year Jan and his team have been painstakingly restoring this magnificent vessel for the purpose of using it as a base for Jan’s business – LightShip Therapies. Offering clients unique complimentary helathcare and life skills training.  He is a Reiki Master, Life Coach, Counsellor and teacher and will be basing his operations at Gloucester docks when the project is completed. I can’t think of a more peaceful and relaxing environment to practice from.

Whilst the majority of work has been completed by Jan and the team some of the heavier jobs have had to be carried out by staff at the shipyard in Sharpness, where the LightShip is currently in drydock.

Jan’s blog is packed full of photographs and comments about the project . Visit: The Light Ship Blog to see all the photo’s and read all the posts on how this amazing vessel has been brought back to life.

A foot pedal is a great addition to any TIG welder as it allows for more accurate power delivery to your work. Ultimately this results in a much more controllable weld pool and cleaner, more accurate weld. And of course you have the ability to come on and off the power at will so controllability is absolute – it all depends on what you do with your foot.

As if this wasn’t enough all our 240v AC/DC TIG Welders feature class leading features like pulse welding, AC Squarewave balance and frequency control, high duty cycles and a factory-backed two year warranty as standard. We believe our offer can’t be beaten so now really is the time to buy – before we get sensible and change our minds!