some people make friends, engineers MAKE friends

Ok .. here's the reason I've not been able to update my build. I've been trying to source a good waterjet company in Houston and had no luck in the last 3 weeks. I finally gave up and added a plasma cutter torch holder to my CNC router table that I made earlier this year. Since the CNC wood router was in working order, I only needed to remove the wood table and make a torch holder.


Here's a raw / unedited video of it cutting 1/4" steel plates into buggy parts. Sorry about the quality. It was film with my G2 phone.

Dude!!!!!

I cannot say how much that rocks!!!!

I think I can use this vid to get you another sale on your machine.

clean cuts man...

Are you ready for the requests to come rushing in bro...?

First class !!!!

I love the sound of plasma in the morning... Nice work

I design the machine to cut wood so believe it or not, it's too heavy duty for metal. It's temporary for now until I build a proper plasma table with a water table below it to catch all the plasma dust. The gantry on a plasma machine does not need to carry a heavy load such as a spindle or router so it's usually lighter duty. It's like renting an 18 wheel truck to haul your kite buggy to NABX. It works but its a monster. Looks like I might be selling buggy parts soon ..:singing:

Way to go Van. Let me know if you want more info.

Susan (npw goddess)

Brilliant!

Susan,

I'm running around like mad lately trying to get the buggy built and ready for NABX. I'm hoping to have a few built so I can loan out to any fellow kiter that needs a buggy at the event. I'll get in touch with you soon as the time gets closer so you can give me pointers on which road to take to NABX.

I'm reminded of the old Mr Rogers song...."won't you be my neighbor"
super slick!!!

Van, that is Awesome! You are a genius! Can't wait to see one of those buggies!

Wow! I am am uber impressed. Not only did you make a kick ass improvement to your hydraulic bender (nice video by the way) but you adapted a cnc table that you made into a cnc plasma cutter - you essentially built a buggy factory in your garage. That is fricking amazing. You, Van, are a very talented man. Here's to your future buggies and future buggying adventures!

I call first dibbs on the house next door to you when it goes up for sale. You have awesome tools to make increadible toys.

haha.. I just purchased a milling machine. it arrived yesterday. I still haven't open the crate yet but I already plan to add stepper motors to it and turn it into a CNC mill. I also got a lathe on order so should be here next week. Having an automation / computer background really helps. It's amazing what you can do with electronics. Been spending my bonus money like crazy My wife helped me unload the 1000 lbs milling machine off the trailer but she gave me this funny look the whole time. I might have to buy the neighbor's house soon and live there if I keep this up :evil:

OK Van where did you get the table and is the house beside you for sale?

jon,

if you come down to galveston, you can come by my house and play with the toys. I'm about 1 hour from galveston.

Love to see you and your shop. Thanks for the invite . Hope you will have time to buggy. U2u

And the food's good, too, Jon!!!!

Food! You mean the catfish, stuffed with crab covered with craw fish ettufee? Maybe the great tasting tender steaks at the Salt Grass Trail. Could be any food from Louisiana? Or just rice and beans with corn bread. Gulf shrimp in a gumbo. or Hush Puppies. Sorry but my drool got on the keys of my lap top and shorted it out.

wow...wish I got bonuses like that...

Shell does pay pretty nice bonus. You can get up to 60% of your salary but the norm is around 25%. I used to work for BP and their bonus was around 5%. The Dutch know how to treat their employees well

Jon, my family are still in the shrimping business so I get fresh shrimp and crabs from the coast for FREE!!! Shrimp taste best when they are still jumping around when you throw them into a boiling pot of water. They do give a high pitch scream though :evil:

Nice job Van. I missed the cnc bender project. with that and your plasma cutter, the sky is the limit for you. I consider myself a cad expert but you seem to have that end covered as well. I look forward to seeing where you take this.

You bring the shrimp, I'll cook them anyway you want them.... and any of my kites ya want to fly. I cooked some red potatoes and corn the other day in the solar oven, with some shrimp added at the end. Was really good.. and can be done anywhere in the world on a sunny day.

I still like the way you designed your first buggy to fold up to make it easy to transport. The passenger seat was an added bonus.

I did not know that reading the pkf would make you hungry but I am now.

Susan (npw goddess)

Van if this fog dont mess up the show, im going out to surfside or the levee to ride some good surf. Ill let you know where i end up, there should be allot of kiters out which will be a great time, ill let you know.

Ken

Here's an update of what I did this weekend. I didn't get to enjoy the wind since I was busy getting this buggy put together.
I will be sending this to get it powder coated tomorrow. It's gonna get a textured black.

looks like you got yer self a bonafide bug.:bouncy: