An easy way to maintain a consistent standoff is to use a roller guide (Fig. 1). The roller guide also makes cutting straight lines really easy: just clamp a straight edge, piece of metal or other guide to your work piece and follow the edge.

Fig. 1 - Roller guides make it very easy to follow a straight edge, as well as hold a proper standoff.

Fig. 2 - Use circle cutting guides for cutting perfect circles.

For cutting specific and/or repeatable shapes, make a template and trace along the edge. Remember to consider the cut width (kerf) and the distance from the edge of the tip or drag shield to the center of the tip opening when determining template size! When possible, clamp the template to the base metal so it doesn't shift during cutting (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3 - Clamp templates in place so they don't move during cutting.

When using your plasma cutter, keep the preceding tips in mind. It will help you optimize your plasma cutting for better fit-up and increased productivity while reducing consumable wear.

Visit MillerWelds.com/resources/improving-your-skills/plasma/ for more plasma cutting resources, including videos and how-to articles.