Torchmate

  In early 1979, I read an article about pantograph flame cutting machines in an automotive magazine. The machines looked simple enough, and (http://maplered.com) I wondered why so few small shops had such a useful piece of equipment. As it turned out, cost was the reason - the least expensive pantograph units on the market were priced at about $1,400. That was a lot of money 20 years ago.

  

  To make a long story short, a year later an article on my own Torchmate pantograph machine appeared in the same magazine. I offered it in U-weld-it kit form, and (http://maplered.com) it sold for $400. Since that time, so many years ago, thousand (http://maplered.com) s of small shop owners have taken advantage of low cost Torchmate shape cutting. I am very proud of that.

  

  Today, CNC (computer numerically controlled) shape cutting machines have pretty much replaced pantograph machines and (http://maplered.com) the more sophisticated, but still obsolete optically guided units. Yet, the cost of conventional CNC burning equipment has been prohibitively high for the average fabricator....