Like digital photography, modern technology has helped amateurs explore territory once braved solely by experienced professionals. You still take picture by looking into a camera's viewfinder and pushing a button, but the entire technological process behind is as different as using a computer to write instead of a typewriter. This radical change has not only cut down the expense and time-consuming process producing a good photograph, but it has also enabled many an amateur to join the ranks of a professional thanks to a much faster learning curve. In a day and age when time is as valuable a commodity as the raw materials needed to perform the task, it stands to reason the new technology will replace the old.
Much like film versus digital photography, modern technology's reduced waste opened up an entire new world for beginners to learn how to cut metal at a much faster rate. The old way used an xygen-acetylene cutting torch. Operating an oxyacetylene cutting torch requires a constant supply of oxygen and acetylene. The next component of cutting with a torch was the guy holding it, who had to have enough experience and skill to do the job without destroying everything in sight.
Back in the old days, if you were adept with a cutting torch, it meant you'd spent many hours and cut a lot of metal to get proficient. Right out of the gate, plasma cutting and the materials it requires to operate are as comparatively convenient as digital photography. As long as a person has a good supply of compressed air and electricity, they are ready to go with plasma. But wait, it gets even better, not only becuase the materials are less expensive and easier to come by, but also because it takes a lot less time to learn how to use a plasma cutter.Much in the same way that digital photography knocks years off a person's learning curve, plasma-cutting skills can be achieved in a very short time.
To prove our point, with only a few minutes of plasma experience under our belt, we bought a brand-new plasma cutter, brought it home, and documented our results with, you guessed it, a digital camera.
Armed with a Miller Spectrum 375 X-Treme plasma cutter equipped with an ICE-27T torch, we set our sights on experiencing firsthand the world of plasma cutting. The compact 18-pound Spectrum 375 X-Treme performs on par with larger plasma cutters weighing three times as much. | 
OK, we weren't the ones who transformed a common sheet of tin into a giant rat's head sculpture, but it exemplifies what can be done once a person has mastered freehand plasma cutting. | 
Before we could start cutting with our Spectrum 375 X-Treme, we had to install the supplied quick-connect fitting for the compressed air. |
We wrapped the fitting with Teflon tape, threaded it in by hand... | 
...and snugged it up with a 9/16-inch box wrench. This was the only thing we had to do before we could start cutting. | 
The Spectrum 375 X-Treme operates on 110 volts using this quick-change adapter. |