Torchmate 2 cnc plasma cutter Y axis

The best way to support your material is with a number of vertical slats 3" wide x 3/16" thick. Placed every 3" or so along your table, they support your work, yet the sparks and debris pass through. As they deteriorate over time, they can first be turned upside-down, and then discarded and replaced individually.

The ends of the slats are supported in U shaped brackets made from 1" x 1/8" hot roll steel strips. These are welded to the sides of the material support table as shown here. A couple of good tack welds per bracket are all that is needed. Note that the 3" square tubing that will support the rails, rests on top of the material support table. Thus, the tops of the slats are even with the bottom of the square tubing that the rails will rest on.