Suffering for my art...Owww!

I think grounding the machine will only dissipate any charge coming from the motor. You'll still get the zap at the platen.

The anti-static spray sounds like the way to go. When you tell this to your wife....she will laugh at you (hearkens back to cootie-spray days...) :D
 
A little off topic but I have been to the cricket match for the past 2 days. The helmet reminded me of the local drop kicks. They hollow/eat out the center of a watter mellon then cut it in half and make a medi evil helmet with the nose guard and all. They sit there or walk around with a pleased look on there face for about half an our then it starts to get heavey and they realize they have a head full of wet sticky hair and neck and back and what ever else is in drip range. They stop looking pleased when they take them off and everybody else looks pleased that they had enough sence not to do it.

Good harmless fun I hope some does it next time so I can laugh at them too.

Back to the static if the belt is the problem may be a metal rod lightly touching the back of the belt some where out of the way and and grounded via the metal frame or to ground may stop the build up. I never get static I have a 3 wheel belt system the 3rd wheel is all metal and connected to the frame.I would not see it being high voltage spikes going into your earthing network because it would not get a chance to build up the insulation value of air is about 20,000 volts per inch I have not worked as a sparky for 17 years and theory was 10 before that. But what it means is if your static is jumping across one inch of air space you are generating 20,000 volts. Try multiplying that by the length of a lightning bolt in a storm. No wonder there is a bit of an explosion when it hits a tree.
 
Hello Reg.....Haven't heard much from you lately. Glad your Back.

J. that's the best idea yet. I'm going to try it. I don't think it even needs to touch the belt, just be close. It's like a miniature lightening rod.Electricity follows the path of least resistance so if you used a bare #10 or #14 copper wire under the belt and grounded, it may well cure the problem.

Good idea Reg ! ;)
 
Static build up in low humidity and low temperature can be a pain.The idea is to provide a path to earth ground (which is not always the electrical ground) without going through your body. A wire attached to a ground rod or metal pipe with an alligator clip on it will provide such a path.The place to attach the wire is to the tang of the blade you are grinding.This takes you out of the loop.
OT,- When I used to install radar for the Navy/Marines,the blue rooms were such high static areas that we had to wear surgical slippers with ground straps.We would attach a wrist strap clipped to the console ( it had a 1 megohm resistor in it) when sitting down.For fun we would take a fluorescent tube and walk around while holding the end.It would glow softly.As we approached a console,we would let the other end arc to the metal.It looked like a flash bulb went off.Those old CRT units with tubes are gone and digital radar has made it a lot better now.
 
Yes, Stacy - that is the solution to the pyroceram platen problem. (say that six times fast!)

Thanks for posting it....I knew there was another idea out there....but had a mental block as to what it was.

That certainly will discharge any static straight to ground. The disadvantage, of course, is that you lose some flexibility when grinding. Mayby soldering on a copper wire (12-18" long) and then clipping your ground wire to that - will keep it out of the way.
 
Hello Peter NAP, knife makers and thrill seekers in general. It is nice to be back.

I have not been away, just lurking in the shadows and trying to keep a low profile. Dave Larsen Is a slave driver he has been pushing me to get some work done.
He did a fine job of it I got a few things done that should have been done ages ago.

I must also apologise to Terry Dodson he made me some great logos and I have not tested them yet. Sorry Terry I don't want to waste them. I am sure they will be Perfect.

Peter I don't know if it the metal wheel on the belt works or just co incidence because I don't use the machine long enough. Feel free to throw stones at me if it does not then I will not shoot my mouth of next time.

Dave my customer has his pruning knife and is pleased with it. I should get him to send you a commision for speeding things up.
 
Ok, time for an update. I tried a few different ideas here. Running a copper wire to another larger tool didn't do it. Then I ran that same wire to the ground line that comes out of the shop's breaker box (grounded outside)...no good. The I took the pyrocerum off the platen, took a piece of 1/4" 5160, hardened it and tack welded it onto the platen...SHAZAM. No more shocks. Thanks for all the help guys, I might be around for a few more years now. :D
 
J. Neilson said:
Ok, time for an update. I tried a few different ideas here. Running a copper wire to another larger tool didn't do it. Then I ran that same wire to the ground line that comes out of the shop's breaker box (grounded outside)...no good. The I took the pyrocerum off the platen, took a piece of 1/4" 5160, hardened it and tack welded it onto the platen...SHAZAM. No more shocks. Thanks for all the help guys, I might be around for a few more years now. :D
Click to expand...

J to bad you have to remove the porcelain
the grounds both inside the box are both to the same ground anyway.
it's just your box is grounded to the ground out side the building and the one on the pole is to the ground out there.

the shocks your getting are static it will just jump the piss out of you each time :D
other than loosing control of the piece your working on :eek: it won't hurt you. I'm not sure if someone with a pacemaker should be doing that though :confused:

if you put the porcelain back on just
try different shoes it makes a big difference..you are the grounding rod
in a self made magneto.. :D

I have some nice leather winter boots I like but if I'm grinding or buffing
I go in and get my running shoes on..(sneakers)
if not I'll start looking like Don King :D
Donking.jpg
 
I tried different shoes and even a couple different floor mats but, it didn't help. This grinder is just for hogging anyway so I'm not too worried about it. Now I've got a spare piece for my KMG.

Where'd you find a picture of me in the morning? :p
 
J. Neilson said:
I tried different shoes and even a couple different floor mats but, it didn't help. This grinder is just for hogging anyway so I'm not too worried about it. Now I've got a spare piece for my KMG.

Where'd you find a picture of me in the morning? :p
Click to expand...

Tess sent it to me trying to get Ideas to wake you up,
now that we can't shock you anymore.. :D
 
You could drill a small diameter pinhole through your pyro platen, and then use a metal pin to pin/ground to the steel platen that your pyro slab is attatched to. The small pin of course should be flush to the working surface of you pyro platen. Then, ground your metal platen. Try that, Sparky.
 
John I'm not sure that would help either..

I believe when this happens you are acting is a condenser/compasitor <sp and building a charge,
the equipment is not storing this charge, the dissimilar materials IE: bone is worse than grinding steel at least here in my shop it is..
with the movement of the belt
possibly acting as a magnet does in a magneto

if you hang on to the equipment all the time you are grinding OR buffing
you don't build enough if any charge to matter, you are grounded out,,
as in moist weather you are more grounded just by the moisture in the air.
OK you brave guys :yawn:
to try and test this out and to see if any of you have Ba!!s :eek:
work an offending grinder and stay away from the metal parts long enough to know you have a charge built up
then while having your wife or girl friend standing 15-20 ft away
walk over to her and touch her nose with your finger
if she drop kicks you
you'll know the change is not in the grinder,,, it's in you.. :D
and at the same time you will find out if you have Ba!!s or not :footinmou :D :footinmou
 
Here in the north where it is cold and dry the inside of a sand blast cabinet will light up like the northern lights if we don't hook ground wires to almost everything inside. Our grinders don't give us any problem -- maybe they are all grounded properly. If you put in a ground rod make sure it goes below the frost line -- here we have to use an 8 1/2' rod. We have very little snow this year so the frost will go deep.
 
Radio Shack sells an outlet tester. It is inexpensive and will show your outlet integrity. Also be sure the motor and grinder are earth grounded without any resistance between motor and grinder casing (wirer the grinder to motor case and check with an ohmmeter for earth ground continuity). Cold weather causes low humidity and static discharge is enhanced. Dan's suggestion that a pyrocerim insulater between belt and platen is a good thought. I sure don't understand what you say about the sparks flying from the quench bucket though unless you are holding onto the grinder as you quench(??). Trouble shooting is a lot of process of ellimination. The fact you have another identical setup that does not exhibite this is an indication low humidity is not the cause. Check outlet inegrity and grinder continuity to earth ground.

RL
 
Pete Allan said:
Here in the north where it is cold and dry the inside of a sand blast cabinet will light up like the northern lights if we don't hook ground wires to almost everything inside. Our grinders don't give us any problem -- maybe they are all grounded properly. If you put in a ground rod make sure it goes below the frost line -- here we have to use an 8 1/2' rod. We have very little snow this year so the frost will go deep.
Click to expand...

Over here he have about 4" of snow now and we got that last night
you could have mowed the lawn yesterday :eek: not right for Maine

we have to have a ground rod with-in 1 foot from the foundation and another one 6 feet from the foundation both at 6 feet deep.

if it were 110 AC or 220 AC or DC for that matter and grounding was the problem you'd never get a spark jumping over 1/2",
a good ground (which you should have on all machinery) just makes for a
good ground for you if you are the static charged condenser not grounded. then when you come close to a ground zap..thousands of volts but no amperage.

grind bare footed on a cement floor...that would cure the problem.

come to think of it.
the ones having the problem
are you working on cement or wood floors ?

my willton is medal properly grounded.
it sets grounded on a steel welding table totally made of steel
setting on the cement floor grounded to it by it's own weight on four steel legs.
when I get shocked it's when I grind and I'm not ground then touch a ground
 
Get a static dissipating floor mat.
Got a ceramic platen and had to do something cause it zapped the hell out of me.
These mats are made out of rubber and are for use around machinery.
Try Janitorial supply or maybe Grizzly or Harbor Freight.
There is also a spray can for static charges. Works fair. Trouble is you get zapped real good every time it wears off.
TJ
 
looks like I posted about the same time as you did roger.

yeup
static spark from my dip bucket
makes sense
if you are charged with a static charge not grounded to the floor or anything else and the dip bucket is grounded by means of the cement floor and water is a conductor it has to happen. :eek: evidently the bucket it self is
conducting too.
 
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