Getting shocked and not sure what to do?

[SeanMurphy265]

I have a 200dx and sometimes I get shocked when I start to weld, its the hand holding the torch. What do I need to check?
I am also getting shocked when I feed the rod into the puddle, I'm not sure what I have done, or what to check

Any suggestions would be awesome!
I am welding on an old aluminum riveted boat and it sucks!

[jsclark4500]

How old are your gloves your using? Also, have they been used for anything else than welding? Assuming that they are as dry as possible. If you have been using them for grinding, have old oil residue on them, then they may have a fine carbon or metal grinding coating and then they become a potential grounding source. I learned the hard way.... don't use your gloves working around the shop. They can pick up a lot of debris that becomes embedded on the surface that conducts electricity.
Of course check the electrode holder for cracks that happen from time to time when you drop it and contamination on it.

[Tritium]

I have gotten shocked when firing my tig (PU 205P) and touching my nearby welding trailer, but I would bet that the PU 205P is broadcasting high frequency to my nearby welding trailer since the PowerUltra chassis was not grounded when it happened.

Thurmond

[performance]

That's the HF jumping through. You are grounding yourself out and likely have damp gloves from moisture. Its part of welding, and in part why people with pace makers can't tig weld.

[ogorir]

Its part of welding

sorry man, that's the ####ty part of the 'old school' attitude. that's like saying arc burns are a part of welding, or breathing fumes is a part of welding. I tigged for a number of years in near 100% humidity in michigan (no, it's not like the gulf, but it's close) and never had that kind of breakthrough. sure, got shocked a few times when I wasn't wearing gloves with the table grounded, leaning on the table with a T-shirt. it's all about what's the easiest path to ground.

most likely it's time for some new gloves and maybe some new shoes. you might also try moving your ground clamp closer to where you're working. HF can find a path to ground easier than the low freq AC, so you might be the best path if your ground is at the other end of the boat. also, try to see if you can put something insulative (wood, a welding blanket, whatever) between your hand and the boat. it should help, if you can manage it.


Mark, on a side note, about 70% of your posts put me off. I know you don't mean any hard feelings, but your tone is almost 100% negative. were you not affiliated with the company, I'd just ignore you, but you are, and I expect a bit better from someone who's trying to sell me something.

[performance]

Ogorir,
I'm negative when I need to be. I positive when I should be. I'm a pragmatic person. Anyone that has dealt with me knows that. I don't think what I said was negative. It was an observation. You on the other hand missed that he is in a very humid area, likely to be much hotter than anything you get in Michigan. Drenching sweat this time of year is a given. You also missed the fact that when he feeds his rod he is getting shocked as well, which tell me that its likely his gloves are becoming damp with it. I live in an area that has already hit 101 and 95% humidity....so I know what its like. You can change the clamp and do all you want, but getting shocked does come with welding as does getting burned, and other things eventually. Yes, I said it. Anyone that is pragmatic realizes this. Ask anyone on this site that has been welding for any real length of time in less than ideal circumstances and they will tell you. If they ever welded in the rain, because they had to, or were so hot that they had to cheat on the protective covering because it was either get burned or die of heat stroke or had to weld inside a rail car with very little ventilation even wearing a respirator, they will all tell you its true. Its NOT old school or anything of the sort. Its seasoned reality. Sometimes welding sucks. Sometimes, its fun...but mostly its hard work.

As a further note, coming here, insulting a mod with just a few days under your belt isn't an ideal way to make friends, particularly out of the fellows that have been around awhile and know how we roll. I've got well over 1000 posts contributing and working to help people. We work hard for and in the company. All of us with mod powers do, and this is something we do additionally to our regular activities. I have to accept the fact, not everyone is going to like my ruling. I also have a job to do. I make NO apologies for it. Any body that has bought a welder from me personally knows how concerned I am about them,and work to follow up with them personally should any issue arise and even for the people that don't. I work with tech support as well so I handle a lot of issues directly for many others as well. But I do have a little patience or sympathy when it comes to people failing to read the directions, particularly when great pains have been put forth to get them in black and white and make them available for all to read. A little mercurial? Maybe. But after you answer a few dozen phone calls after people haven't read their welder directions cussing at you because the welder won't work, you'll see.

Edit:
After checking your profile, I see you are 22, not quite seasoned. I am almost 40. Not old by any circumstance, however, when you were born, I had already been welding for about 8 years. I THINK by now along with my several years of formal welding training, welding for others, welding for myself, and being a fair fabricator and running my own business, and also a collegiate background in Ag Education, talking with literally 1000's of customers, etc. I do have some knowledge you probably haven't been hit in the face with yet. Hang in there, you will eventually get smacked with reality of life just as we all are eventually. Class dismissed.

[ogorir]

ken, you're correct, but that's not the end of the story. the HF is also high voltage. coupled with the high frequency, it allows the current to jump from conductive particles along the edges of non-conductive objects, jump through thin worn gloves, ect. the actual paths high voltage high-frequency electricity takes are still somewhat of a mystery as the variations in conductivity that decide where it will go are so minute. I assume most people will have played with or at least seen a tesla coil. the HF generator in a tig welder is similar to the primary side of a tesla coil, spark gap and all. I'm actually somewhat surprised that more tig welders haven't gone to solid state frequency generation, though.

anyway, that's all well and good, but what you need to know as a welder is your HF is probably not going to go to ground at the same place your main welding arc is and it often does some crazy things on the way there. there was a guy on WTT who's sprinkler would turn on whenever he lit up. I think it was coupling to an old pipe, but I'll see if I can find the thread. also, don't put your cell anywhere near your welding setup while tigging with HF. I haven't personally fried one, but I've heard of it happening. as will all things, better safe than sorry.

[everlastsupport]

The gap will not stop the zap. Like StarvingArtist said and I am in Florida as well. Always humid here and hot here.

Dry gloves, clamp close to weld, dry boots if they have thread going through the bottom. Let the power go to the best ground path and make sure that's not you.

[ducksface]

I haven't tried on my new one, but my old pp256 would shock the heck out of me from lack of a good ground, no gloves, and the hf looking for something to do. And I do not mean a little tickle, I mean a lot and often. I'm guessing of you pull that trigger and are not WAY out of the 'easiest path to ground' parameter, you're going to catch some HF. From just about any sort of equipment of that power.

You won't believe this; our humidity runs in the single digits out here. Phoenix had a whole week of 2 to 5% humidity last month.

I don't care about a tone of voice in an email or a forum. If you have a strong vocabulary and a want to not be verbose, it's going to come through as terse, by design or by sparsity.

[geezer]

I have a 200dx and sometimes I get shocked when I start to weld, its the hand holding the torch. What do I need to check?
I am also getting shocked when I feed the rod into the puddle, I'm not sure what I have done, or what to check

Any suggestions would be awesome!
I am welding on an old aluminum riveted boat and it sucks!

Interesting problem, first I would check the position of the ground clamp keep it near the weld but not so any part of your body touches in between it and the torch, electricity like water takes the path of least resistance, next wet your ground clamp and wiggle it back and forth on the aluminum so you break through the scum/oxide layer making a good connection.

Generally speaking, aluminum that is riveted is not suitable for welding, if it was, they would have welded the seams not riveted them at the factory.

[geezer]

Sean , look on the bright side, with all that self inflicted shock therapy, you are probably the most sane member of this group. The fact you may be a bit jumpy around riveted boats will pass with time.

[SeanMurphy265]

I'm glad I learned that it was me, at first I thought something was wrong with my torch. It seems that I did everything possible to shock myself. I picked up a new pair of tig gloves to start with.

[Paul Moir]

It seemed to me I got a lot more shocks before I closed the spark gap down to .030" as recommended. In fact I don't think I've got a single zap since then except for when I forgot the ground clamp and got myself into the ground path.

I'm bad though and often don't wear gloves.