A "Shocking" question....

[CGCINC]

Why is this?:

When I weld at night school And at my shop on welding the tables, I sometimes get a slight zap while resting my Protected arm on the table. It doesn't happen everytime but I'm just wondering Why it happens and How do I prevent it?

[zoama]

Why is this?:

When I weld at night school And at my shop on welding the tables, I sometimes get a slight zap while resting my Protected arm on the table. It doesn't happen everytime but I'm just wondering Why it happens and How do I prevent it?

Put your ground clamp as close as possible to your work piece and try not to position yourself where current can pass through you.

[CGCINC]

lol.... Guess that makes sense! My instructor taught me to just clamp it to the table out of the way....

[parkour]

Are you using a high frequency arc starter such as for TIG, or are you scratch starting TIG or stick?
You may need to look at a better glove for the welding hand, and better sleeves for the arm.
Regardless, a better "picture" of the situation will help us make a better determination of what's going on.

[CGCINC]

Are you using a high frequency arc starter such as for TIG, or are you scratch starting TIG or stick?
You may need to look at a better glove for the welding hand, and better sleeves for the arm.
Regardless, a better "picture" of the situation will help us make a better determination of what's going on.

Yes... Tig, HF start for both welders and running in AC.
I ditched the basic jacket they give you at school and bought a nice heavy jacket. The glove are Revco Tig gloves, pretty thick.
I have been wearing long sleeve shirts and also have the welding jacket on. I just feel a slight "zap".
I ground the table to the side and have been mostly practicing on Aluminum.
The welding table I built at my shop has a ground tab under the side of the table to keep the clamp out of my work area...BUT, I was also going on the thought that you just ground the table to the side. Shouldn't a "teacher" know these things!? lol

[everlastsupport]

Are you on concrete when you get zapped? Also, are you perspiring in the jacket or gloves? If you give a path, does not matter where the clamp is, it will use you as the path.

http://www.everlastgenerators.com/fo...ighlight=sweat

[CGCINC]

Yes, I am on concrete both places.
Not sweating at all.

I've seen people ground their table using a short wire... Their thinking is electric will take the shortest path!?!

[bobwills]

I would try putting the ground on the other side of the table to where your welding so the current is going towards the other side so it would then make it very hard to make you a quicker path to the machine than through the table

[CGCINC]

These are pics of where my ground is located.
I am left handed so my torch is on the left as well so I don't get between positive and negative.

[geezer]

Very nice table, the difference beyween yours and mine would the castors, mine are cast iron, yours are composite, isolating you from the concrete, perhaps if you hung a small chain to the floor some of the build up in the table could be sent through the chain instead of you.

Not everyone has the ZAP problem, trick is to find out what is different about your setup from everybody elses.

Hope this helps.

[redbeard]

As part of the process of elimination, try making sure that the stool is well insulated from the floor.

[CGCINC]

Never thought about the castors but that's a good idea! Thanks geezer

Just thought of this..... The table at school is just pipe, no castors, and it shocks me more than my table.

[brianscott]

Just curious, what size argon tank
is that in the picture?

[jerky]

heres a thought, if your getting shocked at BOTH school and work, then it stands to reason that its not really the table, and more or less something your doing. as far as ive read, your the only variable thats in both cases. maybe your just prone to getting shocked. like how some people kill watches, there electrically charged.

[CGCINC]

Just curious, what size argon tank
is that in the picture?

It is a 300

[zoama]

It is a 300

Did you have to do a five year lease and whats it cost to fill ?

[CGCINC]

Did you have to do a five year lease and whats it cost to fill ?

I did a lifetime lease for $175 and it cost $75 to refill. I had a 125cf bottle and it went quick so I upgraded

[everlastsupport]

On the shocking issue. The chain idea might work as Geezer mentioned, but DO NOT ground the table out though. The "return" clamp ("work" clamp) is not to be grounded. The chain or some resistor value might route it around you as the table is floating, somehow it's using you for a path.

On the bottles. I filled up a 125 (I hate those things) yesterday. $37 after sales tax. That why I hate them $$$. The 250/300 are $75 here for me to fill. All owner bottles. But for $175 lifetime, that is a good deal.

Prax said they would trade my last 2-125's for a 250, but they are both never empty at the same time to trade them out and at $40 a fill I am not dumping the gas. Only use them for TIG.

[brianscott]

What I don't understand is why Praxair will
only allow me to have a 150 bottle. They
told me I'm not allowed to have a 300.
Is there a "secret" club or something I
need to belong to?

[everlastsupport]

What I don't understand is why Praxair will
only allow me to have a 150 bottle. They
told me I'm not allowed to have a 300.
Is there a "secret" club or something I
need to belong to?

No you can have a 250+ if you have a welding account on file with them and lease it (or already have one). But if you hunt around, I have a few 250/300's I bought off Craigslist. Get them filled no problem and even one says owner on the ring.

They all seem to look at 150/125 as owner bottles in general (all the places I have been in), larger are commercial for some reason. If you have one they will fill it, OR they will lease you one. Some places will sell you one, but when you you hear the price you would probably pass on it anyway.

I went in the new Airgas two days ago (opened in May, 200 feet from WSI; DUMB). Was very disappointed. It was almost a mirror of PraxAir. I would say Prax is actually better, did I say that...

No wonder the little and smaller guys do so much better. They did not even get up from there seats. The argon was 1 dollar more at WSI and I would have paid $5 more just for the service and personalities.