[AT] Welder shocks

Sat Jun 17 20:46:24 PDT 2017

I once was stick welding on an item that suspended on the fork of a fork lift with a chain.   The item was grounded well with a handy bolt hole.   Any time I brushed against the fork while welding there was a tingle.  It wasn't bad, just a reminder there was electricity flowing.   No one on-site could figure it out other than I presented an equal  resistance to ground than a well anchored grounding cable.

I guess what I am saying is that even though I am only a hack of a welder, and I understand very little about any of it, there were very many experienced welders in the shop who were dumbfounded.  One guy didn't believe me and I made him touch the fork (-:

A rubber mat???

PS:  This memory is hard for me, because because I was welding for for a friend who had Parkinson's and could no longer weld.  Later in the afternoon I realized that his Parkinson's had progressed to the point that he was seriously ill because he asked me "Spencer, is there a little boy in the shop by that bench?". I said "No Jerry". He said, "I didn't think so but I see one". It had  progressed to the point he was hallucinating.  I told his wife, who said he had been seeing things for several weeks. Within 6 months it had killed him.  RIP Jerry. You were a great friend in Massey Harris tractors.

Spencer Yost

> On Jun 17, 2017, at 8:01 PM, k7jdj at aol.com wrote:
> 
> Cecil,
> 
> Looking at the wiring diagram for that welder the secondary (welding side) should be isolated from the line (input power side).  The 250 should be grounded per installation instructions and NEC.  I would take a multimeter and check from the + and - welding leads to AC power ground and you should have little or no voltage. Now the voltage between + and - electrodes can get 50 or more volts and is marked on the machine or in the specs.  If you get between ground (-) and the and any part of the rod or  non insulated part of  holder (+) it will hurt ya since the ground clamp was connected to the trailer which in turn was grounded as mentioned in your description..
> 
> Gary
> 
> Renton, WA
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stephen Offiler <soffiler at gmail.com>
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Sat, Jun 17, 2017 1:19 pm
> Subject: Re: [AT] Welder shocks
> 
> Reverse is electrode-positive.
> 
> SO
> 
> 
> On Sat, Jun 17, 2017 at 10:05 AM, Dennis Johnson <moscowengnr at outlook.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> Cecil,
>> 
>> Isn't touching g the ground cable when in reverse polarity the same as
>> touching the electrode on straight polarity???
>> 
>> Thanks
>> Dennis
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from my iPad
>> 
>>> On Jun 17, 2017, at 7:31 AM, Cecil Bearden <crbearden at copper.net> wrote:
>>> 
>>> I was welding on my new trailer yesterday to install a box for the
>>> chains and binders etc.  I have several rebuilt Lincoln Idealarc 250
>>> AC/DC welders I bought from a Vo-Tech.  While I know not to hold on to
>>> the electrode or holder and touch the ground, this welder was shocking
>>> me from the ground side.  It was about 95deg with 80% humidity, I was
>>> sitting on the ground, and had leather gloves on.  The trailer was
>>> hooked t o the ground cable, and the trailer jacks were down, but on
>>> gravel.  This is the first time I have been shocked off one of these
>>> Lincolns.  I used to have an old Craftsman AC welder that I had to drive
>>> a rod in the ground and tack weld it to the work when welding to prevent
>>> shock.    The reason this one hurt so bad this time, I tore my rotator
>>> cuff for the 3rd time last week, and I that hand was the contact with
>>> the trailer.  It caused such a violent muscle spasm that I couldn't
>>> finish up from the pain in my shoulder.   I guess I need to drive in a
>>> ground rod and hook a battery jumper to the ground or trailer.    If I
>>> hooked a grounded cable to the work side of the welder, would that do
>>> the same thing, or should it be at the trailer or work?  I should also
>>> supply some additional information.  The welder is connected to the
>>> power with a 50 ft 6/3 cable, and I was welding on DC reverse
>>> polarity.   I keep this welder on reverse polarity.
>>> 
>>> I know some of you guys have had this same problem.  This trailer is my
>>> tractor hauler, it has a hydraulic tail and hydraulic jacks and I just
>>> mounted a 9500 lb winch on the front, and am trying to get a wireless
>>> control that will work.   I need to go pick up a 4010 John Deere with a
>>> loader that has been sitting about 5 years and it has both a rear tire
>>> flat and a front one.
>>> 
>>> Cecil in OKla
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> 
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