Hey, I was wondering if it is BAD on a plasma tourch to leave the gournding clamp off and 'hit' an area to clear away the paint for a little patch to clamp onto and get a ground.

I ahve dont this a couple times but it dosent exactly seem like normal procedure, was wondering if I am being hard on it by doing that...

Thanks!

Originally posted by TyTy
Hey, I was wondering if it is BAD on a plasma tourch to leave the gournding clamp off and 'hit' an area to clear away the paint for a little patch to clamp onto and get a ground.

I ahve dont this a couple times but it dosent exactly seem like normal procedure, was wondering if I am being hard on it by doing that...

Thanks!

haha bad on YOU maybe - leaving it unclamped will make a hell of a electromagnetic radiation feild....can you say Brain Cancer??


:eek:

depends on hte torch as to how bad it is on it - a drag torch will wera out consumables eaiser if started "in air" but I dunno
I have used my drag torch through paint and all kinds of surfaces where the tip leaves the contact alot - and there is hardly ANY signs of wear yet..

so we shall see....

Any other commens on this?

You'll wear out the electrode & tip faster (pilot arc seems to create more wear(per given secend) than normal cutting arc). I doubt you will hurt the machine though. Only thing is that the area your doing this to will not have the same "GROUND" quality as if you sanded or grinded it. I have done this before too , and its really shear laziness , and we probably shouldn't.
:D weldpro

Electromagnetic feild-cancer!:confused:
My question I guess is everytme you cut the pilot arc (which happens EVERYTIME UNTIL the machine grounds) is used. It would be damn near impossible not to happen. So I'm exposed to this everytime eh?
I'm probably going to die of something related to welding anyways - So I guess between Iron dust, copper fumes, this might aswell be added to the mix!

Electromagnetic feild-cancer!:confused:
My question I guess is everytme you cut the pilot arc (which happens EVERYTIME UNTIL the machine grounds) is used. It would be damn near impossible not to happen. So I'm exposed to this everytime eh?
I'm probably going to die of something related to welding anyways - So I guess between Iron dust, copper fumes, this might aswell be added to the mix! [/B][/QUOTE]

haha yeah I guess - just what my manuel says on every page so I guess eighter it is a big deal...or the Electro magnet greens got to em!!

:D

Better be careful with plasma cutters...my neighbor works with who got zapped due to a bad ground...the fillings in his teeth were arcing between each other.

Originally posted by dirtrod
Better be careful with plasma cutters...my neighbor works with who got zapped due to a bad ground...the fillings in his teeth were arcing between each other.

OUCH!! Holy shit are you serious? Is that really possible?

Yep...I don't remember the details. I think he was laying on a wet floor working on something and the ground clamp was on the floor, when somebody tried to start a cut...something like that.

yes can happen - basically you are using a short somwhere to get the paint off - whether it is through the dirt-concreate or air
it is still grounding somewhere to get current.