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Electric shock Mig welding ?


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I always weld in gloves, but being tight (Having spent all my cash on useless bonnets and chassis's :ph34r:) my welding gloves have seen better days and the index finger of my left glove has a hole in it. Whilst ruining another piece of sheet metal the other day the hole in my glove aligned with my finger and the shroud and low and behold I got an electric shock, I didn't think this should have happened with a fully insulated gun....so do i have an issue with the welder or just my ability to use it ?? 

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Sometimes a blob of weld can bridge the gap between the tip and the shroud making it live.

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I always thought the output on a mig was around 20 to 30 volts dc, it should be impossible to get a shock unless there is a fault with the welder ? :huh:

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There is a wild world out there. I like the video but missed any introduction and I am not sure what they were doing. Just had my exhaust welded in Sussex and it was a different story.             

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I just measured the open circuit voltage of my Millermatic 175 MIG machine. It varied from about 16 volts to 31 or so, depending on the setting of the voltage dial. Voltage while welding would be lower. 

While these voltages aren't usually considered dangerous, under the right conditions, some people could feel a shock from them.

My gas shroud is insulated from the wire, and isn't grounded, either.

Ed

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I would check it for a short circuit, abd carefully measure the voltage between the torch and earth.

Waldi

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There is not normally an earth connection in the wand of a MIG at all, just the welding voltage which should only go to the tip. the shroud is not connected to anything unless by mistake.

Bob.

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If skin is damp, might well sense a shock with 30 volts.

50 years ago, working at Kingsnorth Power Station, we had a West Indian electrician who had exceptionally dry skin. Lloyd was able to determine whether a conductor was carrying 240 volts or 110 volts by just catching hold of it.  Quite useful in his trade!

Ian Cornish

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On 7/23/2020 at 5:28 PM, ianc said:

If skin is damp, might well sense a shock with 30 volts.

50 years ago, working at Kingsnorth Power Station, we had a West Indian electrician who had exceptionally dry skin. Lloyd was able to determine whether a conductor was carrying 240 volts or 110 volts by just catching hold of it.  Quite useful in his trade!

Ian Cornish

One of my friends worked as an electrician in the mines years ago. Because of the strict unionisation they always had to check that the 415V power had REALLY been turned off before they started work on anything. No way did they 'grab' or 'catch hold' - they brushed their knuckles across the wire, if it was live it just booted their hand away (still wouldn't enjoy doing it myself.)

Edited by little jim
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I don't think that 'custom or practice' from long ago should be considered normal or even acceptable nowadays.

Modern electric cars run at 400V,  or higher.    A commercial garage owning friend tells me of going on a maintenance course, to learn how to look after such vehicles, where the "One-Handed Rule" was emphasised.    A shock between the hands crosses the chest, and heart, and even a tiny current (milliamps) through heart muscle will stop it, or put it into fibrillation.

In my previous life, and using old equipment, I defibrillated my hand!   A defib was set to 'auto recharge' - it shouldn't be and they aren't now - and as I replaced it in the box, it fired.  The charge went through my hand and into the box, leaving a small burn on my knuckle and a paralysed arm, temporarily, like I had slept on it.     If it had gone from hand to hand, it would have stopped my heart.

If the OP has a welder that gives him shocks - DON'T USE IT!!!   At least not until it can be checkd by some qualified to test it.

 

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