# electrified



## Sabaki (Dec 17, 2013)

I'm getting electrified with two of my belt, 500 and 1000grains. usually when i'm not wearing my workingshoes with rubber soles

really nasty shocks making my arms and knees jerk...

anyone else having these problems?


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## ecchef (Dec 17, 2013)

Sound like you've built a Van de Graaff generator! Is the machine properly grounded?


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## greasedbullet (Dec 17, 2013)

Yes. Ground the machine. I have also heard that "cling free" sprayed on the back of the belts helps but I have not tried it myself. But definitely ground it.


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## apicius9 (Dec 17, 2013)

I had that a few times on my sander for wood, and a good cleaning of built-up swarf and saw dust usually helped. 

Stefan


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## NO ChoP! (Dec 17, 2013)

I get small shocks if I brush up against the next machine over while using my belt sanders, and it's all properly grounded.


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## Bill13 (Dec 17, 2013)

Are we talking a build up of static charge? It sounds more like it's electrical although if it happens with only 2 belts it doesn't really make sense. If you want to check and you own a voltmeter you should place one probe on the casing (I assume it's metal) or where you are getting these shocks and the other probe against a known ground, like a water pipe. You can extend the leads with a piece of insulated wire if need be. If you get a voltage reading then the machine is not properly grounded.


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## Sabaki (Dec 17, 2013)

I think it's some kind of static charge but i'm gonna check if it's properly grounded and attach a kabel near the sourse and dig it down in the ground and do some testing later

Thank's all!


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## CPD (Dec 17, 2013)

Safety wise, important to first make sure your machine is grounded and it's not an electrical problem there....but if it's only happening with those two belts -- high bet on static too. 

As other poster mentioned, belt sanders can basically be like a Van de Graaf generator. The belt itself has insulating material and builds up a charge on the outside surface of the belt. Some belts - depending on the backer material or abrasive - are worse offenders than others. (Guessing the two belts you're having issue with are possibly different than others you use?)

The zap can be avoided a few ways. The first and simplest is grounding yourself to the machine. In other words, make sure you are touching the metal of the machine at the same time you are working. Any charge you "catch" will then flow through you and back to the machine....grounding out the charge. 

If you're working slack belt or can't touch (ground) to the metal of the machine -- then you have to have some other outlet for the charge to escape from you. (The electrons from the charge flow from the machine to you, and if you don't have a place for them to go --zap). Working barefoot -- no heavy rubber sole - on one foot, can solve that. Charge flows through you and back to ground through foot. Some will solve the problem by connecting themselves with a copper wire (touching skin) to a ground....like a leash or tether. there are also bracelets and products on the market that will solve this problem with either resisters or other methods.

A last approach that also works is any of a number of devices you attach to the machine that act basically as "Scrubbers"...they catch the building static charge off the belt and ground it out so that the build up of electrons is never high enough for you to get zapped. (I've heard of people creatign a hillbilly version of this by putting a magnet inside their machine near the belt. Magnet catches metal shavings until they eventually touch/skim the belt....that then helps catch and dissipate static as it builds by redirecting it)


added point -- usually heavy soled shoes don't help and do the opposite by insulating you but you mentioned your boots help. Some work boots are designed to ground small amount of static charge. Often they have ESD in the model name for electro static discharge....but may not. It's a pretty common feature, I believe. Not exactly sure how they do it but believe they're engineered for a narrow resistance range. eg/ they dissipate small static as a ground but not more powerful charges.


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## Sabaki (Dec 18, 2013)

I've spent a couple of hours in my garage checking the wiring on the electric-motor and the plug that goes in the wall and i found that 3 of 6 cables on the motor where not tightend properly.. especially one that i could pull out with ease:eyebrow:
after this i put the 500grain belt on and did a scary testdrive... no shocks :doublethumbsup:
these two belts are pretty special, they look like a coarse 36grain belt, the produse an airflow to keep the steel cooler then normal belts. Really like them both!

I also mounted a copperwire close as possible to the grindingspot possible and grounded it

Heavent done enough testing to be 100% sure yet but so far it all looks good


Big Thank's for awesome support!


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## Bill13 (Dec 18, 2013)

CPD said:


> Safety wise, important to first make sure your machine is grounded and it's not an electrical problem there....but if it's only happening with those two belts -- high bet on static too.
> 
> As other poster mentioned, belt sanders can basically be like a Van de Graaf generator. The belt itself has insulating material and builds up a charge on the outside surface of the belt. Some belts - depending on the backer material or abrasive - are worse offenders than others. (Guessing the two belts you're having issue with are possibly different than others you use?)
> 
> ...



CDP -That is some great info!!


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## Sabaki (Dec 18, 2013)

did a 4 hour grinding session without any problems, felt really good but got me thinking if it could have been temperature/weather related?
this pre winter has been very various weatherconditions, freezing, plus degrees, damp and foggy and because the grinder is out in non heated garage

well... so far so good and happy it seems to be working ok!


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## CPD (Dec 18, 2013)

Sabaki said:


> did a 4 hour grinding session without any problems, felt really good but got me thinking if it could have been temperature/weather related?
> this pre winter has been very various weatherconditions, freezing, plus degrees, damp and foggy and because the grinder is out in non heated garage
> 
> well... so far so good and happy it seems to be working ok!



Good news. 
odds are not a weather related issue. If it were really humid, that could maybe contribute....or in theory temperature of equipment and space could increase friction on machine leading to more static....but think that's a very remote chance. If I were playing detective, I'd still bet static from the belts.

If it was a loose wire on your machine than you'd get bit regardless of what belt you were using (assuming the machine wasn't grounding out whatever stray charge you were picking up...and then you wouldn't get bit at all).

If it was static from belts, those two belts were just generating more charge from friction/backing material etc than others. The copper wire you added might have cured it.... or if the belts were new then and have worn in a little, that sometimes reduces some of the static build up too. 

whatever the source, though...glad you're fixed. those shocks are never fun....and worse, flinch at the wrong time from it and you could mess up the grind you spend hours on.


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## Bill Burke (Dec 24, 2013)

Like was said before I am pretty sure that you were experiencing static charge. I get this on occasion sometimes very bad. next time it happens get a static cuff or static booties from an electronics store if you use the cuff make sure and route the wire so there is no possibility of it getting caught in the wheel/belt. you shock will go away.


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## Sabaki (Dec 25, 2013)

Bill Burke said:


> Like was said before I am pretty sure that you were experiencing static charge. I get this on occasion sometimes very bad. next time it happens get a static cuff or static booties from an electronics store if you use the cuff make sure and route the wire so there is no possibility of it getting caught in the wheel/belt. you shock will go away.



So far so good but i will write down your tips, thanks a lot!


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