# Static electricity



## RRLOVER (Feb 11, 2012)

I ground a blade today and was getting hit by some serious static,it was getting to be painfully annoying.Is there anything you can do about it or do I have to suck it up and quit whining.


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## Rottman (Feb 11, 2012)

Maybe a problem with the grounding of your grinder?


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## GlassEye (Feb 11, 2012)

Maybe you could run a wire from the grinder to the ground, or unground yourself.


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## HHH Knives (Feb 11, 2012)

spray static guard can be your friend!!


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## sachem allison (Feb 12, 2012)

rubber matts and shoes. check your grinder.


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## Lars (Feb 12, 2012)

sachem allison said:


> rubber matts and shoes. check your grinder.



+1


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## RRLOVER (Feb 12, 2012)

I do have a thick rubber fatigue mat and I was wearing sorel pack boot,it was 18* in my garage.My grinder is a kmg clone and it would near impossible that the motor could transfer an electric charge to the grinder.I am sure it is just the dry winter air in my garage,I will get a couple of cans of static guard and see if it works.


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## Mike Davis (Feb 12, 2012)

Is your grinder on a steel table? When mine was i used to get shocked pretty frequently. I switched it to an aluminum table and it stopped. I am swapping again to a 1.5" thick wood top bench just top help clean up the shop a bit. Just a thought


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## HHH Knives (Feb 12, 2012)

temp and humidity are the culprit..


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## RRLOVER (Feb 12, 2012)

Mike Davis said:


> Is your grinder on a steel table? When mine was i used to get shocked pretty frequently. I switched it to an aluminum table and it stopped. I am swapping again to a 1.5" thick wood top bench just top help clean up the shop a bit. Just a thought



I am on a wood bench and the grinder base plate is two 3/4" plywood sheets screwed together.


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## ajhuff (Feb 12, 2012)

Are you getting shocked from static electricity or from the grinder? Two different things.

If it's static electricity, like from shuffling your feet on carpet, you can get an antistatic electricity strap, like used in electronics, and wear it on your ankle.
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Anti-Static-Wrist-Adjustable-Grounding/dp/B00004Z5D1/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329058004&sr=8-2

If you are getting zapped from your grinder, that's a grounding issue of the grinder.

-AJ


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## Dave Martell (Feb 12, 2012)

Are you using a glass platen? 

Winter dry air, belts on a grinder humming away, and add in a glass platen & ZAP! Well you don't even need a glass platen to get zapped but it sure adds to the fun. :shocked3:

I get shocked very little but it's still shocking (harhar) when it happens. What helps in my case is spraying myself down with static guard (which I do anyway in winter - I had static cling) and I use more water on the blade. Yeah I'm sure that the water thing sounds stupid to you but I can literally shock myself but flicking the excess water off of the blade before hitting the platen and then be OK if I leave it on and dunk more frequently. I have an advantage here though, I grind horizontally so I have a blade face holding water on it while I'm grinding. I'm sure you have it vertical like most knifemakers so the water will run off and this won;t help much but maybe more dunking might, I can't say. Maybe I'm just nuts? 

Also, AJ's suggestion above of using a static strap/mat should be a good approach to helping here as they do work. Just keep the cord out of the machine. 

Anyway, yeah static electricity when grinding knives in the winter is a pretty well documented problem. Good luck with this!


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## Eamon Burke (Feb 12, 2012)

I'm gonna run a copper ground wire from the grinder to the ground in the breaker box in the shop. You resist a lot better than a copper wire.


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## GLE1952 (Feb 13, 2012)

I get shocked like you wouldn't believe in dry winter days. When I say shocked I mean dabing at door knobs because I know it's coming.
The worst time was touching a metal door part when exiting a cloth seated car, actually knocked me into a prone position across the front seat!
I discovered static dissipating shoes, problem solved.

Glen


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## Eamon Burke (Feb 13, 2012)

GLE1952 said:


> I get shocked like you wouldn't believe in dry winter days. When I say shocked I mean dabing at door knobs because I know it's coming.
> The worst time was touching a metal door part when exiting a cloth seated car, actually knocked me into a prone position across the front seat!
> I discovered static dissipating shoes, problem solved.
> 
> Glen



I always poke my car with my keys before I touch the handle in the winter.


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## RRLOVER (Feb 18, 2012)

I ran a wire from the frame of the grinder to a ground before I started working today.It worked, I did not get popped once today.


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## Dave Martell (Feb 18, 2012)

Cool


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## Eamon Burke (Feb 18, 2012)

Good to know it works!


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## jmforge (Feb 18, 2012)

By any chance, are you using a pyroceram platen liner?:biggrin:


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## Mike Davis (Feb 19, 2012)

I had my KMG on a steel table with no grounding. I have been shocked so bad it screws up my grinds. Pyroceram liner and steel are not friends. I now have it on a grounded aluminum table and no zaps.


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## jmforge (Feb 19, 2012)

Mike, I have never been shocked using the O1 or A2 platen that comes from KMG. With the Pyroceram platen, another story. I have been told that is quite common and it is static electricity buildup from the platen, not bad wiring.


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## Mike (Feb 20, 2012)

One of these and you'll be alright. I was having this issue a while ago and the strap took care of it. Just be mindful to keep it away from moving objects, but if you get it caught, the snap gives with little pressure.


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## Mike Davis (Feb 21, 2012)

The cloth backing on the belts i use create an insane amount static electricity on a ceramic platen. I should hopefully have my new platens soon and will not have to worry about it. I have had it shock me bad enough to pop a blue/white light like a welding arc and leave a small burn...Sucks lol


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