Good Ground connections for welding

[jayco]

Here's a link with some 'work cable' (what I always called the 'ground) information......and a simple way to check your welding circuit.

The Importance of Good Work Lead Connections When Welding | Lincoln Electric

[R Funk]

I would certainly use a bolted connection to a welding table I use regulaly to minimize the hazard of frying a power tool as was discussed earlier.

One of the other problems is that most of the "consumer" type welders, (Lincoln 225, Miller Bobcat etc) have a lower open circuit voltage than production welders. This was done for safety reasons.

This makes it harder to establish a ground as there is less "sparking power" to cut throught the dirt, rust, paint, etc with one of these welders.

With a production welder, it has the voltage to burn through more of the dirt etc and establish a ground.

[Rutterbush]

You ground the rust away from the top of the table.
Did you place the grounding clamp with the jaw that has the cable bolted to it on the cleaned area or on the underside where it did not get clean?
If it's a brass grounding clamp is the jaw of the clamp that has "this side up" attached to the clean area? This is also the side that the cable bolts into.
If it's a brass clamp is the contact surface clean or does it have arc marks and burned places on it?
Does the cleaned table and the clean (no paint, rust, slag, etc.) item being welded do OK for a while before starting to have problems while welding? Slag and spatter between the item being welded and the table will act like insulation.
Even with a shiny table top the item to be welded can start to vibrate while welding. Amazing as it sounds, the contact point between table and item to be welded will heat up. The metal will expand and move in this tiny area. An arc will be observed as the metals move and when they move far enough the arc is extinguished. Metals move back together and it repeats. This can happen in rapid succession when tig welding and the item being welded starts to vibrate like a door bell without the ding dong.
The electrode holder has been cleaned. Does the electrode fit tightly?

When a ganged or multiple welding machine is used there is usually no problems with the arc knowing which weldor to go to or how to complete a circuit.

Most all of them have a GPS now days.
Big toothy grin!

[philip in china]

Jnr briefed me on constructing my welding table. I just have the ground from the permanently installed welder bolted to the table. Actually the table is welded to some 2" angle which is attached to the wall by rawlbolts. The ground is simply connected to the nut holding one of the rawlbolts in place. I never have a problem and do quite a bit of welding.

Why not just include ground straps on the clamps you use when holding work together prior to tacking?

[philip in china]

BTW there is a better way to ensure a good ground. If you PM me I will let you know.

[arftist]

I welded a chunk of stainless to the leg of my welding table. I clamp the ground there. If there is a ground problem, it is most likely in the connection,where the wire enters the clamp. sometimes you have to sand or grind the contact surface of the ground clamp itself. Also with high frequency it is best to ground the work itself.

[irnsrgn]

years ago when working on a construction project and the welder were a good distance away, we used to clamp a strip of inconel or monel to the building frame and position our ground clamps at varying distances from where the strip was connected to the building to vary our amperage at the stinger.