Welding on truck

[Max340]

Big-D, never had a lug to hook up to a ground. Would'nt mind having one though, in some real humid conditions, I have had voltage "leak" if I create the right situation.

 

[Great White]

The grounding issues. Currently NEC (National Electric Code) requires that equipment be "grounded" back to the source of power. This "ground" must be of sufficent size that if the device should fail to "ground" enough current will flow to trip the breaker! strangely enough this can contribute to electrocutions, that is why we now have to install GFI's (Ground Fault Interupters) in wet locations.
Now let,s look at "BONDING" which is an electrical term which is often confused with "grounding" The bond on equipment is not designed nor intended to carry any portion of the normal currents during operation. Sometimes the bonding and the ground will operate as parallel paths or appear to. What "bonding" does do is create a "Zone of Equipotential" this protects YOU while a fault is in progress. Look at a bird sitting on a 34. 5KV wire, no big deal, no shock it just flys away. Over in China Electrical workers climb a silk rope (a very good insulator) and actually work on 1MV (1,000,000 volt) while it's energized. WOW!
Now bonding connects "everything" (the planet Earth) together with a low resistance path, Remember OHM's law? {{Low resistance=low voltage and high current}}. Voltage kills. The line is around 50 volts depending on the situation. High current trips breakers and blows fuses. good thing!
Your Miller Dialarc welder may be equipped with a high frequency arc start unit. The high freq is something like 10,000 Hz, this is radio! So if the case is not "earthed" the transmitter can broadcast your signal! So the "grounding rod" requested by the manufacturer is required by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to limit your ability to "jam" the airwaves. Another NO-NO is cables should not be hung up in loops, figure eights on the floor or not coiled at all is best.
Truth is stranger than fiction!
Rich

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2001. 5 2500 ETH/DEE 4x4,Patriot Blue over Silver,Camper pkg, Trailerpkg,3. 54LSD, Agate Leather,Stainless Smitty Bars,Tow hooks,Amsoil... ... ... Except snowplow!

 

[Big-D]

Statland, DUTY CYCLE

Duty Cycle is based on a ten minute period for all welding power sources. A welder rated at 200 amperes, is designed to supply this rating for five minutes and cool for five minutes. When the amperage requirement is lowered, the duty cycle is raised. In other words, if you are welding at 125 amps on a rated 250 amp welder, you can continuously weld without stopping for a period longer than five minutes without overheating your machine. Likewise, increased amps shortens the weld time. It is almost impossible to weld that long when using a stick welder, so I never worried about duty cycles.

Hope this helps.
Dave

 

[Big-D]

Rich,

I've been to China on several occasions myself and I know OSHA would flip over backwards at some of the things I've seen over there. Ever see how they wash windows swinging from a rope 30 floors up? Or welding with only sunglasses...

As for grounding the weldEr frame seperately from the AC input line, I hear what you are saying. Will look into driving a ground rod into the earth and making the proper connections. Thanks!