Unintended Consequence of Buffing Wheel....

[tekno.mage]

... Or, Ouch - I just turned my lathe into a Wimshurst Machine!

Just been buffing up some small items using my Chestnut buffing system mounted on the lathe. Today the workshop was very cold and very dry. (Makes a change from very cold and damp!) Hmmm - after buffing a few pieces, I noticed pain in my finger/hand if it brushed against the metal lathe bed. Pain and a crackling noise.

Then I realised what was happening. Standing on workshop matting (ie well insulated) I was getting charged up electrostatically as I buffed the pieces and discharging when my hand or finger brushed against the earthed metal lathe. The first couple of times were amusing, but after buffing nearly thirty items these electrostatic shocks were not so funny and giving me a near phobia about touching metal! I'm sure I saw the blue spark from some of them.

Next time I'll do buffing on a damp day - or wear an earth strap around my ankle

 

[loz]

Shocking !

 

[bodge]

I once did some install work in a radio station with aluminium partitions and suffered the same thing. I was a bag of nerves each day as I left and was glad to see the back of the place. It is surprising how painful a static shock can be.

Wonder if it can have any health effects?

 

[andersonec]

I once did some install work in a radio station with aluminium partitions and suffered the same thing. I was a bag of nerves each day as I left and was glad to see the back of the place. It is surprising how painful a static shock can be.

Wonder if it can have any health effects?

I know of one case of bad effects on someones health,,,,,,,,,, he was marshalling an approaching helicopter with an under-slung load, these slings have to be discharged with a metal rod attached to some cable with the other end attached to another rod duly hammered into the ground because the rotors will charge up the aircraft hull with several hundred volts, said controller failed to discharge the sling and when he tried to unhook it with the aircraft still flying the resulting shock was almost fatal...he was rechristened 'Sparky' after that

Andy

 

[dickm]

Never had static off the lathe, but occasionally get shock on my leg as soon as foot touches the ground with leg in contact with the cill. Or if the cat is being stroked and puts its nose anywhere near mine.
But according to a programme on the tele last week, it was a static discharge that ignited the Hindenberg. So don't have any balloons flying round your workshop
(Mind you, it must be pretty rare having dry air in mid-Wales!)

 

[bodge]

And keep away from Buncefield!

 

[tekno.mage]

(Mind you, it must be pretty rare having dry air in mid-Wales!)

It is - an especially over the last year. Today was something of an exception!

 

[keithkarl2007]

You should "charge" more for those pieces (hammer) (hammer)