110v Power on a Welding Table?

[hankj]

I have encountered problems using receptacles with the neutrals attached to the welding tables..............

That's a no-no in any case. The neutral is a conductor. You would not want a conductor from the AC service to be electrically connected to a steel welding table.

Bonding a welding table to the building ground system is OK to do. If your table is bonded, then you should leave the ground from your 120V receptacles isolated. This prevents any possibility of a "dual" ground path.

Hank

[MTBob]

Great comments - let me be more precise in what I want to do and the potential problem.

I have a stand alone MM 251, with plastic casters, on concrete floor, supplied with 230v grounded service.

I have a stand alone welding table mounted on rubber roller casters. When welding I clamp the negative lead from the MM 251 to my welding table. There would not be a case where the welding table would normally touch the 251, unless inadvertently - that could happen but not likely.

I want to mount two duplex receptacles on my welding table to serve light loads from my 4 1/2" and 7" hand grinders, and perhaps a light. These receptacles would be connected to a wall outlet with a 20 ft. extension cord.

If I connect the Green Ground wire from the 110v supply to the welding table (and I assume that I should in order to have a grounding connection to the hand grinders), am I going to have a problem also connecting the neutral welding lead to the table? The concern I have is that, in some way, by having a ground connection on the welding table, it will adversely effect the welder's circuitry.

[MTBob]

That's a no-no in any case. The neutral is a conductor. You would not want a conductor from the AC service to be electrically connected to a steel welding table.

Bonding a welding table to the building ground system is OK to do. If your table is bonded, then you should leave the ground from your 120V receptacles isolated. This prevents any possibility of a "dual" ground path.

Hank

Hank: re: "If your table is bonded..." - by "bonded", do you mean "connected electrically"?

[Sberry]

Bob, you describe your situation, just run the cord like you are planning.

[cruizer]

That's a no-no in any case. The neutral is a conductor. You would not want a conductor from the AC service to be electrically connected to a steel welding table.

Bonding a welding table to the building ground system is OK to do. If your table is bonded, then you should leave the ground from your 120V receptacles isolated. This prevents any possibility of a "dual" ground path.

Hank

WHOOPS,I'm tired , too many 12 hr days, I ment the actual ground lug off the duplexes, that why we use the Hubbel isolated ground duplexes

[Sberry]

If you use them feed from gfci circuit though as there is possibility of plugging a 3 wire tool in this kind of outlet.

[MAC702]

...am I going to have a problem also connecting the neutral welding lead to the table? The concern I have is that, in some way, by having a ground connection on the welding table, it will adversely effect the welder's circuitry.

I was with you right up to there. The welder has no neutral, and in any case, like Hank said, the neutral (like on the 120V receptacles you are adding) is a conductor, not tied to ground except in the main panel.

I recommend a good heavy duty cord since I am assuming it will be on the floor in a semi-permanent basis.

There are no direct issues with having the ground from the 120V receptacles tied to the table (and they should be.)

[cruizer]

Haven't had too many problems when migging, or using stick with a auxillary ground hooked up to the tables, its with the Tig process then there will be some interferance.

We have had problems with a poor work clamp ground and thus literally smoking the auxillary ground back to the machine

So for the $6 bucks cost on a isolated ground duplex, why all the fuss.

[griff01]

Haven't had too many problems when migging, or using stick with a auxillary ground hooked up to the tables, its with the Tig process then there will be some interferance.

We have had problems with a poor work clamp ground and thus literally smoking the auxillary ground back to the machine

So for the $6 bucks cost on a isolated ground duplex, why all the fuss.

The high-frequency can indeed do strange things!!!!

Griff

[Sberry]

So for the $6 bucks cost on a isolated ground duplex, why all the fuss

This is a strict code violation, this recept needs a ground wire hooked to it or it needs gfci, you cannot have an outlet where a grounded tool could be plugged in without a ground. Where those are used, such as hospitals and the pipe is metal, they are mounted in metal boxes they run an insulated wire for grounding.