Here’s my setup: wood floor, rubber shoes, Fien Turbo dust collector with Rockler dust-right hose going over a ceiling hook and then back down to my Bosch belt sander. I’m sanding a large panel on the tablesaw top and constantly getting a repeating electrostatic shock.
The shop is semi-finished (walls and ceiling) with no real access to in-floor grounding rods. I don’t use the belt sander very often, so this is new to me. Any ideas on how to kill the shocks? (btw, a search here on this subject revealed a octagonal bench chisel from 1999..)
Replies
I would use an outlet tester to ensure the circuit is grounded properly. If it is truly static shock there are things you can wear on your arm attached to a metal ground that will keep you grounded. You see people working on sensitive electronics wearing these. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/ifixit-antistatic-wrist-strap/6400915.p?skuId=6400915
I'm assuming you are getting shocks to your hands while holding the sander. I'm also assuming the air in your shop is pretty dry to build up the static charges. I think increasing the humidity in your shop a bit would likely help. If the relative humidity drops below about 30%, my experience has been static becomes very annoying. If it's in the 40% to 50% (or higher) range, static problems largely go away. I used to work in a lab where we worried about this a lot.
If your getting shocks to your hands while holding the sander, gloves might help.
I can't say for certain, but assuming your tablesaw is plugged in while you are sanding, the metal top is likely grounded if you are looking for "grounding rod". Also the cabinet if it is made of metal.
Good insight. A bit more reading hinted the dust moving through the hose generates static. With the hose vertically supported behind the table saw, I loosed one of the rear fence rail mounting screws to expose the shank. Then I wrapped copper wire around the hose and connected it to the grounded saw via a few more wraps around the exposed shank.
This provided the grounding path and I’m now sanding without getting zapped. Thanks!
Depends whats building up the charge.
You or the tool.
if its the tool you should be able to ground its chassis to something.
If its you then wearing a grounding strap should do the trick.
I second the dry-air guy.
I have super dry air. I sometimes wonder if my cheap little sensors are accurate, they display well under 10%. I run the AC like a madman to 60-62F, lol. I work and live in a deli cooler and love it. My skin doesn't crack or anything. I'm kind of lucky with that gene.
But I do get zapped basically nonstop XD because of it.
I've gotten used to it for the most part. Sometimes, a particularly hefty zap will tick me off.
I haven't bothered to do anything about it, but I am curious if you try some stuff, and it works. If so, report back.
If you can bear it, increasing the humidity could solve the problem if it's stemming from dry air, as Bob mentioned.
I freaking hate humidity.
Wow! It only gets that way in the winter here. The dog winces at every new hand that might pet/zap her. The rest of the year I have a dehumidifier running to keep it at 40%