better ground the clamp style/magnetic/or bolt on.

Date 04-10-2008 20:58

I have a question. In our plant we use Thermalarcs, the new style and the old Hobarts. I am changing our plant over to a different kind of ground (maybe) and would like to get some input from people before I commit to anything. I changed a couple of the welders already for a trial run to the bolt style ground (the welders hate it because they cant use the clamp style anymore) but I have always heard that you get a better ground with the bolt style ground than with the clamps. I am using a plated 1/2 bolt and a copper end connector. I have never tried the magnetic kind and wanted some feedback on them before i buy any. Any help in the matter would be greatly appreciated. Basically I am trying to get a more consistant ground.

By weiser1876 (*)

Date 04-11-2008 05:37

in my shop i have gone old school cut out a rounded hook out of plate and welded a short 1/2" bolt on it and luged the cable have no bad grounds yet and have not had to buy any newones eather for over a year now one of the guys was complaning about it told him to go buy him one he got a mag type with the twist on and off arks on every thing it will not last long in my shop 1st pice of pipe its out

By MDG Custom Weld (***)

Date 04-11-2008 12:51

I have had problems with the magnetic ones picking up spatter when they take them off or they get knocked off. It's not a problem if the welder has the sense to wipe it off before he puts it back on. If they don't get wiped off, they start arcing across the spatter and lead to more ground problems.

By Cole Welding (**)

Date 04-11-2008 13:31

is the grasshopper the only choice a pipeliner has for a ground

By Sberry

Date 04-13-2008 02:18 Edited 04-13-2008 02:21

A good quality clamp is the standard. A common cause of problems is frayed wire at the lug, I like a regular set screw vs the crimp ons, but a bolted connection would be the next best to welded. I go with weiser on this, your in a fab shop, make up something simple that works, instead of buying a handful of magnetics try one out to see how it works but sometimes simple is good, a plate and bolt makes sense, take about a minute to make.

By darren

Date 04-13-2008 02:54

the best clamp ive ever had is one i made out of a c clamp vise grip.
weld a bolt on the fixed side (the top) part of the clamp and it will last for years.
darren

By pipeliner01 (**)

Date 04-14-2008 03:32

no, I now use a ground clamp that has a smal arm that the cable lug is bolted to, the whole assembly hangs onto the pipe via two magnetic swivel bars, it's really hard to describe, I'll try to post a pic or find a link.

By Mat

Date 04-15-2008 11:40 Edited 04-15-2008 12:14

The funniest groundclamp I've ever welded with was a 1/4" plate with a 16 gauge plate welded to it, and hammered down onto the exposed ground cable. Can't say I miss that shop!

Hopefully this works! I tacked the ground onto the part In the said shop. In the said shop, I had to pull teeth to get an all position wire...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/mb_welder/vers001.jpg

It worked allright.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/mb_welder/vers004.jpg

I don't mean to hijack, but what got to me at the said shop was that after I made a stink, they had the all position wire, but most of the metalcore monkey's didn't express any interest in learning how too do an uphill weld. They would just zap-tack an uphill, and downhand a metalcore weld overtop.