Weld Lead Repairs

Date 05-14-2009 13:17 Edited 05-14-2009 13:27

There's nothing to beat you up for - what you describe is pretty much what we do.
It's all a matter of degree:

Not sure how this one showed up - something weird happened but ignore it..

By CHGuilford (****)

Date 05-14-2009 13:25

There's nothing to beat you up for - what you describe is pretty much what we do.

It's all a matter of degrees:
If there is just a small cut or nick, tape works fine.
A bigger cut gets heat shrink put on it.
If there are lots of cuts in the insulation, cuts in the copper, or other damage, we replace it.

By R Mitchell (*)

Date 05-14-2009 13:32

Thanks guys.

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 05-14-2009 13:43

Same here.....just have to use some common sense. If you have large areas to repair, it may be best to repace it, however for small cuts, nicks, we repair it with tape or heat shrink. The idea is to prevent dragging a damaged lead across the material on our tables and having it arc somewhere and hurt someone or possibly damage the equipment.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 05-14-2009 13:45

I would suggest the heat shrink, just a bit more durable than the electrical tape and don't get all gummy when you go to wrap up the cord. Since we have the advantage of being able to pop a stinger or ground lug off not that big of a deal.

By jrw159

Date 05-14-2009 14:24 Edited 05-14-2009 14:31

R Mitchell,
As stated, common sense is the key. However, when OSHA comes into play, they are pretty clear on it. Rather than preach about it I will provide a direct link and you can decide for yourselves what the proper thing to do is. :-)

See 29 CFR 1910.254 (d) (9) (iii) scroll down to the bottom of the page and clickon the "1910.254 (d) (9) (iii)" "OSHA's general industry standard requires damaged welding leads to be replaced and not to be repaired."

Note the use of the words "shall" and "required".

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9855

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=25149

jrw159

By welderbrent (*****)

Date 05-14-2009 19:00

Because of the OSHA regs posted by jrw159 (Hi John) I may throw tape on one small cut. After that I cut the lead and attach quick connects in the damaged spot. If it is close to the end I may take the short one and use it on one of my shop GMAW machines that usually only have a short ground lead on them (All my tables are grounded through connections in the floor, so a short ground where the machine sets gets all the work grounded.)

I keep all my main leads for the portables totally clean, no cut repairs to draw an inspectors attention. Once it needs repair it goes to the shop for whatever use best suits it's condition, or to cut it down for other uses as previously stated. You can get maximum usage out of your investment (they aren't cheap) with little repair time and the OSHA reps are happy.

Have a Great Day, Brent

By Jssec

Date 05-14-2009 16:00

I use the pad type of these they stick real well if you clean the cable where you wrap it.

http://www.cablejoints.co.uk/upload/3M_Scotch_2210_Tape___Vinyl_Mastic_Tape.pdf

By Mat

Date 05-14-2009 21:33

I wish I would have gotten pictures of some of the sub arc ground cables from a past job.

On some of the cables still being used, the insulation on the cables was fried off. Safe, no? Glad I wasn't a sub arc operator.

By DaveBoyer (*****)

Date 05-15-2009 02:20

There was a post some time back about a tough plastic coating You can paint on the toes of Your work shoes. Has anybody tried this to fill in nicks & gouges in the cable insulation? I was tinking of using it on a gouged up MIG gun lead. The outer casing is gouged and I was thinking this might be easier than pulling one of the ends apart to use shrink tube.

By Northweldor (***)

Date 05-15-2009 11:48

Dave:
I have a product from Princess Auto (Canada's upscale HF) that is called "Liquid Tape" that I have used on insulating, but can't speak to toughness (haven't used on heavy wear situations).

By up-ten

Date 05-15-2009 15:41

Northweldor- is that the tape you stretch tight as your wrapping? It sounds familiar to something I've used before and its a good product but like most, don't fare well in the extreme cold temperatures. But for the duration it'll get you through.

By Northweldor (***)

Date 05-15-2009 21:38

No, it's actually a liquid you paint on with an applicator, and is actually called "Brush-on Electrical Tape". (I checked !) Dries to a glossy surface with the consistency of soft rubber. (bright red only). I have mainly used it for sealing extension cord splices, and insulating some electrical connections.

By up-ten

Date 05-15-2009 22:38

Thanks for that, we've got a P.A here and I could drop by and look some up.

By DaveBoyer (*****)

Date 05-16-2009 02:24

I used a similar product on My boat, it was black and dried to a plastic similar to wire insulation. I tink it came in red and perhaps a few other colors too. It was fairly tough, but not really designed or marketed for toughness.