Welder/generator vs generator+ welder

[smithdoor]

All AC generators and AC welders need to be grounded.

Most engine driven welders use a AC generator and this grope needs to be grounded too.

Dave

PS I overlooked the grounding part.

You missed the point: he stated that a stand alone generator needs to be grounded.

So I ask what's the difference between a stand alone generator needing grounding and an engine drive's generator that doesn't need grounding?


* BTW- neither need grounding.

[Freebirdwelds]

I was just fuggin with u all about the SA

You means it wont get chicks.

[Broccoli1]

All AC generators and AC welders need to be grounded.

Most engine driven welders use a AC generator and this grope needs to be grounded too.

Dave

PS I overlooked the grounding part.

You pull up to a paved parking lot.......

[Leogl]

I am not a electrician nor do I have the skills to explain it but I have been on jobs where safety man made temporary gen sets be grounded where welders they didn’t mess with them I always assumed it had to do with ground faults on the aux power circuits

[smithdoor]

Just drop your ground cable clip to a chuck of steel on the pavement.
But most time it on metal buildings and just clip to building.

Dave

You pull up to a paved parking lot.......

[Sberry]

I am not a electrician nor do I have the skills to explain it but I have been on jobs where safety man made temporary gen sets be grounded where welders they didn’t mess with them I always assumed it had to do with ground faults on the aux power circuits

The earth isn't conductive enough to clear a fault. I forget the exact limits, as I recall some of it is wattage based and not all required to be earth grounded. In premise grounds,,, and they changed it a bit but the primary function of the rod is for lightening but also to reduce step potentials. Basically to keep the earth you standing on the same as the electric service.
Not such a problem with Porto gen, not connected to premise and underground wiring that may leak etc. I believe this might have been part of the incentive for the new uffer code.

[Sberry]

Just what is it a chunk of steel on pavement gonna do? (Broc,,, here is the slope)

[smithdoor]

It is grounding plate.
Gasoline trucks use a heavy chain.

Dave

Just what is it a chunk of steel on pavement gonna do? (Broc,,, here is the slope)

[Sberry]

It is grounding plate.
Gasoline trucks use a heavy chain.

Dave

OK, 2 different things, it isn't a gasoline truck and it is a grounded plate, so back to the question,,, what's it gonna do?

[Louie1961]

Way to hijack a thread...good job guys. Exactly how does arguing about grounding help the OP?

[smithdoor]

They ground gasoline trucks before transferring fuel.
On truck and aircraft the tires or rubber so only way to ground is to use chain. One spark and the gas company is buying a new airplane.

FYI they connect a clip from the truck to the aircraft before fueling too.

Dave

OK, 2 different things, it isn't a gasoline truck and it is a grounded plate, so back to the question,,, what's it gonna do?

[smithdoor]

I like plate of steel over laying a chain on ground.

Dave

OK, 2 different things, it isn't a gasoline truck and it is a grounded plate, so back to the question,,, what's it gonna do?

[smithdoor]

My home generator I use a chain and a wire for grounding.

Dave

OK, 2 different things, it isn't a gasoline truck and it is a grounded plate, so back to the question,,, what's it gonna do?

[Leogl]

I wasn’t trying to hijack a thread was pointing out what I have seen on projects
My personal opinion is get a engine driven welding machine and save yourself a lot of problems
If it was feasible to do with generator and welding machine they wouldn’t make engine driven welders

[smithdoor]

Where is problem with generator and pluging in a welder?.

Dave

I wasn’t trying to hijack a thread was pointing out what I have seen on projects
My personal opinion is get a engine driven welding machine and save yourself a lot of problems
If it was feasible to do with generator and welding machine they wouldn’t make engine driven welders

[smithdoor]

At one time life I owned and use a more than one gasoline driven welder. In time change my opinion.

Dave

I wasn’t trying to hijack a thread was pointing out what I have seen on projects
My personal opinion is get a engine driven welding machine and save yourself a lot of problems
If it was feasible to do with generator and welding machine they wouldn’t make engine driven welders

[tapwelder]

“The Times they are a-changing”. Plenty portable electric welders that are durable.

I will agree, I have used inverters and they might need a calibration protocol if you use them. I had an old esab that was acting up and I thought it was the rod or my ability to hold a tight arc. Later, in my shop I discovered it was messed up. It was 10+ yrs old, however.

[ttoks]

I went down the route of making this decision, I went with a 9KVA single phase generator (two of them actually, both the same but one pull start I paid $1050 for and one electric start I paid $1500 for) and two lincoln Powercraft 250C MIG/TIG/STICK welder, I do heavy equipment repair running ,045 dual shield and 1/16th -8 self shield mostly with some carbon arc gouging thrown in.

Where I am (Australia) engine drives are stupid expensive and almost never come up for sale used, and when they do it makes no sense as they hold they're value to well, i'm talking 10k plus for a bobcat, I went the genset route as the generators are light, both under 200lb, I paid a total of $4450 for two generators and two welders so I have redundancy, if i spend 10k on a bobcat and its down for whatever reason, I'm out of work until I can get it fixed, and having a spare bobcat laying around just isnt going to happen.

I can also move the genset and welder easily by hand, genset has wheels and handles on it and is easily light enough to wheel around, you ain't lifting your engine drive off of your truck and wheeling it around.

With that said, my setup is limited, I can only run a 3/16th carbon rod for arc gouging as the welder maxes out at 200 amps for CC, and 1/4 really needs 230ish amps minimum.

[StandarDyne]

They ground gasoline trucks before transferring fuel.

I'm pretty sure that's to ground out static electricity. That's why gas pumps have signs saying "Don't put fuel into portable fuel tanks unless they're sitting on the ground."

Nobody runs a ground wire from their car to the ground when fueling, and cars sit on rubber tires, too.

[smithdoor]

There is a grounded wire inside the fueling hose.

Generators can build up static electricity too.

All most all welders both engine driven and electric welders use a isolation type type ground.

I did have a uncle that was knot out by static electricity run a wood lathe in high school.

For most part in welding everything is on ground and do not have to worry about a second ground.

Dave

I'm pretty sure that's to ground out static electricity. That's why gas pumps have signs saying "Don't put fuel into portable fuel tanks unless they're sitting on the ground."

Nobody runs a ground wire from their car to the ground when fueling, and cars sit on rubber tires, too.

[Sberry]

Ever wonder how something becomes a fact on the internet? Like I said, the slope, all the way from a fairly legit question about grounding a machine to a static discharge for a fuel truck.

[Sberry]

First , since this is a young guy we should start with a few more questions, he got a truck? Second, both him and hid dad who may be a great human being need to go over to DIY and read a little about electric before taking on a career that involves wiring 220 or 221 to gensets and maybe find someone to help with what a ground wire does. He is young, this will help with the rest of his life,,, maybe literally.

[Sberry]

Now we know where Dave is gonna put a plate a lot of words used to keep explaining what it is but what is plate laying in the parking lot gonna do and what does welding in the dirt got to do with it?

[smithdoor]

It is easy way to look at other industries how they deal with a problem.

My self never had problem with static due to the Christmas parts stories from my uncle's static discharge.

Dave

Ever wonder how something becomes a fact on the internet? Like I said, the slope, all the way from a fairly legit question about grounding a machine to a static discharge for a fuel truck.

[Sberry]

Another bull**** answer,,, what does it do?