welding on a lathe

[welderskelter]

I was just watching some youtube stuff and in doing so I noticed I have yet to see someone hook up the ground clamp to the work piece that they had chucked in the lathe and they just start welding. Now I hope they dont just have the ground clamp hooked on the leg of the lathe. Being a welder in the oilfield I wondered about that.

[BCRider]

I would hope not too. That would be right through the bearings. At the very least it would be wise to connect it only to the tail of the main spindle. That way it's not going through the bearings.

[Jammer Six]

Kurtis does so all the time, it's one of his SOPs.

[Paul Alciatore]

With all those wonderful welding tables I see around, why would you weld in a lathe?

[dalee100]

While I don't recommend it, I've seen it done a few times on lathes and mills. Mostly on old and well worn machines. I've even seen 8 foot long rollers jammed tight between centers and then bent straight with a 20 ton jack, then a lathe tool mounted and the roller turned.....

Few things are sacred when needs must.

[J Tiers]

You see welding on the lathe all the time in the Pakistani videos. I never see the ground lead, so presume the current may be going wherever. That would be consistent with many other observed activities!

[mtraven]

I was just watching some youtube stuff and in doing so I noticed I have yet to see someone hook up the ground clamp to the work piece that they had chucked in the lathe and they just start welding. Now I hope they dont just have the ground clamp hooked on the leg of the lathe. Being a welder in the oilfield I wondered about that.

yeah thats a terrible practice. I rarely weld on the lathe, when I do making sure power is not running through any bearing surfaces & splatter protection are my two main worries.

now, what you might have seen was a welding positioner? Some of them look very much like lathes & the good ones take proper consideration of electrical pathways.

[Jon Heron]

Jon

[J Tiers]

..............

now, what you might have seen was a welding positioner? Some of them look very much like lathes & the good ones take proper consideration of electrical pathways.

When you see them turn something, then weld on the part without removing it, that's definitely on the lathe. As with the video, where you can see the toolholder. (posted a minute before mine)

I HAVE seen welding positioners, although even there, the current has, in some at least, had no visible way to get to the work other than the bearings. Maybe there is a contact shoe inside, but.......

[Bob Engelhardt]

...
I HAVE seen welding positioners, although even there, the current has, in some at least, had no visible way to get to the work other than the bearings. Maybe there is a contact shoe inside, but.......

Kurtis' positioner's ground - it swivels so as to not wind up the cable:

[CalM]

An odd bit of old welding cable with the insulation off and wrapped around the work is my method to secure an electrical path better than going though the spindle bearings.

A "brush" contact. It's worked fine the few times I've needed.

[mtraven]

When you see them turn something, then weld on the part without removing it, that's definitely on the lathe. As with the video, where you can see the toolholder. (posted a minute before mine)

I HAVE seen welding positioners, although even there, the current has, in some at least, had no visible way to get to the work other than the bearings. Maybe there is a contact shoe inside, but.......

fair enough, I had no idea what people were looking at.

[RB211]

Neanderthal's gonna Neanderthal

[dalee100]

Neanderthal's gonna Neanderthal

Nah, sometimes you have to do what you need to do. I've never needed to weld anything in my lathe, but if doing so meant getting a critical job done vs not done, I would just get on with it. A lathe or mill is not some sacred artifact from the Honorable Ancestors. It's just a machine meant to be bent to my needs and goals. Not the other way around.

[boslab]

Copper Earth strap ( braided flat and lugged) makes a good Earth, never through a gearbox or bearing
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