welding on a lathe

[Jim Stewart]

I am pretty sure he used his "beater" lathe for that.

I think you're right. Don't recall his ever mentioning grounding.

-js

[mtraven]

The way I see it if a person has such little regard for his lathe that he's welding on it it doesn't make any difference where he pulls ground from.

JL.....

but thats what matters. you know the problem is: running current across ball bearings can cause damage by arcing, right? So you deal with that, you protect you're ways & chuck / spindle from splatter and you're fine.

that being said, I'd still rather weld on a positioner or an old lathe.

[JoeLee]

but thats what matters. you know the problem is: running current across ball bearings can cause damage by arcing, right? So you deal with that, you protect you're ways & chuck / spindle from splatter and you're fine.

that being said, I'd still rather weld on a positioner or an old lathe.

I under stand the problem with pulling ground through the bearings but that wasn't my point.
You can do a lot of damage to other parts of the machine even if you try to protect it.

JL...............

[Video Man]

Modern lathes are full of contactors, relays, microswitches ---- things that wouldn't take kindly to a burst of high amperage current in the system, I think.....

[mtraven]

You can do a lot of damage to other parts of the machine even if you try to protect it.

such as? when I've done it, I've covered all critical surfaces(chuck, ways, leadscrew, ect) with heavy leather & had a robust ground lead making good contact with the workpiece, what am I risking damaging?

Modern lathes are full of contactors, relays, microswitches ---- things that wouldn't take kindly to a burst of high amperage current in the system, I think.....

which is why its so important to control the electrical pathways.

[Jammer Six]

such as? when I've done it, I've covered all critical surfaces(chuck, ways, leadscrew, ect) with heavy leather & had a robust ground lead making good contact with the workpiece, what am I risking damaging?

Apparently, both your reputation and your good name here, on one-in-one-of-millions-of-constellations-of online forums.

[JRouche]

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.

Sounds like a welding positioner to me.

A gentleman here gave me a very nice DC motor and controller for my welding positioner. It works.. I had to figure out the leads.

Also it can work as a crude lathe. In horizontal mode with a tail stock I guess "_

Its a horizontal table now for tig welding.. JR

[Black Forest]

My rotary welding positioner has a braided ground strap over the shaft that attaches to the chuck. This shaft runs through the bearings. If I have to weld on my lathe which I have done quite often I used a braided ground strap also.

[camdigger]

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

Alignment. To be clear, Kurtis at CEE only tacks in the lathe before removing to use a welding positioner.

Kurtis has addressed his welding in the lathe. Even he recommends caution.