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Belt Sander Electrocution

thestelster

thestelster

Ultra Member
Premium Member
I keep getting electrocuted when grinding down metal on my belt sander. How do I stop that? It arcs from the metal being sanded down, to the belt guard, and then through me. It also happens when I flip the switch to turn off the machine. I've started to use a stick to turn it off, but don't know how to prevent the other.



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There's a short to the frame somewhere. I'd start by unplugging it and opening the switch cover. Look for any wire that's missing insulation or any wire that's making contact with the box or any metal that's not another wire.
 
Still the same. And then I tried putting the alligator clip on the actual switch toggle, and the shock was even worse.
 

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YotaBota said:
Is that just turning the machine on without doing any grinding of wood or metal?
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No issue turning it on. I think maybe after grinding metal, the capacitor of the motor is still holding a charge, so when I go to switch it off, I get zapped. IDK.
 
thestelster said:
No issue turning it on. I think maybe after grinding metal, the capacitor of the motor is still holding a charge, so when I go to switch it off, I get zapped. IDK.
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If you can turn it on without getting a shock then a short from the start capacitor is a definite possibility.
 
Ok, I looked in the switch enclosure. Everything looks good, nothing loose or burnt, everything is tight and I checked the continuity of the ground of the plug to the switch, and it's good there. Now what? Go into the capacitor box?
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I don't know if metallic dust in & around the motor windings can manifest into static or shocks, but might be a good idea to have a peek in there too. Vacuum out or blow it clean. The good thing is, looks like your fan is on the opposite side but check cooling direction & any intake openings. I once made an edge chamfering assembly using a trimmer router but I started to notice some little electrical storms & realized it was possible for metallic swarf to drop in there. Normally the motor is pointing down not up & pushing air out. Sawdust buildup could be troublesome but its not problematically conductive. But it sounds more like a connection or component type issue if I had to guess
 
PeterT said:
I don't know if metallic dust in & around the motor windings can manifest into static or shocks, but might be a good idea to have a peek in there too. Vacuum out or blow it clean. The good thing is, looks like your fan is on the opposite side but check cooling direction & any intake openings. I once made an edge chamfering assembly using a trimmer router but I started to notice some little electrical storms & realized it was possible for metallic swarf to drop in there. Normally the motor is pointing down not up & pushing air out. Sawdust buildup could be troublesome but its not problematically conductive.
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Well, I vacuumed everything and was still getting shocked so I grounded myself to the belt sander. Worked perfect, though the alligator clip bites a little hard on my finger (hence the elastics to counter act the forces). Amazon sells an anti-static wrist band for $10.00 which I'll order.
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