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Hello from Minnesota
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cautious
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    Thu Jan 07, 2016 12:28 pm

This is a great site, great videos, well done.

I always consider myself a newbie. I've been on this site many times, but never partake in the discussion forum.

Reason why I finally signed up. Hope someone can direct me to the hard evidence.

We are working on an aluminum project that requires a combination of TIG and MIG. A co-worker of mine stated that we should never have a work lead of our mig machine hooked up while we have our tig work lead hooked up. He stated that if someone were to strike arcs at the same time with both machines, this could cause an electrical shock.

Is this true? If so, or not, is there any materials I can print or read that verifies his statements. Ive looked through the owners manuals and did not find anything. Ive also read through AWS_Z49.1_SAFETY_IN_WELDING_AND_CUTTING_AND_ALLIED_PROCESSES and found nothing containing to this.

I look forward to your reply.

Thanks
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User avatar
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    Sun Oct 27, 2013 10:57 pm
  • Location:
    Big Lake/Monticello MN, U.S.A.

Welcome from Bemidji. :)

Not sure if I have the answer for you, but I'm thinking that it should not matter that it's aluminum - people weld multiple machines on large objects all the time - pipelines and ship building come to mind.
Dave J.

Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~

Syncro 350
Invertec v250-s
Thermal Arc 161 and 300
MM210
Dialarc
Tried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
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Hollywood1
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    Mon Feb 23, 2015 9:05 am
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    Washington

welcome to the forum. john
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User avatar
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    Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:40 pm
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    Near New Orleans

Welcome, cautious,

You're being fed an "old wives' tale".

Ground is ground is ground. It's that simple.

I've build a complex structure that had 20+ TIG welders in HFAC, 4 in DCEN and 6 MIG machines all running together with the structure being the common ground (and it was not earth-bonded beyond machine grounding).

No shock. Just electrons flowing where they are expected to flow.

Steve S
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Poland308
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    Thu Sep 10, 2015 8:45 pm
  • Location:
    Iowa

Yup there are a lot of 8 pack welders all set and running on job sites everywhere. Welding on the same structure every day of the week.
I have more questions than answers

Josh
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Mike
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    Mon Dec 06, 2010 1:09 pm
  • Location:
    Andover, Ohio

Welcome to the forum.
M J Mauer Andover, Ohio

Linoln A/C 225
Everlast PA 200
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cautious
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    Thu Jan 07, 2016 12:28 pm

Thank you all. I appreciate your experience.


Skol Vikes.
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cautious
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    Thu Jan 07, 2016 12:28 pm

What if tig and mig were running different polarities? Would that cause a weld table or part to become live with power?
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User avatar
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    Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:40 pm
  • Location:
    Near New Orleans

Makes no difference. Polarity is always relative to ground, and all the machines will have ground at the same potential.

If your building is wired right, the machine ground will be at earth ground.

Steve S
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