Does anyone use magnetic grounds? I used a 200a magswitch for a few years on my Lincoln 100a and loved it. Sold the 100a and bought a Lincoln 180a. Bought a 300a Magswitch for the new welder and used the 200a for my hypertherm 30 air plasma cutter. I only play with mild steel for my projects and my welding tables are steel so it sticks to everything. The beauty of it is you can usually place it on the work piece close to the weld and get a good positive ground. The trick to making it work handy is make a little handle from 1/8x4-5in flat. Drill a 1/2in hole near the end for the ground lug bolt. Solder a lug to the end of the cable and drill a hole in the handle near the ground 1/2in hole to bolt on your cable. Tape the cable to the handle and you are all set. This makes it very easy to place the magnet and prevents the cable from fraying at the soldered lug. The only time I use the release knob is to clean the magnet. I guess if you work with non ferrous metal you could just clamp on a piece of steel somewhere for the ground connection. Any suggestions I am always looking to learn.
exnailpounder
- exnailpounder
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Weldmonger
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Joined:Thu Dec 25, 2014 9:25 am
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Location:near Chicago
I have a mag ground but rarely use it. I always try to ground to the work so I will clamp where I can or use a pair of vice grips or whatever to hook my ground to. Sometimes I will weld on a stud to clamp to. I always try to avoid livening my table...got my hair straightened too many times 
Ifyoucantellmewhatthissaysiwillbuyyouabeer.
- Otto Nobedder
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Weldmonger
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Joined:Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:40 pm
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Location:Near New Orleans
I do too much aluminum and stainless to justify adding a mag-ground to my huge pile of miscellaneous crap. I've used them in the past, and find them very practical for large fabrications and work around sensitive equipment where a ground should be as close as possible to the work.
Since I do so much non-magnetic material, I've made a ground out of 6' of stripped 1-0 welding cable made into a "noose", that I can cow-hitch around a pipe on stands for a free-rotating ground, or simply throw in a heap on whatever I'm welding. Still, I don't use that one much, as I so often have a stud or bracket nearby to clamp my regular brass ground to. That's the nature of my work, though. If I went back to building railcars, I'd want the mag-ground.
Steve S
Since I do so much non-magnetic material, I've made a ground out of 6' of stripped 1-0 welding cable made into a "noose", that I can cow-hitch around a pipe on stands for a free-rotating ground, or simply throw in a heap on whatever I'm welding. Still, I don't use that one much, as I so often have a stud or bracket nearby to clamp my regular brass ground to. That's the nature of my work, though. If I went back to building railcars, I'd want the mag-ground.
Steve S