Combining Mig Welder and Plasma Cutter Grounds

[Industrial Toys]

I wish to combine my Hypertherm Powermax 800 and Lincoln 250 Mig welder on one cart. I made an automatic assumption that the ground cable on the Plasma was tied to electrical and chassis ground.

Apparently, this is NOT the case. Does anyone know if I can combine the two grounds? It would make things simpler.

I have many times cut material in my bench vice that is electrically grounded with no issues and just got off the phone with a friend (and full time fabricator/welder) that has done this successfully as well. His feeder and Plasma are overhead on one boom, sharing a ground. But he does have a Thermodynamics Unit.

Are we missing something? If it can be connected to supply ground, why not do this from the start?

Thanks

 

[Shield Arc]

I don't think there will be an issue with a Mig welder. I wouldn't do it with a Tig welder with high frequency!

 

[ovrszd]

Excuse my ignorance. I don't understand the ground issue?? My Miller 250 MIG and Miller 625 Plasma are on a cart. Added a Welder Plug rack for each to plug into and a 25ft cord to plug into the shop sockets. So ultimately they are sharing a single cord. Educate me. Thanks!!!

 

[yomax4]

I doubt too if it would wreck anything but I came off the plasma ground 6" and cut. Installed a dinse plug female. ( Mig and Tig units have female dinse built in) Then I made my ground 20' with clamp on 1 end and male dinse on the other. I just plug into which ever machine I'm using and only use 1 ground for Mig, Plasma and Tig units. It's not too bad but a universal ground would be nice so you can leave all the machines on during a project. I'm a little leary of hooking all grounds together because my Mig Unit is over 7K and I would hate to blow it up. My guess would be that the Plasma would be the weak link if there were a problem..Good luck !!

 

[ovrszd]

Yep, I'm totally ignorant. yomax4 cleared it for me. Please politely ignore my previous post........

 

[yomax4]

Excuse my ignorance. I don't understand the ground issue?? My Miller 250 MIG and Miller 625 Plasma are on a cart. Added a Welder Plug rack for each to plug into and a 25ft cord to plug into the shop sockets. So ultimately they are sharing a single cord. Educate me. Thanks!!!

I do the Input power that way too but I think the OP is wanting to do it with the ground cables and clamp all hooked together. Not sure if it could back feed and burn something down. I'll be checking with a repair guy to see what he says.

 

[ovrszd]

I do the Input power that way too but I think the OP is wanting to do it with the ground cables and clamp all hooked together. Not sure if it could back feed and burn something down. I'll be checking with a repair guy to see what he says.

Yep, you cleared my stupidity. I have no idea if his proposition will work. Thanks for your patience and politeness.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I guess the question might be, are most plasma ground connections (to the work) isolated from electrical/chassis ground? And if so (as on my Hypertherm) why? There must be a reason.

I don't even understand how the plasma works. I have seen ones with huge circuit boards, like in an old main frame computer, and mine with barely anything in there.

 

[ovrszd]

I guess the question might be, are most plasma ground connections (to the work) isolated from electrical/chassis ground? And if so (as on my Hypertherm) why? There must be a reason.

I don't even understand how the plasma works. I have seen ones with huge circuit boards, like in an old main frame computer, and mine with barely anything in there.

Only thing wrong with Plasma Cutters is that You and I didn't invent them!!!!

 

[crystallake]

Hypertherm has excellent support and knowledge. Give them a call 1-800-643-9878