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Grounding the frame

PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 2:27 pm
by redskyrc
the instructions of the 2.x laser says to ground the frame. How to we ground the frame and skins and make sure they are grounded properly?

Re: Grounding the frame

PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 6:32 pm
by BenJackson
I bolted my frame together and then scuffed off some of the clear anodizing to connect to the frame. What I found was that only a mishmash of the actual frame elements were electrically connected. The cut ends are all conductive but where they butted into anodized metal they didn't always make contact (or maybe never made contact and the angle brackets and Tnuts completed the circuit in some cases).

I didn't want to disassemble everything and scuff the joints so I just rationalized that if a 15kV lead gets loose it's going to easily arc across those tiny gaps to ground anyway. :)

Re: Grounding the frame

PostPosted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 8:17 pm
by mondo50m
What?

Re: Grounding the frame

PostPosted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 8:43 pm
by iGull
mondo50m wrote:What?


Don't you know he's talking about raising trees, I thought it was obvious :D :D :D

Trees are grounded, so there is a definite thread to it :D

As an aside, you'll have difficulty in grounding the panels unless you put a bolt through with a star washer (to burst through the paint layer) on each side to ensure both sides of the panel are electrically connected (being composite, they have an inner polythene layer - nice capacitors :-). Either a solder tag or a 'Lucar' spade terminal under the inside nut will allow connection to your ground busbar (which you installed earlier :D ). EVERY frame member should be grounded (or thoroughly checked for a good ground continuity at high current) - expecting the 25KV to jump across a gap doesn't cut it - it could just as easily jump across to your nether regions while watching the pretty light show - with dire consequences ! One of the benefits of using core screws is that the frame members have good connections to each other.
Seriously, system frame grounding is an artform (and a pita) - electrical inspectors have a heyday with system builders on this - to the point of being anal about it.

Cheers

Neil

Re: Grounding the frame

PostPosted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 9:20 pm
by TLHarrell
So... muslin isn't a good material to use for grounding our frames then?