Newbie here. I took the TIG welding course 8/9/25 from Savanna and have been coming in daily for practice. I don’t remember being told this, but it is VITAL that the Ground Wire be placed on the same table as the one the User is working on! (if using the solid metal table, attach ground to it; same for table with holes in it). The tables are NOT electrically connected. (Should they be?)
This morning thinking that the 2 tables were electrically connected, I connected the ground wire to the solid table and started working on the ‘holed’ table. I had several 1/16" filler rods - several of which were straddling the 2 tables. I happily practiced my TIG welding and reached for another filler rod…To my chagrin, several had melted exactly where they straddled the 2 tables.
IF the tables are not separated very often, if at all, might it be wise to electrically connect them together?
IF the tables are not separated very often, if at all, might it be wise to electrically connect them together?
You could electrically connect them an removable alligator clip. They actually sell these for grounding your workpiece. A copper wick type material (like what’s on the ground clamps) is the best and results in the least sparking.
Technically, you should be grounding your workpiece, not the table(s). It may be more convenient or practical to connect the clip to the table sometimes, but it is always your responsibility to make sure that the workpiece is grounded before you start the arc.
Sound advice. I was practicing on 1/8" x 1.5" x 6" steel - I tried clamping, but it was difficult to clamp to practice on the ‘2nd side’ because of the weld hump. Also, the clamp got in the way of my feed wire hand.
I have a plastic bag full of metal rectangles which I carry around to raise the workpiece. They’re called “TIG welding coupons” or “flat metal coupons.” There are also table dog pins in the drawer.
Good advice Aditya, and that’s crazy David! I can honestly say that’s never happened to me but I can understand how it happened. I always make sure the tables are pushed together and when I have a smaller project to have the ground on the table I’m working on, if not directly to your piece as I teach in class. It’s also been discussed to get another arc flat table to pair with the other one and those would easily be connected to each other and act as one long table. I have also gotten used to the practice over the years of making sure my piece is touching the table instead of grounding directly to my piece to avoid spatter buildup on the ground- at least when MIG welding.
Thanks, Savanna. I forgot so many things you taught in class - another one: I came in this morning and couldn’t get an arc. Turns out, the person using #2 after me yesterday, had unplugged the pedal! The pedal cable is so long, it took a long time for me to discover that that the end wasn’t plugged into the Miller.
