static electricity shocks

[Forest Cobbler]

Static electricity shocks have been an occasional problem with our sand blasting machine, and usually I just put up with them. But this morning I engraved the back of a mirrored plaque and was getting little shocks in my arms & hands pretty much all the time. I've got about 60 more of these plaques to do and I'm not looking forward to being shocked for that amount of time.

 

Do you think it might be because of the mirrored backs that it was so much worse? And can anyone suggest a way to combat it?

 

Thanks, Valerie 

[beware]

Earth strap on your wrist?

[petercoulson]

The static is collecting and earthing through you so you would have to isolate yourself one way would be an earth strap to your skin as beware says.

 

The other thing to try is to insulate the machine where you put your arms in so you don't touch the bare metal that is earthed

[SteelCityShoes]

Stand on some rubber sheeting?

[Forest Cobbler]

I've got some foam rubber and a soft cloth in one armhole, more for padding than anything else. But nothing in the other one, so I'll look at insulating them both.

 

I sit on a wooden chair with my foot on the metal air release switch. Generally got rubber soled shoes/boots on.

[Mick Friend]

Do not grab your old man in the loo before checking you have discharged all the electric

do ask me how I know sometime!

[Forest Cobbler]

It's been a few years since I grabbed my old man in the loo and it would certainly give him a shock if I did

[Forest Cobbler]

Right.

 

We've put some thin rubber sheeting around the armholes and that does seem to have helped get rid of the static when I'm doing normal glassware.

 

But if I'm doing the mirror plaques I can still feel that the static is there, though it's more like a tapping so long as I keep my fingers on the edges. If I wrap my fingers a bit further round so that I touch the mirrored surface then there are constant sparks 2 or 3 times a second.