The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Solus on December 22, 2014, 05:51:20 PM
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I have a static problem during the winter and have been trying to find a solution.
It is not electronic gear related, but Coffee related. In the cold months my burr coffee grinder will produce a lot of static in the grounds.
They go into a plastic bin and are insulated from discharge by the plastic.
I stir them with t metal spoon but it does a poor job, I'm guessing because I am not "grounded".
I don't have an equipment chassis to attach the clip of a wrist band to, so I looked for one that would plug into an outlet with just the ground lug. Well, they have them for UK plugs, but I found none for US plugs.
I have the idea of pulling the ground lug out of a plug, or using a banana clip in the ground slot of an outlet and clipping the wristband it...but I worry there might be electrical concerns I am not aware of....
For instance, if I were to touch the "hot" portion of any gear, I'd likely get zapped.
Anyone know just how risky this would be or if there is a safer way to get done what I want to?
Thanks
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Winter air is dry because of running the furnace. If that's the only time you have a static problem it might help if you run a humidifier.
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Not sure the furnace has a lot to do with it, but I know the humidity does.
I do know cold air, furnace or no, will allow more static because it just cannot hold the moisture warmer air does.
And I run my house pretty cool...55F day and night...saves money.
I've looked into humidifiers and they seem to be a pain..some calling for distilled water and filling twice a day...
Simple solution might be an anti-static device.
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I think humidity is the key. When we heated the house with a wood stove, we just kept water boiling on it all the time. Solved the problem - for not much money.
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put one hand on the thing, and the other on the frige that should ground you and it.
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Leave a kettle of water on the heat source, even the kitchen stove will be enough if it is gas, with a pilot light. Pretty common fix for people with radiators or wood stoves. Paying for a "humidifier" is for fools .
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Or if you don't have a gas stove w/ a pilot light, then putting a pan of water on top the floor vent works too.
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put one hand on the thing, and the other on the frige that should ground you and it.
I will give that a try...
Wonder if the finish on the fridge will interfere...
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I will give that a try...
Wonder if the finish on the fridge will interfere...
It shouldn't. I ground myself on my car before I pump gas. Sometimes there's a visible flash of static spark...
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just make sure you touch the body, not the door, the door might not have a good ground
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just make sure you touch the body, not the door, the door might not have a good ground
The fill is at the back of the vehicle. If it's clean, I'll just drag my hand across both doors. Otherwise, I open the gas fill door and lean on the car.
Too many people in cold climates jam their gas cap into the fill handle and get back in the car. On occasion, the cheap carpets in cars creates a static discharge when they get out and grasp the gas nozzle which can create a catastrophe..
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Make a grounding wand to stir the grounds and you can ground yourself also.
We had a dingus for a plant manager once, and he decided to paint the entire floor under one of our extrusion presses and handling tables with epoxy paint. In the winter months, the floor gave off static (think waving an inflated balloon near your hair).... and since the aluminum was transferred over graphite and carbon beams and rollers, it took on a charge that could actually be read with a voltage meter. When the saw operators touched the metal, it shocked the heck out of them.....so, we made up grounding wands so they could discharge the metal before running it through the saw.
Don't know if this will solve your particular problem, but might be worth a try.
Go to Lowes and get a grounding plug like this:
(http://media.digikey.com/Photos/Desco%20Photos/09838.JPG)
Then get:
1. Take a length of wire (such as a section of a coat hanger).
2. A short piece of wooden dowel
3. Wire
Drill through the dowel lengthwise.
Solder one end of the coat hanger piece to the wire and the other end of the wire to the tab coming out of the bottom of plug above.
Insert the coat hanger through the dowel and secure it with epoxy.
Then there is this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ESD-Anti-Static-Earth-Bench-Mat-600-X-500mm-Includes-Euro-Grounding-Plug-Kit-/380460101519
http://www.tecratools.com/product1183.html
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That is what I had in mind, Peg.
I'll check into the parts if TAB's fridge doesn't do the job tomorrow. Might any way since the fridge way come close to needing 3 hands.
I looked for that plug online at Lowes and did not see it. Grounding plug brought up 4 pages of standard 3 prong plugs.
And just to clarify your instructions, the dowel rod would be epoxied to the plug to insure the coat hanger connection the ground lug was not pulled loose?
Thanks.
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Basically, what you would have is a metal rod with a wooden handle.... like an ice pick with a wire attached to it. Then the wire would run to the plug ground.....thus making a wand that would ground/discharge whatever you touched with it.
Technically, you could just touch the lug on the plug and be grounded.
I may be missing your needs from the original post...... I was thinking of using it to stir or touch the coffee maker and such to discharge the static as well as yourself.
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Basically, what you would have is a metal rod with a wooden handle.... like an ice pick with a wire attached to it. Then the wire would run to the plug ground.....thus making a wand that would ground/discharge whatever you touched with it.
Technically, you could just touch the lug on the plug and be grounded.
I may be missing your needs from the original post...... I was thinking of using it to stir or touch the coffee maker and such to discharge the static as well as yourself.
got it...the coat hanger is the "stirrer" and the dowel a handle for it.
I could put an alligator clip on the other end of the wire and use that for the connection to the plug lug rather than solder if I want it to be a little bit more flexible.
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UPDATE: The refrigerator works!! Thanks TAB =)
The temp went up into the 60's here today, so I'm going to verify the good results under adverse conditions, but it seems like it works. A bit more cumbersome than Peg's grounded stir rod, but it works already. ( looks like)
Thanks for the suggestions.