DW735 Static

[Justin Rapp]

I just started using my new DW735 planer and when I go to pick-up the board on the outfeed side, if my skin contacts the metal outfeed table i get a zap from a static discharge. I didn't get this on my DW734.

I did a continuity test between the outfeed table and the machine, another from the outfeed table to the metal electrical box and even from the outfeed table to the dust collection ducting (even though the final few feet is flex hose). I have solid continuity in all three tests so i'd i would suspect any static should be discharging through the ground.

Any one else have this on their DW735? Any ideas on how ground out the static?

tx

Justin

[Lee Schierer]

It may be that the spark went from you to the grounded planer. Buy some Static Guard spray and spray it on your floor or your clothes.

[Justin Rapp]

It may be that the spark went from you to the grounded planer. Buy some Static Guard spray and spray it on your floor or your clothes.

This is pretty possible, but I have never had this happen on my other machines or touching he ductwork. It's happened to me about 10 times in the last 3 days on my DW735. I got a zap and than 3 or 4 boards later i got it again.


I'll try static guard, can't hurt.

[Bill Dufour]

Check your ground rod. I wonder if the ground wire is connected to earth. When I moved into my house the ground wire was in EMT that went into the ground the EMT was corroded to nothing two inches down. the ground rod was just visible but broke off when I touched it with my foot. So in my case the ground was floating connected to nothing.
Modern code requires two ground rods at least one foot apart.

[Joe Bradshaw]

I had the same problem with my DW735. I wrapped a piece of flexible wire around the plastic hose from my planer to the metal ductwork. I used an old wrench on the other end of the wire and it just lays on the floor. It worked for me.

[Justin Rapp]

Check your ground rod. I wonder if the ground wire is connected to earth. When I moved into my house the ground wire was in EMT that went into the ground the EMT was corroded to nothing two inches down. the ground rod was just visible but broke off when I touched it with my foot. So in my case the ground was floating connected to nothing.
Modern code requires two ground rods at least one foot apart.

This is possible and I will check again in the morning when it's daylight. My house is 18 years old so i don't know when the code changed to require a pair of ground rounds. The ground rod(s) were put in before the sod was done so the top of the rod is not visible, but I can see the ground wire. I'll give it a good check and dig up the grass to check it.

I had the same problem with my DW735. I wrapped a piece of flexible wire around the plastic hose from my planer to the metal ductwork. I used an old wrench on the other end of the wire and it just lays on the floor. It worked for me.

I'll also try this and see if I can get the static out of the flex hose with some grounding wire/straps. Interestingly, the hose I used for all my machine to duct connections is the clear wire-reinforced. The DW735 is hooked up with a gray wire-reinforced hose, so maybe this hose is just generating a bit more static.

[Michael W. Clark]

I’ve had this happen to me on aDelta lunchbox planer. I think it is static building in the plastic dust hood and DC hose. I don’t get this on anything else, so it’s not an electrical issue unless it is something in the planer. The more material your DC is handling the more static generated typically.

[David L Morse]

...The DW735 is hooked up with a gray wire-reinforced hose, so maybe this hose is just generating a bit more static.

Ground the wire in the hose. It doesn't need to be an elaborate ground, just any convenient grounded metal, like your duct if it's metal.

The problem you're having is caused bu induced charge. The dust rubbing against the hose deposits a charge there. That charge then tries to induce a charge in your body, which acts like one plate of a capacitor. When you touch ground that induced charge is able to enter you and produces a shock.

The hose wire or, as Joe suggested, a grounded wire wrapped around the hose, takes up the induced charge. That opposing charge then shields you from the effects of the charge in the hose.

For some entertainment, don't make a solid connection to ground. Leave a small gap and enjoy watching the arcs while a board is going through the planer.

[Justin Rapp]

Ground the wire in the hose. It doesn't need to be an elaborate ground, just any convenient grounded metal, like your duct if it's metal.

The problem you're having is caused bu induced charge. The dust rubbing against the hose deposits a charge there. That charge then tries to induce a charge in your body, which acts like one plate of a capacitor. When you touch ground that induced charge is able to enter you and produces a shock.

The hose wire or, as Joe suggested, a grounded wire wrapped around the hose, takes up the induced charge. That opposing charge then shields you from the effects of the charge in the hose.

For some entertainment, don't make a solid connection to ground. Leave a small gap and enjoy watching the arcs while a board is going through the planer.

Ironically where i get the shock from is the metal outfeed table which is grounded. I am still going to ground the hose - just strange that if the static is making it to the outfeed table, i'd suspect it would have discharged out.

[David L Morse]

Ironically where i get the shock from is the metal outfeed table which is grounded. I am still going to ground the hose - just strange that if the static is making it to the outfeed table, i'd suspect it would have discharged out.

The static charge inside the hose INDUCES an opposite charge in you. It's that charge that is going to ground when you touch the (grounded) outfeed. (or, to be more precise, it's you getting CHARGED with the opposing charge) The charge inside the hose doesn't move anywhere except to gradually leak away in the air.

Another approach would be to keep yourself grounded to avoid the arcing. If you have a concrete floor a shoe grounding strap would probably work, at least for a while. It might not last very long on concrete.

[Justin Rapp]

So I was curious and cut open the end of the 4" flex hose and found that the reinforced 'wire' is made of plastic, so this stuff holds static substantially more than the wire-reinforced hose which does discharge some, or all if it's grounded. Well I used up the clear wire stuff so used the piece of the 'cheapo' stuff that came with a tool.

I am tossing it and will buy a new piece of wire reinforced hose...

[Lee Schierer]

When my shop vac hose and PVC dust collector piping were new, they carried a significant static charge, inside and out. As they were used and exposed to saw dust, they developed less and less charge until they carried no charge at all. You could probably speed this up by intentionally rubbing the pieces with sanding dust or spraying it with an anti static spray such as used on clothing.

[Myles Moran]

I rubbed the dust port of mine with a dryer sheet. I also opened up the hood and rubbed the exhaust impeller in it. That seems to be the big source of static in it. It helped a lot but it isn't perfect. I have a long flex hose on my DC that moves tool to tool, so I can't easily run a ground wire in it, but I did ground the spiral wire inside the hose.

[Jay Michaels]

The same happened to me when I set up my 735 - and some of those shocks were very strong.

I tethered a simple piece of speaker wire to the dust hose -- right where it joins the planer housing -- and ran the wire over to an exposed steal post in the garage.

I've never been shocked since.

[Justin Rapp]

The same happened to me when I set up my 735 - and some of those shocks were very strong.

I tethered a simple piece of speaker wire to the dust hose -- right where it joins the planer housing -- and ran the wire over to an exposed steal post in the garage.

I've never been shocked since.

I got to use my planner yesterday and after wrapping the hose with some bare grounding wire and connecting it to my metal ducting, I didn't get any shocks.


Thanks all for the suggestions....