Shocking

[Jim Davey]

Customer: "Your machine keeps giving me electric shocks"

Me: "Stop using it, I'll be there right away"

This is what I found...

And no, it wasn't my bright idea to hold the handle on with aluminium tape

 

[Pete.]

Best use for that stuff used to be to wrap it round a 10p so the fruit machines mistook it for a 50p.

 

[eSCHEn]

Oh I see the problem Jim. They've used ally tape on a DC machine yeah?

Amateurs...

 

[gordon stephenson]

Common sense isn't very common any more, Darwin award candidate,

 

[500e]

Induced static ? broken handle letting tape touch wires ? not the best idea but what was bare to let leccy out

 

[rikrobson]

hor did he get a shock through a glove

 

[Appyasme1]

Simple this one.Looks like a WP 17 type TIG torch,take the tape off and use a rubber boot.The handle is not ribbed so it should fit fine.If you want I will find the part number for the boot.No more hair standing on edge.Let me know.

 

[Jim Davey]

WP18 Andy, the water cooled version of a 17/26.

It's all sorted though thanks.

 

[Jim Davey]

Aluminium dust covering rubber parts makes a fault path for HF to track across. Putting metal tape on the handle means it has even less distance to jump before it can give you a shock. That's why torch handles are usually made of a non-conductive material. HF loves jumping gaps, don't make the easiest path the one that leads to your hand

 

[BrokenBiker]

why did they wrap aluminium tape around the torch handle?

 

[Jim Davey]

I have no idea. I tape the switch housing on with insulating tape as they can fall off if just left snapped into place. I can only assume they had to remove the tape to fix a trigger wire at some point and didn't have insulating tape to hand. They weren't to know they had created a hand held tazer torch.

 

[the snooper]

I have no idea. I tape the switch housing on with insulating tape as they can fall off if just left snapped into place. I can only assume they had to remove the tape to fix a trigger wire at some point and didn't have insulating tape to hand. They weren't to know they had created a hand held tazer torch.

Homer Simpson springs to mind

 

[BrokenBiker]

Homer Simpson springs to mind

natural selection...

 

[mpats]

You've got to love a bit of bodgery. A plug on an extension reel at work was once found with the fuse "fixed" using good metal tape!

 

[Richard.]

I've tigged in wet boots before which I imagine gives similar results. A little belt every time the filler joins the circuit.

 

[hotrodder]

I have no idea. I tape the switch housing on with insulating tape as they can fall off if just left snapped into place. I can only assume they had to remove the tape to fix a trigger wire at some point and didn't have insulating tape to hand. They weren't to know they had created a hand held tazer torch.

Bicycle inner tubes Ask a local shop for a handfull of punctured ones and you can make elastic bands of various lengths and diameters. Reusable* and no sticky/slimy residue from adhesives. 700C x 25 - 32mm are perfect for clip-on switch housings with 9/20 torches, 700C x 35 - 40 or mtb tubes probably easier to fit on 17/18/26?

* assuming whoever hired the machine has enough intelligence to not cut them off if they want/need to remove the switch

 

[Richard.]

Bicycle inner tubes Ask a local shop for a handfull of punctured ones and you can make elastic bands of various lengths and diameters. Reusable* and no sticky/slimy residue from adhesives. 700C x 25 - 32mm are perfect for clip-on switch housings with 9/20 torches, 700C x 35 - 40 or mtb tubes probably easier to fit on 17/18/26?

* assuming whoever hired the machine has enough intelligence to not cut them off if they want/need to remove the switch

Smart idea with the inner tubes. Like that a lot.

 

[hotrodder]

Cheers, old innertubes are almost as useful as duct tape and zip ties

 

[Jim Davey]

Assumed intelligence, I've seen where that goes!

 

[brightspark]

i despaired when i had a tool hire business some of the stuff punters did . one put an electric steam wallpaper stripper on the gas ring and melted the case another tried stripping wallpaper off with a carpet cleaner he brought the cleaner back and said it was wetting the walls and carpet but not taking the paper off for god sake how thick can u get