Anyone replace the ground wire on their hypertherm?

admin

The ground wire on my hypertherm 45 is about 8 gauge I  am guessing but it is the stiffest wire I have ever seen. It is a pain to coil up. I was thinking of replacing it with some #4 welding cable I have laying around. Wondering if anyone has done this and if so how the connected it up. I use the tweco connectors on my welding leads but never used them on wire that small.
Reply:PM Jimcolt on here, he works for hypertherm and is the HT guru on this forum.Millermatic 211Miller Syncrowave 350lx with cooler and tigrunner Thermal Dynamics cutmaster 811955 National Cylinder Gas O/A setup with original patina
Reply:On cable lugs that are too big for a wire, you can strip the wire twice a long, fold the stripped end in half and put that in the lug.But 4 gauge is major overkill.  I'd look for something with a rubber jacket and fine strands in 8 gauge.
Reply:Strange. the ground leads on my PM 1000 at home and all 3 Hypertherm units at the tech school are all pretty flexible. I had to replace the ground clamp on one of the ones at school after they kids ripped it off and I didn't have any issues with it being stiff, at least compared to the #6 or #8 stranded I used to wire the shop for the welder..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:The ground wire on my Powermax 600 is pretty flexible, even in really cold weather."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:I put a miller receptacle on my plasmas ground and just use an arc welder work clamp.The arc welder cable can be removed.The work clamps wire is a lot heavier than the standard 6 or 8 gauge cable that comes with a plasma but is very flexable and loves to be coiled.old Miller spectrum 625 Lincoln SP-135 T, CO2+0.025 wireMiller model 250 and WP-18V torchCraftsman 100amp AC/DC and WP-17V torchCentury 115-004 HF arc stabilizerHome made 4 transformer spot welderHome made alternator welder
Reply:Strange that most you guys say yours are flexible. He wire on mine feels kind of like that electrical wire that only has a few large strands of copper in it. It is stiff and has a lot of memory.
Reply:Originally Posted by mad welder 4I put a miller receptacle on my plasmas ground and just use an arc welder work clamp.The arc welder cable can be removed.The work clamps wire is a lot heavier than the standard 6 or 8 gauge cable that comes with a plasma but is very flexable and loves to be coiled.
Reply:Sorta like the one on my PM30.  Looks like they ran down to the local automotive shop and picked up any old automotive wire they had... Originally Posted by DrilldoStrange that most you guys say yours are flexible. He wire on mine feels kind of like that electrical wire that only has a few large strands of copper in it. It is stiff and has a lot of memory.
Reply:Originally Posted by DrilldoStrange that most you guys say yours are flexible. He wire on mine feels kind of like that electrical wire that only has a few large strands of copper in it. It is stiff and has a lot of memory.
Reply:Remember that the work ground wire on a 30 amp plasma only needs to handle 30 amps....that is why the wire is small. I totally agree that in colder climates the work ground on my Powermax30 is a bit stiff and does not coil well, but it is a multistranded welding cable that meets the specifications from CSA as well as the European CE. The big  problem on smaller wire gauges is that they need the same thickness of insulation (according to code) that heavier gauge wires need. The insulation rating is the same on a 30 amp plasma as it is on a 1000 amp plasma because the voltage is the same (the amperage determines the wire gauge, voltage determines the insulation type and thickness). When the insulation is almost as large as the wire itself....then the bendability (is that a word?) is controlled by the insulation, not the copper wire inside.If you prefer to change to a larger gauge wire....it is very easy to do on the 30. Any wire that is at least the same (or larger) wire gauge will work. The voltage rating (to meet specs) must be 300 volts. Why don't we put a larger wire on the Powermax 30? Because it has a maximum output of 30 amps. Larger wire costs more. No other excuse except for that one!Best regards, Jim Colt Originally Posted by DrilldoThe ground wire on my hypertherm 45 is about 8 gauge I  am guessing but it is the stiffest wire I have ever seen. It is a pain to coil up. I was thinking of replacing it with some #4 welding cable I have laying around. Wondering if anyone has done this and if so how the connected it up. I use the tweco connectors on my welding leads but never used them on wire that small.
Reply:Since you can remove the torch so easy on the new hypertherms why not stick a miller receptacle or equivalent on the ground at the factory?That way you could pull both the the ground and torch lead for easy storage and transport.old Miller spectrum 625 Lincoln SP-135 T, CO2+0.025 wireMiller model 250 and WP-18V torchCraftsman 100amp AC/DC and WP-17V torchCentury 115-004 HF arc stabilizerHome made 4 transformer spot welderHome made alternator welder
Reply:The Powermax 65, 85, 105 and 125 systems all have a quick disconnect torch and a quick disconnect work lead. The Powermax 30 does not have a QD torch (it is hardwired) and the same for the work ground. No reason why you couldn't put a QD on the work lead, a bit more difficult for the torch.Jim Colt Originally Posted by mad welder 4Since you can remove the torch so easy on the new hypertherms why not stick a miller receptacle or equivalent on the ground at the factory?That way you could pull both the the ground and torch lead for easy storage and transport.
Reply:I sorta remember someone here saying on their plasma and/or suitcase wire feeder's, they would leave a foot or so of the ground wire, strip the insulation, then use an alligator clip to attach it to the machine pig tail. This way it can't be ripped from the unit by the user or a passerby, tripping over it."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:Ok, the new pm45 and older 1000s I use regularly don't have a ground QD.I didnt know they were standard on some units.old Miller spectrum 625 Lincoln SP-135 T, CO2+0.025 wireMiller model 250 and WP-18V torchCraftsman 100amp AC/DC and WP-17V torchCentury 115-004 HF arc stabilizerHome made 4 transformer spot welderHome made alternator welder
Reply:# 6 is the smallest size of welding cable commonly available. It is generally quite flexible and not too expensive. You can use 25mm Dinse connectors or Lenco LC-10's for cable connectors. They are made for smaller cable but you will still have to double up the #8 as suggested above.JohnA few weldersA lot of hammersA whole lot of C-clamps