J. Phil Thien's Projects

Thank you for the link to the very informative article. I do not want to perpetuate something that is not true but I wanted to relate my experience. I also realize stating I grounded the components for my DC system is not correct. I have wrapped the hose with a ground wire, wrapped a ground wire around the outside of the plastic DC inlet pipe and put a ground wire inside the DC inlet pipe.

I am not sure what happened when I was using a molding head on MDF to make baseboard. All I know is that there was a sound that seemed to be a very small explosion and then there was an odor of burnt wood. I finished running the baseboard without the dust collector without any issues.
I have also been using a ground wire wrapped around the hose from my orbital sander. This has made long sanding sessions much more comfortable.

Again, I apologize for drawing a conclusion that is not correct. I am more comfortable, both mentally and physically, since adding the ground wires.

-Loren

I am new to this great site and just wanted to relate my experience with electrostatic discharge. I have started using a ground wire or metal tape on my dust collector. One evening I was running a lot of MDF on my table saw set up with a molding head cutter. After about 20 minutes of running, I heard a woof sound and smelled a burning odor. I shut off the saw and looked everything over. There was no damage or fire but something definitely happened. The plastic tube in my dust collector had a lot of static buildup. When I put my hand inside, it would snap and pop. I can't say for sure that the cause was electrostatic discharge; it could have been heat buildup from the molding head. The very fine dust from the MDF was probably a factor too. All I know is that since I have grounded the components of my system, I have not had any issues and no longer get a shock from the plastic hoses.

My DC system does not have a Thien baffle yet but I plan to build one as soon as I can.