Lichtenberg

[Don P]

Down at the voltages and frequencies we usually work with I have a fair understanding of how to stay out of the circuit. playing with stuff like that, it is beginning to "broadcast" power. I have no desire to be a ground. I accidentally did a little bit of that with the high frequency glue machines in the furniture and cabinet shops. Management didn't consider it a feature  :D.

[DMcCoy]

A stick welder or plasma cutter wouldn't do the same thing?

[Don P]

I'm no electrician but I think you are changing voltage and amperage but not frequency in the welder and cutter. A microwave and neon transformer are putting out in the thousands of cycles per second frequency vs 60 cycles/second, high voltage in the thousands, low amps milliamps, but i think the microwave is far more milliamps than the neon. Your personal wiring runs at way lower and fries if you get into the circuit.

[Ianab]

A stick welder or plasma cutter wouldn't do the same thing?

Welders generally increase the current / reduce the voltage. The voltage isn't enough to jump the insulation. The microwave / neon is high voltage with lower current. But it only takes .02 Amps to kill you if it gets you in the wrong way, and the high voltage can break through insulation or track along a damp surface.

[Parrott]

A stick welder or plasma cutter wouldn't do the same thing?

Welders generally increase the current / reduce the voltage. The voltage isn't enough to jump the insulation. The microwave / neon is high voltage with lower current. But it only takes .02 Amps to kill you if it gets you in the wrong way, and the high voltage can break through insulation or track along a damp surface.

You are right DMcCoy.  It is so simple of a process and to set up you feel safe and only 1 movement of complacency and you are dead.  I have 2 fail safes that need to be on before I move the connections. Both completely kill the power.  When I pack up my machine take parts out to it cannot be just plugged back in.  Mty set up uses a Neon sign power supply.  

[Sod saw]

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In 1980 I received my electrical license and have been working with live circuits many time a week since then.

I have been knocked on my can while working on a radio station repair with relatively lower voltage than you are talking about with these transformers used to burn wood.

Even with my experience and attention to detail, I would never handle voltages as high as you all are talking about.

When I watch electric utility linemen working with those wires at thousands of volts, they are covered with hard hat,  rubber shoulder cape, rubber sleeves, special gloves, all the while up in the air in a fiberglass non conducting bucket.  They have 4 and 5 foot handles (poles) to reach out to "touch" live wires and make connections, etc.

If you can find a machine to burn your wood that is underwriters approved, you may consider it perhaps safer as it has gone thru design and testing to very high standards.  Perhaps one of you can build and have approved a machine to market to the professional shops for their use in burning projects in a safe manor.

Voltage is like water pressure.  The higher the voltage the higher the potential to do work (or damage).

If you look closely at wire insulation, many types of insulation have very specific voltage stated on that insulation.  Voltages above that stated level can and often do break down the insulation and allow voltage to "leak" out.  That voltage is looking for a shorter circuit route to return to its source, normally some sort of ground. There is no way to forecast where that insulation breakdown will be.   That leak could very well be thru your body.  As stated by Ianab .  

Yes, Moisture, chemicals and concrete floors can contribute to problems, even while not actually holding the leads while the power is on.

Have fun.    Be careful.


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[firefighter ontheside]

3 or 4 years ago we ran an electrocution call.  It was a guy trying fractal burning.  He did not live to try it again.  Young dad of a few little kids.  One of my guys who I think had tried the process himself ran the call.  I think he has lost interest in ever trying it again.

[Magicman]

I have a friend that does it.  I have encouraged him many times to quit, but he has not.