Cable and clamp that connect the workpiece back to the welding machine, properly called the workpiece lead. It is not an electrical safety ground. A loose or rusty connection makes the arc erratic, a badly placed clamp aggravates arc blow, and a clamp far from the joint pushes current through bearings, chains or rebar in its path, so welders clamp it close to the weld on clean, bare metal.
Arc's wandering all over, your ground is on the painted side of the table, move it to bare steel.
Never ground through a bearing, hinge or crane hook; current arcing across it pits the surfaces and ruins the part.
Also heard as
- ground clamp
- work lead
- work clamp
- earth
Related terms
Stinger
Shop name for the electrode holder that grips a stick rod and carries welding current to it.
Arc blow
A DC arc pushed sideways off the joint by unbalanced magnetic fields in the work, making the bead wander.
Whip
The short, flexible lead between the main welding cable and the stinger, or a whipping rod motion.
Arc strike
A spot where the arc touched base metal outside the weld, leaving a small melted or hardened scar.