Whenever I read about wiring they talk about good grounds. IF this is done by attaching a wire to a freshly painted surface is there a spot facing type tool that is used to neatly cut down to bare steel? Bob
Not specifically that I know of. I suppose you could use a small sanding disk or drum on a Dremel or Dremel type tool. Normally I just use the old pocket knife I keep in my tool box to scrape the paint off or use some screen back sanding mesh that I have. In the past I haven't been too anal about a bare spot showing next to the ground connection though but that might change with the builds I have going now.
The screw or bolt should make contact with the bare metal . As it passes Through the metal . Then throughout to your ground strap or ?
No tool that I have seen. You would need several sizes depending on hole size and size of the eyelet used. Assuming the bolt is grounding through the actual hole opening is not the best plan. It assumes that the bolt is actually touching a side and not somehow centered in the hole and at best makes very little actual surface contact. You could use a dremel or high speed rotary tool with a sanding roll and be really careful. I just spend the couple of minutes to scrape the area with a knife or such. Then I use an external star type lock washer between the eyelet and frame/body etc... Then touchup any area around the ground. Poor grounds kill more electrical components than nearly anything else.Poor grounds make the components work harder and hotter.Can kill fuel pumps in a few hours.
No special tool needed. Use a star washer under freshly painted stuff, scrape any loose rusty stuff away oh and the star washer still. Its not always necessary but it does make better always. Can't think of one instance a star washer could hurt.
In the late 70's I worked for Beech Aircraft and a part of my job was to install some electrical connections. For grounds we used a tool called a spot facer. It was a small wire brush with a stud in the center that was used in a drill. It would brush clean a small round area around a hole through which small bolt would be used to fasten a ground lug. All exposed metal surfaces would be coated with a zinc chromate solution. I havn't seen one in years.
There is an alternate method to grounding you may consider. Some guys don't like it, many I've talked to do. Wire your car as if it was a fiberglass car with central grounding strips run directly to the battery. It eliminates having to scape paint off that car you just spent so many hours rustproofing. It also minimizes additional screws, and you know exactly where to look if you do have grounding problems. Rich
Well on engines I always put a a piece of tape cut into a circular shape over the hole the bolt for the ground strap will go into. Then I can just unmask the hole after paint and voila, ground. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
I haven't used it for that, but a faucet seat resurfacing tool would do what you want and doesn't cost much: http://www.plumbsource.net/c=AsawL89TK31ozc5uFrfDQaniw/product/4565/Faucet-Reseater-Kit.html
Grab some cheap flathead screwdrivers and grinder away at the ends until they fit your needs. Just twist them until the paint is gone. Something like a spot weld remover.
I like that idea, make it look like a spade bit, that'll work. I always use an external star washer on both sides. Make sure to spin it around a bit before final tightening.
I drill and tap holes for grounding straps. Small grounds use self drilling and tapping screws or bolts.
put bolt and washers through hole tightly BEFORE painting. bolt gets painted grounding surfaces don't.
Run a tap thru the threads to clean paint - powder coat out, I've used ashorty screwdriver with a piece of sandpaper poked thru on the bottom of the handle to clean a nice circle, use dielectric grease on the connection. I like the idea of uf buying a cheap set of screwdrivers - you can match the diameter you want
Spotweld cutter, maybe?? I think you can do fine with star washers, covered with dielectric grease or anything durable to keep the cuts into steel from rusting and spoiling the ground. The most important stuff like headlights, votage reg on Old Fords, instrument cluster if electric, anything you depend on should deserve a dedicated ground wire back to ground cable from battery.
I've been wiring hot rods, Classic cars, German cars, etc. since 1959. Whenever I had 'assistance' from the customer or other novice help, I was constantly 'enlightened' with how unimportant ground connections were. "Do you have to spend so much time on grounds? They don't do anything..." Popular concensus states time spent on grounds is time wasted. I've 'wasted' years...
When in the construction phase i weld ground studs at handy spots - up under the dash, engine bay etc and loop a #10 from battery to each stud. To protect during painting etc i stick a vacuum cap over the stud so it stays bare steel. When i wire i include ground wire along with the positive wire - just like in your house - the grounds all go to those studs, the studs go direct to the battery. When i slip a ring terminal over the stud i dab some petroleum jelly to keep the metal fresh.
I always use a metal grinding bit on my die grinder to clean down to fresh metal. A rounded bit is best.
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