A request for information on your mill or lathe

[Frank S]

No probs. Just make a single metal pulley and put it at the top. That way it grounds out the belt before it has a chance to shoot little zaps into your fingers. Maybe replace the slider/platen thing that holds the sandpaper against your workpiece with a metal one? There are probably a few different ways to prevent charge from building up on the belt.

But really when you think about it, we're intentionally CAUSING the thing we've spent the whole thread trying to avoid. You are now grounding out your belt through a bearing. I've been using the crap out of mine for years like this and haven't had to replace a bearing yet. I'm sure it's accelerating bearing wear, but those bearings are easily changed and only a few dollars. A mill spindle bearing is a different situation.

I may have to try other solutions the platen is metal and the top roller is aluminum. Since it mostly happens when the back of my hand or along my fore arm happens to touch the grinder / belt sander housing but only under certain conditions like on the rare higher humidity days something that goes against my belief of it having to do with static electricity alone. I am more inclined to believe what I am experiencing is possibly a dust trail either in the motor itself or in the wiring to the switch. I am thinking the humidity and if it is dust is possibly acting like an impedance capacitor in some way which discharges to my touch. Does any of that make sense?