Let me say first that i'm a noob in electricity. I measured the voltage from my diy microwave-transformer-welder and it was 8. I have no idea how much amps run through it but the fact that it creates lots of sparks and can create welds on metal may suggest that it is a high amount of amps. Is it safe to touch this or do I stick to my gloves?
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\$\begingroup\$ Also, it's AC.. \$\endgroup\$– hekkenMar 24, 2020 at 21:14
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1\$\begingroup\$ Interrupting large currents in large inductances can produces transient voltages much much higher than what your slow multimeter can detect. \$\endgroup\$– DKNguyenMar 24, 2020 at 21:15
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1\$\begingroup\$ A warm welcome to the site. The answer to your title question is: yes, it is safe to touch 8 V. Whether it's safe to touch what's coming out of your microwave-transformer-welder is another question. We can't be sure it's really 8 V from the little detail you've given us. Unless you're certain it's 8 V, TAKE NO CHANCES, DON'T TOUCH IT and stay safe. Again, welcome. \$\endgroup\$– TonyMMar 24, 2020 at 21:25
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1\$\begingroup\$ P=V*A. 230v*16A = 3.7kW. A=P/V. 3.7kW/8v = 460A. \$\endgroup\$– rdtscMar 24, 2020 at 21:30
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2\$\begingroup\$ I’d be more worried about those exposed wires on the 230V side. They’ll kill you. \$\endgroup\$– Pete BeckerMar 24, 2020 at 22:20
3 Answers
8 V is too low to send lethal currents through you, unless you implant electrodes under your skin near your heart (don't do that). In fact most authorities round the world reckon that somewhere in the 40 V to 60 V range is safe to touch.
8 V is high enough to send very large currents through metal wires. The heat generated by this could burn you or start fires.
A re-purposed microwave oven transformer is heavy enough to break toes, if dropped.
I guess you'd better get worried about this bare 230 Vac wires you can easily toch or make a short circuit...
If you consider yourself a noob, be advised by those big red letters. There are there for a reason.
I seem to recall that anything greater than 20ma thru you can be fatal. At 8 volts, a resistance of 400 ohms would allow 20ma to flow (I=E/R). Dry skin should be much higher than 400 ohms. If, however, your skin is wet or you puncture the epidermis & reach the dermis, you can get a significantly lower resistance. Science experiment: touch a 9 volt battery to your dry fingers and then your tongue. The former should give about 4ua while the latter about 100ua. A lot depends on your body chemistry. Caution is a good habit to establish.