DIY Homemade Antistatic Bench

Static electricity is fun to play with as a child. Combs, balloons and even cats lead to all kinds of neat experiments. It's not fun, though, when static-electricity buildup cause a failure of an electronic part you're troubleshooting at the workbench. Whether repairing or adding to a computer, or working on a kitchen appliance, keeping static down with a do-it-yourself solution for your bench is wise and inexpensive.

Disposable anti-static wrist strap in 6-foot length
Two-sided tape
Grounding wire with alligator clip

Instructions

- 1
  Stretch the length of the anti-static tape across the front edge of the workbench where your elbows and arms are most likely to rest or touch. Trim the tape to fit the bench.
- 2
  Place the double-sided tape on the bottom of the anti-static tape and press them in place on the bench.
- 3
  Clip the end of the ground wire to the tape and attach the alligator clip to a metal ground such as the center screw of a grounded electrical wall receptacle, an iron radiator or a water pipe.
- 4
  Check with a multimeter that the electrical outlet is actually grounded before depending on the center screw. Adjust the meter to read AC Volts, somewhere between 150 and 250V. Place one lead in the narrow slot and the other lead in the round slot. The meter should read 120V or close. Place one lead in the wide slot and the other back into the round slot. The meter should now read zero if the receptacle has a proper ground.
- 5
  Touch the tape whenever you approach the bench to begin working, or before you pick up an electronic piece. Allow your bare elbows and arms to rest on the tape while you are working.

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