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Old 06-13-2015, 07:29 AM
bluebeard#1 bluebeard#1 is offline
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Default Electro magnetic fields

G'day folks,
I have a question for the electrics guy's.
I recently had a defibrillator put in my left shoulder blade after a heart attack and now the quack said no more welding, I've been sent a link to a site that said they had done tests with the electro magnetic fields and found if you stay away from the machine itself it's ok and safe to use. My question is as follows is there the same field at the point where the welding rod or the wire from the mig contacts the parts being welded together, I would hazard to guess that a high frequencey tig may have one at the tip once you turn it on to start an arc. I don' particually want to find out by just going ahead and giving it a go because it is like being hit by a lump of 4 x 2 full swing or the same as when they use the paddles to revive some one.

Bluebeard.
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Old 06-13-2015, 08:55 AM
hot rivet hot rivet is offline
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With respect to hf ac/dc tig there is quite a field to sensitive electronics, i once had a personal attack alarm 6' away from my tig torch go off every time i struck an arc. The question is if your defib is really that sensitive. Gas welding might be the way to go from now on! Hope your doing ok after the procedure a friend of mine had the same on 8th june.
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Old 06-13-2015, 11:06 AM
weldtoride weldtoride is offline
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Tread very carefully here. Years ago Lincoln put cautions in their literature regarding keeping both work leads to the same side of the operator, i.e., to avoid putting one lead on either side of you as you weld, as that could put you inside an electromagnetic field.

This caution had nothing to do with pacemakers, just a prescribed procedure for all welders. Emfs are present, and stronger under certain work lead routing.

Decades ago, I was taught the old SMAW (stick) technique of supporting the electrode lead by wrapping it around my arm or over my shoulder, no longer a recommended practice.

Read here on page 5: https://www.lincolnelectric.com/asse...ature/E205.pdf
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Last edited by weldtoride; 06-13-2015 at 11:17 AM.
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Old 06-13-2015, 04:58 PM
crystallographic crystallographic is offline
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"If you have a pacemaker - Anything generating EM fields should be avoided.

TIG, Plasma Cutter, Induction Furnace.... MIG, stick arc ...



All produce enough ElectroMagneticInduction to cause issues."
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Old 06-13-2015, 05:27 PM
sblack sblack is offline
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But you can still do just about anything with a torch. Nothing wrong with Old School. I'm glad you are still with us,
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Old 06-14-2015, 02:30 AM
Marc Bourget Marc Bourget is offline
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To expand slightly on Kent's post, the simple fact that current is passing along a wire generates a magnetic field along the wire.

mjb
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Old 06-14-2015, 04:44 AM
bluebeard#1 bluebeard#1 is offline
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Thanks for the rapid replies, all taken on board and much appreciated.I am waiting for a reply from St Jude medical in the usa as they make these machines and hopefully have the info related to this exact model,I will inform you of their knowledge of this also as I'am sure others are in this predicament as well. I love my oxy set and would not trade it for the world but as I am building a powered beading machine and other items for the workshop I would like to continue when allowed to go back and some metal things are just to heavy to oxy weld together. At the moment I am half way through a ground up restoration on a 1916 Indian powerplus for a friend and the plan was to have it finished for it's 100th birthday, in the last 45 years there would be very few days where the welder wasn't used for something so it's hard to not be able to just grab and weld this or that.

Looking forward to get back out to the shed,feeling a lot better now but being close to wearing the wooden pyjamas certainly makes you think of things differently.

Thank you Paul, Mark, Kent, Scott and Marc.


Bluebeard.
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Old 06-15-2015, 06:14 PM
Norm Swenson Norm Swenson is offline
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Three plus years ago I had a pacemaker planted in the left shoulder. Before we did this,my cardiologist and I had a long talk about welding. He said its just welding, you can live without it. I resisted and said there must be a way. he said he will call St Jude since they make them. To make a long story short, St Jude supplied a unit and programmed it to withstand limited outside interferance. I can weld (stick,MIG,Tig) up to 400 amps. I cannot wrap the lines around my shoulders, and ground must be close to the stinger. My pacemaker registers any events and is checked 2 times a year or more.
Things have changed alot over the years. The old rules arn't really true any more. Check your cardiologist and have him call ST.Jude. may be able to do something

Norm
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Old 06-15-2015, 07:25 PM
bluebeard#1 bluebeard#1 is offline
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Hi Norm,
that sounds like a very good option and now they adjust the things with a computer just by holding the scanner over the defibrillator and dial in what they want it to do it may be done in a few minutes.

Thanks for your input Norm.

Bluebeard
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Old 06-16-2015, 06:24 PM
steve.murphy steve.murphy is offline
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Might be worth looking at shielded welding leads. Lots of aviation wiring is shielded and grounded for EMI and lightning protection.
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