Auto work and welding

Auto Work and Welding

by Quemal - 2018-03-17 13:27:09

I don't know anything about welders, but, as I understand car batteries and alternators both create an EMF (Electro-Magnetic-Field) that can interfere with the PM.

Some people on the forum

by Theknotguy - 2018-03-17 13:58:57

Some people on the forum are doing all three (stick, mig, tig) types of welding.  You'll have to look around on the forum and see if you can find them.  Then send a private message and see if any will answer.  

The problem is the pacemaker manufacturer won't say it's OK to go ahead and weld even though some members on this forum have reported no problems.  Unfortunately I don't weld so I can't give you first hand experience.  Consequently I personally can't say if it is or isn't a problem.  You'll have to correspond with the people who are welding.  

I have written quite a few times on this forum that I jump started my daughter-in-law's car and was leaning over a running engine without any adverse effects.  I've also written on the forum that I was running a DeWalt 110 volt power drill and was leaning on the drill on the pacemaker side without any adverse effects.  That means the running drill was within a couple of inches of the pacemaker.  Nothing happened and my pacemaker just kept on runniing normally.  I've also grabbed a live 110 volt power line and have gotten shocked without any adverse effect to my pacemaker.  Once again, the pacemaker just kept running normally.  The current didn't pass through my body, just my hand.  Would it have made any difference if the current would have passed through my body?  Don't know, but I really don't want to try it to find out.  I may be a little reckless but I really don't want to temp fate.  

Finally I work in a wood shop.  Run all the electrical equipment and have walked up to the circuit breaker box without any problems.  I also volunteer at a hospital and have to pass through a metal detector several times a day going into the ER without any problems.  The ER has the x-ray and MRI machines and I walk past the rooms all the time without any effects what so ever.  

I've had my Medtronic pacemaker for four years and five months now.  The only thing that has affected it is vibration and that's because my pacemaker has an accelerometer.  It's great when I forget I have it and start walking quickly.  The accelerometer tells my pacemaker to ramp up my heart rate to keep up with my walking speed.  Unfortunatley the pacemaker can't tell the difference between walking quickly and some vibrations I've encountered.  Consequently, riding in a diesel powered vehicle, running a vibrating saws-all saw, and riding over the pot holed roads, have all caused my pacemaker to kick up my heart rate.  Doesn't hurt anything but it is annoying at times.  If I can grab the pacemeker and cause it to stop shaking it usually stops.  Since my other option without the pacemaker is being dead, I'll put up with the annoyance.  

Personally I feel you can start doing car restoration without too much worry.  The first few times you grab a large power tool will make you pause and wonder but when nothing happens you get on with your life.  If you're really concerned, just have someone around who can call 911 if need be.  What I got was the guy walking over and saying, "Are you OK?  You had the strangest look on your face!"  Like Sammy Davis Junior said, "If they don't kid you, they don't give a damn about you."  Besides, my wife said I was twice the husband, twice the mess, and one half the fun, and she needed me to get out of the house anyway.  

Hope everything else goes well for you.  
 

Great topic

by ePaul2018 - 2018-03-22 18:01:15

Great topic and responses, I am sure others would/will have similiar concerns at some point.

I used to weld, and had access to the equipment and a shop, but no longer due. I used to enjoy doing body work.

Welding

by Randy - 2018-03-22 21:08:17

Thanks for the collective wisdom shared!  Y'all are certainly right about Medtronic not giving an answer. As I haven't been cleared to lift until end of month I'll just piddle around and keep on formulating my plan of attack. 

Randy