WHEN YOU CAN'T WELD

rock_breaker

rock_breaker

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This is what I came up with to pull a stuck pin out of my backhoe because I can't weld due to having a pacemaker. The pin was actually pulled yesterday (10/24/21). The "puller" was made over several days due to medical stuff and colder weather.

This "puller" is 1.5" in diameter X 2" long. The large hole in the end is 1.008" id and approximately 1" deep, the 0.370" hole in the periphery goes through both sides of the 1.008" hole. The hinge pins on the hoe are 6" long and have 0.375" holes in each end for retention pins that keep the hinge pins from rotating. The left end in the picture is threaded 1/2" X 13 TPI approximately 1" long. A piece of "all thread" was run through my hollow porta power and a 6" long steel tube into the threads in the "puller", the porta power pushed against a piece of 1/2" scrap and 2 nuts (didn't want to strip the threads). A 0.370" od X 1.625" pin was put through the puller and the hinge pin.

As is typical in these situations I was wondering if I had enough porta power when the hinge pin made a popping noise and moved about 1/8", the rest is history.

My thanks to the members who suggested welding.

Have a good day
Ray
 

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Nice work, glad you were successful.

For what it’s worth, I also have a pacer, and I’ve never had an issue with arc welding. I like your pulling adapter better though.
 
I also have a pacer, the manufacturer simply states that arc welding must be kept below 160 amps or more than 2 feet from the pacer. Check with the maker of your specific model of pacer to check its limitations. I had to call and ask for industrial limitations to get the welding info. This specific of info is not in the owners manual.

I do use the oxy more often now that I have the pacer.
 
Thank you @Flyinfool. My shop is a repurposed wood frame house so any potential fire making activity is done outside, and up until last night (we finally had rain & sleet) we are in a severe drought situation so using a torch requires spraying the area with potable water now. We ran out of irrigation water in July of this year. I will check with the St. Jude people about this.
Have a good day
Ray
 
Boston Sci gives this generic advice:


And this from St Jude

"Effects of Arc Welding on St. Jude Medical Implantable
Cardiac Rhythm Devices
Background
Electric arc welding produces intense electrical and magnetic fields that can affect the function
of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). This interference is caused by
the device sensing extraneous signals from the welding equipment that have characteristics
mimicking cardiac activity. While electromagnetic interference (EMI) from arc welding equipment
will not damage the implanted device, it can inhibit pacing, trigger the device’s noise response
(typically leading to asynchronous pacing), or produce inadvertent antitachycardia pacing,
cardioversion or defibrillation therapies. These effects are temporary, and will cease when the
patient turns off or moves away from the arc welding equipment.
Pacemakers and ICDs programmed to a bipolar sensing configuration are less likely to be
affected by such extraneous interference than those programmed to unipolar sensing.
Many patients with St. Jude Medical devices use or have been in close proximity to electric
welders with no apparent problems. In addition, several reports have documented the absence
of interference when patients with ICDs used arc welding machines. However, we cannot
guarantee that a patient will not experience device interference associated with arc welding."

I think this is an important subject since it could affect many of us going forward. I plan to weld until I can't see!

Robert
 
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That is why I said to check your specific make and model of pacer. They all have different recommendations.

My pacer also has specific info for surface grinders. Waving a magnet over my pacer is how it gets turned on and off. A magnetic chuck could be turning me on and off as it goes back and forth.
 
Thanks.@ Gunsofnavarron, as it turns out the young man leasing the farm is a former welding instructor so if need be I can lean on him. Your response has brought two things to mind however. 1. This website was founded so that machinists of any sklill level can help each other. 2. When it comes to safety good information and advice is passed on. I thank the membership for that.
Have a good day
Ray
 
Flyinfool said:
That is why I said to check your specific make and model of pacer. They all have different recommendations.

My pacer also has specific info for surface grinders. Waving a magnet over my pacer is how it gets turned on and off. A magnetic chuck could be turning me on and off as it goes back and forth.
Click to expand...
Magnetic chucks always turn me on!
Robert
 
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