Forgot

• by Theknotguy
• 2015-03-06 11:03:50
• General Posting
• 949 views
• 1 comments

Went down to the charity yesterday to work in the woodshop. The cut crew had left over 300 aprons for the tables. We're using Kreg Pocket Screws to attach the aprons to the table tops. So that meant someone would have to use the Kreg jigs and drill 600 pocket screw holes. Drilling the pocket screw holes is a lot easier if you have someone help put parts in and run the clamps. I had a student volunteer from one of the local schools to do that. The aprons run about two pounds apiece so that means you're throwing two pound pieces of wood around as well as a drill weighing about three pounds.

For drilling we use a DeWalt (Dw223G), 3/8" chuck drill drawing 7 amps with a 560 watt output, VSR drill running on 110 volts, AC. We were using a 1/2 inch pocket screw drill bit cutting into melamine. The drill generates some torque and a good EMF field while it's working.

About 100 aprons in my ribs that are still sore from CPR (DonR - 8 broken ribs? You had to be in a world of hurt!) really started to bother me and I switched over to my left arm. Didn't think a thing about it as I was concentrating more on using my body weight and gravity to help drill the holes. While it isn't hard work, you do get the heart rate up. Drop an apron in, clamp. drill two holes, unclamp, set off to the side, start next apron.

About another 50 aprons into the drilling I happened to think about my PM being on my left side and I was using my shoulder to help push the drill down. That meant I was leaning on a running electric motor and my PM was about a finger width away from the running motor.

Did a quick check to see if my PM was having hysterics or if it had dropped into maintenance mode. It hadn't. No funny feeling, not dizzy, just the nice, regular pulse as the PM was keeping up with the work load. Hmmm. Another warning about being close to electric fields that was more about caution than an actual warning.

My PM is a Medtronic, implanted in 2013. So it's one of the newer models.

While I don't advise that you go out and try this yourself. (Especially if you have an older PM.) It is nice to know you don't have to be as concerned about electric motors as is sometimes advised. Welcome news for those of us who like to get out in the woodshop and putter around.

Cheers