I spent most of the day yesterday electropouncing patterns for an upcoming wall lettering job.
It just occured to me that perhaps I should have been wearing eye protection?
Since that light is so bright...any info on this?
Adrienne
Posted by Luke Scanlan (Member # 2481) on :
This could be a shocking experience! Check with an Optometrist? I don't usually look directly at the light. I'm usually watching the "road" ahead. It is a good point. I have thought the same thing myself. If you've ever done any welding, & gotten flash burn, you'd know what real eye pain is about! Not fun. Haven't gotten that from my electropounce yet.
Posted by Monte Jumper (Member # 1106) on :
Never had or heard of problems from the light...but here's some things you do need to watch for.
Wet shoes will knock you down.
Graphite on the edge of a yard stick will lite you up when you least expect it.
And never... I mean never get your belt buckle against the table while pouncing.
After a few of these experiences I went back to the pounce wheel...I love my pounce wheel...it never shocks me...it always goes where I tell it and the patterns are cleaner.
Just my opinion of course...take it for what its worth!
Posted by jon peterman (Member # 528) on :
Monte,
do you want to sell your electropounce?
jon
Posted by David Wright (Member # 111) on :
I have never made my peace with electricity. For the little pouncing I do, the pounce wheel is just fine. I wondering where the jolt goes from that belt buckle Monte.
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
NEVER look directly at the spark from an elecropounce!!!!!!!!! It is an arc...same as the one produced by a welder! Ever see a welder work without a helmet? Trus, it is not as intense, BUT a full day of it and you will have sunburned eyeballs!!!!!!!!!!
You should be wearing something like "blue blocker" glasses, to cut down the intense UV rays!
PS NEVER use a metal ruler with an elecrtpounce! Posted by AdrienneMorgan (Member # 1046) on :
I took off all my gold and silver jewelry....but it wasn't until I thought about it later that I realized I was looking at a small version of an arc.........and NOT looking at it? It's too sparkly and pretty not to!!
"It's indescribably beautiful..it reminds me of the fourth of July..."
Well...I hope I didn't do any permanent damage...
If I go blind I'll just tell my parents....
"it was..........soap.....poisoning"
A:)
Posted by Monte Jumper (Member # 1106) on :
Sorry John the electropounce is long gone. :)for all the reasons stated above and some I didn't tell about. lol
Posted by david drane (Member # 507) on :
Many years ago a signie friend of mine came back from the states with one of those fancy electric pouncing tools. what he didn't realise was that he had a steel hip replacement and when he got zapped his leg flew up and nearly knocked his eye out. Posted by Joey Madden (Member # 1192) on :
Ever get sunburn while driving your car in 100 degree weather with the windows up and the A/C on?
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
Yes there are risks with using the Electropounce, as with most driving. I've never know of anyone being injured by the occassional use of this tool. I've been using it since the late sixties. I remember buying it and bringing it into the shop where I worked and the glare from my co workers was stronger than that from the tip of the perforator. After a couple days, one by one, everyone tried it and soon they all became dependant on it. We all still kept that bump on the first digit of our middle finger, but we liked the new fast method that required no sanding. You could wear sunglasses, but I know of no eye damage from that small amount of white light. I know of no one ever hurt by the shock from this tool either. I have two prosthetic hips and have not found them affected by the occassional shock.
Posted by FranCisco Vargas (Member # 145) on :
I also have an electro pounce machine, and one sheet metal wall, where I blow up patterns and pounce. I had it for over 20 years, can't say it has ruined my eyes, but then again I didn't use it everyday of those twenty. But yes getting zapped on it now and then will wake you up out of what ever you was thinking at the time of working with it. Even still I wouldn't want to be with out it. Everytime I hear about pounce machines, I remember the first time I got zapped! I thought it was a shocker, till the guy who I used to work for told me when he draws he has a habit of wetting his pencil with his tongue, he said he was pouncing away and drifted off thinking he had a pencil in his hand!! YIKES!! A pounce wheel is a must for your tool box, you just never know when you might need one on the job site. Also carry a piece of sand paper. What I like now is the pounce tool on my plotter, saves lot of time to let the machine pounce your patterns. I wouldn't worry to much about the machine on your eyes Adrienne, unless like they said if you work on it for a ton of hours, to me that would be...blowing up your patterns and pouncing in the dark.
Posted by aaronssigns (Member # 490) on :
hey Adrienne! you will just fine if you dont just stand there triping on the colors man!
Posted by AdrienneMorgan (Member # 1046) on :
Nice to see you have gone from lurker statis to poster statis Aaron!!
I did notice difficulty focusing yesterday (with my eyes, not just in general) And they felt irritable (again, my eyes, not just me) But they say it will go away in a day or two.
And, Cisco, I was thinking the same thing in regards to those who habitually touch pencils to thier tongues!!!
Just a reminder to think about safety in all things we do.
A:)
Posted by Stephen Deveau (Member # 1305) on :
I am getting lots of laughs on this post. It reminds me of the days before the portable Electro Pounce units.
We had a wall covered in sheet metal and use to rig up a Neon Transformer with wire to a broom handle (6") that was drilled out in the centre.
The perforating needle was a 9" spike and as much electrical tape you could wrap around the grip.
I tell you never jump the wooden yardstick with this puppy as it put you flat on your AZZZZZZ!
I think we all need a little shock treatment once in awhile HA!HA! to remind us why we are in this business......
LOL Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
The first electric perforators I used were made from big ballasts with a rheostadt to adjust the rate at which you wanted to ignite the paper. I used to wonder if shops would burn down because of a pattern turning wild and calling all of his cousins that were rolled up nearby. Never did hear of a shop lost because of this, but I sure burned some patterns up.
Posted by Chuck Peterson (Member # 70) on :
I used to know a guy who had a shop downtown who was broken into a couple of times. He said since he connected the Electro pounce to his window screens at night he never had a break-in. Since I haven't tested this suggested tip, I cannot assume responsibility for its validity.
Posted by Mike Languein (Member # 319) on :
I've been using one for years and I have noticed some vision trouble -- then again my mom told me this would happen if I didn't quit ---- uh ---- oh, never mind.
Posted by Kent Smith (Member # 251) on :
I touched my metal frame glasses once for a real shocker. We used to tell the new helpers that you had to use a metal rule so it would not burn up...good for a laugh or two and relatively harmless shock. Even a homemade one out of a 15,000 volt transformer won't kill you with a single zap. I checked the light output with a meter and at one foot it registered roughly the same as my high resolutiuon monitor. Think about that.
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