Welding and Macular Degeration

[oosik]

This thread reminds me of a situation I experienced well over forty years ago. We were vacationing on the Oregon coast and visited a glass working shop. It was owned and operated by a couple about our age. I was completely taken and fascinated by what they could do with glass. I noticed that both the husband and wife had a "sunburned" facial appearance. The wife explained that it was due to exposure to the glass furnace.

She then shocked the heck out of me by saying - - "take a good look at my eyes". She removed her dark goggles and it was VERY obvious that she had damage of a type. She said it was due to years of glass working and not having the proper eye protection.

That was forty plus years ago and it is still fresh in my mind as if it were yesterday.

 

[Sebculb]

Seb, in answer to your question, my Macular Degeneration is not the result of welding, working, or doing other stupid stuff. Early on, I asked my peep guy 層hat could I shoulda, coulda,woulda done to prevent the condition. His reply: You should have had better parents. Well, guess what. My paternal Grandmother had the condition and so did my father so somewhere there is a glitch in the gene pool. My father was on only son and I am an only son so there痴 not much opportunity to figure out where or how far back the issue began.
The treatment technology is light years ahead of the last two generations so I cling to the hope some bespectacled geeky guy in a white coat will find a cure.

B. John

Well, thanks for the information at least. I'm sure you had fabulous parents, the genetic issues are hardly their fault. Good luck with all of it.

Sebastian

 

[stuckmotor]

I think it was in the early eighties when I took a rusted out exhaust manifold to the local welding shop. The owner said it should be welded with gas but, he was on another job, so, he asked a very old welder who I think was just hanging around the shop to make the weld. I'm not sure exactly what his eye problem was but he had a hard time seeing what he was doing. He took a torch, a flat stick of filler, and some flux and welded up the manifold. He said he couldn't see well enough to tell whether he had done a satisfactory repair and asked me to check his work. It looked good to me and I was thankful for his help. The weld was holding when I let water get into muffler and give me the name stuckmotor.

 

[Budweiser John]

Sebastian, thank you. My late mom and dad were the greatest. I was blessed with wonderful parents. Now married to a special wife for nearly 52 years, two successful married kids with loving spouses and two lovely grand daughters.
Life is good despite the declining eyesight, but I sure do miss my former independence.

B. John

 

[Budweiser John]

Stuckmotor, that’s a great story.
Over the years working in the building trades, I met some truly amazing guys with disabilities, mostly hand injuries or missing fingers who could simply ‘getter done’. Gotta say there were some pretty creative cold weather hand protection attire.
Not many places sell gloves with only three or four fingers.

B. John

 

[cqaigy2]

This thread reminds me of a situation I experienced well over forty years ago. We were vacationing on the Oregon coast and visited a glass working shop. It was owned and operated by a couple about our age. I was completely taken and fascinated by what they could do with glass. I noticed that both the husband and wife had a "sunburned" facial appearance. The wife explained that it was due to exposure to the glass furnace.

She then shocked the heck out of me by saying - - "take a good look at my eyes". She removed her dark goggles and it was VERY obvious that she had damage of a type. She said it was due to years of glass working and not having the proper eye protection.

That was forty plus years ago and it is still fresh in my mind as if it were yesterday.

Infrared can speed up the generation of cataracts.

 

[IchabodCrayne]

When the eyes begin to fail as mine are also, give up the mig welder and go back to stick. I was welding in a manufacturing plant and even with 2.5 diopter couldn't see weld puddle well enough anymore. I find I can still stick weld as I can "feel" what's happening with the process.

 

[cqaigy2]

When the eyes begin to fail as mine are also, give up the mig welder and go back to stick. I was welding in a manufacturing plant and even with 2.5 diopter couldn't see weld puddle well enough anymore. I find I can still stick weld as I can "feel" what's happening with the process.

and hear if the arc sounds right.

 

[stuckmotor]

B. John,
I'm glad you enjoyed my story. I think about the old welder every so often. The shop owner passed away several years ago and I really miss him.