Hey dudes!

        Has anyone considered using arc welders as a source of strong UV
to erase eproms.  I don't mean a full 50kg arc welder, but using the same
concept of the spark it produces, and the UV from it.
    I built an EPROM programmer and I wanted to test it.  I was able to
test the readback function and did so sucessfully on many different
EPROMS.  Then when I wanted to test programming i realised i didn't
actually have a BLANK EPROM.  I don't have an eraser yet but i thought i
would try the arc welder in our workshop (I am too impatient to wait for
the sun to erase a chip).  I held an EPROM very close (about 5cm) to the
arc.  It erased alright, in about 5s of continuous arcing.
        Now i don't seem to be able to program it.  There are two
possibilities : I killed the EPROM or my programmer simply does not work.
        What I want to know is if this kind of UV is going to kill the
chip?  I don't really care about EPROM's but I am thinking of investing in
a window version '74 and was hoping to avoid buying an eraser, and waiting
for the chip to erase.  Obviously i would not risk a '74 just to save a
little time though.  Is what i am doing safe?


Thanks in advance,
David Lions