Welding Tips and Tricks

Hey all,

I'm still very much a beginner and have done a bit of stick and TIG welding.
I've become more focused on TIG, however I have a question regarding what level of detail one should be able to see when welding with an auto darkening helmet.
My shade is set somewhere between 11 and 13 usually (although I hear this differs from brand to brand).
What I can see is the puddle (TIG) however I do not see the joint I'm welding very well.
Stick welding is a whole new problem. 6013 seems to be the weapon of choice in my area and I'm yet to know if I have ever seen the puddle through the slag.
Usually when I chip the slag off is the first time I know how a weld went or what it is actually attached to.
Should you see basically what Jody shows in his more recent arc shots? Or should you see more or less than this?
I took a screenshot from one of his videos to show what I am referring to exactly. Thanks for any advice in advance

I see just what your screen shot shows. Maybe a little more because I use a glass gas lens.

You should be able to distinguish the tip of the tungsten, shade will vary depending on welding amps and your eyesight

So if I am understanding correctly. I should see something similar to the screenshot (except an untidy weld )
The main difference maybe between the screenshot and what I should see is the tungsten tip, which in the video I'm sure is hard to capture.
I'm considering getting a better welding helmet as I have a rather cheap made in China one and I worry about its protection levels. The only problem is the availability of better ones here... I might try import a Lincoln 3350

Make sure you also have a good strong work-light where you are working illuminating the work piece when doing TIG.

It may seem odd with the intensity of the arc nearby but it helps a lot to see further ahead on the weld and keep you on track to actually weld the 2 bits together and not veer off somewhere

Depending on the auto dark you use you may need to play around a little with the positioning of the light so it doesn't trigger (or prevent it) too much from just the light.

A head/helmet-mount strong LED I find very useful for this purpose as it also works in more cramped conditions.

Depending on the size of things you work on and your eyes/age/etc. a cheater/magnification lense inside the helmet can also help make things a lot easier to follow especially for smaller things.

Bye, Arno.

Thanks for advice all! I was actually just thinking about using a headlamp this morning.
While reading the post on the work light I also realised that my roof light is slightly behind me so I might even be casting a shadow on the part. I will try all these things and also play with the shade settings a bit more.

Also, make sure you aren't getting light inside of the hood from a light behind you. The glare off of the inside of your lens will greatly reduce visibility.