Welding Tips and Tricks

Spent several hours with one of the other members on the forum from PA. Had a great time, learned some history and learned how things are made. Also got to use his passive hood while welding aluminum for a "new" experience.
Thanks for your time, Buggy and yes I did get the lenses. Just getting around to work with the hood. Been workin on some cars...the ones without all the electronic crap
News at 11.

Sounds good Bill, will be watching for those instagram welds from the keystone state

It was great meeting you Bill. I learned quite a few things myself.

I'm going to stick with those cars that have all that electronic nonsense. I owned a bunch of them without and much happier with the ones that tell me what's wrong.

Come on BillE, you gotta fess up and tell us the full story on those lenses...looks like you bought one.

without a doubt I started out with passive lenses. My "kid" brother got me onto auto darkening and got hooked on one, BUT, with aging eyes, started to "loose" sight of the surface of the material and where I was wanting to go with the puddle. Got the invite from buggy and he had me use his passive lens hood and I could see where I was, where I am and where I wanted to go. i ordered a set of lenses from Phillips, the green and super magenta, slammed them into an old jackson hood and somehow they remove the GLARE that I've been suffering from.
When I first spoke to Phillips I got a guy who must have been getting over too much wine/whine for the weekend but ordered the lenses anyway. I don't know IF it makes a difference of how the lenses are stacked to obtain protection but will experiment today.
Still have to learn how to post pictures.
As far as the old cars, buggy, I can figure out the problems. We aren't making quite as much controlled horse power as your little scooter, but it's more fun for an old guy...

As a side note,,,the folks and the info they present on this forum are GREAT...I learned some tips thru a phone call and did reciprocate by offering info thru a phone call. Haven't heard back from the person I helped so I assume (bad word) he is doing well.

Glad to hear you can see better with it bill, I can tell you it's night and day for me. LtBadd above said that he got a set but he's got the super magenta lens in an auto darkening helmet. He's not particularly impressed, so clearly it's not for everyone. I figured for sure it would work well with the auto darkening lens but perhaps there is something different when you try to lower the shade that low like to a number 6, and many LCD helmets won't do that. I know my Hobart pro has a grinder setting which is about what my number six is and that is nice but it's not quite like the optical glass lenses. I ca. See a lot more peripheral area though. Too bad my Hobart helmet has no place to put the magenta lens. I would probably still be using it if it did. I'm perfectly fine with going old school though, it seems like every week we ever thread on here about somebody getting flashed with their auto darkening helmet not working. Mine never fails. LOL

BugHunter wrote:Glad to hear you can see better with it bill, I can tell you it's night and day for me. LtBadd above said that he got a set but he's got the super magenta lens in an auto darkening helmet. He's not particularly impressed, so clearly it's not for everyone. I figured ............................................ Mine never fails. LOL

An Optrel rep at a 2017 show told me that they do a blue filter lens; they didn't have one on the stand, but IIRC he said it was a
plastic add-in type. I didn't follow-up as I was looking for blue passive glass lens.

I just found this site, it may be useful for those of us who suffer from vision problems ; http://www.opticoolweldinglens.com/

I once used a helmet with a lens that gave the Arctic Blue vision, it made welding a pleasure. I was told blue lens were no longer made.........................

PS : check this out ; https://www.facebook.com/opticoolweldinglens/

I haven't heard that the colored, particularly blue, lenses were discontinued. On the phillips site they are still showing the blue lens as available, stateside anyway.
I did try changing the way the lenses are stacked in the helmet. What I did notice is when the magenta is inside, there seems to be more reflection from behind. Have not gone back to the green in the back, but probably will. Also have to get new head gear for the old jackson.
with all of this humidity, I'm wondering IF I could set this helmet as water cooled...wireless.

kiwi2wheels wrote: I just found this site, it may be useful for those of us who suffer from vision problems ; http://www.opticoolweldinglens.com/

Damn, even with a 25% discount I got taken, wish I had this link a few weeks ago...(I bought from Phillips Safety)

LtBadd wrote:Damn, even with a 25% discount I got taken, wish I had this link a few weeks ago...(I bought from Phillips Safety)

Richard,

Are you sure? Look at the Tig lenses, those are $125.

For what they call Arc Welding lenses they're cheap, but look under the 2-pc glass specialty lens where they have Tig and Mig.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

LtBadd wrote:Damn, even with a 25% discount I got taken, wish I had this link a few weeks ago...(I bought from Phillips Safety)

Richard,

Are you sure? Look at the Tig lenses, those are $125.

For what they call Arc Welding lenses they're cheap, but look under the 2-pc glass specialty lens where they have Tig and Mig.

The Bold Gold and Wild White look good to me at under $100. How do these compare to the mythical Phillips Safety lenses?

v5cvbb wrote:

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

LtBadd wrote:Damn, even with a 25% discount I got taken, wish I had this link a few weeks ago...(I bought from Phillips Safety)

Richard,

Are you sure? Look at the Tig lenses, those are $125.

For what they call Arc Welding lenses they're cheap, but look under the 2-pc glass specialty lens where they have Tig and Mig.

Yup, looks like they cost more on that site than on PS, and that's hard to imagine.

The Bold Gold and Wild White look good to me at under $100. How do these compare to the mythical Phillips Safety lenses?

No idea. I like the ones I have but they're a bit pricey for me to just try everyones lenses out.
I would like to try the Gold lens, but till I find myself unhappy with the one I've got, I think that can wait.

I would also add that on that site linked above, they don't have anything comparable to the 6 Shade + Filter that I use. I have an 8 and that's too dark imho. BillEDee used mine at 150+ amps and on alum, with a furic cup. At no point did he say anything was too bright. Quite the opposite actually.

I'll likely stick with my adjustable auto hoods until I try something in person that is better.

Thanks for the info.

V5,,, I do find that I can see all around the area where I'm welding and not just the dime area near the puddle and that's what I like. I suppose that makes me nosie. When I spoke to needle weiner at phillips he told me there was a 30 return if ya don't like the lens. OR .. you can take a road trip like I did. Right now it's hot and humid up here. OR .. I have enough room for a chinook to land in front lawn..

I bought the Phillips drop in magenta filter (not lens), that's what I was referring too in regards to price.

You are right about the cost, Richard. I don't know IF that other site is comparable to the phillips filter or not. Phillips does call their magenta ... SUPER ... either it's really great or they left the other p out and it's supper ... eat the cost.

BillE.Dee wrote:I haven't heard that the colored, particularly blue, lenses were discontinued. On the phillips site they are still showing the blue lens as available, stateside anyway.
I did try changing the way the lenses are stacked in the helmet. What I did notice is when the magenta is inside, there seems to be more reflection from behind. Have not gone back to the green in the back, but probably will. Also have to get new head gear for the old jackson.
with all of this humidity, I'm wondering IF I could set this helmet as water cooled...wireless.

I'd given up looking for blue lens until Bug Hunter came up with the Phillips, as I'd heard from several people they were no longer available. Which several in the commentators here also said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2mSk8fSmno

Re your lens stacking, one rep did mention that replacing plastic clear cover lens with glass could improve vision. As I have no access to a machine currently, I can't comment.

LtBadd wrote:I bought the Phillips drop in magenta filter (not lens), that's what I was referring too in regards to price.

The one you got should have been $79.00, less the discount if you took that. If you're referring to the 4x5 lens, that site linked above doesn't even offer it in that size. Only the half-lens.

BugHunter wrote:

LtBadd wrote:I bought the Phillips drop in magenta filter (not lens), that's what I was referring too in regards to price.

The one you got should have been $79.00, less the discount if you took that. If you're referring to the 4x5 lens, that site linked above doesn't even offer it in that size. Only the half-lens.

This is what I was referring to as far as price comparison, found on THIS page

So why does a two-by-four on their own page cost either $30 or $120? I don't doubt for a minute I got ripped off. I'm still happy with it. It was still less than my Hobart helmet that eats a set of batteries literally every single day.

BugHunter wrote:So why does a two-by-four on their own page cost either $30 or $120?

Can you post a link to the $120 option? Are you looking at the purple or something else?

What in the world are y'all getting into with these filters, etc?....

LtBadd wrote:Can you post a link to the $120 option? Are you looking at the purple or something else?

I was referring to the link kiwi posted above which you quoted.

After I clicked that I chose magenta Madness in the lower left when it cycled to that link. That took me here where they pretty much look like they're as expensive as anywhere else. http://www.opticoolweldinglens.com/tig- ... trast.html

Spartan wrote:What in the world are y'all getting into with these filters, etc?....

What good is the internet if you can't buy a little snake oil and some elixirs from time to time?