Welding Tips and Tricks

Greetings everyone. I have been having a hard time seeing what I'm doing when welding lately even with new glasses I had made for the purpose. I just got a new Miller digital elite helmet, and by setting the shade to 8 I can see fairly well. I am doing MIG, TIG, and stick but mostly MIG lately. I know this is lighter than recommended. I need some advice here, how harmful is this? After welding this way for a couple hours earlier today, my eyes still feel fine. If you made it this far, thanks for putting up with my rambling
Cheers.
-Eldon

Eldon,
Keep in mind, a welding helmet is designed to block the ultraviolet rays no matter the shade so technically you will be fine from damage. However, the light alone can/could cause damage with prolonged exposure. This is what you need to watch out for. If you see spots after you weld you are not dark enough. If you are using all processes with a 8 I would have to guess something might be wrong. Also keep in mind that as per OSHA you might not be out of the recommended shade based on your potential amperage. The obvious would be your clear lens but I would assume you know that already. I did have a co-worker once claim they couldn't see through their helmet and I flipped it over to discover a clear lens that was not so clear anymore. I would have to guess it revolves around your glasses.
-Jonathan

Jonathan, thanks for the reply. I have tried with and without my glasses. I can definitely do a better job with them on when I TIG but they don't seem to help at all when I MIG. I can stick weld fine with the shade on 11. My biggest problem is not in seeing the weld puddle and right around it, I just can't see anything else and I think I'm making a straight bead and I end up way off from where I thought I was. I had a thorough eye exam a month ago and other than being a tad near sighted and having astigmatism, my eyes are healthy. This is a fairly recent problem for me. I wonder if I just need better light in my shop.
Thanks.
-Eldon

If the helmet is new I would take a good look at it. Do you have a welding friend that can run a bead or two through it to see if he/she thinks something is up? This would be my next guess as the helmet and glasses seem to be your variables. I personally do not think the lighting will make or break your ability to see your welds. If you can't see a arc set on shade 8 I can't say it is your lighting. On a side note, better lighting in your shop is never a bad thing. I have three lights from our shop in the garage that are designed for high ceilings and you can feel a little heat from them for sure. Very bright.
-Jonathan

Jonathan, I just bought the Miller helmet this week to rule that variable out. I have three auto-dark helmets now as well as an old-school Huntsman with a shade 11 gold lens. I have the same issues using any one of them. I welded all thru the 80s and 90s and never had these problems. I took about a 12 year hiatus after being injured and retiring, and now that I'm getting back into little welding projects I am getting rather frustrated that for whatever reason I am having such trouble. I may just need to spend a bit more time getting used to the new glasses. Only thing that's certain is that I'm too stubborn to give up. I will get to the bottom of this problem.
Thanks.
-Eldon

My eyes are failing rather quickly. Using my tablet to talk to you not hurts my eyes and I have had a headache all day. Headaches and watering, hurting eyes have become common for me lately. Words are becoming blurry. I see welds differently and am more sensitive to the light. I believe I need glasses or something. Will be visiting the eye doctor after the first of the year. I had hoped my eye sight would have lasted longer than this. I believe I am landing in the same boat as you my friend. Sucks growing old and I am only 28
-Jonathan

Yep. growing old ain't for sissies.
It sure beats the alternative though. Good luck with your eye doc and all.
Merry Christmas and whatnot.
Cheers.
-Eldon

First off, shade 8 is quite a light shade for mig and stick welding..... I would think 10 at the minimum.

Second off, I've tried two Digital elites, and hated both of them.

Third off, check your clear lens for a peel off plastic wrapper, like saran wrap

AKweldshop wrote:
Second off, I've tried two Digital elites, and hated both of them.

What did you hate about the digital elites? I was thinking of buying one because they went down to shade 8. I have a lot of trouble seeing on low amperage DC tig. Also, my other helmets don't always darken immediately while tig welding.

As to the original post, my eyes certainly aren't what they used to be. I have found the best solution for me is a magnifier lens in my helmet.

Didn't anybody tell you guys when you were younger to stop doing that or you'll go blind? When my older brother told me that I said, " Hey Ron, I'm over here".

Len

Braehill wrote:Didn't anybody tell you guys when you were younger to stop doing that or you'll go blind? When my older brother told me that I said, " Hey Ron, I'm over here".

Len

I always thought it was OK to do that until you needed glasses.

I wear glasses with bifocals so who am I to judge.

Len


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Last time I went for my annual physical my doctor told me I had to quit masterbating and when I asked him why he said,"I am trying to give an exam here".

Len

xwrench - are you wearing closeup lenses? (cheaters/readers)? And if so, are they set for the right distance? (meaning, if say 2.0 diopters would be right for welding distance, are you earing 2.0 and not 1.0 or 3.0?)

a reason this might matter is that how much light you need to see well rises with focus difficulties... so if you have the wrong correction for welding distance in your glasses, that could cause some grief.

so len
your saying you can't hardly turn a door knob with your left hand but can
crush a Volkswagen with your right??? lol
craig

Craig, I'm left handed so we'll just reverse those.

Sorry Eldon, I did it again, right in the ditch, it hard for me to stay between the lines most days.

Len

eldon
my 68yr old eyes aren't great and i use 2.50 insert
because i can't deal with glasses moving if i work
out of position . seems i have to find my focus point
before a start to weld or i loose sight of the puddle.
head position to the work is so much more critical then
when i didn't need glasses. and also a well lit area
really help me.
craig

Braehill wrote:Last time I went for my annual physical my doctor told me I had to quit masterbating and when I asked him why he said,"I am trying to give an exam here".

Len

Did I read in another post that you have a Digital Elite? If so, how do you like it? Is it a good helmet for those of us that have knowingly messed up our eyes?

Superiorwelding wrote:My eyes are failing rather quickly. Using my tablet to talk to you not hurts my eyes and I have had a headache all day. Headaches and watering, hurting eyes have become common for me lately. Words are becoming blurry. I see welds differently and am more sensitive to the light. I believe I need glasses or something. Will be visiting the eye doctor after the first of the year. I had hoped my eye sight would have lasted longer than this. I believe I am landing in the same boat as you my friend. Sucks growing old and I am only 28
-Jonathan

Thing is, Jonathan, you might find your eyes change a lot over a year or two, then don't change any more for years. Mine took a slump just after I turned 40, haven't got any worse since. Same thing happened to a work colleague at about 25 years old. So don't panic, get a pair of prescription glasses, avoid flashes, don't tack without the shield down, and above all, avoid everyone else's stray arcs. Oh, and sunglasses when it's a bright day. You have to get religious about that kind of thing if you want to avoid e old "I wish I'd..." syndrome.

450dualsport wrote:

AKweldshop wrote:
Second off, I've tried two Digital elites, and hated both of them.

What did you hate about the digital elites? I was thinking of buying one because they went down to shade 8. I have a lot of trouble seeing on low amperage DC tig. Also, my other helmets don't always darken immediately while tig welding.

As to the original post, my eyes certainly aren't what they used to be. I have found the best solution for me is a magnifier lens in my helmet.

Headgear was very poor.
Put a Jackson 370 in and you'll have atleast a comfortable helmet.

The other thing was the clarity....
Very poor by my standards.

But remember, just because I have a weldmonger status, and a large post count, doesn't make my opinion worth more then anyone else's....

Thanks. I have read some negative feedback about the headgear. Hadn't heard anything about clarity. Good to know....

450dualsport wrote:Thanks. I have read some negative feedback about the headgear. Hadn't heard anything about clarity. Good to know....

It might be good for some. Undoubtably....
But I'm a picky person when it comes to lens.
I prefer fixed shade.

I have a box of about 50 different glass and plastic lens, big and small.
Every now and then I go thru them, and weld a little with each, with different process's. Just to find the best one for the job I'm doing.

My opinion is worth what it's costing you.

Merry Christmas man.

Merry Christmas to you too and all the best for the New Year!

So far I'm finding the digital elite to be very comfortable on my oversized noggin. After spending today experimenting and getting a little more used to my new glasses, I've been able to achieve satisfactory results with the shade on 9. I think getting used to my glasses was the key.
Cheers.
-Eldon

450dualsport wrote:Merry Christmas to you too and all the best for the New Year!

Hey,
One other thing.
I finally got to use a Digital Elite doing some tig welding.

It was pretty good.

Poor for mig *duelshield *and stick tho.