Trouble seeing the puddle

[gayler]

Any tips here? At times I am positioned just right and other times I can’t seem to find the right angle. Some say stick a headlamp on the helmet. Does this work?

 

[readhead]

Having employed lots of welders over the years this is what I have found. You may need glasses. If you have glasses the prescription may need to change to focus closer. Change the lens cover more often. If you have an auto hood check the darkness adjustment. If you have a fixed lens you might need to go to a lighter shade. Maybe a cheater lens in your hood is all you need.

 

[wayne55]

Along the lines of the headlamp, I have used the small Halogen lights that you can position to shine on the weld.

 

[readhead]

Some of the guys in my shop tried lights and complained that it would confuse the auto lens and cause flash burns. I know some who say it works .

 

[gayler]

I do wear glasses. I have an auto darken helmet. Me prescription is current. I’m going to try a Cheater lens. It just seems even on the lightest setting it’s still a little dark.

 

[readhead]

I wear glasses and I had to have my prescription changed to focus closer. Welding is different than reading a book.

 

[Earp69]

They make magnifiers that go behind the lense, try getting one of those, Ray Charles can even see the puddle with one of those

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[lakeroadster]

You don't have auto darkening lenses in your eye glasses do you? Those tend to self destruct when welding.... I learned that the hard way.

 

[bigguns69]

Reader safety glasses and a light...........

 

[gayler]

Thanks guys! I have also discovered with flux core wire I have to wipe the lens off often! I started getting flashed because the sensor got too dirty! After more practice I have learned to move around till the light hits just right.

 

[ilovevocs]

Get a pair of dollar store readers and pull your face away from the arc.

From my experience what’s happening is your eyes are bad and your putting your face too close to see, thus the dirty lense.

The issue surfaced for me a few years back and found the dollar store readers to be the best solution. Cheaters are just a pain in **** IMHO. Spent the money and never used it.

For some reason I also find myself memorized by the mig arc, it’s bright, but you have to remember to look past it and focus on the puddle.

I know this sounds stupid AF; but with SMAW I don’t find myself having the same problem.

 

[AMCguy]

I have an astigmatism in both eyes so my readers are prescription full lens. It's way better than trying to look through the small sweet spots on bifocals.

I'm right handed. I also like to push my gun right to left rather than pull it left to right.
This gives a much better view of the puddle.

Another thing I have started to do is make chalk marks on my work piece to better see where I want to be.

Glenn

 

[brewchief]

I could never really see the puddle until I got a GOOD auto darkening helmet, the difference between my old 40$ harbor freight helmet and my new Jackson truesight 2 absolutely amazed me. I get that dropping 300$ on a helmet isn't going to happen for everybody but if you get the chance to try different helmets do it and try to buy the best that you can.

 

[gayler]

I could never really see the puddle until I got a GOOD auto darkening helmet, the difference between my old 40$ harbor freight helmet and my new Jackson truesight 2 absolutely amazed me. I get that dropping 300$ on a helmet isn't going to happen for everybody but if you get the chance to try different helmets do it and try to buy the best that you can.

Yes too steep for me. What’s a good helmet with just a shaded lens cost?

 

[pi_guy]

I have the Miller and I also picked up the new wide lens one.
The only issue with large lens the cheaters lens need an adapter to fit. And the viewing area is only through cheater. As you get older the cheaters help. But there is no advantage to large lens if you use cheater lens.
A good helmet makes all the difference.

 

[e015475]

My solution

- speedglass autodarkening helmet

- 2x cheater lens

- PAIR of prescription glasses with a focal length of about 15". Told my optometrist what I was going to do with them

- 100W bulb in a table lamp with a gooseneck to illuminate the weld

 

[steel 35]

Gold lense, no glasses they cause a reflection that is worse with light from behind, cheater does not reflect as bad, lighting close to the weldment and not behind; desk lamp is my favorite.

 

[Lwel9226]

I do wear glasses. I have an auto darken helmet. Me prescription is current. I’m going to try a Cheater lens. It just seems even on the lightest setting it’s still a little dark.

Are your glasses bi-focal???? If they are try using single vision readers....
Bi-focals screw me up big time under my hood.....

LynnW

 

[Jazz1]

Optometrist told me as we have more birthdays we require more light to see as he pointed out my eyeglass prescription has not changed in 10 years.

 

[Sjfab]

Good auto darkening hood will help, I have a sentinel A50 and like it. I also have a pipeliner with a #9 gold lens. That’s just as good and a quarter of the price. Once you weld with a gold lens you won’t go back to the green.

 

[BORING HOP YARD]

I have also put a light cover over the back of my helmet when I'm Tig welding. Removing the all of the background light coming in the back of the helmet helped a bunch. I going to try a light next.
Its frustrating trying to see in the dark!

 

[matt_i]

What I found this week making up some pencil braces at work, was that I couldn't see what I was doing. Someone had switched the Speedglas setting up to Shade 13. When I backed off by 1 click (1 level...forget if thats a 12 or an 11) then everything was right-on again. Just pointing out that lightening up 1 shade (if thats possible) could really help.

 

[wretched73]

I have the cheap $34 HF autodarkening helmet and I just go the Vulcan helmet from HF.

The vulcan is a great helmet, I really like it. I can see everything perfectly.

 

[kkroger]

Some of the guys in my shop tried lights and complained that it would confuse the auto lens and cause flash burns. I know some who say it works .

Horse pucky may confuse the sensors but once the weld starts it will darken and you can't get a flash burn even if the auto didn't darken... it blocks UV anyway...

 

[gayler]

Are your glasses bi-focal???? If they are try using single vision readers....
Bi-focals screw me up big time under my hood.....

LynnW

I'm really screwed then! I have the progressive lens, and photo grey. I'm thinking about buying a cheap pair of reading glasses and give it a try.

 

[Bill50]

I wore my auto darkening glasses one day and I couldn't see a thing once the arc started. Had the wrong glasses on! I had a helmet from N. Tools could not see well got peod one day went to Lowes and bought there helmet. I could see!

 

[bimmer1980]

I debated about a new helmet this past winter. I was using the cheapie Harbor Freight auto-darkening that I got for $35 or $40. I determined that it was giving me arc flash due to the batteries going dead (yes, there are batteries in it even tho it has a solar panel on it) Since the batteries are soldered on, I didn't feel like wasting my time to dink with it....

Since I only do hobby stuff in the garage at the moment, I couldn't justify the full out Miller or Speedglas. I bought the Kobalt helmet from Lowes for $119. It is quite amazing. It has a large glass and very good visibility. I was amazed at how much better I could see the puddle and around the weld. I was pleased. I have already forgotten about the cost when I have the success of producing nice welds.......

Candidly, try a new helmet and see how much it changes......

 

[Capt Chrysler]

Ok, here is a different path. Couldn't weld for ****. Bought a new Miller 211.

New helmet.

New glasses.

Called a pipeline welder buddy. He said take off your glasses and try it! Seems I don't need anything in the 18"-2.5' range.

Even the old welder works now!!

Capt. Chrysler

 

[Showkey]

Large view helmet auto dim

Cheater magnifying lens glasses

Cover the back of the helmet so inside helmet is dark ( no back light)

Add portable halogen spot light on the Work surface.

 

[Lwel9226]

I'm really screwed then! I have the progressive lens, and photo grey. I'm thinking about buying a cheap pair of reading glasses and give it a try.

That will work.... I used single vision prescription safety glasses with photo grey when I was working and drugstore readers at home..... works good....
Did a lot of inside-outside work so the photo grey was helpful. Never noticed any problems
with it....
Now that I am retired the prescription ones are at home.....

LynnW

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I normally wear progressive bifocals. For my welding glasses I got the prescription flipped so the near vision part is at the top of the lens. Some 500 watt halogens on either side of the weld area helps too.

 

[gayler]

Thanks guys! Lots of good info. Next time I get to town I’m getting some reading glasses and a light.

 

[joe49]

If you are smoking up your lens you need to move your head back. Don't be breathing the fumes, and up close with your face gets you out of the normal reading focal range. As said your darkening classes are not helping. A #10 shade or even a #9 is all you need for small low amp welding.
http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/support/welding-solutions/Documents/weldinglenses.pdf

 

[chillrich]

Gold lense, no glasses they cause a reflection that is worse with light from behind, cheater does not reflect as bad, lighting close to the weldment and not behind; desk lamp is my favorite.

I have found this too, no glasses works best. I use a Lincoln Viking 3350 auto darkening for TIG.

 

[WhiskeyRanger]

More light on the work, less light inside the hood.

I've been pulling my hoodie up over the back of my helmet, but once I stop being lazy I'm going to get a cover to hang over the back to keep the light out. I've found that the reflection inside on the glass is by far the biggest problem seeing the puddle, with the lack of light on the workpiece being another. Reflections off your chest can also be a source of light causing reflections in the glass.

 

[Muggzy]

...
Another thing I have started to do is make chalk marks on my work piece to better see where I want to be.

Glenn

This sounds like a great idea that i'll have to try [emoji106]

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[metalfab]

I find most cheap and mid grade auto hoods do not have the best clarity compared to a fixed shade glass lens. I own both style of hoods but more often than not I end up using my fixed shade with glass shaded lens.

Philips safety gold lens has been my favorite so far. I prefer the big window hoods,4x5 but thats just my preference. Try a fixed shade hood with a good lense. I bet you will see the puddle much easier.

 

[jfrey123]

Yes too steep for me. What’s a good helmet with just a shaded lens cost?

You should be able to get into a helmet with fixed gold glass shade under $100. I tried to finish my first stick welding class with my HF autodark and eventually listened to the instructor and went fixed. Glass clarity is insanely better. I ended up preferring it for my wire feed at home too, just got good at positioning the gun before flipping the hood down to weld. I’ll eventually go with an expensive auto hood down the road but until then the fixed shade is my middle ground.

 

[joe49]

Starting with a fixed lens hood the easy way.
Mig
Point gun at wanted start point, touch nozzle to work, drop hood, press trigger, lift and go.
Tig
Touch tungsten at start point, bring rod in close, drop hood, lift tungsten and step on pedal.

 

[Kenstone1]

Just get some readers that are 0.5 to 1.0 diopter stronger(+) than your reading prescription.
This works because we all get our eyes closer than the "reading distance" of our glasses, making the work/weld blurry.
My reader prescription is +1.75 and my drug store welding readers that work for me are +2.50.
jmo

It'll only cost you about $10 to try this