I accidently used a face shield rather then my welding helmet and started to mig weld. It took a flash for about 2 seconds for me to realize I had the wrong helmet. I don't have any burning in my eyes yet still I'm concerned what damage it may have caused. I had no UV protection. Just a polycarbonate lens from the face shield.
Welding eye arc?
- Thread starter wazzabie
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Tinner
Well-known member
You'll most likely be fine, Your face shield may have some UV protection, same with glasses, if you were wearing any. Either way, while you want to avoid this type of thing, it happens. The Home for The Blind isn't filled with welders who took a flash for a second or two. Relax and be careful.
You took 2 seconds of raw welding arc? Nothing to worry about....
When I was 14 years old I decided to teach myself how to weld one day. I went into my dads welding booth when nobody else was around and figured out how to turn the stick welder on..... Long story short, I decided I couldn't see through the lens on the welding helmet so I just took the helmet off went about welding with NO HELMET and my eyes were wide open the entire time. I spent the next 10-15 minutes screwing around in the welding booth. I probably took at least one full minute of actual "arc" time. (probably longer) I went outside after I finished welding and everything was fine except the clear glass headlights on all the cars in the parking lot (this is back when cars had glass headlight bulbs) all appeared a yellowish orange to me. It was a bright sunny day outside and all clear glass headlight bulbs looked yellowish /orange. Everything else was normal color......
About 3 or 4 hours later the pain set in. My eyes started watering uncontrollably and they felt like they were full of sand. I went to the emergency room that night and they did a bunch of tests. They said I had severe "sunburn" on both eyeballs. They gave me two different types of eye drops to help with pain, and to help heal the burn. One of the eye drops wasn't really a "drop" it was more like Vaseline in a small squeeze tube. I had to pull my lower eyelid down and lay a "bead" across the entire width of my inner eyelids. It was like putting grease into my eyes. It caused my vision to go blurry until the stuff got diluted enough from watering eyes.
The outcome: Once the "sunburn" healed (in a few days) everything was back to normal. It did NOT cause any permanent damage to my vision.
Getting metal shavings into my eye and then having the rust removed from the surface of my eyeball with the medical version of a Dremel Tool was probably worse than the welding burn..... and I've had this done several times in my life.
On a side note: My eyes now seem VERY sensitive to welding flash. A normal welding helmet is usually not good enough for me. Even the welding flash that reflects off the walls in the shop and back into the BACK SIDE of my helmet can cause my eyes to burn and itch. If I can see any blue light reflecting back into the back side of my helmet, I either need to stop welding, or put something over the back of my head to block out that blue light.
When I was 14 years old I decided to teach myself how to weld one day. I went into my dads welding booth when nobody else was around and figured out how to turn the stick welder on..... Long story short, I decided I couldn't see through the lens on the welding helmet so I just took the helmet off went about welding with NO HELMET and my eyes were wide open the entire time. I spent the next 10-15 minutes screwing around in the welding booth. I probably took at least one full minute of actual "arc" time. (probably longer) I went outside after I finished welding and everything was fine except the clear glass headlights on all the cars in the parking lot (this is back when cars had glass headlight bulbs) all appeared a yellowish orange to me. It was a bright sunny day outside and all clear glass headlight bulbs looked yellowish /orange. Everything else was normal color......
About 3 or 4 hours later the pain set in. My eyes started watering uncontrollably and they felt like they were full of sand. I went to the emergency room that night and they did a bunch of tests. They said I had severe "sunburn" on both eyeballs. They gave me two different types of eye drops to help with pain, and to help heal the burn. One of the eye drops wasn't really a "drop" it was more like Vaseline in a small squeeze tube. I had to pull my lower eyelid down and lay a "bead" across the entire width of my inner eyelids. It was like putting grease into my eyes. It caused my vision to go blurry until the stuff got diluted enough from watering eyes.
The outcome: Once the "sunburn" healed (in a few days) everything was back to normal. It did NOT cause any permanent damage to my vision.
Getting metal shavings into my eye and then having the rust removed from the surface of my eyeball with the medical version of a Dremel Tool was probably worse than the welding burn..... and I've had this done several times in my life.
On a side note: My eyes now seem VERY sensitive to welding flash. A normal welding helmet is usually not good enough for me. Even the welding flash that reflects off the walls in the shop and back into the BACK SIDE of my helmet can cause my eyes to burn and itch. If I can see any blue light reflecting back into the back side of my helmet, I either need to stop welding, or put something over the back of my head to block out that blue light.
Just google welders flash ?
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Musky_Hunter
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Potato slices over the eyes if you start to feel like you have sand in them.
AldeanFan
Well-known member
I once got a flash when someone adjusted the setting a on my helmet to “help” me out.
It felt like I had sand in my eyes the next day but after that I was fine and no lasting effects.
It felt like I had sand in my eyes the next day but after that I was fine and no lasting effects.
dr_clyde
Well-known member
You're gonna be just fine. A few seconds isn't a big deal, and your face shield stopped most of the UV.
I would ALWAYS recommend safety glasses in the shop for just these reasons, the clear polycarbonate protects your eyes from stray UV light as well as particulates. Side shields are important if you're working NEXT to welders.
I once spent a few hours working next to one of my guys who was MIG welding and my prescription safety glasses were broken so I was just using my regular specs. Didn't think anything of it until that night when I couldn't fall asleep, felt like I had grit in my eye.
UV is the real danger of welding, so its worth taking some safety precautions.
I would ALWAYS recommend safety glasses in the shop for just these reasons, the clear polycarbonate protects your eyes from stray UV light as well as particulates. Side shields are important if you're working NEXT to welders.
I once spent a few hours working next to one of my guys who was MIG welding and my prescription safety glasses were broken so I was just using my regular specs. Didn't think anything of it until that night when I couldn't fall asleep, felt like I had grit in my eye.
UV is the real danger of welding, so its worth taking some safety precautions.
K13
Well-known member
Auto darkening helmets that meet ANSI Z87.1 (which the good one all do) provide full UV protection regardless of the shade coming on. The shade provides reduced strain on your eyes from the bright light not the UV protection.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I have a bridge for sale that you might like...
This:
Pretty much every auto-darkening welding helmet is still safe if they don't come on.
Even a lot of regular safety glasses and face shields will protect from the UV that does the damage. A 2 second blip behind a face shield is not going to permanently hurt your vision.
Half-fast eddie
Well-known member
Similar bit opposite problem : i have trouble seeing what I am welding. I have a cheap wire welder, it works for my needs. And i have an auto darkening helmet from harbor freight or northern tool, I have it set to the lightest shade. It darkens right away and the arc is attenuated enough that it doesn’t bother me, but i have a really hard time seeing where the bead is going. Suggestions?
Jswain
Well-known member
Agreed with the others and it's something I've done myself a few times and almost done more times then I can count lol.
Side story I just bought a Millermatic 185 from an old boy who was selling and he decided to throw in a cheap auto darkening helmet with it. As always I clean everything I buy so I took apart the helmet to clean it and realized that the auto darkening lens was in backwards and by the amount of spatter on it, it was like that for a long while haha.🫣
Side story I just bought a Millermatic 185 from an old boy who was selling and he decided to throw in a cheap auto darkening helmet with it. As always I clean everything I buy so I took apart the helmet to clean it and realized that the auto darkening lens was in backwards and by the amount of spatter on it, it was like that for a long while haha.🫣
Bockscar
Well-known member
Also you can get a burn through your eyelids.....used to do it all the time tack welding things.....no helmet...close your eyes....do it enough you can get a burn
K13
Well-known member
Is there a light source behind your head when you are welding? This can cause a reflection on the inside of the screen that makes it difficult to see your weld. Velcroing a piece of cloth across the back of the helmet can solve this.
Half-fast eddie
Well-known member
That’s worth a try.
thebeekeeper1
Well-known member
Disclaimer: I am FAR from an expert/skilled welder.
That said, I'm trying to learn, and getting better. I had a huge jump forward when I had a long-time professional welder adjust my helmet. Being a novice I endlessly messed with the settings, replaced the batteries, etc. Turns out I didn't make the one adjustment that was needed--"Sensitivity." It wasn't darkening quite fast/soon enough and I was getting a "flash" like getting my picture taken so I therefore couldn't see the weld, or the puddle. I was shocked to discover the perfectly clear view of the puddle once this small adjustment was made. I have a different brand of helmet than you, but it's something for you to check. Good luck and be safe.
Jswain
Well-known member
I think a guy might believe he is doing the right thing turning the shade down to see the puddle better, but realistically it is impacting his vision enough that after the first weld it becomes harder to see.
Most of my problems seeing the puddle went away with a quality helmet. I always used the cheap $100 Lincoln's with the 2 sensors and would inadvertently get flashed at least once a day while using it, while still being protected it was always harder to see the puddle afterwards. Viking 3350 or straight up fixed shade and welds are much easier to see
Most of my problems seeing the puddle went away with a quality helmet. I always used the cheap $100 Lincoln's with the 2 sensors and would inadvertently get flashed at least once a day while using it, while still being protected it was always harder to see the puddle afterwards. Viking 3350 or straight up fixed shade and welds are much easier to see
msharley
Well-known member
Cheater Lens...
Or? Do like I do...use my MR. MAGOO glasses and a CHEATER LENS!
General Rule: Turn sensitivity to where it kicks on with ambient light in the room, then knock it back one or two notches. You want it as sensitivity as possible without false triggers (although it's ok if it "false" triggers if you look directly at a light fixture or outside).
It actually some what provide relief. not a cure if you already have permanent damage or old and eye doesn't recover...
Cucumber also works I think as well as water melon rime. Personally tried water melon rind and cucumber... but not potato...
thebeekeeper1
Well-known member
Thank you--that makes sense.
ZRX61
Well-known member
er.. nope, not that...
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Time and rest is what helped. Not putting a vegetable on your eye, but whatever works
I use the Miller Digital Elite Auto darkening welding helmet. I keep it on x-mode. It has a large viewing area. Recently I got a led mig light that attaches the the gun.
Also if I'm welding under the car I don't weld directly above me but at a side. I wear something that covers my ears to protect from weld splatter and googles underneath the helmet.
Check your gloves. I noticed today that one of my welding gloves has developed a hole.
My welding jacket is most unique. A relative obtained a large lot of clothing from an auction on the cheap. I was given a tan color designer leather jacket still with the $400 price tag. It is more like a leather long sleeve shirt then jacket. I looked at it and thought it would make a great welding jacket.
Also if I'm welding under the car I don't weld directly above me but at a side. I wear something that covers my ears to protect from weld splatter and googles underneath the helmet.
Check your gloves. I noticed today that one of my welding gloves has developed a hole.
My welding jacket is most unique. A relative obtained a large lot of clothing from an auction on the cheap. I was given a tan color designer leather jacket still with the $400 price tag. It is more like a leather long sleeve shirt then jacket. I looked at it and thought it would make a great welding jacket.
welder4956
Well-known member
I'm going to make a leap here and say that if you can read this, your eyes are OK. A momentary flash is not going to cause permanent damage, but you may have some irritation and redness for a day or so. Usually it starts hurting in the middle of the night for me if I get flash burn.
Musky_Hunter
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Going to pass on that. Too much upkeep.
Seriously though I have flashed myself more times than I care to count and potatos work every time. It's not an instant cure but helps me.
Musky_Hunter
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And the guys on cable TV ……..close their eyes when they complete several 100 tack welds on body panel.
They should be buying potatoes in 50# bags.
But did they lose the shop?