Welding Helmet Knob Tightness

[duwem]

I have a decent welding helmet, its a Speedglas autodarkening adjustable darkness/response.

But I'm CONSANTLY messing with the knobs on the side to find a happy medium of friction to hold it up and let it down. Seems to quickly loosen up. Been this way since new or shortly after new.

I see videos of people having their helmets up and just flicking there heads with no hands and having it come down properly, I would have to loosen the knobs on mine to the point it would probably wack my neck going down too far.

Any solutions to this?

 

[JonnyMac]

They are one of the best ones on the market... i always use a cap. You can buy one or i get an old flex fit cap and cut the brim/peak off.
This allows the straps to grip without tightening it too hard..

 

[djbmw]

I have the same thing happen to me - must be our odd shaped heads
For the random bits of welding that I do, it hasnt been enough of a problem for me to want to find a solution though.
Ps.. I also wear a backwards baseball cap while welding... Which has helped somewhat I suppose.

 

[Farmerjonathan]

The knobs the OP is talking about are the ones on the side of the helmet that controls the helmet staying up or able to come down with a flick of your head, not the single center one that tightens it to your head.

It is a matter of "getting the touch". They are plastic bolts so you don't want to overtighten them. Also there usually is a "friction" washer between the bolt and the helmet that helps with this flipping ability.

 

[machine_punk]

HAH! I've been trying to figure this out for a couple of years...I think I finally got it the other day.

The bolts are actually supposed to be a little loose and you should always flip the hood ALL THE WAY back (so it rests in the upright position by itself, NOT relying on the knobs to keep it 'halfway' up.)

I finally figure it out on a recent edition of MIG MONDAY on YouTube. The new guy on there was welding and I finally saw what the answer was.

I've tried it since then and had success. The helmet is built to kinda' stay in place, when you flip it ALL the way back. Then, it just takes a tiny flick of the head to bring it past the center of gravity and fall all the way down into place over your face.

KDub.

 

[Superbec]

HAH! I've been trying to figure this out for a couple of years...I think I finally got it the other day.

The bolts are actually supposed to be a little loose and you should always flip the hood ALL THE WAY back (so it rests in the upright position by itself, NOT relying on the knobs to keep it 'halfway' up.)

I finally figure it out on a recent edition of MIG MONDAY on YouTube. The new guy on there was welding and I finally saw what the answer was.

I've tried it since then and had success. The helmet is built to kinda' stay in place, when you flip it ALL the way back. Then, it just takes a tiny flick of the head to bring it past the center of gravity and fall all the way down into place over your face.

KDub.

when you get it right you just adjust the speed it goes down ... the auto darkening are not so easy to tune, heavier than a good pipeliner

 

[gungatim]

buy a Jackson. they patented the head gear which is why a lot of the other helmets on the market do not work as well...they are a cone shaped friction fit knob made of a special type of nylon...

 

[Ign]

Interesting. If it's any consolation the crappy Miller Elite (damn there's a misnomer if there ever was one) are exactly the same. I've got an old Huntsman which is freakin' awesome. Clicks up over some little ramped tabs and STAYS. A nice flick of year head causes the tabs to spread enough to fall down perfectly.

This is such a huge pet-peeve of mine because there's no excuse for it. Just piss poor engineering on ones that think full friction is the way to go. The designers should have to weld for a day w their ****** design.

 

[gungatim]

Jackson owns/makes Huntsman...also did a lot of the private label helmets for SO, Lincoln and others. doubt they still do after their big shake up but when I was there we made some of the best helmets out there...I've got boxes of parts and lenses still...wish I would have kept them nexgen's I had but didn't think I'd ever need them. now my 3-in-1 which I love is getting a bit spattered from not changing the cover lense...anyone need any gold coated #12 lenses? got hundreds of them...they are for high heat area...the one thing I don't have is much head gear left. lots of knobs and parts but no straps.

 

[Ign]

And ironically a blue Jackson I had of the same era (circa 2003) had the worst headgear I've ever experienced. Wouldn't stay up or flip down. Seriously, the worst I've ever seen. I heard they got their **** together shortly after that.

 

[gungatim]

And ironically a blue Jackson I had of the same era (circa 2003) had the worst headgear I've ever experienced. Wouldn't stay up or flip down. Seriously, the worst I've ever seen. I heard they got their **** together shortly after that.

wow, I am really surprised. I worked there 02-05. shoulda sent it back and it would have gotten warranted.

Ok maybe it was made before I started and sat in inventory a while. their supply chain was a mess and their factory FIFO did not exist. bet it was old stock from my predecessors...we whipped them into shape and by '03 had most of their issues sorted out.

 

[rlitman]

They are one of the best ones on the market...

I own two Speedglas helmets. Their optics are one of the best on the market for sure, but the headgear of the 9000 series are far from it. They've supposedly improved a lot in the 9100 series. I wouldn't know first hand though.

duwem, which exact model Speedglas do you own? That might help us give the best advice.

 

[MoonRise]

Wait just a minute.

You have an autodarkening welding helmet, and are trying to mess with the headgear knobs to allow the helmet to stay up and then flip down with a flick of your head?!?!?

With a fixed shade helmet, you have to do that.

With an autodarkening helmet, you put it on and can look though the lens and can still see things (adjust the workpiece or the torch or electrode tip position as needed) with just ambient light and then you just start welding.

And 'magically' the lens goes to the darkness shade you picked (if adjustable darkness settings are available, if not it just goes to it's preset darkness shade) and you do your welding. Stop the arc, and after the (sometimes adjustable) delay time the lens 'magically' goes to its lightness shade setting and you can see through it without totally obscuring your view through the lens with just ambient light illuminating things (and not the rather intense welding arc lighting things up, which is why you need the 'dark' setting of the lens ).

Don't need the helmet on or in the way because you stopped welding? Tip it all the way back or just take it off.

The adjustment period when one first goes to an autodarkening helmet after using a fixed shade one where you had to do the 'head flip' all the time is rather 'interesting'

And then you realize that you have an autodarkening helmet and finally stop that automatic habit of the head flip.

And for clarity, the 'recent' Lincoln Viking 4C 1/1/1/1 lenses are really-really clear to look through. Whether in the 'light' or 'dark' stages. Awesome lens clarity.

http://store.lincolnelectric.com/we...50-all-american-reg;-welding-helmet-p-k3175-3

And check the images through the lens, light and dark, as well as the short product video on that page.

Or the sales pitch sheet about the 4C stuff, in pdf format.

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/US/EN/literature/mc1454.pdf

Another sales brochure about the Viking helmets.

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/US/EN/literature/e14501.pdf

 

[MJD1]

Wait just a minute.

You have an autodarkening welding helmet, and are trying to mess with the headgear knobs to allow the helmet to stay up and then flip down with a flick of your head?!?!?

With a fixed shade helmet, you have to do that.

With an autodarkening helmet, you put it on and can look though the lens and can still see things (adjust the workpiece or the torch or electrode tip position as needed) with just ambient light and then you just start welding.

And 'magically' the lens goes to the darkness shade you picked (if adjustable darkness settings are available, if not it just goes to it's preset darkness shade) and you do your welding. Stop the arc, and after the (sometimes adjustable) delay time the lens 'magically' goes to its lightness shade setting and you can see through it without totally obscuring your view through the lens with just ambient light illuminating things (and not the rather intense welding arc lighting things up, which is why you need the 'dark' setting of the lens ).

Don't need the helmet on or in the way because you stopped welding? Tip it all the way back or just take it off.

The adjustment period when one first goes to an autodarkening helmet after using a fixed shade one where you had to do the 'head flip' all the time is rather 'interesting'

And then you realize that you have an autodarkening helmet and finally stop that automatic habit of the head flip.

And for clarity, the 'recent' Lincoln Viking 4C 1/1/1/1 lenses are really-really clear to look through. Whether in the 'light' or 'dark' stages. Awesome lens clarity.

http://store.lincolnelectric.com/we...50-all-american-reg;-welding-helmet-p-k3175-3

And check the images through the lens, light and dark, as well as the short product video on that page.

Or the sales pitch sheet about the 4C stuff, in pdf format.

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/US/EN/literature/mc1454.pdf

Another sales brochure about the Viking helmets.

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/US/EN/literature/e14501.pdf

That's all well and good while actually welding. Unfortunately, there is usually a lot more going on than just welding, such as positioning parts, checking a weld, changing electrodes or several other things, that are done much easier without being partially in the dark. Maybe in an ideal world that may work, but nothing I have ever seen in 30+ years of welding. To the OP, get a Jackson headgear, the one with the large red knob to adjust around your head. I believe kcz87 is the part number, best headgear I have used, and don't look back.

 

[rlitman]

The first time I tried my hand at welding was in 1989, so I cannot admit to 30 years of welding experience. I got my first AD helmet around 10 years ago.

Anyway, regardless of how clear the lens gets, I still flip it up and down a lot. First off, I like having peripheral vision, and the side windows of my helmet don't go clear like the front. Second, even with the nice ventilation of the Speedglas, it gets hot and stuffy in there. A little cool air on the face is a good thing to me.

 

[bczygan]

So here's the hijack.

What's a great helmet?

Will need to wear glasses in it.

Bill

 

[rlitman]

I've never had an issue with my glasses under a welding helmet, though I've only used a dozen or so styles of helmets, so my experience is limited. My nose on the other hand used to mark up the glass of several cheap *** helmets that come to mind.

At the time I bought mine, Speedglas was the standout, and I needed something that could handle low current DC TIG (which most early AD helmets could not). Nowadays, there are many good options.

 

[MJD1]

So here's the hijack.

What's a great helmet?

Will need to wear glasses in it.

Bill

I use a Jackson Boss. I believe the hood is called a halo X, I have 2, one for work and one at home. I boughtbthe first about 5 years ago and the second about 3 years ago, no issues other than a few broken retainer plates, about 4-5$ each. I did replace headgear in the first one about 2 years ago. This was with almost daily use. I wear glasses and have no issues in that aspect. It also uses a standard 4x5 outer plate, although I get the set from Jackson that has 3 inners, 3 plain outers and 2 outers in the plastic ring, cost is like 7-9$.

 

[no704]

I think the op is complining about the hood traveling down too far and smacking him in the face. If you take apart the head band to hood pivot you will find stop hole settings that may need to be changed.

 

[duwem]

I know how an auto darkening helmet works!? There are lots of instances just don't want the big bulky thing on.

So far other than "buy this helmet instead" suggestions I got the idea to try keeping the knobs a bit loose and flipping it back farther to lock it up.

I will take a look and see if there are any markings with what model Speedglas I have.