Welding problems with vision

I am a fair welder, but the problem I have most, is not technique, but in being able to see what I am doing. I use a MIG welder and a #10 base shade self-darkening lens. I also usually shine two 500 watt halogen lights on the area I am working.

The problem seems to be that the exact area of the weld is too bright to see anything clearly and the area outside of that is too dark to see clearly.

Any suggestions for things to try to diagnose and correct the problem?

thanks, dion

Reply to
Dion Hollenbeck
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Hi Dion: I can't help with your welding question (I have problems seeing to weld myself) but I enjoyed your website. My wife was raised in Cortez and I've visited there several times. I've even driven down McElmo Canyon for a short distance. The pictures and places were fun to hear of again. I'll be spending a week or so in Creede this August. Looking forward to escaping the heat. Good luck with your welding and your homestead.

Gary Brady Austin, TX

Reply to
Gary Brady

Could the lights be making the situation worse? Your eyes would adjust to the bright lights when not welding and make it more difficult to see with the hood down.

Reply to
AL

Sometimes I can see more if I weld in direct sunlight, which is much brighter than a halogen bulb, I believe. I guess one would need an incident light meter (pro photographer instrument) to be sure. The problem with bright light, in my experience, is that I tend to get glare on my lens. If you could have a setup where the work was in direct sunlight, but your head and helmet were in the shade, that might be a slight improvement. But really, I never figure to see anything more than one inch from the arc, and don't really need to.

One problem for those of us old enough to use bifocals is that the bifocals are set low, so if you use a standard helmet with a small window you cannot use the reading side of the bifocals for welding, you look at the weld (close) with the distance lens, which works poorly. I have a helmet with an oversized vision area, and always take it with me, since I usually cannot see anything out of borrowed helmets.

Richard

Di> I am a fair welder, but the problem I have most, is not technique, but

Reply to
Richard Ferguson

I think to some extent that's something one must just learn to deal with, part of the art and skill of welding. I set my filter so I can see the puddle well. I can then see enough of the immediate surroundings to put the weld where I want it most of the time.

Reply to
Don Foreman

I'm using a mig wire welder and having much the same problem as Dion. I find that if I position the handle just right I can make most of the arc disappear under the gas nozzle, and that helps, but it's hard to maintain the position.

With regard to the bifocals problem mentioned by Richard: I was recently given some magnifying lenses which fit inside the helmet. The ones I have are in standard bifocal values of 1.25, 1.5, 1.75 and

2.0 magnification levels. These help quite a bit as it allows me to dispense with my glasses entirely when I have the helmet on(my distance vision is still fairly good).

The ones I have are not a perfect fit in the helmet but a couple small pieces of duct tape hold them in well enough.

If anyone's interested I'll see if I can get the manufacturer info off the packaging to help in locating a sales point.

Reply to
LP

Most welding glasses will accommodate glasses; lately I've taken to wearing safety reading glasses in my shop (and yes, under my welding hood). I don't do much MIG (yet) so I can't comment. To me, it's always tricky seeing beyond the puddle, but somehow I muddle. For a weld where I really care where it stops, I sometimes tack a little piece nearby so I will see it and know precisely where I am, but that's just a small thing.

Dion, you have had a recent eye exam, right?

GWE

Reply to
Grant Erwin

Don Foreman wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I find that dim/darkness is actually better for me than bright areas when welding. The light from outside the arc seems to interfere too much. Using just the light from the arc just works better for me.

Reply to
Anthony

If you've got light coming in the back of the mask it's going to be hard to see.. it also could be that you've got so much light before striking an arc that your eyes don't have time to adjust before you reach the end of the weld.

I can't speak for the auto-lenses but a modern gold lens in any shade will block virtually 100% of the offensive light, you just chose a shade to suit what pleases you. This may be an option..

Mig welding produces considerable smoke which will condense on your cover lens, it doesn't take much accumulation of this to produce exactly what you're describing. Don't hesitate to change cover lenses regularly.

Don't bother watching the arc, it won't tell you much. Watch the puddle and just ahead of it, ignoce the arc.

John

Reply to
JohnM

Make sure that the cover glasses, filter and any diopter correction are CLEAN. This will sneak up on you. Every air-glass interface reflects light and, if dirty, scatters light. I wear tri-focals, and they are a REAL problem, because you have to look at the weld at a certain angle to be able to focus. I now keep a pair of dime-store reading glasses in my pocket, and switch to they before putting the helmet on (when I remember.) Also, treat your helmet with respect. Put it in a box, out of the way when you're going to grind, so you don't scratch the cover glasses, or accumulate dust on all the look-through surfaces.

Position your work in relation to the light, or your light in relation to the work so you can clearly see the path you are about to weld. It helps if the side of a freshly ground V-groove is reflecting bright light toward you

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

I found when I started that too light a lens caused my eyes to wash out a bit, making it harder to see anything around my weld. So, somewhat counterintuitively, a darker lens made the "not weld" parts easier to see. I began with a #10 and went to a #11. Might be worth it to borrow someone's #11 lens and try that. Or, if you helmet is settable, turn it up and try using it for a while. I've developed a pretty strong dislike of the auto-darkening hoods as I tend to get a headache after using them for 20 minutes. Perhaps yours is also causing you a bit of eyestrain, which can make it difficult to see.

Reply to
B.B.

I too wear bifocals. I bought a magnifying lense at the welding supply that goes in behind the filter. With it I can look thru the top part of my glasses while I am welding..

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

I have not done this, but keep planning on doing it. And that is to paint or put tape on my welding hood so it reflects light from the arc back to the area around the weld puddle. I think this is one of the reasons a gold filter works better than the dark green filters. It reflects light back . Kind of like those mirrors with the hole in them that doctors use when looking in your mouth or ear.

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

I now have to wear reading glasses under my hood when tigging small stuff. I buy em from the 99c store. Works well enough and you can get em up to 3,0 diopter.

I often also have to place a towel over my head and over the top of my mask as I often get a light reflection on the INSIDE of my lens, particularly since I put a 500watt halogen over the side area I do my dig work. Really really helps.

Gunner

"Considering the events of recent years, the world has a long way to go to regain its credibility and reputation with the US." unknown

Reply to
Gunner

RF> problem with bright light, in my experience, is that I tend to get RF> glare on my lens. If you could have a setup where the work was in RF> direct sunlight, but your head and helmet were in the shade, that RF> might be a slight improvement.

This part, I *have* solved. I put three snaps on my helmet, one on the top at the back, and one by each ear. I use these snaps to attach a dark cloth at the back of the helmet, similar to old photographers used to do. This removes *all* the glare from the inside of the helmet.

RF> One problem for those of us old enough to use bifocals is that the RF> bifocals are set low, so if you use a standard helmet with a small RF> window you cannot use the reading side of the bifocals for welding, RF> you look at the weld (close) with the distance lens, which works RF> poorly. I have a helmet with an oversized vision area, and always RF> take it with me, since I usually cannot see anything out of borrowed RF> helmets.

I have solved this one too. Instead of using my bifocals, I use my distance glasses. I have a 2 power magnifier lens in the helmet itself, so no matter where in the lens I look, it as always the same as my bifocal close up view, These are standard from most good welding supply stores.

regards, dion

Reply to
Dion Hollenbeck

GE> Dion, you have had a recent eye exam, right?

Thanks for thinking of this, but unfortunately, yes, I have.

dion

Reply to
Dion Hollenbeck

DF> On Sun, 19 Jun 2005 00:35:52 GMT, Dion Hollenbeck

DF> I think to some extent that's something one must just learn to deal DF> with, part of the art and skill of welding. I set my filter so I can DF> see the puddle well. I can then see enough of the immediate DF> surroundings to put the weld where I want it most of the time.

This is the most frustrating part for me. I get these beautifully formed welds that wander off the intended path out where I don't want any welds. B-{

dion

Reply to
Dion Hollenbeck

This is the first thing I though of, I recently have started wearing reading glasses, and the first symptom of my needing them was difficulty with dim lighting, menus in dim restaurants etc. I have the weakest kind and it was a revelation.

Reply to
yourname

You could try using soapstone and drawing a reference line parallel to where you want your weld, just outside of where the bead goes.

Reply to
B.B.

On Mon, 20 Jun 2005 13:53:17 GMT, the opaque Dion Hollenbeck spake:

Dion, Gunner wrote that he put a towel over the back of his head when welding due to outside glare from behind. Perhaps that's part of your problem, too.

Background glare was my worst problem with the hand-held welding mask. The auto-darkening mask I have now takes care of most of that as well, but I may rig up a towel, too, for outside work, etc.

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

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