Lightweight hoods for full-time welders with neck issues

You know, the lightest autodark helmet I know of was the old Speedglas XL. Mine has never crapped out on me so I still have it. I would hate to have to replace it!

Grant

I have cervical spondylosis. Pretty bad. I have found that the thing that aggravates the worst is the nodding over and over and over and over you do to drop the shield. I have had to adjust to doing more things with the hood down, which I can do with the NexGen. I don't like the darkness of the GRIND mode, which is fairly yellow. I wish it would be a little clearer. I can't seem to find a way to lighten it up, does anyone know if it can be done?

Yes, my NexGen is a heavy unit, and if I had it to do over again, I'd look at more models and pick a lighter one. I have it on a Huntsman, but still the lens assembly is heavy, and I don't like the ratchet setup of the headband, as it reaches a point of resistance, and then just clicks out, and I can't get it any tighter. Tightening down the temple tensioners is tricky to get it to where it will not fall down with the slightest movement, but I want it to fall easy so I don't have to nod so heartily.

Were I to hit the lottery, or just come up with enough spare cash to buy another, I'd look specifically for weight. Optrel and Speedglass and Miller have some nice looking stuff. But for me it would be weight, and since I can't use anything but a 4 x 5, I have to give a little up in the weight department. I have seen leather hoods, but they would be for welding for a long time and not raising the hood. I think they would also be very hot.

I may experiment around with different headbands, too, or see if I can alter this one. Strips of old tire inner tubes come to mind ..............

Good luck. Keep me posted on how you think the surgery results are. I've had three responses from postsurgical patients. Worse, no change, and better.

Steve

What's that Lassie? You say that TinLizziedl fell down the old sci.engr.joining.welding mine and will die if we don't mount a rescue by Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:42:03 -0700:

Could you take a standard off the shelf hood and drill out a bunch of holes to make it lighter, then cover the holes with aluminum foil(paint inside black)?

Make a wire frame to hold the headgear and lens of a standard hood, then cover with something lightweight and lightproof?

I wondered when this topic would come up. I have kept two of these Huntsman lightweights around for years. One with clear glass over the welding lens, and one without for heli-arc welding only. I learned to appreciate the light weight hoods years ago and have never change to the auto-dark hoods for that very reason.

It's individual. When I am totally set up to weld, I wear contacts plus

2.25 diopter reading glasses. That works pretty good. If I'm going to be welding a lot, I do that. Otherwise, I wear bifocals, and it is impossible to wear a regular hood, nod, strike an arc, and be anywhere near where I want to start. Then it takes a bit to find the puddle and line up with the lower lenses of my bifocals. You can imagine what some of my welds look like.

With a autodark, I can keep my head still when wearing bifocals, and start off a LOT better.

You young whippersnappers, enjoy it while you got it, because one day, you'll be like some of us, and have to work out new ways to work with what you got.

Steve

The lightest hoods on the market are the Speedglas line, and the Jackson Halo hood. The Jackson Halo will hold my Nexgen lens, but Jackson are idiots. They used the same crappy headgear from the Shadow hood in the Halo hood. The problem with that headgear is the pivot friction isn't strong enough to hold the weight of an autodark lens so it constantly sags down.

The old solution to this was to use a Huntsman 951P hood (also made by Jackson). The 951P has snap detents for up and down so the hood stays put. The downside of the 951P is weight, it is a very heavy duty shell. My solution to this whole mess took about 15 minutes. I took the pivot blocks from the Huntsman 951P by drilling out the 3 plastic rivets. I then installed the blocks in the Halo hood with 3 small 4-40 screws. Works great. A really lightweight shell with positive stops for up and down. I now have one for each of my Nexgen lenses.

Copied to folder. Will look at my hood and see if I can figure out what you did. Yes, the NexGen works just okay in the 951, but I have two problems. Either the temple adjustment nuts are too tight or too loose, and I can't get the ratchet to comfortably grip my head before it starts clicking, and then the helmet works loose with any unusual movement. Going to the welding store maybe tomorrow, and will look at the Halo.

Steve

I can sympathize, belive me. That's one reason why I got my NexGen. I also don't like the grind mode setting- I agree, it's too dark, unless you are in an excellently lit-up area. That's pretty darn rare to find in a drydocked sub at night. I'm constantly flipping my hood up to see where I dropped something, check for hotspots, VT the last bead....

I haven't found any way to lighten the grind mode shade. I think it's inherent in the LCD's of the lens.

When my hood's off, it has splotches and clear spots in the lens. Turn it on, and it "reboots" to clear (close to shade 2 or so), but grind mode is like a shade 3. I do most of my grinding with a clear faceshield and my safety glasses rather than my hood. Or I'll pull out my Huntsman with clear lenses, so I don't get grit down my neck (I've extended the back of the neck for better grinding grit protection.)

I just assume I will replace the headband once every year. Nobody makes durable ratchets anymore. Fibermetal used to make the headgear for Speedglas, and they were good.

I do really like the headgear in the new Speedglas hoods. It works like a visegrip on your head, so you only have to set the headband tension once. Very slick.

I think I got my regular doc's attention when I took a gallon zip-lock bag and dropped it on his desk. It was full of all the pain meds I had been prescribed- Neurontin, hydro/oxy codone, methadone, ibuprofen, and more, in varying dosages. I was religious about taking each one for 2 weeks as prescribed, and I kept a log of how I did. I convinced him that I wasn't doctor-shopping to get pills- I wanted genuine help.

He got me in for an MRI, referred me to an anesthesiologist who gave me a steroid injection. When it was determined (after 2 weeks) that the shot didn't work, I was referred to the surgeon. Due to OWCP requirements, it took a while for all the referrals, approvals and whatnot to filter up and down through the system.

I have problems with spinal stenosis and spurring in a few places (mostly my lumbar spine) but it's not bad enough yet to warrant surgery. My father has had 2 major back surgeries, and I'm not looking forward to going through that myself. He reports great improvement, but he does have a neural deficit now in his right leg- he stumbles a lot while walking on loose/uneven surfaces. But his pain is gone. I think spinal problems are at least partially genetic.

Funny, though- Prior to surgery, I was losing weight, now I'm gaining too much. I went from 150# to 140# from lack of appetite, now I'm 150# again, but it's landing anound the beltline. I've requested my spousal unit to refrain from shrinking my pants, if she pleases.

I've got to get back to work!

My doctor moment came when I went in and just said I couldn't stand the pain any longer. I've had the same doctor for twenty years now, and he just said, "Let me know when you want the surgery. I know you, and I know aren't just pill shopping."

I cut my arm one day, but wanted to finish the job. I hastily wrapped it in bandages and made the day, stopping on my way home at the doctor's office. Boy, he got on my ass just from the infection standpoint. "I don't understand it. People get a hangnail, and they're right over here. You slice your arm, and work all day." It took two rows of stitches, one internal, one external to close the slice.

I really don't want any more surgeries because of my coumadin intake. I need a knee job right now. And broke my back a year ago.

Ahhhhhhhhh. Aging ............

Steve