What's the trick in seeing what you're welding?

I'm using a Speedglas auto-dark helmet with 3/10 lens, using flux core feed wire, no gas, 100 amps and less. The suggested shade is 10 but the arc is too bright and my welds run off tangent. Warring sun glasses help. Would going to shade 12 be too dark?

Reply to
** Frank **
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Here are some tricks I use:

MIG welding, I often push instead of pull - the arc light illuminates the path and helps a lot in seeing where I'm going.

Sometimes I put a piece of aluminum scrap parallel to the desired weld, offset by about half an inch. It's easy to see it from my peripheral vision.

I also sometimes rig up one of those cheap halide shop lights to shine directly on the weld area, those help too.

A no. 10 lens should be fine for that. Try a few other things and keep after it, I suspect you'll have straight welds if you persist.

Grant Erwin

Reply to
Grant Erwin

Thanks!

Reply to
** Frank **

Make sure your glasses and every filter surface is as clean as can be. A little bit of stuff on these surfaces can scatter a lot of light, making it hard to see the puddle.

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

Shade 12 will be too dark, you can go to shade 11. but I'm wondering why shade 10 is too bright, it would be what I'd expect. Leo mentioned cleaning the lens, abosolutely the first thing to do. You might also position a work light on the work so there is less change from no weld to weld. You want to be able so see your weld path while you are welding.

** Frank ** wrote:

Reply to
RoyJ

Sometimes light entering into the back of the hood, reflecting on the inside of the lens, obscures your vision. With my back to an open garage door or window, I often get the same problem. Try to reduce the amount of ambient light coming from behind you.

-Mike

Reply to
mlcorson

how sensitive is the trigger on the 3/10?

I a Flex shade but usually i TIG down around 9 or 10 at low amperages

Could the helmet be set to be a little too insensitive? It might be triggering late and your eyes are saying WTF is the brightness.

As a general rule i set my helmet based on the shop lights i'm using.

I tun the sensitivity UP until it turns on while looking directly at the shop light bulbs then i back it down just past where the ambient light can trigger the autodark. With the sensitity that high it Immediately detects the added arc light from my tig torch even if i'm down in the 20 amp type range.

Just a suggestion to try upping the sensitivity

Reply to
Brent

My helmet is not adjustable as far as I know - just an ON switch and nothing else on it to adjust. It has "3/10 HE 1/2/2 S EN 379" printed inside if it means anything relative to sensitivity.

Reply to
** Frank **

Thanks guys for all the help. Batteries on the Speedglas just went dead ... one more thing to fix.

Reply to
** Frank **

Mark out the weld line with soapstone. Use an auxiliary light like a quartz lamp to light the weld. Avoid back lighting the inside of the helmet. Make sure the lens is clean.

Don't look at the arc!!! Look at the puddle.

Reply to
DanG

iwastryingto weld outside the other day and the sun was getting in the back of my helmet. this made seeing th weld a real pain. i dont worry what the numbers say, i just tweak the knob on my auto darkening helmet until its right for me. i also wear glasses and they can be a real pain if they get dirty causing all kinds of glare. if you have to wear sun glasses you need a better helmet.

jimmie

Reply to
Jimmie D

first off....lose the auto-shade and get a $30.00 welding helmet....fixed shade 11 will work beautifully....get the large window, preferably as light as you can find.... now learn to flip it down with a slight nod as you squeeze the trigger.

next, get ridda that flux-core crap and if you can't weld with straight CO2, get you some C25 fer yer shielding gas

now....practice practice, practice...be sure you got a buddy that knows welding so he can watch your technique, drink your beer, and tell you what mistakes you're making

-- Big Ben the "my autoshade is coated in dust, and I just bought a brand new fixed-shade to replace my old worn-out & broken one" Slug

Reply to
Big Ben

"Big Ben" wrote

Huh? 11 is light? 10 is common for GMAW.

Or, if you keep the autoshade, you can keep the hood down, align the work, double check it, and just squeeze the trigger. If you wear bifocals, disregard the above statement by Big Ben, as it will take you about two seconds to get your focus lined up again.

Or, you can stick with it, and learn to weld correctly with FCAW. It is a tremendously useful process for the garage welder. It's all opinion. If you want penetration and strength, then straight CO2 and wire is crap. If you want to weld thin tubing and have a pretty weld, then flux core is crap. It's all opinion, but based on what you want the final weld to do.

I've been welding since 1974, and the autoshade is on my top three things of greatest welding inventions of the last thirty years.

But, beer HAS remained a staple.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

I was a hobby welder about 30 years ago, built a few boat trailers and BBQ grills that sort of thing. Worked for Fab Tech for a while. I recently got back into it, repairing my camper paid for the cost of my welders. I agree, I love my auto darkening helmet. I have a regular helmet and it is the one gathering dust.

Reply to
Jimmie D

but, then again, I still run a truck and a bike with points and carbs instead of that newfangled electronic ignitions and injections that can't be fixed on the side of the road......

-- Big Ben the "I trust in proven technology " Slug

Reply to
Big Ben

And I have two regular large window Jacksons hanging there in case my NexGen takes a day off.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

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