MIG Welding. Can't see what I am doing. Is it Just me?

[Industrial Toys]

I always had trouble seeing far away. I wear contact lenses. At 53, the last ten years has been tough, being an electronics technician. I enjoyed excellent close vision for many years. Now, it's all a struggle, and I need so much light, it's not even funny. Working in dimly lit places and all the color information is gone!

I would probably be a better welder, but I just can't see what I am doing. If I can feel the work, as in welding in a V, I am fine, but otherwise, I go off track. Like, if two peices were butted together, I would not be able to see that junction point at all! Very, very frustrating for a perfectionist!

I have given my auto helmet to welding friends (who have perfect eyesight) and none has had issue with it, because I thought that might be the problem.

Do they make corrective lenses for helmets, like reading glasses? I'm not even sure this is the problem.

Any ideas?

 

[kennyd]

Yes, they make magnifiers that can go inside the better named brand helmets: Miller | Helmet Lenses & Parts

Which one do you have?

 

[TnAndy]

I have to wear my reading glasses inside the helmet, or I'm in the same boat......can't see worth s...

 

[kenmac]

Just do what I do. Go to the dollar store and buy a cheap $1.00 pair of readers. When I raise my hood I can still see if I need to add some weld etc, to the project

 

[dex3361]

I had the same problem you have until I tried the magnifying lens that inserts on the inside of the lens. I also use an adjustable auto darkening hood.

 

[srs]

I just had one of these delivered by USAWELD. Really helped and cheap.

1.00 Magnifier for Striker Welding Helmets, Welding Parts, Metal Working Accessories, Welder Supplies | USAWeld.com

 

[wade23454]

I'm 37 and have had to start using reading glasses the last couple of years since I can't focus up close any more. I wear them under my helmet. Almost as much of a concern as good eyesight is proper lighting. If you are welding with background light, it reflects inside your helmet and causes focusing issues. I find it helpful to illuminate my weld joint from the front so that I can maintain good visibility of the joint. Especially helpful if you aim your worklight to cause a shadow across the welded joint. The added light won't affect your lense, but you'll notice that you can maintain peripheral visibility of the butt joint and still watch your puddle.

Edit: I just found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pWWl0anhX4

 

[aczlan]

I'm 37 and have had to start using reading glasses the last couple of years since I can't focus up close any more. I wear them under my helmet. Almost as much of a concern as good eyesight is proper lighting. If you are welding with background light, it reflects inside your helmet and causes focusing issues. I find it helpful to illuminate my weld joint from the front so that I can maintain good visibility of the joint. Especially helpful if you aim your worklight to cause a shadow across the welded joint. The added light won't affect your lense, but you'll notice that you can maintain peripheral visibility of the butt joint and still watch your puddle.

Yep. I have to have additional light on the weld, or I can't see the weld with the mask on. Also a rag over the top of the helmet to block out the light from behind my head is very helpful.

Aaron Z

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have a helmet made by "Speed Shade". Something from Princess Auto, that my Mother bought me as a Christmas gift maybe fifteen years ago. It is not adjustable.

As far as light goes, yes I know light getting into the back of your helmet can be a problem. As far as light on the work, I always figured that with a few million candle power from the arc, what difference is a few hundred watts of extra light?

Wearing contact lenses, I still have that notion in my head about an apparently unfounded warning of the ultravilolet light drying up the moisure layer between eyeball and lense causing the lense to be permanently fused to the eyeball.

I do have what most people would call a floater. Most annoying at times. I have never heard of the relationship between floaters and welding mishaps, and I did look, but mine happened over a dozen years ago in a welding mishap. I was grinding, welding, grinding, switching between welding mask and grinding goggles and I got them mixed up! That was with a stick welder.

 

[aczlan]

I have a helmet made by "Speed Shade". Something from Princess Auto, that my Mother bought me as a Christmas gift maybe fifteen years ago. It is not adjustable.

I have something similar, a "MetalMan" helmet (MetalMan Solar Welding Helmet with Grind Mode, Model# ADF700SG | Welding Helmets| Northern Tool + Equipment).

As far as light goes, yes I know light getting into the back of your helmet can be a problem. As far as light on the work, I always figured that with a few million candle power from the arc, what difference is a few hundred watts of extra light?

The difference is that the arc is very focused and the floodlight fills in the rest. Otherwise, (for me at least) I get a bright spot, but nothing around that. Last night I was welding with a Miller 211 on the inside of the fender of our B7500 and putting a 18v light there to "fill in" and it made a huge difference both when I was welding and when I stopped and the lens went "clear"

Aaron Z

 

[sixdogs]

I have that problem and solved it by putting my flood lights behind me and offset bit and also putting a magnifier lens in my helmet. That combination, along with wearing my glasses in the helmet, works for me.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Same as six dogs. The only problem is I am still a crappy welder. Didn't help.

 

[sixdogs]

Same as six dogs. The only problem is I am still a crappy welder. Didn't help.

Have to practice. And then practice more.

 

[haveissues]

I have found having a helmet with an adjustable shade helps a lot. My hood adjusts from 8-13 and also has a 3 and 5 setting.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

I'm getting well into my 40's now. I've had to go to the Walmart/Dollar tree cheapo cheater specs now. Only one in my family that wasn't wearing glasses. Anything closer than 20-24" just won't clear up. I can still manage welding without glasses but its more difficult because things just aren't as sharp. Finding cheater lens to fit my jackson locally isn't really easy...but its just the closest store. I can get it, but just haven't gone to the next town to buy them.

A word about needing light on the weld area: Generally. If you need it to see, you are using too dark of lens for you application. A number one mistake of many welders who are concerned about burning out their retinas. The wleding arc is bright as or brighter than the sun. All helmets worth their salt provide 100% UV protection and IR protection even in their clear state. So, your eyes are well protected except from the back flashing. Adjust your helmet darkness (if you have auto dark or if you don't...just buy several filters) so you can see at least 6 inches all around your weld, CLEARLY. If you can't see anything but the arc and just an inch or so in front, you are using too much filter. You should not have to strain to see the welding arc. The quick test is to run some beads on flat plate and try to make them straignt as possible. If they are wavy or curvy, it's likely you are welding with too dark of a lens shade.

 

[muddstopper]

I wear bifocals, talk about a nitemare trying to well. I was always trying to cock my head to one side to see what I was doing. Usually I had my head so close to what I was welding, I would get splatter all over the lens. My old helment is actually scorched from the heat. I asked my eye doctor what power was my prescription for the bottom half of my regular glasses and bought a cheater lens in that magnification to fit my helmet. It really makes a difference in how well I weld. An added bonus is nobody else will borrow my helmet because they cant see out of it. If you get an autodarkening helment, make sure to get on that has adjustable shadeing and adjustable sensitivity. That way you can taylor what you see it to meet your personal needs.

 

[ovrszd]

I have that problem and solved it by putting my flood lights behind me and offset bit and also putting a magnifier lens in my helmet. That combination, along with wearing my glasses in the helmet, works for me.

I was wondering about that. How did you figure out how strong of magnifying lens to get.

 

[ovrszd]

I'm getting well into my 40's now. I've had to go to the Walmart/Dollar tree cheapo cheater specs now. Only one in my family that wasn't wearing glasses. Anything closer than 20-24" just won't clear up. I can still manage welding without glasses but its more difficult because things just aren't as sharp. Finding cheater lens to fit my jackson locally isn't really easy...but its just the closest store. I can get it, but just haven't gone to the next town to buy them.

A word about needing light on the weld area: Generally. If you need it to see, you are using too dark of lens for you application. A number one mistake of many welders who are concerned about burning out their retinas. The wleding arc is bright as or brighter than the sun. All helmets worth their salt provide 100% UV protection and IR protection even in their clear state. So, your eyes are well protected except from the back flashing. Adjust your helmet darkness (if you have auto dark or if you don't...just buy several filters) so you can see at least 6 inches all around your weld, CLEARLY. If you can't see anything but the arc and just an inch or so in front, you are using too much filter. You should not have to strain to see the welding arc. The quick test is to run some beads on flat plate and try to make them straignt as possible. If they are wavy or curvy, it's likely you are welding with too dark of a lens shade.

Good stuff there!!! I always thought more darkness meant more protection. I have a Miller Performance Series auto helmet. I'll try lightening it up. What you described is exactly what I see, arc and an inch or so in front.

 

[Shield Arc]

I might have missed it, if it was posted. One thing I've learned since having eye surgery, is blink more. If I stare for any length of time my vision blurs a little, if I blink, crystal clear. Well with reading glasses on.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

I would add IF you cannot see the end of the wire, tungsten, or stick electrode (depending upon the process) and all you see is one big ball of light, then you have the shade too light.