how many of you weld with your eyes closed?

Just a repeat but worth it...u can get a flashburn from looking at just one arc...its a gas waking up 2am and it feels like somebody threw sand in your eyes...got a self darkening helmet for $36 on feebay.


"Toad is that you?? What a waste of machinery....."

gaspumpchas

 

I will IF it's a quick tack. Now I cheat and cover the flash with the tip of the mig so little to no flash. Very rarely do I do it.

 

I agree, use a helmet. I spent one night in the ER and 3-4 days taking pain pills w/o much light. Potatoes don't work! Never will do that again; huge mistake.

 

I always where a helmet, how else can you see whats going on with the weld even if its a tack? even they need penetration

 

OK, here's the deal. I don't recommend this, but I used to do it a lot in the bodyshop when I was tacking panels in, and never had a problem with burning my eyes or face. Flip-down helmets were too slow for doing a lot of tack welds. You use your left hand to help steady the gun, but right before you pull the trigger you rotate your left hand up so it shields your eyes from the flash. (You also close your eyes for extra protection.)

When you spend a lot of time welding, you get to a point where you don't need to see what you're doing on tack welds....it's just a matter of experience.

Or, you can spend the money on an electronic helmet...that's what I would recommend....

 

i tried but i couldn't see what i was doing

 

I knew two brothers who could watch somebody stick weld without eye protection for 5 to 10 minutes straight.with no ill effects. Don't ask me how! I'm guilty of shutting my eyes to mig a quick tack weld on just to hold a part in place. I also cut with a gas axe without dark goggles. I shouldn't because my eyes aren't great and maybe this post will remind me to ALWAYS use my helmet or goggles.

Jan

 

Just reading about this makes my eyes start to itch really bad. I think Im gonna put drops in just in case.

 

I weld with a shield on, but I still close my eyes real tight like I am trying to defuse a bomb .

Yeah... that is a no-no. Always wear protection. Or you will lose an eye!!!

 

You should go ahead and get your friend a nice white cane and a Labrador. He's gonna need them if he keeps that up. Plus, I don't know if I'd trust any weld made "blind". How does he know if there is penetration. Just cause it looks good, don't make it good.

 

I'll tack with my eyes squeezed shut and head turned away but that's it. How in the hell can you make a good weld if you can't see what you're doing?

 

8flat, that's exactly how I do quickie tacks for learners at the float barn, but I add the look-away to it.
I know sooner or later they'll do it anyway (float work just about demands it) so I teach'em to take it on the palm first and the side of the head second. Rather have'em be "unsafe" as safely as they might.

As for "tacking by ear", I'm won't do sheet metal that way (I'm not fast enough) but regularly do heavier stuff. Hell, part of what I teach'em is to listen to their burn even while they're looking at it.

 

Most of the time, I wear a face shield, but I'd say 1/4 of the time that I'm using a torch I don't. Its just not all that bright.

 

Question: Good welding is controlling the puddle. How do you do that with your eyes shut?
Answer: you can't.

 

The USAF fixed my eyes so no more glasses back in 03, there is no way in hell I am going to damage them in any way because I want to be tough or whatever. Even for tacks or a short hit, I will use the helmet each and every time.

Two parts of my body I cannot do without are my eyes and my hands. I am already dealing with no mind, so hands and eyes are precious...

Menards had a decent auto darkening helmet for $65, it works pretty well and makes life much easier when replacing floors and doing rust patches.

 

That should be enough said right there!!!!

Be smarter peopl!!!

 

this is how I like to weld and also a reason to avoid stuff made in china, it's way cheaper for a reason.

 

Sat down one time and welded on some rims. Had shorts on. Wish I had used 2 hoods. Hurt like hell and my girlfriend was cranky for awhile.

 

Exactly......

 

haha yesterday a got one hell of a sunburn and my left eye is a little sore, the old man i worlk with never uses a helment he just built a 18 ft car trailer and never put on a helment and he never burns his eyes

 

i dont like sunburn on my face and eye lids........

 

..... you can't. Simply put.

I've never had flash burn. I've seen people get it... I've heard stories... and that was enough to make me decide NOT to be stupid.

 

back when i was 12 and just got my first stick welder i was out running around on my 66 bridgestone 90 when the muffler broke its mount off, so off i go home and pull the welder outside and find a washer that would work inplace of the broken mount, i got out by the bike laying on the ground and dam i forgot my helmet, well it was a really bright sunny day and this was only going to take a tack or two so with my eyes wide open i tacked that washer on, then i jumped back on my bike and headed back out, at about 2am that evening my dad had to take me to the hospital as i was in such pain it was unreal, i spent the next 3 days with patchs on my eyes and perment damage to my retinas, to this day when i go have my eyes checked i get asked how i damaged them, i`m 47 and still welding for a living, been flashed a few times and had sore eyes for a couple days, tack with my eyes shut, had my whole face peel a few times, wouldnt think of doing more then a couple tacks anymore with my eyes shut, i`d hate to loose my eyes.

 

wow... I thought I got flash burn a few times but evidentally not. no damage, no aching eyes, no eye patch or dark rooms. I never knew it was that serious.

how many have done this? your grinding and welding. take off your hood, grind for a few minutes with your safety glasses on, nod your head with no helmet and strike an arc before it sinks in that your helmet is not on?

done that more than once, but didn't get the symptoms you guys are describing, maybe I got a fast blink reflex or something.

 

getting a good flash burn to your eyes is like someone holding your eyes open and pouring sand in them and not letting you do anything to stop the pain. goes on for days if its really good.

 

Well, if he's your buddy, be a buddy and next time he refuses to use your helmet, as he's lining up the next weld, hit him hard on the side of the head. do this every time until he gives in and uses the helmet. He will soon learn that welding without a helmet hurts too much.
Mart.

 

This thread is making my eyes itchy... I was pretty young, and my buddy had just bought a little buzz box and showed me how it worked. I was going to tack in a few fender lips he had trimmed out. I put the hood on and couldn't see a thing. After welding right beside where I wanted to a few times I took it off and was doing the look away method. How bad could it be?

It took a little longer than I thought, and I woke up in the middle of the night in *severe* pain. I couldn't open my eyes, I couldn't close them. Water, eye drops, rubbing, ice, nothing helped. On the way to the hospital I honestly thought that I would be blind.... thought my ol' lady would eventually leave me and life was about to become real difficult. Thought I'd take up music or something. The very attractive nurses REPEATEDLY told me how stupid I was...

Never again.

 

NEVER again for me! i got flash burn and then an infection in one eye.
it did burn through the eyelids.
as some have stated it is a very very very painful lesson!

 

helmets are cheap compared to eyeballs and hospital bills. anyone who welds at all should have the right eye protection. a professional should respect that his skill makes him his living and do what he can to insure that his eyes last long enough to do it for a life time. i dont get why people take chances with their eyes?

 

welding with out a helmet is cool all the hardcore welders do it............how stupid and irresponsible can you be i mean a tack or two is one thing but thinking the one or two MM's of skin is going to protect your eyes is just dumb. but do what you want just dont come complaining here cause you are blind.