Newbie Welder...tired eyes????

Been spending a bit of time on the MIG of late and am getting better, but still have a mile or 3 to go. I have an auto helmet thats a cracker but Im finding my eyes are really tired when Im getting home. Is this normal or do I need to make some adjustments? Thanks guys.

 

might look into getting a cheater gl*** in your helmet... which, speaking of, what helmet do you have? if its a cheap one, they are SLOW and will wear your eyes out as well.

 

Will check the brand and model tomorrow but it was $450 and is aparently the ducks guts.... Whats a cheater gl***??

 

a cheater gl*** is a magnifier lense. It makes it easier to see what you are looking at. What shade do you have it set at?

 

Agree. Slow response time and / or too light of shade probably the culprit. Do you normally wear gl***es, and are you trying to work without them ?

 

cheater gl*** is a diopter lens... similar to reading gl***es off the rack at the store. i got a +1 in mine and it made a world of difference

 

Hope your helmet is working correctly,with no cracks in the lense..if your eyes are acting weird after welding a lot,something's not right..I used to wonder why I couldn't read after a lot of welding..then after double cataract surgery while I was still in my 30's,I knew why..I guess lots of welding = ****ty eyes,but I'd make sure the helmet is working like it's supposed to work..

 

Try adjusting the sensitivity, and I wouldn't weld on a setting less than 11.

 

Be carefull. My father is an optomitrist, and I can tell you that welding will tear your eyes up, and FAST! (He uses more "technical" terms). Take frequent breaks and stare at things far away. This is good anytime your doing up close work. Make sure your helmet is set properly.

 

Eye savers are.....
saftey gl***es with side shields.
Most flash burns are caused by other welders and during the time before or after you strike an arc. Use a 11 lens at least.
But the gl***es actually protect your eyes. They reflect the high intensity light.
Take a pair of gl***es and put them in the sunlight and you will see the gl*** still make a shadow. Wear them under your hood.

 

damn, I just got reading gl***es off the rack for this very thing.
now, I need to go practice.

 

alot of good advise here..please liten to it and impliment it.
welding flash and or burn can **** up your eyes for good.
especially if you dont get a grip on it and find the solution to making it stop.
definetly protect your eyes with the best filters you can get and the correct shade for the type of welding you are doing.

 

Thanks guys, I'll check the settings in the morning and report back. In future I will also certainly use my prescription gl***es which are safety rated and have the side pieces. Up until now I have only needed them for reading.

 

Pete-
If you need gl***es to read you most definitely need them to weld. It doesn't sound like you're getting arc burn- you'd know it if you were as it feels similar to having one person scrub your eyeballs with 80 grit sandpaper while another person simultaneously hammers a railroad tie into the back of your head. Generally speaking this will occur about 2AM after a day of welding. I'm not getting that from your description, though- sounds to me as if you are simply straining your eyes to see the pretty light. If you find that at the end of your weld your face is about 2 inches from the puddle, you need cheaters. Cheaters are really cheap, about US$5. You can get cheater safety gl***es, but I never could get used to the damn things. It's a personal preference, though- since you've got gl***es already, go ahead and give them a shot first.
Also, be sure you keep your lenses clean! Lots of times fatigue will be caused by trying to peer through ****covered lenses. Clear lenses are nothing, they're about a buck apiece and well worth it! Even with the proper spacers, smoke and grit and **** will find it's way in between your lenses. It is good practice to totally dis***emble your lens stack and clean each one with good gl*** cleaner.
Trust me on this, chasing that pretty light kept me in beer and ammo for many years

cheers,
Jas

 

No disrespect, but the idea of you running around in prescription safety gl***es w/ side sheilds in normal everyday life makes me laugh.

 

Been there - LOL...good times.

Welding is a necessary evil, but it doesn't have to be damaging. This is all great advice...follow it and you'll be able to weld without much discomfort (close, concentrated work always causes some sort of discomfort....try hand porting heads.)

 

Actually had to wear them at the mine I was working at, but yes they are funky looking. Will post the helmet settings tonight and post them.

 

Just some quick input.....wearing "cheaters" or using magnifying lenes for extended periods of time will strain your eyes just as much if not more. Get an eye exam, find out if you need reading gl***es then go from there. Take Lazer5000 father's advice if you do not need reading gl***es. Take frequent breaks to rest your eyes. The reason for staring at things in a the distance is to allow the muscles in the eye to relax. I will not go into all the technical info but that is good sound advice. All the other advice as far as helmuts and shading are all good sound advice I was just commenting on the optical aides that were mentioned.
Fitysix

 

This seems to be your problem. You should have got the helmet that is "The cats ***"!!!! They are way better and half the price.

 

I actually experienced welding flash bigtime. I was welding my frame on my truck and was using the close your eyes quick and using other parts of my truck to block the light. This was at about 3:00 to 4:00.PM Everything was great until I woke up at 12:45 AM when it felt like someone threw a bucket of sand in my eyes. It hurt when they were open and hurt when they were shut. I had to go to emergency. I was in soooooo much pain. In emergency, they put some numbing drops in my eyes and for 15 minutes I was in no pain. Unfortunately, they told me that its just temporary and they cannot use the drops more than a couple times. They showed what my eyes looked like with dye and they looked like a ton of dots all over the lenses. They gave me some pain meds, gave me a couple more drops in my eyes for the road and I was on my own the rest of the night. The nice thing about welding flash is that your eyes heal pretty fast and by 12:00-1:00 Pm the next day I was 95% better. 24 hours later, I didnt even feel a thing. Another time I welded two quarter panels on my car and had the sun reflecting on the inside of my helmet so someone said to use some really dark welding goggles. Well talk about a fried face the next day. My lips even peeled, for a week I was shedding like a snake!!!!!!!! I'm alot more carefull now!!

 

Hey - - been a certified mig and tig welder for over 45 yrs and built custom frames for Harleys. A little tip on your tig welding - - -using a .060 for mild steel on a piece of flat steel, try dipping the rod about 19 times per inch, so as to get the half moons just right and use the correct size rod for the correct thickness of material and watch your heat pattern - - try to keep the bluing down to a minimum allowing for the correct penetration for the material - - - Most of all - - - PROTECT YOUR EYES !!!! I personally do not like or trust the automatic helmets - - - Never wear a white T-shirt when welding [it reflects back] and possibly use what we call a bib [ a piece of leather that hangs down from the front of the hood] You might even try a helmet for Mig - - -it's larger than a Tig helmet , but offers more protection

 

you made me spit my soda across my computer screen! good advice in this thread though

 

Welding without a good helmet is like playing football with a dixie cup for a jock. You might get away with it a few times, but sooner or later... you're going to have a problem you'll feel for days.

I don't know how well I trust an auto-darkening helmet either, as much as a pain in the *** as it can be to work with a regular one, unless regular sunlight makes it turn dark. But that could be a whole other subject to discuss as far as how they work, how fast they go dark, and so on.

 

Thanks for the help to date guys.

Re the helmet: Well I took the advice of a mate that owns a large boily shop and speeds all day hanging off a MIG and also a guy at the shop that uses the same helmet.

Its a Speedglas 9002V.

Shade is set at 12, sensitivity 3, and the delay is set at neutral.

It certainly does just feel like fatigue....... Didnt do much today but the test will be Monday...

I used my gl***es today too - thanks.

 

I have been welding for 26 years now and a lot of it was heavy duty stuff. One thing people over look is clothing. I found out a long time ago that light colored shirts can reflect light back under your helment. You can burn your eyes that way or even make them feel tired after a short amount time. Always wear proper clothing if you are gonna weld very much. Welding jackets are cheap.

 

You can also strain your eyes by setting the Lense too dark, better strained than burnt though

 

When I first started, the white shirt thing got to me big time. In addition, a friend was welding on critical areas I didn't feel comfortable doing. Later that evening, the "sand in the eyes" condition him me big time. The old timer says, cut a potato in half and put the cut side over each eye (lid closed). Sounds stupid, but it worked.... I've taken lots of precautions since then. PROTECT YOUR EYES...they can't be replaced or transplanted.

 

I have been wearing old dull orange heavy workshirts - another left over from my time working for mining companies. I might have to get one of those skull caps those - damn those sparks on the top of the head ........

 

I turned mine down to about 10-1/2 and got less eye strain. Also the fumes may contribute to the irritation

 

Welding / skull caps are essential...also make sure you either have a very tight and high neckband or wrap an old scarf or towel around your neck down your collar...hot slag down your shirt is a nightmare!