I've spent hours going through old threads and I still haven't found what I need. I'm 68 years old and have had cataract surgery in one eye. At that, I still see better than most of my friends. Anyway, I have a Hobart Handler 220 volt MIG welder. My main problem is that I can't see what I'm doing most of the time. If I get lucky and hit what I'm welding, I can lay down a pretty good bead. Other times, I'm way off track and lay the bead on one side of the two pieces I'm trying to join. I currently have a helmet from Northern tools. It seems to do all that it should, but I still think it doesn't give me a good view of what I'm doing. I was screwing around with it today, changing the "Response", "Sensitivity", and "Shade" settings while trying to lay down a bead, but the same thing happened. Half of the time, I couldn't see what I was trying to do and missed the joint. I've been away from this for several years, but I used to be a pretty good stick welder. What I remember most is that when my old man bought the old Miller 180 AMP buzzbox, I took to it like a "duck to water". I could see everything I was doing and was real good at it. I told my dad, "Hey try this; it's really easy". He tried it, and couldn't make it work. What I remember from this is him saying "I can't see!". He was about 60 at the time, and I finally think I understand what he was saying. Anyway, bottom line, is it me or my helmet? I have done everything I could with the helmet (adjustments, new lenses, etc.) but nothing seems to help. I have read a lot of posts, and everyone here seems to be real high on Miller helmets. I notice on their ads that their helmets can be adjusted for shades between 8 and 13, while my NH helmet goes from 9 to 12. Is this enough to make a real change in day to day welding? I'd hate to spend a couple of hundred on a helmet when the problem is that I'm just going downhill faster than I thought. I've tried everything I can think of; I bought a 1000 watt halogen light to illuminate what I'm welding. It gives off enough light to make my helmet go dark if I just move my head toward it. I can control that with the "Sensitivity" control on my helmet, so I know that part of it works. I hate that every other weld I makes ****s because I can't see what I am trying to weld. Tubman
Can't see as in can't foucs/too blurry? If that's the case, they make magnifying lenses for welding helmets.
do you wear gl***es when your welding?, i wear readers, 1.5's, i have an auto helmit but never use it, i just use a $30 cig plastic with a #10 gold plated lense, i like the gold as it gives truer color.
I have 20/20 vision but i want one of those. Never even knew they existed . As for the original question at hand, your description is leading me to believe there is something else at play here. If you get lucky and get a good start your weld is good, otherwise you miss your mark throughout the weld? Are you saying you can't see at anytime or once you have an arc you can see?
In addition to my prescription gl***es, I use a 1.5 magnifier on the lens. Works great! Was teaching an older buddy of mine to MIG, he could'nt come close to sparking off on the right spot.....I asked him if could see...."nope, can't see ****" I said, here try my helmet, all the difference in the world to him. Make sure your light source is'nt reflecting inside your helmet. Start with the manufactures recommendations for settings and adjust from there (should'nt be much)
I have had cataract surgery/lens replacement in both eyes. Your problem is the issue we all have. When they replace your lens you lose the ability to adjust focus near to far, it is a plastic lens not human tissue and can not adjust for near vision or far vision. They give you a lens that will give you something close to 20/20 at 20 feet. You are welding at 18-24 inches. You need to find some "reader" gl***es, or corrective welding lenses that will give you good vision at that focal length. Another problem, at least in my experience, is that glare is more pronounced after lens replacement surgery.
go into your local welding supply and ask for a set of cheater lenses. they are fairly cheap so pick up a few different strengths. one of them should help you. i use to just use readers when i welded, after a while they didn't work. i switched to a cheater lens and it was like night and day. later jim
How often do you weld every day or just every now and then. I have been a welder for about 25 years and I got laid off for about 18 month's when I went back to work I had a hard time getting back to where I was before the lay off. I have a miller helmet and I keep it turned down on the 8 shade, this help's a lot. But try the gl***es that will help some. Another thing you can try is take a peice of soap stone and slide it down the crack that you are getting ready to weld you can see this when you start and it will keep you on your mark try this and you will see what I'm talking about. Let me know If this work's box50 Later.
Cheater lenses will help allot . Also do you have enough good like so you can see what you are working on to start with ? Jim
yea id say cheater lense too, i'm a young guy so ive never used one, but there are a lot of guys ive worked with that ran them, and there are a couple that even with them they still gave up tig welding
I am an old guy who welds all of the time and the biggest help to me is to put a halogen light shining on what I am welding. I have were bi-focals and can't seem to get the right focal length with my gl***es. So I take my gl***es off to weld and just wear my safety gl***es under my hood that is set on 10.
Tubman A friend of mine kept telling me he put a small led light on his mig weld trigger.One day he came over with one ,took a couple small clamps with holes in one end that you can run a bolt through,clamped it to the trigger near the nozel aiming it at the spot where you weld.Tighten the screws to adjust. No **** what a difference.Harbor fraight has the lights cheep ,we got several for back up.The led light doesn't make your helmet go dark because it isn't aming at you.I like the idea of the cheater lens these guys are talking about also.
I have always had to light up my welding area. I use a Dayton flourescent drop light and its enough. I also don't care for my transition lenses and switch to single vision gl***es for welding. My instant darkening hood is a big help over the fixed gl*** flip type hood. Bob
Tubman.........I had cataract surgery when I was 39! I'm in my 50's now. I'm wondering whether your other eye is in need of surgery? Also sometimes the cells continue to produce lens fibers on the eye you had surgery. If that's the case, a simple procedure called yag laser capsulotomy can fix you up.
I know what you mean. I have a hard time with a "spot of light in a sea of darkness" when I weld. I've upgraded helmets and it helped a little. Cheaters help with the puddle, but the best thing I've done is flood the area I'm welding with light. A halogen works well, but it kind of messes with the auto darkening of the helmet. Best solution I've found so far though, other than finding a younger guy with a good set of eyes to do the welding. (G) Larry T
What exactly is a "cheater lens"? I have been having a little trouble myself at the ripe old age of 52..
They are a clear lens that is ground similar to reading gl***es and fit on the inside of your tinted lens in your welding helmet. Any welding supply store should have them. They come in different strengths, so you might take your helmet with you to see which ones work best for you. Larry T
Ive been frying metal for 35 years and it has effected my sight.I have always used a wide lens,old fashion plastic cover-lens #10 or #11 and another plastic cover.I have to use 1.5 readers now tight to my face so I just have to move my eyes and not my head.Auto darken lens are nice but but a waste of money to me.Most guys welding in their garages arent doing fine heliarc anyway where a auto one works better.Iam just used to my 25 year old helmet and the addition to readers works good.If you drop your helmet and brake a magnifying lens it costs more than a standard one.Just me and my old fart ways
I have trifocals, a magnifyer insert insde the helmet, a helmet with 4 sensors so that one always sees the arc and set the adjustable shade to 10 for tig and 11 for mig generally. I also use a halogen in front of me to illuminate the work. about 10 years ago I went to a local welding supply store and they let me try different combs of magnifyer and hoods with thier demo mig... right there in the store.
Thanks for all the replies guys; it really helps to know that I'm not alone. They say I will need cataract surgery in my other eye, but not soon. I can see perfectly before the arc starts, but then it is too dark to see (not blurry or anything). I do wear my regular "transitions" gl***es when I weld; maybe that's the problem. I think I will try the "cheaters", but again, the problem doesn't seem to be the focus, but the darkness. Do you think the "8" setting on a Miller helmet would make that much difference from the "9" on my NH? I'm going to look around and see if I can find a Miller to try.
I had a horrible problem with not seeing my weld line or V in the metal. I tried everything, magnifying gl***es, welding outside in sunshine,putting a towel over my head so no light could come in the back side of the helmet. Also halogen lights, all to no avail. I decided I had gotten bad eyes. Turns out the 3 lenses (clear plastic,dark,clear plastic,) each had a fine layer of dust on them from my dusty shop, and fingerprints, and scratches,and splatter. Now if I ever have trouble seeing I clean or replace my lenses first. I also wear magnifying or cheater specs due to my age.
I was going to say the same thing. I personally don't like an auto helmet, I'd rather get things lined up and flop my helmet down. probably cause that's how I learned 40 or so years ago. Damn that seems like a long time.
The big question is, Are you getting a head ache from this? Keep in mind that by using a 1.5 you are magnifying the light as well. I like the Miller auto darkener because it buys you time and you can adjust it. If you find that with a standard hood you are getting a headache tig welding at 11 you can of course move up to a 12 or higher, trouble is with a 12 in there you are stone blind at the weld start. I buy a set of 1.5 cheaters at the local drug store,cheap like 5 bucks, who cares if I break them, then I set the auto dark to 12, I can see all the way in to the weld start and have nice accuracy, you can take your time to get comfortable and do nice work. Just for you young guys, this **** starts at about 42 years old, this is why most older guys are so pissed off all the time, a constant battle against chest pains, blindness, eating low fat stuff that tastes like card board and low "T". Mean while you have the brain and ambition of a 20 year old, thank god for cold beer.
I had the same problem with "too dark" with auto dark helmet. I could not see much doing the set up work before the auto-dark kicked in, and it was too dark when welding. I don't like to spend big bucks unless I have to. I went to the welding store to check helmets and talk with other welder guys in the store. They said "get the BIG window" helmet with the shading that goes down to 7 for "dark shops". Still wanted more proof. (don't laugh at this )The owner said to put on the big window helmet and go in the bathroom with the light off, and he held the door open a bit. It was real dark in there and I could see good for doing the set up work. So I tried it at home in the dark shop and I can see good now. That huge window is real good, and if I am in a real dark area, I sometimes need the 7 setting at night. I rarely go beyond 8. It was pricey, but I can see now. I did try cheaters in the old non-auto helmet, but I have to wear magnifying reading gl***es for set up, which won't work with the cheaters. So when I lift the helmet, I can't see the set up and need to put gl***es back on. That did not work for me.
Been taking off my bifocals for years to weld, gonna try a cheater lens. Always kind of chuckled at one of my welders, who is twice as good as me, for setting up a light before he welds, gonna try that too.
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