When I've started hobby welding, I bought a mig welder and an automatic helmet. After few hours of trying to glue pieces of steel together, I've found out I haven't removed protective film. Whoa... much better. Few months and few hobby projects later I've found out there was protective film on the inside as well. Now I can actually weld stuff.
I solved my problem of not being able to see what I was welding in my home workshop. I was frustrated once I retired that I could not see what I was trying to weld, frustration was very high. I tried everything, changed auto tint glasses for plain, tried reading glasses only (which was a pain), purchased expensive auto welding mask to no avail and got nowhere. After a frustrating 6 years I had an idea and it worked. I purchased a 240v 10w LED portable light with a tall tripod stand. I illuminated the area I wanted to weld with said light and all of a sudden I could see the seam I was welding along and everything else I needed to see. I was so full of joy at eventually being able to do what I had never found difficult at work to do before. I can only assume that my work place had much better lighting than our home workshops. I have what I thought was ample fluorescent tube lights in my workshop but it was not enough. I arc welded before and have now learnt to TIG weld and all thanks to my light. Before you purchase, go outside in full sunlight and see if that resolves you problem, if yo can see outdoors to weld then the LED light will work for you inside. I hope this helps someone as much as it helped me.
I've been a fabricator/welder for just a little less than 50 years, just retired about the time you posted this video. I've used a auto-darkening hood for quite a few years. A couple of things that I've found to increase the life of my inner and outer cover lenses are, put your hood back in the box it came in and close it when not in use and blow the cover lenses off before you wipe them. The first keeps grit and dust accumulation down and the second will remove most of the dust and grit that does. I usually use a damp microfiber towel to wipe them off only when I need to.
Another thing I do is to use a plastic bag to slip the hood in when I'm grinding or something where I have to remove my hood for a while. Aluminum welding seems to be particularly hard on the outside cover lens as splatters tend to stick to the clear plastic more than steel splatters do.
I find the smoke gets in the way sometimes. I found it best to inhale all the smoke to prevent it from blocking the sight path. You will need to cut off the bottom half of your welding hood. And don't mind the smell of burning beard.
Ok,I now wear bi focals. After 35 plus years of welding or painting, I have a very hard time seeing to run a straight bead. Anybody have the answer? I know in my 20s I would laugh at my coworkers at Allis Chalmers but now don't find it laughable. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
One major problem I have is lighting. I do a lot of body panel work and often find myself in weird positions, especially when working on cabs, floorpans, firewalls, etc... I mounted a small picatinny rail on the top of my welding hood (like you would use on a AR15 rail) and mounted a Surefire rifle light to it. Works amazingly well.
I'm a weekend welder/novice. I use a HF auto darkening helmet ( love it) , I ended up screwing a 2000 lumen headlamp to the top of my helmet. It works great although adds more weight and can get in the way in tight quarters. I'm just a beginner but really enjoy building stuff with metal. Nice video , thanks for posting.👍👍
I love my harder fate helmet too but since starting MIG welding, smoke is a new problem. I'm thinking I can cut a hole in the chin, and fit a headlamp into it, with a piece of replaceable plexi or lexan in front for spark shielding. I'll put it upside down so the switch is on the bottom.
I've bounced around to different optics and ideas, so far Optrel Panoramaxx for 2022 blows the doors off of others for visibility of the weld puddle and the area outside of it. I still need some aux light to help brighten the item i'm welding on sometimes.
@@garychandler4296 If you were willing to spend more than horrible freight, then i'd say the solution is a positive pressure ventilation system from somebody like PAPR, preferrably built into the helmet. 🤷♂
Great video. Personally lighting is the key for me. I use a cheap led drop light and place as close as possible to what I'm welding. Such a huge help if your not out in sunlight
Yep, for me that's the first tip to follow. Haven't welded in decades (used the old flip helmet) but for me it was all about the additional lighting that made it easier.
Same here, adding more light from an 'angle-poise' lamp was the game-changer; getting it as close to weld as possible. Surprisingly it still helps when it's fairly sunny. Also, if using FCAW, a fan to blow away fumes is a great help. Welding well is so hard!, but magical too.
Great content. A big thing that helped me improve was wearing a cloth hood, duct taped around the side and covering the back of my helmet. I used to get lots of ambient light reflecting off the inside of my helmet and lens. Having the hood ensures the only light comes through the lens, and makes a HUGE difference. When I clean my outer lens cover, I start with running it under a warm tap to remove the bulk of the dust, metal shavings etc. This allows you clean effectively and to not scratch the plastic. I then use an old cloth saturated in degreaser concentrate ( or cheapo dish-detergent) to wipe the plastic down, leaving a very light film of degreaser on the plastic to minimise fogging on cold mornings.
I tried to get started welding about a year ago, with a fixed #10 shaded helmet. I was never able to see anything until the weld actually started, which was useless for finding the correct starting point. I tried affixing a hood to cover the back - this did not help at all. I tried lighter shades and burned my retinas every time I tried to make a weld. Finally I threw down $50 on a cheap auto-darkener from Harbor Freight and it's just fantastic. I set the darkest shade to #9 (I can go clear down to #6 or up to #11 I think) and it's perfect for all conditions. Auto-darkening is just plain the only way to go.
Andrew I've never tried the degreaser thing in all my years. But I will this Monday. Thanks. Here is a question you may have the answer to,when you are welding a long time and the gauges freeze up. I hang a drop light over the gauges thinking the heat helps. What do you think?Thanks.
@@johnsellers2999 it won’t be just the gauges freezing up, it would be through the piping in general, and is a consequence of the liquid fuel as it gasifies at the surface inside the tank. An oft quoted ‘trick’ for people running forges (etcetera) is to stand your tanks in buckets of hot water, but I don’t see how that would overcome the cooling effect of the evaporation at the top of the tank, unless nearly the entire tank were submerged. The ‘refrigeration’ process would also very quickly chill the water in the bucket unless some heat source were applied ( say, a sous-vide cooking element). The ‘easiest’ way is to run multiple cylinders, through a manifold, splitting the demand between the cylinders, reducing the gas evaporation rate, or using a more squat tank with a larger surface area. If you are really confident as to the surface of the level of the liquid in your cylinder, I don’t see why you couldn’t tilt the cylinders, ensuring the liquid fuel is significantly lower than the mouth, and can’t enter the regulator. This would increase the surface area, dissipating the chill, much like opening a pressurised coke bottle while tilting it to minimise boil-over.
Great video. Im turning 60 on the 25th. I just bought my first welder - a cheaper flux core wire welder. I guess I got into this later in life.. Your videos are very helpful!
Ordinary classroom Chalk in orange colour. If you're having trouble seeing then run a line or 2 of orange chalk either where the weld will be or next to it. Orange chalkboard chalk works well for people who can't see. I hope this helps someone.
That actually helps a lot. I find I often run off centre line because I’m following the seam which starts to disappear when you begin welding. Having another line to follow would be very helpful.
Thanks Tim for the very helpful tips,I messaged you some time ago as I couldn't see my welding line and kept going off the actual weld area.Your reply suggested making a chalk line where you actually wanted to weld,that has been a big help and it worked for me,thanks again Tim for your excellent videos. (England UK)
Yes, I have the same problem sometimes. I wondered about a chalk line, I was worried the chalk might interfere with the weld but I'll try it. Maybe chalk to one side of the weld line. In the past I have used 300 or 500 watt work lamps which I found helped a lot though there's a lot of heat from the lamps. Perhaps these days LED alternatives are available
Cateract surgery, after 55 years of welding I couldn’t see, my cateracts that were not bothering me in everyday life would glow inside my eyes and obscure my view when I tried to weld, Cateract surgery in both eyes cured that problem completly. I also have an LCD strap on battery headlamp Velcroed to my welding helmet to increase ambient lighting around the weld for low light conditions. Still welding with a pacemaker, stinger and ground wires twisted together as far as possible, arc at arms length, limited to 150 amps, no high frequency.
Man, you deserve a medal for courage. Or something. I think you meant LED? (not LCD). I have one on the way from Amazon. My problem sometime is seeing BEFORE I weld, because the place of the weld is in the shadows from the lights.
Dang, I assume you were using shades not auto darkening? Which shade and how long ago? Old shades had glass protective screens, now we have plastic. The plastic actually stops all UV and its just bright light. I keep my auto on shade 13 permanently
@@danl.4743 I dropped the original comment, but something I do, especially welding in the dark, is, I scratch an arc, then pull off making a larger oxidative arc, which lights up the area momentarily, so I can see my target. It's kind of like sighting off your muzzle flash shooting a pistol. I come back and clean up the spittle with a grinder, if necessary.
A frequent occurrence. Corner welds usually work, but butt joints sometimes end up with a nice bead going cross country. A more expensive helmet helped a little. Welding in the sunlight works if there is no wind. What I want is a super bright led light that attaches to the gun and illuminates an area the size of a silver dollar, ideally surrounding the pool. It also needs a roll of spatter shield.
One thing that helped me tremendously was I stopped wearing my multi-focal (graded-lens) eyeglasses when welding and wore my fixed-focal-length plain reading glasses. Took that extra layer of guesswork out of trying to move your head to get that "sweet spot" of correct focus for that distance. Also, as a lifelong glasses wearer, and former pro photographer, I would say never use paper towels or tissues to clean any kind of lens or glass. Paper is abrasive and leaves tiny scratches. Better to use a clean soft cloth, and wash or air-blow the dust off the lens/glass first. Great video and really helpful info on the angle of view to keep track of how the puddle is doing instead of looking ahead where I want to go. Thanks for that!
I was having massive trouble seeing my welds. Turned out the problem was due to my cheap hood. I spent $200 on a good quality welding hood and the improvement was profound.
@@Livinoutdoors_ Weldclass Promax 500. Not sure if you'll have them where you are... I noticed the difference even just looking through the visor in the shop. The cheaper ones are blurry as hell even when they're not darkened.
I had a big problem trying to see when welding but I took the helmet to a friend who is more advanced in his learning to weld. The problem was something I didn't even know was that there was a battery in it and when a friend took out the battery it was corroded. My friend knew I hadn't the helmet and showed me the battery and told me the company put a cheap cheap battery in the helmet which caused the problem as well as me not knowing the helmet had a battery. I bought Duracell good batteries and replaced the battery after cleaning the battery housing and re adjusting the other adjustment buttons that I didn't understand what they do. Now the helmet works really great but you just gave me a great idea. Take a photo of the button positions and I can learn from there safely twisting the buttons to find out what their functions are and I will have the photo to see where they go back to thanks Tim great video
@TimWelds I just wanted to show some appreciation man.. I only started welding today, I was struggling a lot & my welding rod would always stick.. but just after soaking up some of the info you give on your channel, I quickly learnt how to strike an arc & things were looking promising Again thanks so much bro.. My name is Jean-Claude or just JC for short, All the way from South Africa
Hi Tim, thanks for your very informative videos. I have a tip for those that occasionally weld in dark areas,, rather than get someone to hold a torch for me, I've glued a cheapie rechargeable LED headlamp to my hood which I purchased from a China Mart. As for the reflections on the inside lens at certain angles where the light is behind me, I have cut off a large piece of denim from an old pair of jeans. This I've glued to the inside edge of the hood using a glue gun. This denim hoodie serves to save my head from spatter and the reflections from the light behind me.
Thanks for all the reminders to get optimal view of the arc and weld pool. You nailed it on keeping clean lenses inside and outside the helmet view panel. You are clear, concise and easy to understand. Keep up the great videos.
I always preferred either a blue or gold lense. Gold in particular gives all surrounding surfaces a nice white tent and you can see everything perfectly.
Great video. Very useful. I discovered it was time to get glasses when I was on a gas welding course. I just couldn't get the welds straight until someone said " hey, try these reading glasses". Wow what a difference! You can ask your optician to set the focal length to the distance you normally weld at as that's usually further away than you would read a book.
I'm myopic - nearsighted - and discovered that you can buy different strength prescription lenses that fit into your helmet, similar to generic eyeglasses you can find at any Walgreens. That made a big difference for me, since I wear contacts 24/7; I used to put on a pair of reading glasses when welding, which essentially did the same thing, but was simply a hassle. The inserts made it all better.
12 hour shifts with a 30 minute break night shifts, eye fatigue is common later into the morning but your video helped a lot and I wear a new prescription frame to weld now under my hood which helps a lot, more veteran welders have commented positively on my improvement which is nice, I just want to learn and make nice work for people, could do without the insane pressure of targets though just don't have the qualification. Build on experience 💪
After watching a few of your vids, I went ahead with making fender brackets and stick welding them to my boat trailer. Your clear, concise tips and instructions really improved my welding results. Thanks so much and keep up the great work!
Thank you for such a great instructional video. This is the first one I clicked on. I worked as a utility maintenance man for 2 years for a beverage warehouse where I helped the shop mechanic weld steel plates to the walls of the semi truck trailers. I handled a torch for the 1st time then and wondered how you can see what you're doing. It was a mystey at the time. You should record these videos and include them as how to vids with the welding set ups. Watch this disc before starting any work. You sound like a great instructor. Thanks...
Yep, plenty of light on your work area helps. I have a small led torch that I gaffer tape to the top of my helmet. One that can focus light to a tight beam or a wide spread. Works well. As you get older your pupils don't dilate as well as when you were young. As a result less light gets to your retina, making it harder to see in darker areas.
Once again Tim gets right there with what's so real and crucial. All of this he shows. I have nothing to add here. Any "extras" I about niche situations you will work out just the same yourself along the way. I've worked on marine civils where with salt-spray, etc, you do not take your good autodarkener out there! I wear reading glasses inside a top-of-the-range air-fed auto-darkener, as you don't take it off from break to break. But use a "cheater" lens with all others. Visor on - correction there. Speed in a commercial environment.
When I started welding I used fixed shade glass with two protective lenses outside anywhere from 8 to 10 shades. Also, I have the old-school fiber metal with the big view has the nodes to lay your shield on. It helps protect my liens, and the shield is great at keeping fumes out unless I am in tight places. The shield is heavy though.
I can't tell you how many welds I have made where I trail off into no mans land because I couldn't see what I was welding. I am going to have to try the LED taped to my helmet, that sounds like a great idea as I usually don't have problems outside in the sunlight, just indoors.
Carl Schmidt..I sure can relate to getting a good weld, only to find it's not where I needed it 🤣 I have this great little welder that I have done a hell of a lot of work with. I retired (not as a welder) and didn't use the welder for 5 or 6 years, then when I went to do a few little jobs, my welding was atrocious. I tried a LED torch positioned on my welding area and it helped greatly. I will have to buy something suitable to attach to my helmet too.
@@steiny3353 I've tried so many different lights/flashlights and found that two of them actually trigger my auto-darkening helmet! It's so irritating but at least I know what *not* works!
Great tips. But suggest always use the darkest shade you can while still being to able to properly see your puddle. Running too light a shade over extended periods can and will damage your eyes, especially blue eyes. Protective covers are cheap or clean them often. Working in shipyard , not uncommon to clean or change out 2-3 times a day depending where your at. But being able to see the puddle clearly is key to becoming a better welder. And your tips are a great ways to do that. 👍👍
I never seem to be able to see my puddle properly. I have it set as low as my helmet will go (9 I think) I would like to go lower but I also have blue eyes. Maybe I need to focus on getting more light on the job.
@@DodgyBrothersEngineering running lower shade doesn't damage eyes. Whoever told you that is a fool, UV and IR is what damages eyes and these are blocked even without shade lenses.
Picked up a mig welder for the first time last week, my welds are terrible visibility very poor and not a clue how to set up after a couple of your videos there is a significant improvement yet still a long way of acceptable welds. Practicing your techniques and hoping for the best. Thank you for your knowledge and easy to understand teaching
Magnifying lenses are awesome! I'm only a newbie welder, but wear progressive lens glasses. When welding, the focal distance is outside of the optimal range for my glasses. I bought a magnifying lens for my helmet and its a game changer! I've also set up an LED floodlight right above my welding bench - good results from that too.
Fastening a good quality head torch to your welding hood is a great idea too. I saw another UA-camr do this. Seems like an ideal solution. Thank you for sharing.
Something I recently did that really helped to see the seam is put a small headlight on my helmet. I took off strap and used velcro to hold it on. It's adjustable up and down so I can point it right where I need it. Wish I would of did this years ago!
I am 78 years old and have had a passion for classic corvettes c2 63/67 and classic mustangs 65/70. David Anderson comment below about cataracts. About 8 years ago I was having some vision trouble from cataracts. I had a 63 corvette roadster I painted victory red. base coat / clear coat. I spent some days wet sanding with 1000, to 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Buffed the car out and was looking at my paint job thinking this was the best paint job I have ever done. Two days later I had my cataracts removed. The next day I went out to my shop and when I looked at the corvette I could see orange peel and some minor runs. I am so glad I had the cataracts removed before the general public saw what I thought was my best paint job.
I’m retired certified welder. Went to Lincoln welding school long before auto darken. Instructor gave me a gold lens for my helmet. Tried it and hazaa! I could see the puddle! That’s what I still use!
Some great tips. I took the cheater lens out of my mask and wear +2 safety glasses underneath so I can still see and grind when the hood is raised. Also discovered how beneficial additional lighting is. Still working on a head torch solution that does not get in the way or cause shaddow. Another safety concern is the flux and metal fumes from welding. I wear an fp2 mask under my hood. Adds more clutter with the glasses but feel the benefit. Your safety video is well worth a watch 👍
Good video. In the past I have used 300 or 500 watt works lamps which help a lot. They're hot so perhaps these days LED alternatives are available. Also I like to use a fan to blow away welding fumes.
I too have had trouble seeing and only weld occasionally. What I have done is to set up a 'spot' light that drastically increases the light on the area of where I'm going to weld. This allows me to keep track of the weld path.
I was apprenticed when I was a young fella before auto-darkening lenses. I am 73 and still do all my welding on the farm. I now wear bifocals and when I strike an arc, I get multiple images. I went and bought a pair of reading cheaters and no more problems!
New to welding-- the added ambient light helped considerably. I have a mag mounted adjustable neck light attached to my welding cart and can move it around to where I need to see.
Another handy tip, avoid lighting behind you when welding. Light reflects from the inside of the mask thus causing the pupils to constrict and therefore allowing less light to enter the eye. The only light you want is that coming through the mask lens. You need good contrast to see well. Many professional (coded) welders working outdoors in daylight, or those working around a lot of aluminium or stainless will often have some sort of hood to cover the top of mask and over the back of head for this very reason. They need to see what they are doing and what the weld puddle is doing, else they risk a failed weld inspection. Sometimes one can weld by feel and sound, but not when welding an incoloy reactor vessel for example.
I had this same problem while in welding school. I couldn't see the weld from the light in the booth coming in from behind my welding helmet. I ended up getting with my mother and grandmother and they ended up making me a hoodie to block out the light from behind me. Boy, it was like night and day. lol
I use a magnifying lens in my mask and what also works for me is having a piece of fire retardant material covering the back of my mask to stop light from entering from behind me. And it stops the sparks from going down the back of my neck.
One thing that I learned is to not have a bright light shining into the back of the welding helmet. I also found out that having a light shining onto the work area is helpful. It did take me a while to get used to the autodarkening helmets.
I resolved a big part of my problem by using a spot light at weld level and next to no ambient light. It stops the light from glaring off the back of the lens. If that can't be done a cloth hood works as well.
I tell my students to get the best hood they can. Optrel crystal is one of the best in my opinion. The hood absolutely makes a massive difference. Having lots of light in your work area. Using your glasses/contacts if you have them or need them. Go to the eye doctor and get checked. Using a magnifier/cheater lens in your hood. And lastly, body positioning. A lot of people do not have a good position for themselves when their welding. Sometimes it is impossible to do that when you have to weld in confined spaces or the like.
Good info. Do you have any trouble with the inside of the lense fogging? I've tried the trick of covering the back of the helmet to keep ambient light from reflecting off the inside, but the more you enclose the helmet the more fogging is a problem. Especially if the shop and helmet are cold.
@@jackcolton1069 take a tiny bit of shaving cream on your fingers and wipe it on the inside lens ! Wipe it on really good and let it dry . When its dry lightly buff off any smudges if any! Poof no more fog! Might have to reapply every so often. Also works for your eyeglasses going from cold outside to warm inside! Your welcome!
I think most people have issues with ambient or backlight reflecting backwards from inner lens. I cut up an old pair of jeans and opened a leg up to make a cape at the back of the welding helmet blocking all the light from behind. It can get a bit warm but it works for me.
I do a lot of mig welding and need to use glasses in my day to day life using vari focus glasses but I found come the winter your eyes get sweaty with cold it looked like I had three stick outs, I changed my glasses to single vision reading type set up to slightly further away work well also a torch we tried at work had a led in the bend of the gun came on when you pulled the trigger brilliant
I''ve been welding since 1965 with flip up hood, my son bought me an autodark hood and I love it, but I can't quit flipping it up when I stop welding, old habits hard to break LOL great clear vid good points for everyone THANX!
Worklight on a tripod works well, or a drop cord light hanging over my welding table gives extra light. Yeah arc welding outside is always good light, might try a light on the helmet. See how that works, it doesn't help needing reading glasses, cataract surgeries, but the biggest problem has been the lighting, welding outside no problem, so you need that extra lighting in the shop. And when I worked as a welder full-time the lighting didn't matter so much because you were welding in all conditions and adapted to the different lighting situations and experience helped a lot.
One thing l might add is getting one of those helmet bibs that Lincoln sells. It blots out most of the bright reflected light and really helps avoid the eye fatigue. Cheers.
The auto darkening welding helmets are great but like all equipment, it can fail even if the battery is replaced or solar helmet does not change properly. I have changed several newly purchased big batteries for my head light and the batteries failed within 5 minutes after install. I used a major name brand batteries and they had more than a year shelf life left. I like the passive welding helmet approach and I will be purchasing this variety in the near future with at least #11 shade lense. I will be wearing polarized sunglasses as well to protect my sight while welding. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day!
In welding school we used a oil free cleaner spray for both cleaning metal and for cleaning our lenses. Just a few sprays on the lens and a wipe with a old t-shirt rag and I only changed my lens once or twice after 2 years of school
The darkness of the welding hood makes your pupils widen, and that make close focusing harder. I wear glasses anyway, but have recently installed a cheater and it makes a great difference! I also have a HF 500 lumen rechargeble folding light on my cart now (with some extra batteries). The mag base and bright light make it a great tool to help my old eyes to see the work better.
I use a light lense #8 always have, I am 79 don't wear glasses even today, I was told when I started welding to use the lightest shade possible, dark enough so you don't burn your eyes
As a “once-in-a-blue-moon” welder (i.e. without an auto-darkening helmet), I have a VERY difficult time seeing before my arc starts - actually, I’m completely blind with my ancient helmet on. Although maybe partly due to wrong shade and scratched lens, I have found that blasting my work piece with a super bright painter’s light really helps me to be able to see a little bit before my arc starts. It reduces the “delta” between complete darkness and the blinding sun of plasma 😊
These are old videos of yours that I'm watching but my gosh I'm happy to have discovered your channel. Thanks for explaining so clearly and concisely, especially for us garage shop hacks. You've got a new sub.
A big thumbs up. The width and depth of the information is really good. I learned a lot. The presentation is good. Although he talks a little bit too fast, I could follow. Thank you!
This did help a lot, I have antimetropia which means I'm near sighted in my left eye and far sighted in my right. But also because my right eye is lazy too I can really see out of my left eye when with both eyes open. So I really needed help making sure my shade setting is good for me. Although also I work 3rd shift, so there is good lighting all around the shop, but sometimes at each individual reweld table the lights above either aren't the best or won't stay in the right position. And sometimes I don't realize I have a little bit of eye strain from having to look at my phn too long (even though I do have the brightness setting always on less than half because otherwise it's too darn bright. I will just have to play around and adjust my shade setting until I find a spot that works for me; even though in my shop they currently only do MIG welding. Thank you so much for this informative video.
I still struggle keeping straight on a joint. I have tried everything you mentioned. Most of the stuff in the comments. Better helmets. Cheater lens. Cloth over the back. All sorts. The only time I can keep neat is in the middle of a paddock in bright sun. For me all about the light.
I'm really enjoying your videos,I've been welding for a few years and most was gas weld,I took a summer course at medina Ohio joint vocational school. It helped but I find your videos very intuitive. I wanted to thank you
Spray Rain X on your lens and wipe with soft cloth, then kind of polish with dry soft cloth. I have had the same lens in for almost a year, and I weld regularly. Saves a lot of $
So glad i watched your video. Welding was impossible with my new helmet all i could see is miller miller miller. I felt like Ricky Bobby and his Fig Newton windshield sticker.
Key point that most begining welders miss is to focus your eyes on the weld pool and not the arc. At age 67 unfortunately my eyes are not what they once were. There are magnifying lens available for most helmets in the same strength as your reading glasses.
One other thing is light shinning into your hood from the back causing light reflection inside your hood. Try to have shade from the light this I have found is helpful. Many pipeline welder use the Pan Cake Hood that has google the fits over your eyes with a shiels covering your face and left ear.
I was having trouble seeing my welds, and then one day, I realized I wear glasses that darken when there is light. No matter what adjustment I made with the hood, it made non to very little difference. It took me days to figure this out, but I laugh at myself for not learning this sooner.
I wear glasses that darken to light, although l don’t use them for reading, or close up work such as welding. I have poor eyesight and l have to use my reading glasses when l’m welding. The lenses in the reading glasses “don’t darken”. The very first time l wore them when welding, was a “godsend”. At last l could see really good. My welding prowess improved “out of sight”. (Pun intended) 😊
I've had issues with seeing the weld pool and the area around it so far. I've tried an ADF from ESAB and now have a pricey one from Optrel, hoping I won't be disappointed.
Mount a headlamp to your helmet with some double sticky sided velcro, works amazing, use a headlamp that has a beam/spotlight, huge improvement with weld quality.
Here's a tip the outside of your welding helmet, & viewing area car polish it, slag won't burn or stick to your helmet, just bounces off. Another welder on the job taught me this on the job.
Thanks for the useful info. I see my puddles OK, but I have an awful time seeing the seam line, especially with MIG. Often my MIG welds will veer off because I'm mostly welding where I REMEMBERED seeing the seam, as opposed to actually being able to see it while I'm welding. Because of this, I don't usually MIG weld more than an inch at a time. I hope some of your tips will help with that.
Try setting up a magnetic light or holding one while you weld, I’ve done this a few times when I can’t see what I’m welding. I use a snap on one my friend gifted me for Christmas that works great, it’s a magnetic head torch but I set it up to light up the area I’m welding
Overhead lighting can cause glare from above the helmet. I sometimes turn off the overhead lights and put a task lamp low at an angle. Also if you are 'older' cataracts can cause glare...when I had mine removed it helped a lot.
I have a Fenix headlamp I attach with Velcro to my helmet which helps a lot. Also to stop glare from overhead lamps I but a cloth over the back of my head. And I still veer off.
I struck my first arc under my Fathers supervision when I was 5 and got my very first burn about 5 minutes later. I started to apprentice when I was 19. I'm 69 today and I have never used an auto dark helmet nor will I ever. I still use a good old small lightweight that is now made by Hobart and I use glass lenses. Glass lenses do not scratch and they are not static charged which attracts dust. Yes, the cover plate has to be changed more often due to the spatter sticking to it. I did a lot of work in the boonies and I needed something that you can depend on. I did not think I should have to have 2 helmets to ensure that I would always have a functional unit. Both of my sons use what is essentially the same rig I have for the same reasons. Sometimes old school is still the best so don't sell it short.
Having bright LED lights in front and sometimes back of your work will cause your work sight to go black and you will not be able to see what you are doing, you have to reposition your lights or work position, it can drive you crazy at first because it doesn't seem to make sense why everything goes black, you may think it your helmet but it could be your helmet reacting to the light or even the "Sun" in front of you, as soon as you pull the trigger. I now sometimes use a bright flashlight shining directly on my weld area if needed, and it works very well. I don't know why but bright LED lights and the "SUN" can certainly have an effect on some welding helmets, especially cheaper ones.
When I can, I use welding glasses and then a headlamp for lighting. A good headlamp lights up the piece real well. I use a #10 shade and I still see great.
When I clean my lenses I only wipe side to side. No circles or up and down. The micro scratches that wiping can cause seem to have the least impact when they are horizontal.
The same concept is used when cleaning aircraft windows since they are made from plastic. The basic rule of thumb is only wipe in the direction of airflow
I recently attached the light assembly from a headlamp (without the headband) to the chin of my mask, upside down so I can point the light into my line of sight. I used double sided foam adhesive strips for the dollar store.
I do a fair amount of Mig welding which gets a brown film on the front lens, I blow the dust off at the start of the day but when the front gets bad I remove the lens take it to the Bathroom and use hand dispenser detergent and clean the lens with water and it get it really clean, you can see the amount of crap you get off the lens, then dry it with a shower towel. I do the inner lens at the same time. Don't use paper towel, as it is made of wood fibre and will scratch the plastic lenses.
Hi from England - home of rain, the Queen and cups of tea! 🙂 My problems with "Help! I can't see" is I can't see where I'm sposed to be going. I'm like the chap driving the truck in that film - is it 'Vanishing Point'? And he is painting the centre-line on a dead-straight road when the Dodge Charger is coming straight at him and so he veers off the Tarmac road onto the dust of the hard shoulder. And when he looks back all he can see are these perfectly painted lines following the path of his truck off the road. "Don't follow me folks - I'm lost too"! Then the driver looks the other way for the Charger and it is gone - already halfway to Arizona (or somewhere)! That's me - I can clearly see the weld pool but not much else - I can only guess where I'm going, like driving in the dark with no headlights. If I position myself to get behind the gun and into its 'shadow'so avoiding the actual arc from bleaching out everything else around I can get by. Not ideal. Any ideas or suggestions. I did think of putting a camera up close to the weld and working off a suitably placed monitor but I think I would lose hand to eye co-ordination?? Thank you.
Don't storage your welding helmet in the carry bag. When I got my first two auto-darkening helmets (Lincoln Viking) I ended up ruining both of them by storing them in the bags. Batteries died and those particular helmets had non-replaceable batteries so I basically flushed $400+ down the toilet after replacing them. Best advice, store your helmets in front of a window where the sun can recharge the batteries. I know the newer helmets have auto-darkening lens in them now that allow the batteries to be easily replaced but you will definitely increase the battery life if you allow the sun to recharge them for you especially if you don't weld all the time 😉 Plus, it's not that hard to remove the dust from the outer protective lens with some lens cleaner.
No such thing as non replaceable batteries lol! Give me a break! I guess that why advertising works! Don’t ever believe when they tell you they are non replaceable ! I swear these manufactures are plain assholes! They just want you to go buy another item! $400? Really?
Light... light on your work is very helpful... yet if the light is behind me it can causes reflection on the plastic screen which compromise the out side hood light.. using a thin cloth over the back of the hood resolves this condition especially in sun light ....
Get an Optrel helmet if you want to see. They're expensive but worth every penny. The distance you have your head from the weld changes the shade you need to protect your eyes. The closer you get, the darker the shade you should use.
Former welder here, i think ive pushed enough wire to go around the earth once or twice, we never drag mig, get fired if we did. the secret is to position the nozzle so it blocks the arc from your view. rely on sound and practice to know if youve dropped enough wire. my focal point is always about an inch in front of the arc and the pool in my peripheral. too many guys focus on the pool and dont adjust to make a good weld. also before you hit the trigger, make a dry run to make sure nothing gets in your way of running a bead. if youre good freehanding is great but if youre new, rest your elbow on something solid, do a dry run then come back and start your bead. my first welds looked like bird droppings, my last welds are almost like art. tig welding is all about rhythm and knowing what speed you need to go at, again, dont look at the arc, look ahead of it. stick welding is the only time you should drag. with stick welding, once you think you have the right speed, stop and go a bit slower. what i can do in one rod might take amateurs 3 and more rod isnt the answer cuz by then that welds already gone to crap. lastly, dont forget to breathe, so many people hold their breath trying to get the perfect bead and holding your breath guarantees you wont, be comfortable in whatever position you are in and relax. ive welded upside down but i made sure i was comfy and not all tensed up.
The forst few months of teaching myself how to tig weld were awful. Ended up being the helmet I had. I was literally welding in the dark. I bought a decent one from harbor freight and my welds immediately improved.
Guess how long it took me to work out that my multi focal/self tinting prescription glasses were working quite well under the helmet....getting darker and darker. When I worked out what was going on I got a non tinting pair the next time I was in the opticians. She also asked me how far away my eyes would be from the work area and set the focal distance accordingly with a bit of magnification. Happy Days.
I bought a better "large lens" "true color" auto darkening helmet (in the mid 100$ range) and attached a Lincoln x6 Viking Headgear to it to replace my cheap HF autodarkening and it totally changed my welding... Its so much more comfortable and stays put but being able to see the puddle was like like a miracle. Also its large enough to wear a Half mask respirator under it and not haveing to hold my breath while welding helps a lot too.
Awesome, thanks for sharing! I've been 'playing' with TIG for the last few years but don't do much and find it really hard to see the puddle. I came in search of 'extra lighting' and from what you said it should help. Yay!!! Thanks again!
I was a welder / fabricator for over 35 years and my biggest problem and the main reason I switched trades was because my eyes went to crap and I could not see what i was doing anymore. Good tips.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
You can learn to weld. I'll show you exactly what to do in my affordable online welding courses at courses.timwelds.com.
Look I watched a bunch of your videos and the day after I was able to make nice welds with no undercut
When I've started hobby welding, I bought a mig welder and an automatic helmet. After few hours of trying to glue pieces of steel together, I've found out I haven't removed protective film. Whoa... much better. Few months and few hobby projects later I've found out there was protective film on the inside as well. Now I can actually weld stuff.
Obviously, you are not reading manuals before getting excited to start welding like me.
@@balloney2175 Turns out you can't learn everything just by watching youtube videos.
@@neplatnyudaj110 In one video I just watched, the guy removed the protective film. I learned what he showed me.
funny
@@figg9417 yep, really funny when you cannot see cuz the protective film is still there
I solved my problem of not being able to see what I was welding in my home workshop. I was frustrated once I retired that I could not see what I was trying to weld, frustration was very high. I tried everything, changed auto tint glasses for plain, tried reading glasses only (which was a pain), purchased expensive auto welding mask to no avail and got nowhere. After a frustrating 6 years I had an idea and it worked. I purchased a 240v 10w LED portable light with a tall tripod stand. I illuminated the area I wanted to weld with said light and all of a sudden I could see the seam I was welding along and everything else I needed to see. I was so full of joy at eventually being able to do what I had never found difficult at work to do before. I can only assume that my work place had much better lighting than our home workshops. I have what I thought was ample fluorescent tube lights in my workshop but it was not enough. I arc welded before and have now learnt to TIG weld and all thanks to my light. Before you purchase, go outside in full sunlight and see if that resolves you problem, if yo can see outdoors to weld then the LED light will work for you inside. I hope this helps someone as much as it helped me.
I've been a fabricator/welder for just a little less than 50 years, just retired about the time you posted this video. I've used a auto-darkening hood for quite a few years. A couple of things that I've found to increase the life of my inner and outer cover lenses are, put your hood back in the box it came in and close it when not in use and blow the cover lenses off before you wipe them. The first keeps grit and dust accumulation down and the second will remove most of the dust and grit that does. I usually use a damp microfiber towel to wipe them off only when I need to.
Another thing I do is to use a plastic bag to slip the hood in when I'm grinding or something where I have to remove my hood for a while. Aluminum welding seems to be particularly hard on the outside cover lens as splatters tend to stick to the clear plastic more than steel splatters do.
Only 50 years? You noob
I find the smoke gets in the way sometimes. I found it best to inhale all the smoke to prevent it from blocking the sight path. You will need to cut off the bottom half of your welding hood. And don't mind the smell of burning beard.
😂
Ok,I now wear bi focals. After 35 plus years of welding or painting, I have a very hard time seeing to run a straight bead. Anybody have the answer? I know in my 20s I would laugh at my coworkers at Allis Chalmers but now don't find it laughable. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
One major problem I have is lighting. I do a lot of body panel work and often find myself in weird positions, especially when working on cabs, floorpans, firewalls, etc... I mounted a small picatinny rail on the top of my welding hood (like you would use on a AR15 rail) and mounted a Surefire rifle light to it. Works amazingly well.
Sounds right!!! 👍🏼
Genius!!!!! I probably have a piece in my gun safe. Thanks
Thank you for giving me a great idea!👍
I'm a weekend welder/novice. I use a HF auto darkening helmet ( love it) , I ended up screwing a 2000 lumen headlamp to the top of my helmet. It works great although adds more weight and can get in the way in tight quarters. I'm just a beginner but really enjoy building stuff with metal. Nice video , thanks for posting.👍👍
Yes I have fitted one of these to my helmet and it makes a big difference.
I love my harder fate helmet too but since starting MIG welding, smoke is a new problem. I'm thinking I can cut a hole in the chin, and fit a headlamp into it, with a piece of replaceable plexi or lexan in front for spark shielding. I'll put it upside down so the switch is on the bottom.
I've bounced around to different optics and ideas, so far Optrel Panoramaxx for 2022 blows the doors off of others for visibility of the weld puddle and the area outside of it. I still need some aux light to help brighten the item i'm welding on sometimes.
@@garychandler4296 If you were willing to spend more than horrible freight, then i'd say the solution is a positive pressure ventilation system from somebody like PAPR, preferrably built into the helmet. 🤷♂
Great video. Personally lighting is the key for me. I use a cheap led drop light and place as close as possible to what I'm welding. Such a huge help if your not out in sunlight
Yep, for me that's the first tip to follow. Haven't welded in decades (used the old flip helmet) but for me it was all about the additional lighting that made it easier.
I found this to help when doing stuff under shaded area or inside. A strong portable lamp beam works well.
First thing I thought ... ambient light.
I have posted much the same, that was before I read any of the post. I 100% agree with you
Same here, adding more light from an 'angle-poise' lamp was the game-changer; getting it as close to weld as possible. Surprisingly it still helps when it's fairly sunny. Also, if using FCAW, a fan to blow away fumes is a great help. Welding well is so hard!, but magical too.
I just started mig welding and your channel has help me tremendously. Thank you Sir
Great content.
A big thing that helped me improve was wearing a cloth hood, duct taped around the side and covering the back of my helmet. I used to get lots of ambient light reflecting off the inside of my helmet and lens. Having the hood ensures the only light comes through the lens, and makes a HUGE difference.
When I clean my outer lens cover, I start with running it under a warm tap to remove the bulk of the dust, metal shavings etc. This allows you clean effectively and to not scratch the plastic. I then use an old cloth saturated in degreaser concentrate ( or cheapo dish-detergent) to wipe the plastic down, leaving a very light film of degreaser on the plastic to minimise fogging on cold mornings.
I tried to get started welding about a year ago, with a fixed #10 shaded helmet. I was never able to see anything until the weld actually started, which was useless for finding the correct starting point. I tried affixing a hood to cover the back - this did not help at all. I tried lighter shades and burned my retinas every time I tried to make a weld.
Finally I threw down $50 on a cheap auto-darkener from Harbor Freight and it's just fantastic. I set the darkest shade to #9 (I can go clear down to #6 or up to #11 I think) and it's perfect for all conditions. Auto-darkening is just plain the only way to go.
Andrew I've never tried the degreaser thing in all my years. But I will this Monday. Thanks. Here is a question you may have the answer to,when you are welding a long time and the gauges freeze up. I hang a drop light over the gauges thinking the heat helps. What do you think?Thanks.
@@johnsellers2999 it won’t be just the gauges freezing up, it would be through the piping in general, and is a consequence of the liquid fuel as it gasifies at the surface inside the tank. An oft quoted ‘trick’ for people running forges (etcetera) is to stand your tanks in buckets of hot water, but I don’t see how that would overcome the cooling effect of the evaporation at the top of the tank, unless nearly the entire tank were submerged. The ‘refrigeration’ process would also very quickly chill the water in the bucket unless some heat source were applied ( say, a sous-vide cooking element).
The ‘easiest’ way is to run multiple cylinders, through a manifold, splitting the demand between the cylinders, reducing the gas evaporation rate, or using a more squat tank with a larger surface area.
If you are really confident as to the surface of the level of the liquid in your cylinder, I don’t see why you couldn’t tilt the cylinders, ensuring the liquid fuel is significantly lower than the mouth, and can’t enter the regulator. This would increase the surface area, dissipating the chill, much like opening a pressurised coke bottle while tilting it to minimise boil-over.
Thanks for reply. Yep my best option is use two tanks. It's the easiest. Thanks again. Take care
Same , yeah be aware of where the overhead light is coming from or cover the back of your helmet, makes a big difference.
Great video. Im turning 60 on the 25th. I just bought my first welder - a cheaper flux core wire welder.
I guess I got into this later in life..
Your videos are very helpful!
I’m 70, took my first lesson last week. My utility trailer needs a bunch of welds. I’m going to do it.
@@jimcox7054 Nice!
you know what they say old dogs new tricks I just hit 59 and started a couple of years ago you"ll have fun.
Ordinary classroom Chalk in orange colour. If you're having trouble seeing then run a line or 2 of orange chalk either where the weld will be or next to it.
Orange chalkboard chalk works well for people who can't see. I hope this helps someone.
That actually helps a lot. I find I often run off centre line because I’m following the seam which starts to disappear when you begin welding. Having another line to follow would be very helpful.
Thanks Tim for the very helpful tips,I messaged you some time ago as I couldn't see my welding line and kept going off the actual weld area.Your reply suggested making a chalk line where you actually wanted to weld,that has been a big help and it worked for me,thanks again Tim for your excellent videos. (England UK)
Yes, I have the same problem sometimes. I wondered about a chalk line, I was worried the chalk might interfere with the weld but I'll try it. Maybe chalk to one side of the weld line. In the past I have used 300 or 500 watt work lamps which I found helped a lot though there's a lot of heat from the lamps. Perhaps these days LED alternatives are available
@@johnswimcat use soapstone marking stick
@5:47, great demonstration of the various positions a welder should assume when welding TIG, Stick, or MIG.
Cateract surgery, after 55 years of welding I couldn’t see, my cateracts that were not bothering me in everyday life would glow inside my eyes and obscure my view when I tried to weld,
Cateract surgery in both eyes cured that problem completly. I also have an LCD strap on battery headlamp Velcroed to my welding helmet to increase ambient lighting around the weld for low light conditions.
Still welding with a pacemaker, stinger and ground wires twisted together as far as possible, arc at arms length, limited to 150 amps, no high frequency.
Man, you deserve a medal for courage. Or something.
I think you meant LED? (not LCD). I have one on the way from Amazon. My problem sometime is seeing BEFORE I weld, because the place of the weld is in the shadows from the lights.
Great tip with the headlamp! Thanks!
Dang, I assume you were using shades not auto darkening?
Which shade and how long ago?
Old shades had glass protective screens, now we have plastic.
The plastic actually stops all UV and its just bright light.
I keep my auto on shade 13 permanently
@@danl.4743 I dropped the original comment, but something I do, especially welding in the dark, is, I scratch an arc, then pull off making a larger oxidative arc, which lights up the area momentarily, so I can see my target. It's kind of like sighting off your muzzle flash shooting a pistol. I come back and clean up the spittle with a grinder, if necessary.
The
A frequent occurrence. Corner welds usually work, but butt joints sometimes end up with a nice bead going cross country. A more expensive helmet helped a little. Welding in the sunlight works if there is no wind. What I want is a super bright led light that attaches to the gun and illuminates an area the size of a silver dollar, ideally surrounding the pool. It also needs a roll of spatter shield.
One thing that helped me tremendously was I stopped wearing my multi-focal (graded-lens) eyeglasses when welding and wore my fixed-focal-length plain reading glasses. Took that extra layer of guesswork out of trying to move your head to get that "sweet spot" of correct focus for that distance.
Also, as a lifelong glasses wearer, and former pro photographer, I would say never use paper towels or tissues to clean any kind of lens or glass. Paper is abrasive and leaves tiny scratches. Better to use a clean soft cloth, and wash or air-blow the dust off the lens/glass first.
Great video and really helpful info on the angle of view to keep track of how the puddle is doing instead of looking ahead where I want to go. Thanks for that!
I was having massive trouble seeing my welds. Turned out the problem was due to my cheap hood. I spent $200 on a good quality welding hood and the improvement was profound.
$200 is baller bro I'm glad it worked out for ya
@@RaphaelLaloo Thanks fella. Yeah, money well spent. Definitely worth trying an upgrade if you get the chance.
What hood did you go with?
🙌
@@Livinoutdoors_ Weldclass Promax 500. Not sure if you'll have them where you are... I noticed the difference even just looking through the visor in the shop. The cheaper ones are blurry as hell even when they're not darkened.
I had a big problem trying to see when welding but I took the helmet to a friend who is more advanced in his learning to weld. The problem was something I didn't even know was that there was a battery in it and when a friend took out the battery it was corroded. My friend knew I hadn't the helmet and showed me the battery and told me the company put a cheap cheap battery in the helmet which caused the problem as well as me not knowing the helmet had a battery. I bought Duracell good batteries and replaced the battery after cleaning the battery housing and re adjusting the other adjustment buttons that I didn't understand what they do. Now the helmet works really great but you just gave me a great idea. Take a photo of the button positions and I can learn from there safely twisting the buttons to find out what their functions are and I will have the photo to see where they go back to thanks Tim great video
@TimWelds
I just wanted to show some appreciation man.. I only started welding today, I was struggling a lot & my welding rod would always stick.. but just after soaking up some of the info you give on your channel, I quickly learnt how to strike an arc & things were looking promising
Again thanks so much bro.. My name is Jean-Claude or just JC for short, All the way from South Africa
Hi Tim, thanks for your very informative videos.
I have a tip for those that occasionally weld in dark areas,, rather than get someone to hold a torch for me, I've glued a cheapie rechargeable LED headlamp to my hood which I purchased from a China Mart.
As for the reflections on the inside lens at certain angles where the light is behind me, I have cut off a large piece of denim from an old pair of jeans. This I've glued to the inside edge of the hood using a glue gun. This denim hoodie serves to save my head from spatter and the reflections from the light behind me.
Great tips! Thanks!
Yes this is a good idea , I've use this often.
use velcro instead of tape, quick to get light out of your way in tight place
Thanks for all the reminders to get optimal view of the arc and weld pool. You nailed it on keeping clean lenses inside and outside the helmet view panel. You are clear, concise and easy to understand. Keep up the great videos.
I always preferred either a blue or gold lense. Gold in particular gives all surrounding surfaces a nice white tent and you can see everything perfectly.
Great video. Very useful. I discovered it was time to get glasses when I was on a gas welding course. I just couldn't get the welds straight until someone said " hey, try these reading glasses". Wow what a difference! You can ask your optician to set the focal length to the distance you normally weld at as that's usually further away than you would read a book.
I'm myopic - nearsighted - and discovered that you can buy different strength prescription lenses that fit into your helmet, similar to generic eyeglasses you can find at any Walgreens. That made a big difference for me, since I wear contacts 24/7; I used to put on a pair of reading glasses when welding, which essentially did the same thing, but was simply a hassle. The inserts made it all better.
12 hour shifts with a 30 minute break night shifts, eye fatigue is common later into the morning but your video helped a lot and I wear a new prescription frame to weld now under my hood which helps a lot, more veteran welders have commented positively on my improvement which is nice, I just want to learn and make nice work for people, could do without the insane pressure of targets though just don't have the qualification. Build on experience 💪
After watching a few of your vids, I went ahead with making fender brackets and stick welding them to my boat trailer.
Your clear, concise tips and instructions really improved my welding results. Thanks so much and keep up the great work!
I can see the pool easy but when dragging g, csnt see the seem. I run a nice weld only to find I've wandered way off to the side.
Thank you for such a great instructional video. This is the first one I clicked on. I worked as a utility maintenance man for 2 years for a beverage warehouse where I helped the shop mechanic weld steel plates to the walls of the semi truck trailers. I handled a torch for the 1st time then and wondered how you can see what you're doing. It was a mystey at the time. You should record these videos and include them as how to vids with the welding set ups. Watch this disc before starting any work. You sound like a great instructor. Thanks...
Yep, plenty of light on your work area helps. I have a small led torch that I gaffer tape to the top of my helmet. One that can focus light to a tight beam or a wide spread. Works well. As you get older your pupils don't dilate as well as when you were young. As a result less light gets to your retina, making it harder to see in darker areas.
Awesome tip! thanks brother.
And I thought it was cataracts at my age too so I just had my eyes checked and I'm good, no cataracts. So it's just age.
Hi Michael!. Just Curious whether you live in or have ever lived in New Mexico?.
Yyy you g u😅
@@thelebronbandwagon2382 say what?????
Once again Tim gets right there with what's so real and crucial. All of this he shows.
I have nothing to add here. Any "extras" I about niche situations you will work out just the same yourself along the way.
I've worked on marine civils where with salt-spray, etc, you do not take your good autodarkener out there!
I wear reading glasses inside a top-of-the-range air-fed auto-darkener, as you don't take it off from break to break. But use a "cheater" lens with all others. Visor on - correction there. Speed in a commercial environment.
When I started welding I used fixed shade glass with two protective lenses outside anywhere from 8 to 10 shades. Also, I have the old-school fiber metal with the big view has the nodes to lay your shield on. It helps protect my liens, and the shield is great at keeping fumes out unless I am in tight places. The shield is heavy though.
I can't tell you how many welds I have made where I trail off into no mans land because I couldn't see what I was welding. I am going to have to try the LED taped to my helmet, that sounds like a great idea as I usually don't have problems outside in the sunlight, just indoors.
Carl Schmidt..I sure can relate to getting a good weld, only to find it's not where I needed it 🤣 I have this great little welder that I have done a hell of a lot of work with. I retired (not as a welder) and didn't use the welder for 5 or 6 years, then when I went to do a few little jobs, my welding was atrocious. I tried a LED torch positioned on my welding area and it helped greatly. I will have to buy something suitable to attach to my helmet too.
@@steiny3353 I've tried so many different lights/flashlights and found that two of them actually trigger my auto-darkening helmet! It's so irritating but at least I know what *not* works!
Great tips. But suggest always use the darkest shade you can while still being to able to properly see your puddle.
Running too light a shade over extended periods can and will damage your eyes, especially blue eyes.
Protective covers are cheap or clean them often.
Working in shipyard , not uncommon to clean or change out 2-3 times a day depending where your at.
But being able to see the puddle clearly is key to becoming a better welder. And your tips are a great ways to do that. 👍👍
I never seem to be able to see my puddle properly. I have it set as low as my helmet will go (9 I think) I would like to go lower but I also have blue eyes. Maybe I need to focus on getting more light on the job.
@@DodgyBrothersEngineering running lower shade doesn't damage eyes.
Whoever told you that is a fool, UV and IR is what damages eyes and these are blocked even without shade lenses.
@@AS-ug2vq good to know.
Picked up a mig welder for the first time last week, my welds are terrible visibility very poor and not a clue how to set up after a couple of your videos there is a significant improvement yet still a long way of acceptable welds. Practicing your techniques and hoping for the best. Thank you for your knowledge and easy to understand teaching
Magnifying lenses are awesome! I'm only a newbie welder, but wear progressive lens glasses. When welding, the focal distance is outside of the optimal range for my glasses. I bought a magnifying lens for my helmet and its a game changer! I've also set up an LED floodlight right above my welding bench - good results from that too.
Fastening a good quality head torch to your welding hood is a great idea too. I saw another UA-camr do this. Seems like an ideal solution. Thank you for sharing.
Something I recently did that really helped to see the seam is put a small headlight on my helmet. I took off strap and used velcro to hold it on. It's adjustable up and down so I can point it right where I need it. Wish I would of did this years ago!
I am 78 years old and have had a passion for classic corvettes c2 63/67 and classic mustangs 65/70. David Anderson comment below about cataracts. About 8 years ago I was having some vision trouble from cataracts. I had a 63 corvette roadster I painted victory red. base coat / clear coat. I spent some days wet sanding with 1000, to 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Buffed the car out and was looking at my paint job thinking this was the best paint job I have ever done. Two days later I had my cataracts removed. The next day I went out to my shop and when I looked at the corvette I could see orange peel and some minor runs. I am so glad I had the cataracts removed before the general public saw what I thought was my best paint job.
I’m retired certified welder. Went to Lincoln welding school long before auto darken. Instructor gave me a gold lens for my helmet. Tried it and hazaa! I could see the puddle! That’s what I still use!
Some great tips. I took the cheater lens out of my mask and wear +2 safety glasses underneath so I can still see and grind when the hood is raised. Also discovered how beneficial additional lighting is. Still working on a head torch solution that does not get in the way or cause shaddow.
Another safety concern is the flux and metal fumes from welding. I wear an fp2 mask under my hood. Adds more clutter with the glasses but feel the benefit. Your safety video is well worth a watch 👍
Good video. In the past I have used 300 or 500 watt works lamps which help a lot. They're hot so perhaps these days LED alternatives are available. Also I like to use a fan to blow away welding fumes.
Adding extra light right over the weld was the ticket, game changer thank you so much!!!
I too have had trouble seeing and only weld occasionally. What I have done is to set up a 'spot' light that drastically increases the light on the area of where I'm going to weld. This allows me to keep track of the weld path.
I was apprenticed when I was a young fella before auto-darkening lenses. I am 73 and still do all my welding on the farm. I now wear bifocals and when I strike an arc, I get multiple images. I went and bought a pair of reading cheaters and no more problems!
New to welding-- the added ambient light helped considerably. I have a mag mounted adjustable neck light attached to my welding cart and can move it around to where I need to see.
Another handy tip, avoid lighting behind you when welding. Light reflects from the inside of the mask thus causing the pupils to constrict and therefore allowing less light to enter the eye. The only light you want is that coming through the mask lens. You need good contrast to see well. Many professional (coded) welders working outdoors in daylight, or those working around a lot of aluminium or stainless will often have some sort of hood to cover the top of mask and over the back of head for this very reason. They need to see what they are doing and what the weld puddle is doing, else they risk a failed weld inspection. Sometimes one can weld by feel and sound, but not when welding an incoloy reactor vessel for example.
I had this same problem while in welding school. I couldn't see the weld from the light in the booth coming in from behind my welding helmet. I ended up getting with my mother and grandmother and they ended up making me a hoodie to block out the light from behind me. Boy, it was like night and day. lol
A pancake has no light comming in, i use one on outdoor pipelines.
Interesting, My grandfather steam-fit welded at the Pickering an Darlington Power Plants in Ontario, CDN.
I use a magnifying lens in my mask and what also works for me is having a piece of fire retardant material covering the back of my mask to stop light from entering from behind me.
And it stops the sparks from going down the back of my neck.
One thing that I learned is to not have a bright light shining into the back of the welding helmet. I also found out that having a light shining onto the work area is helpful. It did take me a while to get used to the autodarkening helmets.
I resolved a big part of my problem by using a spot light at weld level and next to no ambient light. It stops the light from glaring off the back of the lens. If that can't be done a cloth hood works as well.
I tell my students to get the best hood they can. Optrel crystal is one of the best in my opinion.
The hood absolutely makes a massive difference.
Having lots of light in your work area.
Using your glasses/contacts if you have them or need them. Go to the eye doctor and get checked.
Using a magnifier/cheater lens in your hood.
And lastly, body positioning. A lot of people do not have a good position for themselves when their welding.
Sometimes it is impossible to do that when you have to weld in confined spaces or the like.
Good info. Do you have any trouble with the inside of the lense fogging? I've tried the trick of covering the back of the helmet to keep ambient light from reflecting off the inside, but the more you enclose the helmet the more fogging is a problem. Especially if the shop and helmet are cold.
@@jackcolton1069 take a tiny bit of shaving cream on your fingers and wipe it on the inside lens ! Wipe it on really good and let it dry . When its dry lightly buff off any smudges if any! Poof no more fog! Might have to reapply every so often. Also works for your eyeglasses going from cold outside to warm inside! Your welcome!
@@StonemanRocks Thanks!
I think most people have issues with ambient or backlight reflecting backwards from inner lens. I cut up an old pair of jeans and opened a leg up to make a cape at the back of the welding helmet blocking all the light from behind. It can get a bit warm but it works for me.
Just came across your channel a week ago. You do a really good job. Clear and concise. Thanks
I do a lot of mig welding and need to use glasses in my day to day life using vari focus glasses but I found come the winter your eyes get sweaty with cold it looked like I had three stick outs, I changed my glasses to single vision reading type set up to slightly further away work well also a torch we tried at work had a led in the bend of the gun came on when you pulled the trigger brilliant
I''ve been welding since 1965 with flip up hood, my son bought me an autodark hood and I love it, but I can't quit flipping it up when I stop welding, old habits hard to break LOL great clear vid good points for everyone THANX!
I can't see what I'm doing with auto helmet 😭
Worklight on a tripod works well, or a drop cord light hanging over my welding table gives extra light. Yeah arc welding outside is always good light, might try a light on the helmet. See how that works, it doesn't help needing reading glasses, cataract surgeries, but the biggest problem has been the lighting, welding outside no problem, so you need that extra lighting in the shop. And when I worked as a welder full-time the lighting didn't matter so much because you were welding in all conditions and adapted to the different lighting situations and experience helped a lot.
HOLY CRAP! Just put in the new plastic "consumables" in my Miller helmet...WOW. I forgot how nice it WAS....thought I was just getting old. thanks.
One thing l might add is getting one of those helmet bibs that Lincoln sells. It blots out most of the bright reflected light and really helps avoid the eye fatigue. Cheers.
The auto darkening welding helmets are great but like all equipment, it can fail even if the battery is replaced or solar helmet does not change properly.
I have changed several newly purchased big batteries for my head light and the batteries failed within 5 minutes after install. I used a major name brand batteries and they had more than a year shelf life left.
I like the passive welding helmet approach and I will be purchasing this variety in the near future with at least #11 shade lense. I will be wearing polarized sunglasses as well to protect my sight while welding.
Thank you for sharing. Have a great day!
In welding school we used a oil free cleaner spray for both cleaning metal and for cleaning our lenses. Just a few sprays on the lens and a wipe with a old t-shirt rag and I only changed my lens once or twice after 2 years of school
The darkness of the welding hood makes your pupils widen, and that make close focusing harder. I wear glasses anyway, but have recently installed a cheater and it makes a great difference! I also have a HF 500 lumen rechargeble folding light on my cart now (with some extra batteries). The mag base and bright light make it a great tool to help my old eyes to see the work better.
I used to add a floodlight bulb to a drop light with the cover removed, it worked great to keep my eyes adjusted correctly to see the metal flowing.
Use a sliver sharpie marker. Makes cutting and welding on a line a bit easier.
I use a light lense #8 always have, I am 79 don't wear glasses even today, I was told when I started welding to use the lightest shade possible, dark enough so you don't burn your eyes
Great info... Figured out last month, it was not charging my helmet every now and again.. world a difference!
Lake Havasu ☀️ AZ
That's a great tip! Some have batteries to replace and others benefit from the solar panel sitting out in the sun for a minute. Thanks!
As a “once-in-a-blue-moon” welder (i.e. without an auto-darkening helmet), I have a VERY difficult time seeing before my arc starts - actually, I’m completely blind with my ancient helmet on. Although maybe partly due to wrong shade and scratched lens, I have found that blasting my work piece with a super bright painter’s light really helps me to be able to see a little bit before my arc starts. It reduces the “delta” between complete darkness and the blinding sun of plasma 😊
You need auto dark $40 harbor frieght
These are old videos of yours that I'm watching but my gosh I'm happy to have discovered your channel.
Thanks for explaining so clearly and concisely, especially for us garage shop hacks.
You've got a new sub.
A big thumbs up.
The width and depth of the information is really good. I learned a lot.
The presentation is good. Although he talks a little bit too fast, I could follow.
Thank you!
This did help a lot, I have antimetropia which means I'm near sighted in my left eye and far sighted in my right. But also because my right eye is lazy too I can really see out of my left eye when with both eyes open.
So I really needed help making sure my shade setting is good for me. Although also I work 3rd shift, so there is good lighting all around the shop, but sometimes at each individual reweld table the lights above either aren't the best or won't stay in the right position. And sometimes I don't realize I have a little bit of eye strain from having to look at my phn too long (even though I do have the brightness setting always on less than half because otherwise it's too darn bright.
I will just have to play around and adjust my shade setting until I find a spot that works for me; even though in my shop they currently only do MIG welding. Thank you so much for this informative video.
I still struggle keeping straight on a joint. I have tried everything you mentioned. Most of the stuff in the comments. Better helmets. Cheater lens. Cloth over the back. All sorts. The only time I can keep neat is in the middle of a paddock in bright sun. For me all about the light.
I'm really enjoying your videos,I've been welding for a few years and most was gas weld,I took a summer course at medina Ohio joint vocational school. It helped but I find your videos very intuitive. I wanted to thank you
I am a new hobby welder and really appreciate your videos. Very glad I came across your channel.
Spray Rain X on your lens and wipe with soft cloth, then kind of polish with dry soft cloth. I have had the same lens in for almost a year, and I weld regularly. Saves a lot of $
So glad i watched your video. Welding was impossible with my new helmet all i could see is miller miller miller. I felt like Ricky Bobby and his Fig Newton windshield sticker.
Key point that most begining welders miss is to focus your eyes on the weld pool and not the arc. At age 67 unfortunately my eyes are not what they once were. There are magnifying lens available for most helmets in the same strength as your reading glasses.
One other thing is light shinning into your hood from the back causing light reflection inside your hood. Try to have shade from the light this I have found is helpful. Many pipeline welder use the Pan Cake Hood that has google the fits over your eyes with a shiels covering your face and left ear.
I was having trouble seeing my welds, and then one day, I realized I wear glasses that darken when there is light. No matter what adjustment I made with the hood, it made non to very little difference. It took me days to figure this out, but I laugh at myself for not learning this sooner.
I wear transition glasses also! I never thought of that, lol. Now I'm laughing at myself...
I wear glasses that darken to light, although l don’t use them for reading, or close up work such as welding. I have poor eyesight and l have to use my reading glasses when l’m welding. The lenses in the reading glasses “don’t darken”. The very first time l wore them when welding, was a “godsend”. At last l could see really good. My welding prowess improved “out of sight”. (Pun intended) 😊
I've had issues with seeing the weld pool and the area around it so far. I've tried an ADF from ESAB and now have a pricey one from Optrel, hoping I won't be disappointed.
@@brianwalker1933, I also use readers and will try them on my next project. Thanks for sharing.
Mount a headlamp to your helmet with some double sticky sided velcro, works amazing, use a headlamp that has a beam/spotlight, huge improvement with weld quality.
How will a light help?? The fucking arc is bright as fuck how is a flashlight gonna add more to that arc?? Makes no sense
Just bought a LED-spotlight yesterday
What a game changer 3W could be, at least for me as a tig beginner
Here's a tip the outside of your welding helmet, & viewing area car polish it, slag won't burn or stick to your helmet, just bounces off.
Another welder on the job taught me this on the job.
I have a new lincoln hat and a super bright Petzel light...I can see my welds perfectly..like never before....go with that.
Thanks for the useful info. I see my puddles OK, but I have an awful time seeing the seam line, especially with MIG. Often my MIG welds will veer off because I'm mostly welding where I REMEMBERED seeing the seam, as opposed to actually being able to see it while I'm welding. Because of this, I don't usually MIG weld more than an inch at a time. I hope some of your tips will help with that.
Concentrate on the puddle n look just a little ahead of puddle to see seam n just keep steady n keep moving , practice makes perfect
Try setting up a magnetic light or holding one while you weld, I’ve done this a few times when I can’t see what I’m welding. I use a snap on one my friend gifted me for Christmas that works great, it’s a magnetic head torch but I set it up to light up the area I’m welding
Overhead lighting can cause glare from above the helmet. I sometimes turn off the overhead lights and put a task lamp low at an angle. Also if you are 'older' cataracts can cause glare...when I had mine removed it helped a lot.
I have a Fenix headlamp I attach with Velcro to my helmet which helps a lot. Also to stop glare from overhead lamps I but a cloth over the back of my head. And I still veer off.
Me too!
Great video. I learned I have to have a 300w shop light pointed toward the weld area to be able to see it clearly
I struck my first arc under my Fathers supervision when I was 5 and got my very first burn about 5 minutes later. I started to apprentice when I was 19. I'm 69 today and I have never used an auto dark helmet nor will I ever. I still use a good old small lightweight that is now made by Hobart and I use glass lenses. Glass lenses do not scratch and they are not static charged which attracts dust. Yes, the cover plate has to be changed more often due to the spatter sticking to it. I did a lot of work in the boonies and I needed something that you can depend on. I did not think I should have to have 2 helmets to ensure that I would always have a functional unit. Both of my sons use what is essentially the same rig I have for the same reasons. Sometimes old school is still the best so don't sell it short.
Do you use vehicles or Do you ride a horse to welding jobs?
Great video Tim, but my problem in line of sight. In otherwords I can't see the path that I'm welding so my welds tend to be crooked or off path.
Having bright LED lights in front and sometimes back of your work will cause your work sight to go black and you will not be able to see what you are doing, you have to reposition your lights or work position, it can drive you crazy at first because it doesn't seem to make sense why everything goes black, you may think it your helmet but it could be your helmet reacting to the light or even the "Sun" in front of you, as soon as you pull the trigger. I now sometimes use a bright flashlight shining directly on my weld area if needed, and it works very well. I don't know why but bright LED lights and the "SUN" can certainly have an effect on some welding helmets, especially cheaper ones.
When I can, I use welding glasses and then a headlamp for lighting. A good headlamp lights up the piece real well. I use a #10 shade and I still see great.
When I clean my lenses I only wipe side to side. No circles or up and down. The micro scratches that wiping can cause seem to have the least impact when they are horizontal.
Great tip! That makes a lot of sense. Thanks!
The same concept is used when cleaning aircraft windows since they are made from plastic. The basic rule of thumb is only wipe in the direction of airflow
I recently attached the light assembly from a headlamp (without the headband) to the chin of my mask, upside down so I can point the light into my line of sight. I used double sided foam adhesive strips for the dollar store.
Awesome idea!
I do a fair amount of Mig welding which gets a brown film on the front lens, I blow the dust off at the start of the day but when the front gets bad I remove the lens take it to the Bathroom and use hand dispenser detergent and clean the lens with water and it get it really clean, you can see the amount of crap you get off the lens, then dry it with a shower towel. I do the inner lens at the same time. Don't use paper towel, as it is made of wood fibre and will scratch the plastic lenses.
Hi from England - home of rain, the Queen and cups of tea! 🙂 My problems with "Help! I can't see" is I can't see where I'm sposed to be going. I'm like the chap driving the truck in that film - is it 'Vanishing Point'? And he is painting the centre-line on a dead-straight road when the Dodge Charger is coming straight at him and so he veers off the Tarmac road onto the dust of the hard shoulder. And when he looks back all he can see are these perfectly painted lines following the path of his truck off the road. "Don't follow me folks - I'm lost too"! Then the driver looks the other way for the Charger and it is gone - already halfway to Arizona (or somewhere)! That's me - I can clearly see the weld pool but not much else - I can only guess where I'm going, like driving in the dark with no headlights. If I position myself to get behind the gun and into its 'shadow'so avoiding the actual arc from bleaching out everything else around I can get by. Not ideal. Any ideas or suggestions. I did think of putting a camera up close to the weld and working off a suitably placed monitor but I think I would lose hand to eye co-ordination?? Thank you.
Great video, I use a small little 10w LED spot light on a tripod which shines directly onto the area where I'm welding. Im doing stick welding
Don't storage your welding helmet in the carry bag. When I got my first two auto-darkening helmets (Lincoln Viking) I ended up ruining both of them by storing them in the bags. Batteries died and those particular helmets had non-replaceable batteries so I basically flushed $400+ down the toilet after replacing them.
Best advice, store your helmets in front of a window where the sun can recharge the batteries. I know the newer helmets have auto-darkening lens in them now that allow the batteries to be easily replaced but you will definitely increase the battery life if you allow the sun to recharge them for you especially if you don't weld all the time 😉
Plus, it's not that hard to remove the dust from the outer protective lens with some lens cleaner.
No such thing as non replaceable batteries lol! Give me a break! I guess that why advertising works! Don’t ever believe when they tell you they are non replaceable ! I swear these manufactures are plain assholes! They just want you to go buy another item! $400? Really?
Light... light on your work is very helpful... yet if the light is behind me it can causes reflection on the plastic screen which compromise the out side hood light.. using a thin cloth over the back of the hood resolves this condition especially in sun light ....
Get an Optrel helmet if you want to see. They're expensive but worth every penny. The distance you have your head from the weld changes the shade you need to protect your eyes. The closer you get, the darker the shade you should use.
Former welder here, i think ive pushed enough wire to go around the earth once or twice, we never drag mig, get fired if we did. the secret is to position the nozzle so it blocks the arc from your view. rely on sound and practice to know if youve dropped enough wire. my focal point is always about an inch in front of the arc and the pool in my peripheral. too many guys focus on the pool and dont adjust to make a good weld. also before you hit the trigger, make a dry run to make sure nothing gets in your way of running a bead. if youre good freehanding is great but if youre new, rest your elbow on something solid, do a dry run then come back and start your bead. my first welds looked like bird droppings, my last welds are almost like art. tig welding is all about rhythm and knowing what speed you need to go at, again, dont look at the arc, look ahead of it. stick welding is the only time you should drag. with stick welding, once you think you have the right speed, stop and go a bit slower. what i can do in one rod might take amateurs 3 and more rod isnt the answer cuz by then that welds already gone to crap. lastly, dont forget to breathe, so many people hold their breath trying to get the perfect bead and holding your breath guarantees you wont, be comfortable in whatever position you are in and relax. ive welded upside down but i made sure i was comfy and not all tensed up.
The forst few months of teaching myself how to tig weld were awful. Ended up being the helmet I had. I was literally welding in the dark. I bought a decent one from harbor freight and my welds immediately improved.
Guess how long it took me to work out that my multi focal/self tinting prescription glasses were working quite well under the helmet....getting darker and darker. When I worked out what was going on I got a non tinting pair the next time I was in the opticians. She also asked me how far away my eyes would be from the work area and set the focal distance accordingly with a bit of magnification. Happy Days.
I bought a better "large lens" "true color" auto darkening helmet (in the mid 100$ range) and attached a Lincoln x6 Viking Headgear to it to replace my cheap HF autodarkening and it totally changed my welding...
Its so much more comfortable and stays put but being able to see the puddle was like like a miracle.
Also its large enough to wear a Half mask respirator under it and not haveing to hold my breath while welding helps a lot too.
Awesome, thanks for sharing! I've been 'playing' with TIG for the last few years but don't do much and find it really hard to see the puddle. I came in search of 'extra lighting' and from what you said it should help. Yay!!! Thanks again!
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. This has always been my biggest issue and i learned quite a few things today.
I was a welder / fabricator for over 35 years and my biggest problem and the main reason I switched trades was because my eyes went to crap and I could not see what i was doing anymore. Good tips.