[bonchustown]

Dear forum members,

One subject I've never seen brought up on this or any other forum is the issue of actually SEEING WHAT YOU'RE DOING when welding with a MIG. I bought a 140 amp Everlast about a year ago, and every time I've had any kind of eye test I've been told I have basically 20/20 vision. But whether I use flux-core or gas, I always have an issue with seeing just what is going on when I'm using the welder. It's difficult to make a good sound weld when you can't even tell if your wire is still in the same spot or has jumped a quarter inch or so, when you hit some irregularity in the work piece or just because you took a deep breath or something.

Maybe it's just me, but all I ever seem to see is the bright light and a bit smoke! Can't see what the welds look like till I'm done. Please excuse my ignorance, but surely I'm not the only newby who's had the same issue [?]

Thanks in advance, George

[Otto Nobedder]

George,

This has been discussed, and several of us will have suggestions for you. To help with that, I'm going to copy your topic to the MIG-specific forum.

Steve S

[Otto Nobedder]

George,

Welding lenses come in many different colors; Silver, gold, amber,red, green, and blue.

For MIG, I prefer red.

You're trying to filter out the extraneous colors (the "flare" you see around the arc), and only see the colors important to what you're doing.

Aluminum, for example, flares orange but the puddle has a blue-ish glow. Therefore, a "CoolBlue" lens is a good choice for aluminum.

On MIG mild steel, the puddle is red-yellow, but the gas flare around the weld is blue-green. Red is the best filter for this, especially on dual-shield flux-core

[delraydella]

A helmet that has a darkness adjustment can help, too.

Other Steve

[Otto Nobedder]

Steve,

As I remember, we also discussed backlight levels, as well.

You with those surplus studio lights on a rack, if I recall?

There's several good ideas for him here.

Steve S

[reddtigger]

A helmet that has a darkness adjustment can help, too.

Other Steve

is there a way to adjust the tint of the auto darkening helmets ? I like the idea of tinting the work to adjust for the type of puddle/flame you're working on.

I got a Matco Tools PWH1050.. information on it here http://www.matcotools.com/catalog/produ ... merReviews

Someone said they're made by jackson, but I'm not so sure. it's auto darkening with 4 sensors and 1/25,0000 sec speed..

[delraydella]

Yup, I forgot about that. Raising the ambiant light will help balance out the brightness of the arc light, but I don't know if I'm convinced yet that it has that much effect on being able to see the weld bead as it happens. It will definately help, but how much is questionable. I think in this case the different filters and being able to control the amount of light coming through the filter would do the most good. That, and maybe some air movement to help pull the smoke out of the way.


I'm building some sets carts and wild walls for the next couple of weeks so I'll play with the light levels some more to see if it makes much of a difference.

Other Steve

[Otto Nobedder]

Sadly, autohoods are all about the same color.

[bonchustown]

Many thanks to everyone who has replied to my original post. Apologies for not having been on this forum for a while to look at your replies, as I've had my head stuck way down deep in learning web design [cue: tick notifications.] And as for any actual welding, it's been hot and dry enough here lately to make the fire brigade blow their stack if you start up a welder or a grinder!

Yeah, I get the one about the red lens, but as you say if you have an auto-darkening helmet it's all the same colour. I liked the ambient light suggestion too - might look into that. Mind you, the last time I welded there was so much "ambient light" the helmet wasn't auto any more. Never thought about blowing the smoke away, though - might have to give the missus a surprise one day when she sees the bedroom pedestal fan is suddenly missing.

Next time I weld I'll look at adjustments on the helmet. Not sure when that will be due to the aforementioned heat wave.

Thanks again for your wisdom, guys!

George

[weldin mike 27]

Hey,

George, I must say it was a pleasure to read your repsonse. I really enjoy feed back when someone has come here with a problem, and so very polite and well worded?

Any way Hot, dry, fire brigade... ......sounds like Oz to me. Where abouts are ya? Im hating te hot weather too, cause ive got a few welding projects to get to myself.

Mick

[taylorkh]

Sorry in being a little late in replying to this thread... The additional light is a good idea. I have a 300 watt halide lamp above my MIG welding table which helps. But there are a couple of more basic things.

Do you wear glasses reading or otherwise? I wear full time glasses and have found that a 1.5 or 2x cheater lens in my helmet helps in focusing on the puddle. If you wear glasses to read, try them when welding.

And, position your head and the object you are welding so that you can see as you weld. I like to angle the work so I can weld slightly towards myself at about a 30 - 45 degree angle. Make sure the torch will not move into your line of sight as you move it along the path to be welded.

And as the saying goes "watch the puddle, not the bright light"

Ken

[bonchustown]

Dear Mike,

Yeah, right back at ya! I live in Wandin, near Lilydale in Melbourne's outer east. We sure could use some of the weather they've been getting up north [maybe not quite as much rain as Bundaberg though.] Anyway, when I get the $$$ together I mean to make a garage door for here. Whenever that'll be. Probably 1" square tube; got plenty of Colourbond to put on it, then it'll go on rails and have an automatic opener. That way when we wash the cars they might STAY washed.

Regards, George

[weldin mike 27]

Hey,

Im up in Bendigo. Luckily, if i really need to do some welding, i can do it at work. As soon as it cools down im at it again. Got a Tig kit that ive hardly used.

Mick

[bonchustown]

Cool. And I'm jealous.

[weldin mike 27]

Hey,

Thanks mate,
If you're ever coming up this way, yell out and we'll catch up.

Mick

[cptjackm]

You can't weld it if you can't see it.
The first thing to check is the plastic cover in front of your helmet lens.
It needs frequent attention and often replacement.
And then, after the age of 40 or so, you may need some magnification.
Drug store glasses work for me. I tried a cheater inside my helmet but it left my eyes bare and unprotected
when I raise my helmet.
In some circumstances a florescent work light will help overcome the severe contrast of the arc in a dark area.
Works for me.
Jack

[bonchustown]

Thanks cptjackm!

[hewittfarm]

I am a MIG newbe and having the same problem of seeing the weld puddle. I have an old fixed lens helmet and a new Lincoln automatic. Having read somewhere that the fixed lens helmet is easier to see with I bought some various shade lenses down to no. 8 but could see hardly anything at all through it? I have used this helmet previously doing arc welding and with a darker glass with no trouble seeing. What is going on?

[bonchustown]

Could this be because with arc you'd be using probably higher voltage and have a much bigger arc/puddle? Just guessing, but often when you're mig welding you're doing lighter and fiddlier stuff that might be harder to see. I haven't much experience with arc, but it seems to me like arc welding might be like reading headlines as opposed to fine print [the mig.]

[WerkSpace]

When I use my MIG welder, I normally weld outside with lots of sunshine.
Inside my garage, I use a 400 watt metal-halide system rated at 30,000 lumens.
It's very bright and simulates the sunlight that I would have outdoors.

For my helmet, I started with one with a 4"X6" lens that I modified.
I found an auto-darkening unit for $20 in the discount bin at my welding supplier.
It was Swiss made, so I assumed that it was a decent quality.
It was missing the control knob (that I bought separately from an electrical supplier.)
I installed the 90Mohm potentiometer at the chin location on the helmet.
The helmet works great with a cheater lens inside for better vision.

[Merki]

I am also an older "Newbie" welder and have struggled to see well enough to weld straight beads. I have used several different helmets and a 2.5 cheater lens taped inside. I di use prescription glasses that are progressive. I almost feel the progressive lenses are a hindrance. I am now a third year apprentice at age 55. My last instructor was 65 and a brilliant welder who also had age related vision issues. The things he told me have already been mentioned in this thread. I have tried using a light to see the weld area to no avail. Also working in a shop owned by someone else might make it hard to add strong lighting to see the weld areas but it is a good suggestion. The last helmet I used was an old school lid with a no. 8 lens and the 2.5 cheater inside. It worked well to see the arc but starting it was a challenge without a lot of stray arcs. I now plan to but a Miller Elite digital auto darkening helmet and get a pair of prescription, single vision, reading glasses. I hope that combination, plus the cheater lens, and proper positioning of my head will allow me to see both the front and rear areas of the puddle. If anyone has any ideas that have not been mentioned in this thread please add them in.

[bonchustown]

Thanks Merki [a good name for this subject] [sorry!] and to everyone else who has posted replies. You know what? If nothing else it's just good to hear other people have the same issues and I'm not the only one. Keep 'em coming; we all need to see better what we're doing.

Regards to all, George

[CARS]

I have an old Snap-On auto dimming helmet (about 10-12 yrs old) and one of those flamed, cheap helmets at my shop. I have always struggled to see. Tried the cheater lenses (which don't fit the cheap helmet btw), didn't help.

A few weeks ago I started a new job as a welder. They issued out a new Speedglass helmet to me. I CAN SEE! Of course, it is well lit in the building, but I don't think it is any more lit than my shop. The difference may be that my shop has T8 florescent lamps and the job has those high bay T5's in it?

[CARS]

Has anyone tried one of those flashlights on the end of your torch? http://www.eastwood.com/mig-light.html

[weldin mike 27]

Hey,

Dont forget that a speed glass is like a Steal bomber compared to MOST other shields out there, which could be called Cessnas in comparison .

Mick