Why ?I am old stick welder learned it at 14 I am 42 now this is great to me its mig welders quote un quote. Its like man does what his wife always tells him what to do machine tells you its ok that's how you weld stick and tig welders are real men like adivorced man that knows what to do lol
@@datadavis Right.. can't take a light plant with you to every job site , I was taught to run my auto dark on as dark as possible around a 11 or 12 so I know what to look for , now that I run a 9-10 I can see everything even in the dark
I really enjoy your low-key style, never yelling, always explaining. Makes for a very enjoyable lesson. Thanks for the great videos (I originally wrote this before hearing the “outtake”at the end, ) Want to add: Also, I enjoy your sense of humor.
When I first started welding a hundred years ago, I had no idea what a weld pool/puddle was. It took me several months of playing around to finely see what I was supposed to be seeing. That moment changed everything for me, instantly I understood everything I’d read. I think what I’m trying to say is, beginners need something more basic than what most folks in the welding education world start with. Just my personal experience and thoughts. Love your vids. Thanks
As an "older" ,over 60, now fabricator here in the UK, I find reflections from overhead lighting cause me problems. Simple fix for me is a piece of clean cloth placed on top of my head, covering the gap at the top of the hood. Works for me !
The old timer that taught me the basics of GTAW had a piece of leather riveted to the top of his helmet. I didn't quite understood why, and it kind of annoyed me every time i used it, until i used a shiny new auto-darkening helmet. The moment i struck the arc, all i could see was the inside of the helmet.
Welding a lot of fluxcore on heavy plate weldments in confined spaces we keep a spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol to spray our clear lenses, let it run off and spray it again, then just a burst of air to dry them off. Don't like wiping them! Takes 2 minutes but saves $$$ on replacing lenses all the time. Keep up the great videos.
@@johntomasik1555 I have used isopropyl alcohol on all plastics and rubber for over 40 years and never have I had it melt or distort. On some cheaper well cured paint I've seen isopropyl alcohol attack a bit. Bottom line I see isopropyl alcohol as a next step strength up from Windex, 409, Fantastic ect.
This is exactly what I need. I'm 55 now and only mig weld occasionally. I have been having trouble because I cannot see the puddle. Got new helmet coming and a set of readers. Thank you so much!
I just started diy home welding, I was using an old school helmet for the last 3 days.. I got an auto darkening helmet today.. seeing what your doing is literally night and day!!
I stumbled upon your channel by pure luck. Ive always been a welding enthusiast ever since high school...(I'm old now) at 56! Your lessons have really put the arc back into me lol. I still do hobby mig work around the house but lately I have been getting into stainless steel tig at my work. I used to tig years ago but it was more of a---If the metal is connected, its welded. I really had no idea what i was doing. LOL Just want to say thanks for these amazing lessons!
Great video. I teach High School English in China. We've been discussing types of careers, and those society needs. Your speaking clarity and speed has made everything easy to understand. Now, being a welder has entered the top 10 "needed" professions on our list. Thanks from China!
I'm semi-retired and took up welding as a hobby about two years ago, stick and MIG. I had a miserable time seeing the puddle using most hoods in class. I tried the Lincoln Viking 3350 and it totally changed my welding experience. I can see everything I need to see. It's pricey but well worth it.
Finally, you solved my issue! I've had this issue from the start, so I bought a more expensive helmet with "enhanced view", I've upgraded my shop light, even added two 10,000 lumen portable shop lights. Then I got desperate and reduce my shade setting to "9" instead of the minimum recommended "10", but regardless I could only see my puddle, but not what I was welding. One of the very first statement you made was the key: "Don't get too close, sit back at a comfortable distance" I tried this and what a difference, not only can I see what I'm welding but I can do it with a shade setting of "10". I'm thinking that keeping a greater distance to the work allows my eyes to pick up the contrast between the arc and the workpiece, but when you get too close the arc just overpowers the background. Thanks again :)
I’m just getting into welding and being older you guys have great tips and information before I get formal training. I love using the information and practicing with my buddy.
Quite possibly the most informative, intelligent, and well presented informational video I have ever watched. I am a retired "neighborhood" welder and you covered it all. Thanks
I set up a LED light on the weld and this helps me see what I'm welding. Especially with mig I hold a small torch in my other hand and shine it on the weld track.
I arc welded at sea for years without any problem, now retired and at home I tried to tig weld and once again arc weld and I had a massive problem not being able to see what I was welding at home. I’ve watched many u-tube posts about this subject. I cracked it about three weeks ago. I used a LED spotlight hanging about 6 foot to the side of my work bench shining on the job at hand. What a breakthrough for me, at sea the engine room lighting was always excellent at home in my workshop, not so good. I hope this helps someone like me.
Another great video Mr Bob. I appreciate you touching on these common issues that some of us deal with and may have become common place and don't realize it.
Great video! I welded for years with beautiful results. I took ten years off with a job change and when I picked up the torch I was stunned at what happened to my skills. I couldn't stay on track, my welds were awful and then I discovered I got older and I couldn't focus with the bifocals I now wear on a daily basis. I got a cheater lens for the inside of my hood and the old me was back in the game! The loss of visual acuity is so gradual and even with dirty or damaged cover lenes you have to keep this stuff clean. Love your video's and love your style of instruction. I wish I knew you 30 years ago to get me started. Thanks again!!
I found the same when I got glasses. I think it changed=s your focal length and how your hands act with that as well. Getting your head back (especially if long sighted) and changing your welding posture with some practice helps. In short, getting glasses really changes your welding dynamics, visually. This will often transfer through to your hands.
If only i could walk into any welding supply store and actually " try" anything in there. As far as cheaters, they are all in plastic wrap. As far as helmets, you can put it on your head maybe but they damn sure don't have a welder set up for you to try it. It seems like its a buy it and you own it kind of thing wether you like it or not. Bob, you are the best thing to happen to youtube welding videos in a long time. Thank God we don't have to put up with MrT anymore and thanks for all your videos
I'm glad you did this video, I've been 'playing' with TIG for a couple years off and on and have always had a problem SEEING what is going on, with a few exceptions. I'm one of the 'roll it around in the crud' people so I'll have to look for scratched up lenses next time. Thank you!
@@Welddotcom I cleaned the lenses and turned down the darkness to #4. Both helped. I also found having a sharp, non-contaminated tungsten makes a BIG difference since it produces a much smaller hot(bright) spot. With too much arc length or a contaminated tungsten, you get a giant hot spot and you (Or I anyway) couldn't see even half as well.
@@fsj197811 #5 is. But it requires a change from a UV filter to an infra red filter. The IR component in gas welding is what damages the eyes over the long term. Electric welding is UV.
I've benefited from this greatly. I'm amazed though, it's had over 1 million views, yet only 15,000 likes. Surely more than this have gained something from this. How about more likes people. 👍
Thank you for this information. I'm not a welder but as part of my job I have to weld quite often. I find my welding improves drastically when I can see what I'm welding and most of all, where I'm welding. Your Chanel IS helping me to improve. Thank you :-)
Here's a comment on "cheater" lenses that may help some people. I started using them some years back, but when I recently got a new and "better" helmet, it turned out that the clips that hold the regular filter lens in place will NOT allow room for any extra lens thickness. My solution was to wrap electrical tape around each end of the cheater lens so that about the outer 1/4" of each end is wrapped in tape and the rest of the width of the tape forms a flat "tab" that sticks off each end of the lens. Those "tabs" of tape fit beneath the lens clips in my helmet. It works great, and even slides up and down across the back surface of the bigger filter lens to match whatever part of the filter lens I will be looking through for the work I'm doing.
Best video for me yet. I can weld till position and sight aren't perfect. I did have a bad habit of winging it once I had issues. Now I adjust instead of ruining a weld. I never thought of the scratch issue. Thanks Bob.
I self taught myself tig welding, Took me about 3 month and 3 bottles of Argon to get acceptable welds on .035 chromoly tubes. The best improvemnent came when I decided to buy a pair of reading glasses. I then started to clearly see what I was doing.
You have been so much help to me. I cannot thank you enough. We recently got my friends hi-freq lincoln box up and welding. It has been a little struggle but we are welding thin aluminum. Without your help from your videos it would have been so much harder. This video is particularily good because my friends helmet does not have shade adjustment. I brought the one home from work which does so I am hoping it helps a little because with his helmet I was having trouble seeing. Thank you again.
The problem I have is with the lens in my glasses. As I age and my prescription increases, the lens focus the light more in my eyes. I have to go to a darker lens in the helmet to keep the light from blinding me; then I can't see the weld anymore. It's hell getting old.
I had my optometrist give me a single lens prescription for the distance I needed when welding. Made a huge difference. Bob’s recommendation to weld at arm’s length made sense when wearing my progressive trifocals.
Computer strength glasses put the focal point out at arms length. Tell your optometrist what you're trying to accomplish and have a pair of glasses made specifically for that distance.
@@mikem3770 That's what I did - got a prescription for ~900mm/3ft ãs that's my monitor distance, and one for ~300mm/1ft for reading and writing. There's enough difference to make it worthwhile.
Spot on My father always said back up. He was saying the same stuff you can’t see everything if you are too close. Also you have to move all the time. Great video.
LOVED YOU in Arrested Development! Glad to see you found your thing with welding. All the best to you.. ill be rooting for you! ps. dont give up on a Hollywood comeback.
I've had concerns about what I see when welding recently, so really appreciate this video. I'll be sure to try out different positions and perhaps a new front lens.
Great topic, I got back into hobby welding in retirement and tried 3 helmets before finding what was right for me, the salesman set it up with a diopter as well and I couldn’t be happier. I just change the lens protector regularly as even with care they have a use by date.
I find having good lighting on the piece being welded helps see what I am doing. I weld in a poorly lit garage and sometimes get out a spotlight and find its like night and day.
Clear new lenses make the world of difference to any of you new aspiring welders out there, it's under rated and doesn't come up that much in topic, but if you can't see shit, change your lense and clean yur gear, and you'll be absolutely amazed
Thanks for the "enlightening" clip. I used to be a decent welder. Having tried my hand at welding again after many years I noticed I could no longer see the puddle. I've recently had cataract surgery on both eyes, so with your tips I may be able to get my groove back
I keep a small squirt bottle full of water and vinegar on my welding cart. I also keep a soft microfiber cloth with the bottle. Whenever I'm done I wipe everything down. You really need to take care of a piece of equipment that is there for your protection. About every 6 months or so depending on how much I'm welding I take everything apart clean it wax the hood and put everything back together. I've had the same hood for 15 years. Whenever the plastic does get destroyed I keep new ones on hand for the outside and the inside. I just bought myself some cheater lenses haven't had a chance to try them out. I enjoy your videos look forward to watching more.
This is a very good video, Bob. I had an eye doctor tell me years ago that the optimum reading distance was 16". I would think this would vary a little from person to person, but the visual hardware and visual issues are a key player when welding. If you can't see good, you can't weld good. By the way, what are your thoughts on the silver or gold lens reflectors? That would make a good tutorial video.
I'm really struggling with this right now. Changed method, can't see anything! For very light MIG welding as it happens. Finally dug up a shade 8 lens, and glory! Getting things in focus is another story, but I needed something to work WITH. Man! I was just guessing and it showed. I was so glad to see this title!
I love how great the view is on videos of the arc, unfortunately, I've never been able to get that kind of view through my helmet. I've tried expensive helmets, I've made sure they're clean, I've tried bright auxiliary lighting, changing the shade, cheater lens, reading glasses inside the helmet, etc. I simply can't see. if the weld is long enough, I can sometimes sort of see a very dim, barely perceptible puddle eventually, but that's it. I can't see the joint or any of the surrounding metal. If I turn the lens down to 9, then the arc is too bright and everything is just one big bright blinding ball of light, if I turn it to 10, the arc is fine, but then everything around it is too dark. I usually end up welding off my line, or just welding on past the end because I can't see the joint. I literally weld by "feel". Now, for the general stuff I weld around my shop, I've always managed to stick everything together decently enough, but there is simply no way I could ever pass a test or make pretty welds. I just don't know what else I can do to be able to see the joint and puddle.
Your issue is the exact one that led me to this video. I have the problem. To solve it use a super bright led lamp right near your work and leave your mask in the sun to charge if it has a solar panel before you use it. Also different masks do matter... its only when someone gave me their £300+ one did it look like green daylight and you can see the bench even under normal light. Masks like clarke, I find too dark although some cheap ones , left in full sun do work quite well. The charge and light makes the biggest difference.
Are you color blind by chance? I been welding.10 years and I run into the same problem. Try a gold shade 10 lens. Also stay away from autodarkening. I cant see at all through those.
Wandered across this site somehow.. Sparked my interest, sorry, for the pun.. 72 years old and started welding as a shipfitter in the Navy, in 68, on a destroyer tender in the pipe shop repair dept.. Got out and got a job working at Curtiss Wright, subcontracting for GE on sub reactors and steam generators.. had 7 nuclear weld certs. Navy taught me well.. Welded at other jobs, became a supervisor and got into management.. Remembered how i used to weld, get a melody going in your head and forget everything else. becomes automatic. Brought back some good memories. Welding on a destroyer over the side in a Bosin's chair and it began pouring rain.... window welding a pipe coil on a chemical tank. Mirror welding... crazy shit,,, BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU BREATH IN....
When welding indoors our pupils are dialated so you need a darker lens than outdoors when you're eyes are constricted. You also have better sharpness when constricted as the depth of field increases (focus front to back) Amazing how afew small scratch marks obscure view. Well done Bob!!!
For me, single vision safety glasses prescription specifically for arm’s length distance. Work area well lit, but not from something above/behind my hood (magnetic base with goose neck light). Good helmet, clean lenses. Partial thickness cornea transplants both eyes (thank you to whoever is an organ donor).
When on the job in most cases there are always obstacles that influence your comfort zone. Doing boiler tubes is just one example or rooting a tube or pipe that is just inches off of the floor or up against the shell or wall. Not all jobs will be on a bench. There are excellent suggestions in this video that will help with being able to see your work more clearly. I think one thing that I found that really improved my visibility while welding was wearing a positive feed air supply respirator. It kept the smoke out from under my shield while welding and kept my face cool. Having really good lighting will also improve welding visibility as one poster has suggested.
Man, the cheaters made all the difference for me! I didn't realize how far I was tilting my head back trying to get to the right spot on my progressive lenses. Thanks Bob!
Absolutely the best welding advice I have ever had! I have asked vision questions to pros for years and they all came with I don’t know, maybe you have eyes and can’t see! I have 20-15 vision! More light , lighter shades and better positioning have worked for me, thank you sir. P.S. I use Pledge furniture polish on my lens and it helps protect them longer and improves clarity .
Subbing. Looks like a great channel to learn from. I currently own nothing to even weld but hope to do so in the near future. I’m retired and will be doing this as a hobby mainly working with cars.
I have to confess. I have pretty much stopped welding apart from jobs i HAVE to do. Eyes are getting really bad so have not watched your videos in some time Bob. Boy oh Boy have those "Wisdom" colored hairs got more prominent in the beard mate.
I just started welding school. I hope your eyes are doing better. What type of welding hood you use or was it the constant exposure that hurt your eyes?
Yes a cover lens is all the difference. I had a dirty lens in the inside of my hood and just popped it out and wiped it on my t shirt and popped it back in. Just taking a minute to do that made a world of difference. Thank you
I'm a old guy but this is the issues I had over 45 years ago.Had to learn what I was trying to accomplish. Thanks for a powerful straight forward presentation. Understanding the puddle ,arc,filler rod position,movement,comfort,sight focusing on what the process is,Thanks ,super job.!!!
Having cataracts will really mess up your vision as it makes the weld light really flare out and blind you . Had it happen in my right eye and couldent weld as only one eye welding is almost impossible as you have on depth perception .
Is that on the way to Macular De Gen, my old boss welded a lot back in the day without a mask, now I'm thinking king, I need a mask if I'm just around d it, cutting g and gri did g, not just necessarily the one doing the welding.
I lost my sight in one eye a few years back, and welding without depth perception is definitely a challenge. So I try to hear my distance by the frying bacon sound.
Cataracts caused me severe welding problems for at least 5 years before I finally was diagnosed and had the artificial lens surgery for both eyes. Now I can see my welds very well.
I had been welding in a dark garage but low and behold I opened the door and got out in the sun or under lites and what a difference.my cheapo helmet is good after all.thanks
I’m 70, and I need cheaters too. The last few years had made things harder. Our vision in the dark gets worse as we get older. The bright arc obscures almost everything else. I find that both a light on the weld, and cheaters makes everything easier.
Some good info Bob.. Thanks for sharing.!! Definitely a good suggestion on the shade. All auto hood owners should read their specs and functions on their hoods, and adjust to what's safe and comfortable to themselves.
As I got back into welding and unfortunately used one of those Home Depot hoods, I thought I burn't my eye's out of my head at first! Very low response time and as a blue eyed man, very sensitive to the arc shot. Thank God I watched another video on you tube about hoods. I then spent a good and well placed investment into a Hobart hood. You may want to explain all hood types and why you would use one verses others.
I have added a headlamp with a beam/spotlight to my helmet with some double sticky velcro strips, works awesome to light up what your looking at, then you always have decent light no matter what position you are in. Really lights up the seam and puddle. I also use a cheater lens as I use cheater eyeglasses to read with as well. I really like your channel, your a pro for sure.
@@johnbaidas yes, most of my welds (Except practice welds) seem to always be upside down, on the other side of a part where I cant fit my head lol, I know they are ugly, but they work
Thx. I notice that you angle the work towards you a little rather than parallel to the edge of the table. This made all the difference to my being able to see the puddle and arc distance.
Thank you for helping make this all clear. I have repeatedly had issues with stick and Mig welding, but don't seem to have as much trouble with TIG. I am certain the lens darkness in all cases was way to high for the Amps being used.
Great vid. Welded for an income 30 years ago (yes, they had electricity), and just started TIG welding again for home projects. Fired up my old Syncrowave today, and really struggled with seeing the weld puddle detail. Had a dirty cover lens I wiped off a couple times (was SMAW welding before). Also, had my lens cranked to about 11 (just like my guitar amp), because the scratches spread the arc and made it too bright, or so I thought. But, the amp stays up at 11. It's all in the details...... Oh, your link to your lens chart doesn't work anymore. Damn internets....
One thing I found that obliterates my view is backlighting. I usually weld outdoors and if the sun is behind me it’s like I’m welding by Braille. There is a back shade attachment that I got that solves it. It was debuted at the last fab tech. Black Stallion part AH3035-NS
I use a leather overhead flip shade to keep the sun out. Condensation is like a motorcycle helmet. So now have leather curtain snapped on standard type helmet.
Kinda like this one... www.amazon.com/ATOPLEE-Welding-Cowhide-Leather-Comfortable/dp/B00M40WHT6/?keywords=leather+sand+blasting+hood&qid=1555721310&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr3
Just about to say the same. I went and got a pop-up 10x10 thing, mainly just to keep crap off me from falling out of the trees on my work table, but because it's Texas, that sun is starting to get hot too. But yeah, a brand new helmet was like having a mirror in front of my eyes and I couldn't see a damn thing!
I generally do all my welding with 2.4mm rods and have trouble seeing. Thought it was just my age - but 7/8? I usually run at least 10 shade! No wonder I can't see what I am doing! okay, there might be a slight amount of scratching and dirt on my lenses - but hey I cleaned it back in 2017, or was that 2015.....
This guy here is no joke he is a genius welder he knows everything from a to z when it comes to welding wow extremely skilled guy welding takes skill and patience it takes a while to learn welding you have to learn from your mistakes its very hard when you first start learning i hope i keep at it i dont have a lot of time to learn so i might find a alternative like using jb weld i am doing autobody work and i seen a video where a body shop owner did patch panel repair with jb weld turned out great body work is a skill also
A 500W halogen lamp very close to the work helps. I haven't had to use that trick since I got an auto dark helmet but it helped a LOT when I used a fixed shade helmet.
Hey man, I don't your name but you are an excellent teacher and whether you like it or not you are now my mentor. I am brand new at this (welding) with a brand new Titanium easy flux 125 welder from harbor freight, and I know that it is a cut rate unit, but since I am a cut rate newby welder, I think it is a good choice for me at the moment. I am an electrics engineer and a NASA engineering consultant, So now I am in a learning mode and I will absorb info like a sponge. I am so looking for ward to learning all I can and practicing as much as I can. So I've subscribed and will look forward to more of your vids. Thanks brother. 73s de Tom KC3QAC
Could you guys do a video on real welding like on your knees in a garage or workshop bent over something instead of welding on a perfectly flat table thats not real life . Im not being sarcastic lol it would help alot
I agree, it would be cool to see some scenarios depicting less-than-ideal welding positions. However, saying that welding on a perfectly flat table is not real life is simply not true. Plenty of people do the vast majority of their welding on fixture tables.
Yeah, don't often see footage of say, a field repair job with a stick welder, upside-down standing on your shoulder inside some frame that has split. The joys of on site repairs :)
Some situations can be difficult like where you have to bend the rod and use a mirror to weld behind something and straining to stay in an uncomfortable position long enough to burn the rod, while keeping a steady hand. Those guys are REAL WELDERS !
Good one--finally changed my cover lenses today. Remarkable difference afterwards--much clearer AND brighter. Decided I would go up a shade or two on the auto-darkening. Took my helmet off to change the shade and noticed I'd never turned it on. Duh.
I took a 1yr. basic welding course at a tech school a few years ago. I'm sixty and I would like to take an advance course in mig and tig. My only problem was; I couldn't see the damn weld pool with out putting my head inches to the work. Boy; if I can only see I could turn out to be a decent welder and possibly get a job doing so. Thank god I ran across your vid. Out of all the vids on youtube; no one talked about seeing the damn weld when you have poor vision while under dark hood. First I need to see an eye doctor for some good prescriptions. Learning about comfort zone and adjusting the darkness of the hood shield was never talked about at that tech school. I use to think that the darker the shade while welding would protect your eyes from burns, but now I'm just learning from you about amp adjustment vs shade adjustment. I'll study this more in dept. Finally; I need to be taught how to weld in the real world situations. While in school when you're learning; you got all these perfect adjustments set just right(lighting, fume exhaust, table just right and neat) however, the real world deals a different situation which could through a newbie into panic mood. I remember embarrassing my self when I went to take a mig test at some dusty old fab shot. I'm still kind of shell shock from it cause I had no problem laying down this near perfect bead but when I was told to do one 12 inches long; I freaked up. Dragging a long bead in mig was never a focal point at that school. More emphises was put on stick welding and blue print reading. Well, living in a small town in Tn don't have a high demand for stick welding. They're not doing the steel structural thing as much as they did back in the day. It's more about mig in the fabrication industry, ship yards and tig in the food processing plants. Right now I got my eyes on a Kellogg's plant that's always in need of tig welders but I'm going to need more training. I'll start practicing on the little knowledge I've got but I'll need more training to pass their tig plate test. I'm willing to get back in school but not the tech colleges hear in Tn. Question; Do you have any recommendations for real world training in Tn or, do you think that you can offer an online course for those who would like to improve their skills to work in the real world environment?
for me ... almost 70 and been welding for a Long Long time ... it is the Bi-focal glasses I wear.... I got look down for a clear close up ... but welding a lot of my stuff I am looking straight out or upwards a tad... I will be getting single vision lens for 15" with the focus in the center or tad high. Yep, I try to weld when it is all blurry ... I can do just as good with my eyes closed .. when making real bad welds... For good welds you need to see clearly .... Thanks for the great video .... will be cleaning up my hood and new cover plates etc....
Man Cub's is dull and empty... Mine's full of knowledge. *Gaw dang it!* Perfectly stated. I haveto respect Man Cub for avoiding the GD, it's the worse thing you can ever say.
I worked for an old welder who would grab me by the shoulder and pull me back, saying "Get your face back away from the welding. You can see just great until that lens smokes up". 40 years later, it's still good advice.
Thanks for these videos. I'm not sure what a "cheater lens" is, but as someone who has zero welding experience, It gives me a place to start. Not many videos that show what you should be seeing. Thank you.
Im 65 and have progressive glasses, no problem in general but I cant see when welding. I suspect one doesn't realise how you move when welding, you look at the work and it looks fine but when the arc starts Im sure your eyes change and you have to move. So I've been using magnifying glasses which work fine while welding but when I look up I cant find the bloody welding wire! I've never heard of cheat lens's, this is brilliant, I'm off to get some. Really useful and informative information thank you
I use an adjustable shade lens . The only thing you have to remember is to keep it dark enough so you only see the edges of the puddle. Most often though you need to see where you are steering so it's a fine line between the two that you straddle. Having the ability to make that fine tuning is worth the investment.
This was timely, thank-you. New to welding at home and I couldn't see squat. Finally realized as soon as my arc is struck and the lens goes dark, I'm getting a reflection of everything behind me (all welding is outside). When I can see clearly, I weld pretty good.
@@Graham_Wideman Funny, they write in the description that it's for sparks protection, but all the reviews I read were for blocking the light from the back. Good idea.
@@danl.4743 Hahaha yes I noticed that too. And of course, you don't have to buy the commercial thing, you can get your own piece of spark-resistant fabric, cut it to shape, and velcro to the rear helmet lip.
@@Graham_Wideman Exactly. And I was thinking that if I want a fire proof material (that's what they have), I can use a piece of old leather or something.
Thanks for the tips mate, i just flashed up my old tig after 10 years and i could see 3 tungstens and 3 tig wires haha, time to try the magnified lens lol Good video Cheers Rob
I have found that the quality of the shaded filter lens makes a noticeable difference. A good lens allows you to see not just the weld puddle, but just outside of it also. This is huge when stacking beads around a pipe or finding that bevel edge when ur jammed up at 6 o clock on pipe. I still haven't found an auto filter that beats a $20 gold lens, but some of these newer "HD" lenses come close.
I have the opposite problem, I can't weld what I'm seeing.
love it
Amen, Brother!
🤣🤣🤣🤣👍
Why ?I am old stick welder learned it at 14 I am 42 now this is great to me its mig welders quote un quote. Its like man does what his wife always tells him what to do machine tells you its ok that's how you weld stick and tig welders are real men like adivorced man that knows what to do lol
@geraldturkeyhunter As to the why, it's called humor. The rest of your post I can't even follow what you're trying to say.
I found putting bright lights on the whole job makes seeing what you're welding so much easier.
Never thought of doing that but I'll try it now, thanks for the tip.
@@mrmyorky5634 me too
I found that welding refinery pipes outside in the winter dark really lowers ones expectations on quality😅
Thanks!!👍
@@datadavis Right.. can't take a light plant with you to every job site , I was taught to run my auto dark on as dark as possible around a 11 or 12 so I know what to look for , now that I run a 9-10 I can see everything even in the dark
I really enjoy your low-key style, never yelling, always explaining. Makes for a very enjoyable lesson. Thanks for the great videos (I originally wrote this before hearing the “outtake”at the end, ) Want to add: Also, I enjoy your sense of humor.
This guy is awesome. Straight forward and shows right and wrong.
When I first started welding a hundred years ago, I had no idea what a weld pool/puddle was. It took me several months of playing around to finely see what I was supposed to be seeing. That moment changed everything for me, instantly I understood everything I’d read. I think what I’m trying to say is, beginners need something more basic than what most folks in the welding education world start with. Just my personal experience and thoughts. Love your vids. Thanks
I cant see the weld pool with oxyfuel but with tig I cant because it's too dark I even went down to #9
Bro what you an elephant or something? 100 damn years
As an "older" ,over 60, now fabricator here in the UK, I find reflections from overhead lighting cause me problems.
Simple fix for me is a piece of clean cloth placed on top of my head, covering the gap at the top of the hood. Works for me !
Same here!!
That gets really exciting when an errant spark lands on it though.
Thanks, I'll give it a try.
The old timer that taught me the basics of GTAW had a piece of leather riveted to the top of his helmet. I didn't quite understood why, and it kind of annoyed me every time i used it, until i used a shiny new auto-darkening helmet. The moment i struck the arc, all i could see was the inside of the helmet.
@@bogdan_n that's a good idea.
Welding a lot of fluxcore on heavy plate weldments in confined spaces we keep a spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol to spray our clear lenses, let it run off and spray it again, then just a burst of air to dry them off. Don't like wiping them! Takes 2 minutes but saves $$$ on replacing lenses all the time. Keep up the great videos.
Isopropyl doesn't damage the cover lens plastic?
Good tip .it makes sense. But why didn’t you tell me about this 20 years ago?
@@johntomasik1555 I have used isopropyl alcohol on all plastics and rubber for over 40 years and never have I had it melt or distort. On some cheaper well cured paint I've seen isopropyl alcohol attack a bit. Bottom line I see isopropyl alcohol as a next step strength up from Windex, 409, Fantastic ect.
Thank you! I'm going to try that.
Good tip, i usually just blow the worst out with air and change clears often.
This is exactly what I need. I'm 55 now and only mig weld occasionally. I have been having trouble because I cannot see the puddle. Got new helmet coming and a set of readers. Thank you so much!
I just started diy home welding, I was using an old school helmet for the last 3 days..
I got an auto darkening helmet today..
seeing what your doing is literally night and day!!
I stumbled upon your channel by pure luck. Ive always been a welding enthusiast ever since high school...(I'm old now) at 56!
Your lessons have really put the arc back into me lol. I still do hobby mig work around the house but lately I have been getting into stainless steel tig at my work. I used to tig years ago but it was more of a---If the metal is connected, its welded. I really had no idea what i was doing. LOL
Just want to say thanks for these amazing lessons!
Great video. I teach High School English in China. We've been discussing types of careers, and those society needs. Your speaking clarity and speed has made everything easy to understand. Now, being a welder has entered the top 10 "needed" professions on our list. Thanks from China!
I'm semi-retired and took up welding as a hobby about two years ago, stick and MIG. I had a miserable time seeing the puddle using most hoods in class. I tried the Lincoln Viking 3350 and it totally changed my welding experience. I can see everything I need to see. It's pricey but well worth it.
Scott B how do you protect the outer lens?
@@jeremy8715 you don't protect it, you replace it as needed
I'm still can't see and I have the 3350 and 350 dollars later I'm still searching I guess hopefully there is a hood for me somewhere
Finally, you solved my issue! I've had this issue from the start, so I bought a more expensive helmet with "enhanced view", I've upgraded my shop light, even added two 10,000 lumen portable shop lights. Then I got desperate and reduce my shade setting to "9" instead of the minimum recommended "10", but regardless I could only see my puddle, but not what I was welding. One of the very first statement you made was the key: "Don't get too close, sit back at a comfortable distance" I tried this and what a difference, not only can I see what I'm welding but I can do it with a shade setting of "10". I'm thinking that keeping a greater distance to the work allows my eyes to pick up the contrast between the arc and the workpiece, but when you get too close the arc just overpowers the background. Thanks again :)
I’m just getting into welding and being older you guys have great tips and information before I get formal training. I love using the information and practicing with my buddy.
Quite possibly the most informative, intelligent, and well presented informational video I have ever watched. I am a retired "neighborhood" welder and you covered it all. Thanks
I set up a LED light on the weld and this helps me see what I'm welding. Especially with mig I hold a small torch in my other hand and shine it on the weld track.
I arc welded at sea for years without any problem, now retired and at home I tried to tig weld and once again arc weld and I had a massive problem not being able to see what I was welding at home. I’ve watched many u-tube posts about this subject. I cracked it about three weeks ago. I used a LED spotlight hanging about 6 foot to the side of my work bench shining on the job at hand. What a breakthrough for me, at sea the engine room lighting was always excellent at home in my workshop, not so good. I hope this helps someone like me.
Another great video Mr Bob. I appreciate you touching on these common issues that some of us deal with and may have become common place and don't realize it.
Thanks Bob! I'm just an old farmer type welder from Kansas so I learn something new with with each session that I watch....
Great video! I welded for years with beautiful results. I took ten years off with a job change and when I picked up the torch I was stunned at what happened to my skills. I couldn't stay on track, my welds were awful and then I discovered I got older and I couldn't focus with the bifocals I now wear on a daily basis. I got a cheater lens for the inside of my hood and the old me was back in the game! The loss of visual acuity is so gradual and even with dirty or damaged cover lenes you have to keep this stuff clean. Love your video's and love your style of instruction. I wish I knew you 30 years ago to get me started. Thanks again!!
I found the same when I got glasses. I think it changed=s your focal length and how your hands act with that as well.
Getting your head back (especially if long sighted) and changing your welding posture with some practice helps.
In short, getting glasses really changes your welding dynamics, visually. This will often transfer through to your hands.
If only i could walk into any welding supply store and actually " try" anything in there. As far as cheaters, they are all in plastic wrap. As far as helmets, you can put it on your head maybe but they damn sure don't have a welder set up for you to try it. It seems like its a buy it and you own it kind of thing wether you like it or not. Bob, you are the best thing to happen to youtube welding videos in a long time. Thank God we don't have to put up with MrT anymore and thanks for all your videos
This guy is great! I've learned more from him than any welding class ive taken. Keep it up!!!!
Great content. To the point... please bring Bob back, there's a hidden value to his delivery of his knowledge.
Excellent! That has been my problem, seeing the weld. I hope you can carry this farther with stick welding and other insights.
I'm glad you did this video, I've been 'playing' with TIG for a couple years off and on and have always had a problem SEEING what is going on, with a few exceptions. I'm one of the 'roll it around in the crud' people so I'll have to look for scratched up lenses next time. Thank you!
Let us know if it helps 👍
@@Welddotcom I cleaned the lenses and turned down the darkness to #4. Both helped. I also found having a sharp, non-contaminated tungsten makes a BIG difference since it produces a much smaller hot(bright) spot. With too much arc length or a contaminated tungsten, you get a giant hot spot and you (Or I anyway) couldn't see even half as well.
@@fsj197811 Chris, #4 is much too low for arc welding. You are risking damage to your eyes at that shade.
@@Welddotcom EEEK, I did say #4 ! I meant #9. #4 is more like gas welding isn't it?
@@fsj197811 #5 is. But it requires a change from a UV filter to an infra red filter. The IR component in gas welding is what damages the eyes over the long term. Electric welding is UV.
I've benefited from this greatly.
I'm amazed though, it's had over 1 million views, yet only 15,000 likes. Surely more than this have gained something from this. How about more likes people. 👍
127K views, in only a week. You guys are very popular. I'm an amateur hobbyist, and appreciate you sharing your time, techniques, and talents. Thanks.
Thank you for this information. I'm not a welder but as part of my job I have to weld quite often. I find my welding improves drastically when I can see what I'm welding and most of all, where I'm welding. Your Chanel IS helping me to improve. Thank you :-)
Here's a comment on "cheater" lenses that may help some people. I started using them some years back, but when I recently got a new and "better" helmet, it turned out that the clips that hold the regular filter lens in place will NOT allow room for any extra lens thickness. My solution was to wrap electrical tape around each end of the cheater lens so that about the outer 1/4" of each end is wrapped in tape and the rest of the width of the tape forms a flat "tab" that sticks off each end of the lens. Those "tabs" of tape fit beneath the lens clips in my helmet. It works great, and even slides up and down across the back surface of the bigger filter lens to match whatever part of the filter lens I will be looking through for the work I'm doing.
Best video for me yet. I can weld till position and sight aren't perfect. I did have a bad habit of winging it once I had issues. Now I adjust instead of ruining a weld. I never thought of the scratch issue. Thanks Bob.
I self taught myself tig welding, Took me about 3 month and 3 bottles of Argon to get acceptable welds on .035 chromoly tubes. The best improvemnent came when I decided to buy a pair of reading glasses. I then started to clearly see what I was doing.
You have been so much help to me. I cannot thank you enough. We recently got my friends hi-freq lincoln box up and welding. It has been a little struggle but we are welding thin aluminum. Without your help from your videos it would have been so much harder. This video is particularily good because my friends helmet does not have shade adjustment. I brought the one home from work which does so I am hoping it helps a little because with his helmet I was having trouble seeing. Thank you again.
The problem I have is with the lens in my glasses. As I age and my prescription increases, the lens focus the light more in my eyes. I have to go to a darker lens in the helmet to keep the light from blinding me; then I can't see the weld anymore. It's hell getting old.
Yor are probably getting cataracts in your eyes -- had it happen to me . Evrey bright light would flare out like crazy .
I had my optometrist give me a single lens prescription for the distance I needed when welding. Made a huge difference. Bob’s recommendation to weld at arm’s length made sense when wearing my progressive trifocals.
Computer strength glasses put the focal point out at arms length. Tell your optometrist what you're trying to accomplish and have a pair of glasses made specifically for that distance.
I'm a welder and watchmaker. I seem to have chosen to be blind in my later years! Glasses suck full stop.
@@mikem3770 That's what I did - got a prescription for ~900mm/3ft ãs that's my monitor distance, and one for ~300mm/1ft for reading and writing. There's enough difference to make it worthwhile.
Spot on My father always said back up. He was saying the same stuff you can’t see everything if you are too close. Also you have to move all the time. Great video.
LOVED YOU in Arrested Development! Glad to see you found your thing with welding. All the best to you.. ill be rooting for you!
ps. dont give up on a Hollywood comeback.
I've had concerns about what I see when welding recently, so really appreciate this video. I'll be sure to try out different positions and perhaps a new front lens.
Great topic, I got back into hobby welding in retirement and tried 3 helmets before finding what was right for me, the salesman set it up with a diopter as well and I couldn’t be happier. I just change the lens protector regularly as even with care they have a use by date.
I find having good lighting on the piece being welded helps see what I am doing. I weld in a poorly lit garage and sometimes get out a spotlight and find its like night and day.
Perhaps that's my problem I'm welding in a liw light corner of my garage so many good tips here
Excellent instruction...great instructor. Very detailed and covers details extremely well.
Clear new lenses make the world of difference to any of you new aspiring welders out there, it's under rated and doesn't come up that much in topic, but if you can't see shit, change your lense and clean yur gear, and you'll be absolutely amazed
SILLY BUBBY69 A welding class I attended we were required to bring our own helmets. Try that.
@SILLY BUBBY69 get your own helmet!
@SILLY BUBBY69 bringing your own helmet to class may signal to your instructor that you are serious about weldng.
@SILLY BUBBY69 spend the money to buy your own. You are there to learn to weld not sit there in frustration.
Having your own is best, after all, if you stick with it don't expect your employer to supply you one. You'll be expected to furnish one yourself
Thanks for the "enlightening" clip. I used to be a decent welder. Having tried my hand at welding again after many years I noticed I could no longer see the puddle. I've recently had cataract surgery on both eyes, so with your tips I may be able to get my groove back
I believe when it comes to lens shade, run it dark as you can as long as you can. As I get older I need lighter shades.
same here john
All I can see is a bright spot about nickle or quarter size. I cant see any detail like a seam or crack I need to follow.
I keep a small squirt bottle full of water and vinegar on my welding cart. I also keep a soft microfiber cloth with the bottle. Whenever I'm done I wipe everything down. You really need to take care of a piece of equipment that is there for your protection. About every 6 months or so depending on how much I'm welding I take everything apart clean it wax the hood and put everything back together. I've had the same hood for 15 years. Whenever the plastic does get destroyed I keep new ones on hand for the outside and the inside. I just bought myself some cheater lenses haven't had a chance to try them out.
I enjoy your videos look forward to watching more.
This is a very good video, Bob. I had an eye doctor tell me years ago that the optimum reading distance was 16". I would think this would vary a little from person to person, but the visual hardware and visual issues are a key player when welding. If you can't see good, you can't weld good. By the way, what are your thoughts on the silver or gold lens reflectors? That would make a good tutorial video.
I'm really struggling with this right now. Changed method, can't see anything! For very light MIG welding as it happens. Finally dug up a shade 8 lens, and glory! Getting things in focus is another story, but I needed something to work WITH. Man! I was just guessing and it showed. I was so glad to see this title!
I love how great the view is on videos of the arc, unfortunately, I've never been able to get that kind of view through my helmet. I've tried expensive helmets, I've made sure they're clean, I've tried bright auxiliary lighting, changing the shade, cheater lens, reading glasses inside the helmet, etc. I simply can't see. if the weld is long enough, I can sometimes sort of see a very dim, barely perceptible puddle eventually, but that's it. I can't see the joint or any of the surrounding metal. If I turn the lens down to 9, then the arc is too bright and everything is just one big bright blinding ball of light, if I turn it to 10, the arc is fine, but then everything around it is too dark. I usually end up welding off my line, or just welding on past the end because I can't see the joint. I literally weld by "feel". Now, for the general stuff I weld around my shop, I've always managed to stick everything together decently enough, but there is simply no way I could ever pass a test or make pretty welds. I just don't know what else I can do to be able to see the joint and puddle.
Your issue is the exact one that led me to this video. I have the problem. To solve it use a super bright led lamp right near your work and leave your mask in the sun to charge if it has a solar panel before you use it. Also different masks do matter... its only when someone gave me their £300+ one did it look like green daylight and you can see the bench even under normal light. Masks like clarke, I find too dark although some cheap ones , left in full sun do work quite well. The charge and light makes the biggest difference.
Are you color blind by chance? I been welding.10 years and I run into the same problem. Try a gold shade 10 lens. Also stay away from autodarkening. I cant see at all through those.
@@theq-1 I am looking for a good led light how many lumens was enough for you ? I wonder if 1000 lumens is enough or if I should get more.
@@webdigit I use an 18v Ryobi one and its 900 lumens so 1000 should do fine.
@@theq-1 thank you
Wandered across this site somehow.. Sparked my interest, sorry, for the pun.. 72 years old and started welding as a shipfitter in the Navy, in 68, on a destroyer tender in the pipe shop repair dept.. Got out and got a job working at Curtiss Wright, subcontracting for GE on sub reactors and steam generators.. had 7 nuclear weld certs. Navy taught me well.. Welded at other jobs, became a supervisor and got into management.. Remembered how i used to weld, get a melody going in your head and forget everything else. becomes automatic. Brought back some good memories. Welding on a destroyer over the side in a Bosin's chair and it began pouring rain.... window welding a pipe coil on a chemical tank. Mirror welding... crazy shit,,, BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU BREATH IN....
When welding indoors our pupils are dialated so you need a darker lens than outdoors when you're eyes are constricted. You also have better sharpness when constricted as the depth of field increases (focus front to back) Amazing how afew small scratch marks obscure view. Well done Bob!!!
@@johndowe7003 Like Robert Duvall did in the movie Jack Reacher with Tom Cruise?
@@johndowe7003 arrrrrr, Avask ye scalawag, always a good trick Matey
Thanks. Good video. 22 years experience and always good to get reminded of things. My 2 co-workers told me to look you up. One of them you know. 👍
For me, single vision safety glasses prescription specifically for arm’s length distance. Work area well lit, but not from something above/behind my hood (magnetic base with goose neck light). Good helmet, clean lenses. Partial thickness cornea transplants both eyes (thank you to whoever is an organ donor).
When on the job in most cases there are always obstacles that influence your comfort zone. Doing boiler tubes is just one example or rooting a tube or pipe that is just inches off of the floor or up against the shell or wall. Not all jobs will be on a bench. There are excellent suggestions in this video that will help with being able to see your work more clearly. I think one thing that I found that really improved my visibility while welding was wearing a positive feed air supply respirator. It kept the smoke out from under my shield while welding and kept my face cool. Having really good lighting will also improve welding visibility as one poster has suggested.
Man, the cheaters made all the difference for me! I didn't realize how far I was tilting my head back trying to get to the right spot on my progressive lenses. Thanks Bob!
Where can one get cheater lenses?
Absolutely the best welding advice I have ever had! I have asked vision questions to pros for years and they all came with I don’t know, maybe you have eyes and can’t see! I have 20-15 vision! More light , lighter shades and better positioning have worked for me, thank you sir. P.S. I use Pledge furniture polish on my lens and it helps protect them longer and improves clarity .
Subbing. Looks like a great channel to learn from. I currently own nothing to even weld but hope to do so in the near future. I’m retired and will be doing this as a hobby mainly working with cars.
Thank you for the tip on cleaning and replacing the front of the lens he had made a 100% better viewing experience thank you again
I have to confess. I have pretty much stopped welding apart from jobs i HAVE to do. Eyes are getting really bad so have not watched your videos in some time Bob.
Boy oh Boy have those "Wisdom" colored hairs got more prominent in the beard mate.
I just started welding school. I hope your eyes are doing better. What type of welding hood you use or was it the constant exposure that hurt your eyes?
Yes a cover lens is all the difference. I had a dirty lens in the inside of my hood and just popped it out and wiped it on my t shirt and popped it back in. Just taking a minute to do that made a world of difference. Thank you
I can relate with having a dirty lens I changed mine out yesterday in class and my overhead tig cap wasn't crooked
Isn't that funny. It's amazing what being able to see what you're doing does for you. 😂
6010 has crapped up my digital elite's clear unit. Ugh!
@@mordantly get an Esab Sentinel a50. You will not regret it. I upgraded from the elite and it was fantastic
I'm a old guy but this is the issues I had over 45 years ago.Had to learn what I was trying to accomplish. Thanks for a powerful straight forward presentation. Understanding the puddle ,arc,filler rod position,movement,comfort,sight focusing on what the process is,Thanks ,super job.!!!
Having cataracts will really mess up your vision as it makes the weld light really flare out and blind you . Had it happen in my right eye and couldent weld as only one eye welding is almost impossible as you have on depth perception .
Is that on the way to Macular De Gen, my old boss welded a lot back in the day without a mask, now I'm thinking king, I need a mask if I'm just around d it, cutting g and gri did g, not just necessarily the one doing the welding.
Cataracts are one of the risks of UV light. The ark generates a lot of UV wavelengths. Ad a UV filter to your setup.
I lost my sight in one eye a few years back, and welding without depth perception is definitely a challenge. So I try to hear my distance by the frying bacon sound.
Cataracts caused me severe welding problems for at least 5 years before I finally was diagnosed and had the artificial lens surgery for both eyes. Now I can see my welds very well.
Thank you Bob!! This gives me some useful insight on this subject and should help me find tune things when switching from Tig, Stick and Mig. 👍👍
I had been welding in a dark garage but low and behold I opened the door and got out in the sun or under lites and what a difference.my cheapo helmet is good after all.thanks
Without a cheater lens it's like welding in 360p, but with a +2.5 dioptre cheater lens I'm back to welding in 1080p again Lol
i tried using a cheater lens, screwed me up so bad lol i threw it
Tried cheater lenses, but found cheapo readers to work the best.
I have to use a 3x lens
@@phiksit I found the same thing.
I’m 70, and I need cheaters too. The last few years had made things harder. Our vision in the dark gets worse as we get older. The bright arc obscures almost everything else. I find that both a light on the weld, and cheaters makes everything easier.
Some good info Bob.. Thanks for sharing.!! Definitely a good suggestion on the shade. All auto hood owners should read their specs and functions on their hoods, and adjust to what's safe and comfortable to themselves.
Yeah, that's my problem, especially with me wearing glasses!
As I got back into welding and unfortunately used one of those Home Depot hoods, I thought I burn't my eye's out of my head at first! Very low response time and as a blue eyed man, very sensitive to the arc shot. Thank God I watched another video on you tube about hoods. I then spent a good and well placed investment into a Hobart hood. You may want to explain all hood types and why you would use one verses others.
cheater lens and done took me 3 months to figure out if you cant see what you're doing you're never going to be a good welder
I have added a headlamp with a beam/spotlight to my helmet with some double sticky velcro strips, works awesome to light up what your looking at, then you always have decent light no matter what position you are in. Really lights up the seam and puddle. I also use a cheater lens as I use cheater eyeglasses to read with as well. I really like your channel, your a pro for sure.
Let’s say that 95% of shop welding isn’t done on a nice COMFORTABLE table top
You mean, like on your knee, leaning over, upside down, getting sparks thrown all over you??
@@johnbaidas yes, most of my welds (Except practice welds) seem to always be upside down, on the other side of a part where I cant fit my head lol, I know they are ugly, but they work
@@johnbaidas Jep. When Im welding its most of the time over my head, because I cant flip the car to the side that Im welding. :-D
Thx.
I notice that you angle the work towards you a little rather than parallel to the edge of the table. This made all the difference to my being able to see the puddle and arc distance.
Backlight is a huge problem for me with an Hood that is open in the back.
I usually end up blocking off the light with a towel or something..
Thank you for helping make this all clear. I have repeatedly had issues with stick and Mig welding, but don't seem to have as much trouble with TIG. I am certain the lens darkness in all cases was way to high for the Amps being used.
Thank you. I have this problem. I'll try your ideas.
Let us know if it helps.
Great vid. Welded for an income 30 years ago (yes, they had electricity), and just started TIG welding again for home projects. Fired up my old Syncrowave today, and really struggled with seeing the weld puddle detail. Had a dirty cover lens I wiped off a couple times (was SMAW welding before). Also, had my lens cranked to about 11 (just like my guitar amp), because the scratches spread the arc and made it too bright, or so I thought. But, the amp stays up at 11.
It's all in the details......
Oh, your link to your lens chart doesn't work anymore. Damn internets....
One thing I found that obliterates my view is backlighting. I usually weld outdoors and if the sun is behind me it’s like I’m welding by Braille. There is a back shade attachment that I got that solves it. It was debuted at the last fab tech. Black Stallion part AH3035-NS
I use a leather overhead flip shade to keep the sun out. Condensation is like a motorcycle helmet. So now have leather curtain snapped on standard type helmet.
@@mordantly
where did you get that one?
I have issues with the overhead shop lights sometimes.
Kinda like this one...
www.amazon.com/ATOPLEE-Welding-Cowhide-Leather-Comfortable/dp/B00M40WHT6/?keywords=leather+sand+blasting+hood&qid=1555721310&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr3
Just about to say the same. I went and got a pop-up 10x10 thing, mainly just to keep crap off me from falling out of the trees on my work table, but because it's Texas, that sun is starting to get hot too. But yeah, a brand new helmet was like having a mirror in front of my eyes and I couldn't see a damn thing!
Also, you guys can try a pancake hood👍
Those tips are ageless and so useful. Regards.
I generally do all my welding with 2.4mm rods and have trouble seeing. Thought it was just my age - but 7/8? I usually run at least 10 shade! No wonder I can't see what I am doing! okay, there might be a slight amount of scratching and dirt on my lenses - but hey I cleaned it back in 2017, or was that 2015.....
Clean that thing and give it another go.
Sometimes going darker helps. If its too bright you cant see either.
This guy here is no joke he is a genius welder he knows everything from a to z when it comes to welding wow extremely skilled guy welding takes skill and patience it takes a while to learn welding you have to learn from your mistakes its very hard when you first start learning i hope i keep at it i dont have a lot of time to learn so i might find a alternative like using jb weld i am doing autobody work and i seen a video where a body shop owner did patch panel repair with jb weld turned out great body work is a skill also
A 500W halogen lamp very close to the work helps. I haven't had to use that trick since I got an auto dark helmet but it helped a LOT when I used a fixed shade helmet.
Hey man, I don't your name but you are an excellent teacher and whether you like it or not you are now my mentor. I am brand new at this (welding) with a brand new Titanium easy flux 125 welder from harbor freight, and I know that it is a cut rate unit, but since I am a cut rate newby welder, I think it is a good choice for me at the moment. I am an electrics engineer and a NASA engineering consultant, So now I am in a learning mode and I will absorb info like a sponge. I am so looking for ward to learning all I can and practicing as much as I can. So I've subscribed and will look forward to more of your vids. Thanks brother. 73s de Tom KC3QAC
Could you guys do a video on real welding like on your knees in a garage or workshop bent over something instead of welding on a perfectly flat table thats not real life . Im not being sarcastic lol it would help alot
I agree, it would be cool to see some scenarios depicting less-than-ideal welding positions.
However, saying that welding on a perfectly flat table is not real life is simply not true. Plenty of people do the vast majority of their welding on fixture tables.
Yeah, don't often see footage of say, a field repair job with a stick welder, upside-down standing on your shoulder inside some frame that has split. The joys of on site repairs :)
Some situations can be difficult like where you have to bend the rod and use a mirror to weld behind something and straining to stay in an uncomfortable position long enough to burn the rod, while keeping a steady hand. Those guys are REAL WELDERS !
All-IN Offroad
They don’t because it’s much harder and they might be exposed as only table top welders.
Good one--finally changed my cover lenses today. Remarkable difference afterwards--much clearer AND brighter. Decided I would go up a shade or two on the auto-darkening. Took my helmet off to change the shade and noticed I'd never turned it on. Duh.
Keep a can of spray away glass cleaner handy will float smoke and dust off less scratches
Running through a heated ultra sonic tank might be the ticket.
Run it with water, spray with glass cleaner and wipe it with a microfiber nylon cloth. Anything nylon is better than cotton. Works great
I took a 1yr. basic welding course at a tech school a few years ago. I'm sixty and I would like to take an advance course in mig and tig. My only problem was; I couldn't see the damn weld pool with out putting my head inches to the work. Boy; if I can only see I could turn out to be a decent welder and possibly get a job doing so. Thank god I ran across your vid. Out of all the vids on youtube; no one talked about seeing the damn weld when you have poor vision while under dark hood. First I need to see an eye doctor for some good prescriptions. Learning about comfort zone and adjusting the darkness of the hood shield was never talked about at that tech school. I use to think that the darker the shade while welding would protect your eyes from burns, but now I'm just learning from you about amp adjustment vs shade adjustment. I'll study this more in dept. Finally; I need to be taught how to weld in the real world situations. While in school when you're learning; you got all these perfect adjustments set just right(lighting, fume exhaust, table just right and neat) however, the real world deals a different situation which could through a newbie into panic mood. I remember embarrassing my self when I went to take a mig test at some dusty old fab shot. I'm still kind of shell shock from it cause I had no problem laying down this near perfect bead but when I was told to do one 12 inches long; I freaked up. Dragging a long bead in mig was never a focal point at that school. More emphises was put on stick welding and blue print reading. Well, living in a small town in Tn don't have a high demand for stick welding. They're not doing the steel structural thing as much as they did back in the day. It's more about mig in the fabrication industry, ship yards and tig in the food processing plants. Right now I got my eyes on a Kellogg's plant that's always in need of tig welders but I'm going to need more training. I'll start practicing on the little knowledge I've got but I'll need more training to pass their tig plate test. I'm willing to get back in school but not the tech colleges hear in Tn. Question; Do you have any recommendations for real world training in Tn or, do you think that you can offer an online course for those who would like to improve their skills to work in the real world environment?
Harrison Williams , I am in the exact same place......I cant see what the hell Im doing.....
Holy crap first time I’ve ever had first comment 🤘
That means you get a free slap. Shoot us DM 👍
Great video, thank you from Australia. 🇦🇺
Thank you lord for automasks. Now I can play with my stick without going blind
ITS AN OLD WIVES TALE ANYWAY
for me ... almost 70 and been welding for a Long Long time ... it is the Bi-focal glasses I wear.... I got look down for a clear close up ... but welding a lot of my stuff I am looking straight out or upwards a tad... I will be getting single vision lens for 15" with the focus in the center or tad high. Yep, I try to weld when it is all blurry ... I can do just as good with my eyes closed .. when making real bad welds... For good welds you need to see clearly .... Thanks for the great video .... will be cleaning up my hood and new cover plates etc....
Man Cub's is dull and empty... Mine's full of knowledge.
*Gaw dang it!*
Perfectly stated.
I haveto respect Man Cub for avoiding the GD, it's the worse thing you can ever say.
I worked for an old welder who would grab me by the shoulder and pull me back, saying "Get your face back away from the welding. You can see just great until that lens smokes up". 40 years later, it's still good advice.
Great video to the point no bs. Wish bob was still our guy. Never heard why he left
Thanks for these videos. I'm not sure what a "cheater lens" is, but as someone who has zero welding experience, It gives me a place to start. Not many videos that show what you should be seeing. Thank you.
Im 65 and have progressive glasses, no problem in general but I cant see when welding. I suspect one doesn't realise how you move when welding, you look at the work and it looks fine but when the arc starts Im sure your eyes change and you have to move. So I've been using magnifying glasses which work fine while welding but when I look up I cant find the bloody welding wire! I've never heard of cheat lens's, this is brilliant, I'm off to get some. Really useful and informative information thank you
I appreciate your videos as they are very informative.
I use an adjustable shade lens . The only thing you have to remember is to keep it dark enough so you only see the edges of the puddle. Most often though you need to see where you are steering so it's a fine line between the two that you straddle. Having the ability to make that fine tuning is worth the investment.
This was timely, thank-you. New to welding at home and I couldn't see squat. Finally realized as soon as my arc is struck and the lens goes dark, I'm getting a reflection of everything behind me (all welding is outside). When I can see clearly, I weld pretty good.
Also this: black stallion part AH3035-NS. m.cyberweld.com/black-stallion-glareblocker-ah3035-ns.html
It's a very common problem that we forgot to mention. Thanks for the comment.
@@Graham_Wideman Funny, they write in the description that it's for sparks protection, but all the reviews I read were for blocking the light from the back. Good idea.
@@danl.4743 Hahaha yes I noticed that too. And of course, you don't have to buy the commercial thing, you can get your own piece of spark-resistant fabric, cut it to shape, and velcro to the rear helmet lip.
@@Graham_Wideman Exactly. And I was thinking that if I want a fire proof material (that's what they have), I can use a piece of old leather or something.
Thanks a lot ,I keep watching and keep learning , excellent learning videos thanks again
Coolio. Thanks for the tips champ. I really have been struggling to see in my welding course. But this definitely helps!
Thanks again!
Thanks for the tips mate, i just flashed up my old tig after 10 years and i could see 3 tungstens and 3 tig wires haha, time to try the magnified lens lol
Good video
Cheers
Rob
I have found that the quality of the shaded filter lens makes a noticeable difference. A good lens allows you to see not just the weld puddle, but just outside of it also. This is huge when stacking beads around a pipe or finding that bevel edge when ur jammed up at 6 o clock on pipe. I still haven't found an auto filter that beats a $20 gold lens, but some of these newer "HD" lenses come close.