TIG welding and(eye) sight Problems/fixes?

[dondlhmn]

Maybe I am just not cut out to be a TIG welder or just too stupid to get it or maybe just to danged stubborn to just give up, BUT.....When TIGging, I do have my moments..all pretty and neat, etc. often followed by bird doo doo. All the other welding I do seems to be fine..I have no problem seeing the puddle and getting it to do what I want when stick or MIG or gas welding, but seem to have a problem with TIG, especially when working on something that requires that the welds be small. Aluminum seems to be easiest for me...maybe because I can see the puddle pretty well (believe it or not!?!?!?). I currently have a 1.75 cheater in my helmets and also have used a 1.5 on occasion, so getting exactly the right distance between eyes and the puddle seems pretty critical. When picking out a cheater strength, I look through it at my finger prints to judge which gives me the best clarity at a reasonable distance. So..has anyone on here been through this? I need some suggestions that can maybe help me fix this OR ELSE I am going to just stick the torch in my mouth and TURN THE ****ED AMPS WAY UP!!!!!!

OK...so...things that do seem to help would be worth trying..what?

More light?

No cheaters?

See an opthamologist (or however the heck you spell that)?

More practice is always good...

Any ideas?? ANY suggestions will be appreciated/tried!!

EDITTED TO ADD: Maybe I am just getting too darned old to try to do this vision-intensive stuff. How about you loder guys out there...having any problems similar to mine? OH...I've already thought about turning my age back to say...29 or so. Can't seem to get it done, though.

Thanks!!

[HBWELDER]

Don,

When you say cheater, I think of gas lenses.

I also use a 1.75 magnifier in both of my hoods. I even have safety glasses with magnifiers in them. Years ago, that worked really well. I couldn't get over how much better I could see the puddle. Unfortunately, the older we get, the worse our eyes get. It could be I need a step up in magnification, and I am due for another eye exam.

Stainless is the hardest to see if your welding thin stainless. There are times when I have to use a number 8 lens, in order to see what I'm doing.

My auto darkening hood has two problems. One, I don't like the color green as it seems darker to me, and the hood only dials down to a number 9 lens. I also don't know how accurate that is.

I actually do best when I'm using an Omni-View lens in my Huntsman welding hood. The weld puddle looks more true to color, and I've heard other welders tell me the same thing. I have several different ones to chose from, so I can figure out which one works best for the job at hand.

Also, my own eye doctor also suggested I bring in my hood, or what ever it is I'm using to see, along with me when I take my eye exam. The last time I had to take an eye exam for my work, I couldn't pass without using my safety glasses, that have magnifiers in them. The guy giving me the test, couldn't believe how good I could see with them, and asked where I got them. Ha!

You might even try a gas lens with a number 6 or 7 cup, and stick your tungsten out more. One thing I have noticed about using a gas lens is, it is easier to keep the puddle from wondering. Probably has to do with less turbulent gas flow. I've used gas lenses with cups as big as 1", with the tungsten sticking out an inch.

Anyway, that's what I do. You have to figure out what works best for you. Good luck!

Patrick

[shovelon]

Hi Don,

I don't know what kind of lenses you are using, but my autodark lenses are just not as clear as my gold lenses. I am using 1.5 magnifiers with glass, not plastic front shields.

The all time best filters were the gold glass lenses. But I broke them and now can only get the plastic.

[HBWELDER]

Hi Don,

I don't know what kind of lenses you are using, but my autodark lenses are just not as clear as my gold lenses. I am using 1.5 magnifiers with glass, not plastic front shields.

The all time best filters were the gold glass lenses. But I broke them and now can only get the plastic.

I forgot to say, the lenses I use are Gold Lenses, and they are plastic Omni-View lenses. I agree, they are the best.

[Spotted Horse]

First thing I'd suggest is get rid of those plastic lenses, these gold lenses are the best I've found for the longest time. I'd start looking at reading glasses instead of the cheaters. Seems to be a better selection for the focal length with reading glasses over cheaters.

http://www.phillips-safety.com/store/index.php?cPath=41_66

[H80N]

Halogen Floodlight...

I finally graduated to a 2.0 magnifier for my autodark..... have also started to rely on a Halogen worklight at my welding bench or work area..... makes a huge difference in seeing my TIG work.... (at age 59)



BTW.... I would much rather use a Magnifier in my Big Window Elite than hassle with reading glasses..... IMHO..

[Keith_J]

For welds in the 10-25 amp range, I use a fixed 8 shade and 1.75 to 3 diopter correction. This is small 18 to 24 gauge sheet metal butt and lap welds. Yes, my helmet is right on the puddle, 12-16 inches away. No need to make such welds any larger.

I should try gold glass filters but my Jackson/Hobart greenies are fine until I dip the tungsten .

I've found for flat butt welds, a #5 or 6 cup with 12 cubic feet argon per hour do just fine. Today I did some 16 gauge butt welds in a corrugated truck bed bottom, I had to stick the electrode out a bit to get the concave convolutions without excessive arc length, then every time I hit the convex portions, I dipped the tungsten. The iron vapor masks the puddle with shade 8.

Just experiment, that is the best way to find what works for you.

[Goodhand]

Since I like to get close to my puddles, I clip a +3.50 flip-up to the top of my glasses, prior to slipping on my hood. This allows me to see exactly what is happening at the arc/rod/puddle zone.

[HBWELDER]

First thing I'd suggest is get rid of those plastic lenses, these gold lenses are the best I've found for the longest time. I'd start looking at reading glasses instead of the cheaters. Seems to be a better selection for the focal length with reading glasses over cheaters.


http://www.phillips-safety.com/store...hp?cPath=41_66

I'd love to get rid of the plastic gold lenses, but found the glass gold lenses are not the same as the gold plastic lenses, sight wise. Unless something has changed, I'd suggest using a glass gold lens, and a plastic gold lens (Omni-View) side by side, and then decide which one you like better. I know I found the plastic ones were more true to color, but I haven't tried that in a long time. It's a personal preference of course.

Patrick

[shovelon]

I'd love to get rid of the plastic gold lenses, but found the glass gold lenses are not the same as the gold plastic lenses, sight wise. Unless something has changed, I'd suggest using a glass gold lens, and a plastic gold lens (Omni-View) side by side, and then decide which one you like better. I know I found the plastic ones were more true to color, but I haven't tried that in a long time. It's a personal preference of course.

Patrick

I did not know they made the glass gold lenses anymore.

[Spotted Horse]

I did not know they made the glass gold lenses anymore.

If you scroll down on the link I posted above they sell glass gold lenese. Seems as I remember they're made in Germany.
Not near as clear as the old cool blue, not even as clear as the old Lincoln Super Visibility, but very close.

[captkipp]

Optrel Hoods and ADF's

"My auto darkening hood has two problems. One, I don't like the color green as it seems darker to me, and the hood only dials down to a number 9 lens. I also don't know how accurate that is."

Try an Optrel Hood. I have an e680. Their ADF is white and clear as you see it under the arc. It amazed me the first time I used it. And it's adjustable WAY down to a 5 filter. This hood will allow you to easily see and weld down to the rediculous area of 5 amps. Nice when you have some thin SS to TIG on! Still keep my old Miller as a backup, but it's no where near the clarity or adjustabilty.

[HBWELDER]

Try an Optrel Hood. I have an e680. Their ADF is white and clear as you see it under the arc. It amazed me the first time I used it. And it's adjustable WAY down to a 5 filter. This hood will allow you to easily see and weld down to the rediculous area of 5 amps. Nice when you have some thin SS to TIG on! Still keep my old Miller as a backup, but it's no where near the clarity or adjustabilty.

Looks like a nice hood. Thanks for the tip!

http://www.airweldonline.net/optrele680variableshadeweldinghelmetcopper.aspx

Patrick

[shovelon]

If you scroll down on the link I posted above they sell glass gold lenese. Seems as I remember they're made in Germany.
Not near as clear as the old cool blue, not even as clear as the old Lincoln Super Visibility, but very close.

Thanks for that!

I may order one up.

Terry

[dondlhmn]

Sounds like I may have to try one of those Optrel e680 hoods. Does anyone else on here have any expereince with them....pros, cons, etc??

Also, from when I have welded in places with more light available than some others, it DOES seem that more light may help, so I guess I will have to see about making up some kind of a light/clamp/stand gadget to put on the subject when I TIG weld.

Maybe by using some of the help I got on here, I can somewhat overcome the vision limits that seem to get worse as I get older, but as my buddy says..."Well, I'm still loking at the grass from the green side." I like what another old buddy of mine says..."The only way to keep from becoming an old dog is to keep learning new tricks."

Thanks for all the ideas, help and comments, guys!