All,
I searched posts all the way back to "93" on this forum, and you guys have supplied much info on cheaters, but I'm wondering what dioptic strength I need? Never used cheaters in my hood, always wear glasses when welding. Started out with prescription but seemed to cause a bit of glare, so I've been using reading glasses. I have a pair of 1.75 and a pair of 2.00 reading glasses that I wear now. Before I went to the reading glasses I ordered a pair of prescription lenses called occupational lens where you have bifocals on both the top portion of your lens and on the bottom portion of the lens. Having the bi-focal on the top helped as far as having to bend my neck and head back in an un-natural position, but I don't think the bi-focal part is strong enough. I know my eyes have progerssively gotten worse. Anyway, I quit using the prescription glasses a long time ago, and now use only reading glass cheaters regularly. I know, depending on strength; has a direct correlation with distance. As I'm working on these really fine SS trim, averaging about .010 in thickness I really need to magnify my work as much as possible. I measured my face against my work and am welding about 6"-8" away. Henry posted on a previous thread about Phillips Optical, if my memory is correct, and I went to their website. I couldn't find the 2X4's only the 2X4.25's.
Here's the main problem and question to you guys who have experience with hood cheaters. I use a Hornell SpeedGlass, have been using it since about "95" or "96". The inside lens is plastic of course, and the exact measurement is 2" X 4". I think the standard for the other more commonly used hoods is
2" X 4.25". I searched Ebay and the internet for hood cheaters and found only one place that has the 2 X4 cheaters
https://weldingsupply.securesites.com/cgi-bin/einstein.pl price is $8.95 to $12.95, with a shipping cost of $8.00 +. I'm thinking since I don't know exactly what strength I need, that I should probably order two different strengths. I'm thinking a 1.50 and a 2.00. I think the 2.00 will work if I can get really close to my work. Since I'm tigging I can get reasonably close as long as the clamps aren't in the way. Otherwise I will probably have to use the 1.50. They didn't have the 1.75 which I think might be a little closer to what I need.
I also searched the watch repair sites thinking maybe a loupe or some flip up magnifiers might work also. The watch repair people have a much larger variety of magnifiers than does the welding suppliers, and since I use the SpeedGlass with the off the wall size of inside lens, I'm seriously considering some flip up type cheaters that fit on a pair of glasses.
If you are wearing, oh let's say for example a 1.50 dioptic strength glasses, and you put a 2.00 dioptic strength lens in your hood, does that mean you have a dioptic strength of 3.50? If you need for example a 2.00 dioptic strength to see well, is that all you need in the hood, or should you be wearing your glasses in combination with the hood lens?
The only time I wear glasses is when I'm welding or reading. I don't wear glasses any other time, because my vision is pretty good for far away. It's just the up close vision that needs correction. If I buy a new pair of glasses, the only part that I would use would be the bi-focal part, and I don't have any idea what to tell the eye doctor that I need. Actually, depending on the circumstances, I need different strengths. Example; if I'm stick welding I back off quite a bit, same with wirefeed, but the tigging really need to be magnified considerably, kind of like a macro lens in a camera.
Speaking of macro and camera usage, I have found that if I zoom in on my work piece and take a picture, I can actually do a more thorough inspection of my welds and quality, than I can with the naked eye or even with my reading glasses. Much of the time I will take a magnifiying glass and inspect these tiny welds. They have to be virtually perfect welds and the inspection is very critical.
So anyway, what do ya'll think is a good way for me to go? I've added about as much information in this post as I can think of, and am looking forward to you guys opinion concerning this "half blind welder", or it seems so sometimes. Oh, and one other thing, in most cases, just shopping loupes and cheaters, it's less expensive to go with the watch supplier, than the welding supplier. The watch people have those flip up type of cheaters for about $5.00 a piece, and the ones I found at weldingsupply.com are double that price, and the shipping is rediculous. I think I figured to get a couple of hood cheaters the total cost is about $30.00. I know that's not that much when it comes to doing a good welding job, but I still want to be frugal about what and how I proceed with this situation. Input please!
Take Care
Steve