Are auto darkening helmets safe?

Date 02-23-2007 20:48

I have been retired from welding for 20 years now. The wife and I have enjoyed doing all kinds of things. i'm 60 and its time to go back to work doing what I'v always loved welding, pipe of course, maybe a little plate. So I took out my hood and started to burn some rods. Didn't work out so good,can't see the puddle and not as steady. Sooo I bought a Auto Darking Lens and a cheater lens (2.5) mag. Now I can weld again. I think the Auto Darking Lens is just great, I don't Like the hoods, I'll stick to my old hood. I run a few 6Gs TIG bead, fill, cap 7018 on a 2'' & 6" carbon & SS pipe tig all the way and it was like I never left. I guess the hoods would be O.K. if you needed to change to different shades & time. Pancake hoods remember when we made our own plywood and cutting gogles.. Well you know what I always say GOOD WELDING IS NOT CHEAP-- CHEAP WELDING IS NOT GOOD!!!!

By 2003440 (**)

Date 02-23-2007 22:59

What auto lens did you go to i was thinking of going to a arc one fixed shade 10 on one shield and 12 on the other one.I just think not having to always flip the hood a guy can hammer down.....gota burn to earn!

By aevald

Date 02-23-2007 23:29

Hello 2003440, if possible, see if you can go to your local welding distributor and try out the various manufacturers offerings, they may possibly have a welding station in their backroom or somewhere on location where they would allow you to try them out. Some of the things you might look at are: how light is the light shade that they have when you aren't welding?(there can be a considerable difference in this from one brand to another), if you go with a fixed shade, is the particular shade suited to the welding that you'll be doing, how large is the actual viewing area that the unit has. If you are going to use one of the battery-less units that fits in a standard 2"x4 1/4" flip-up type hood the size of the viewing area could be real important and definitely varies with brand. There are many considerations that a person can apply to the selection of one of these pieces of equipment, try to think of and consider as many as possible before you go out and buy one. My $.02, good luck and regards, aevald

By DaveBoyer (*****)

Date 02-24-2007 08:00

I have a Hobart auto from TSC farm store. It has an Arc One #10 fixed, no batteries. It is about 8 years old and still works. My only gripe is that it only has 2 sensors, and has a few times not darkened because the sensors were in a shadow from some part of the job. The cheap plastic hood is mediocre, but the headgear is pretty comfortable. The lens says "Arc One Singles"

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 02-07-2007 13:07

Another vote FOR the auto-darkening shields....I have a Jackson that works with my hard hat and find it is great for welding stitch welds.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v345/jwright650/welding%20pictures/Mvc-001f.jpg

(ie...welding on bent plate that is stitched 3"-12" that is 40 feet long, I never need to flip the shield up and down looking to weld the next 3" weld. I mark the start and stop where each stitch weld goes and flip the shield down and just start welding, when I get to the end of my 3" weld I break the arc and the shield lightens up enough to see the next mark and I start again)

I'll admit that I see no advantage in auto vs fixed if you are welding continuous welds all day. The advantage for me is welding stitch welds and the speed in getting to the next weld and getting started, all in the time it takes for the guy with the fixed shade to raise and lower his shield and get lined up on the joint to start his arc.

Huge advantage:
n00bies catch on a lot quicker when they are trying to get the hang of a E7018 when they aren't flashing themselves trying to manipulate a flip shield and hit the joint without sticking the rod to the work.

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 02-07-2007 15:06 Edited 02-07-2007 17:59

There really is a place for everything eh?

We have a local manufacturer of auto component structures. The parts come on a conveyer already fixtured. Each welder adds 2-4 pieces from their own bin and the fixture clamps them down. They make 5-7 welds in as many seconds and then the part rotates based on the number of trigger pulls, 5-7 more welds and only then is the part released by the chuck to move to the next work station. They are working at such a brisk pace that they have been able to keep the number of robots in the facility to only a few. WFS over 1100 ipm... they work like a blur... Auto dark hood are an absolute must, they simply could not operate at those production speeds with anything else. These guys are definatly real welders. No way could I sustain that pace for a whole shift..

As mentioned above.
Huntsman old fashioned fixted lens is still my favorite

I like my speedglass well enough but it is not well suited for low amp GTAW as astutely mentioned by the "Hottest Welder in Welding"
Also it is not tough enough for overhead welding.. A look at the Mfg notes inside the hood will tell you if it is rated for overhead welding or not.

I give a bad review to the Sellstrom Impulse EMF, a very expensive hood that did not perform as advertized... I like the shape of the hood and it is tough enough for overhead but the controlls reversed themselves from time to time (hard to explain and frustrating)

My lowly two cents.

Irreverently submitted;

Lar

*Prince of Plasma

*Sultan of Spatter

*King of Kerf

*Emperor of Electrodes

*Duke of Direct Current

*Lord of Lapwelds

*Commodore of Crater Cracks

*Potentate of Porosity

*Chief of the Chipping Hammer

*Czar of Charpy's

*Ambassador of Arc Blow

*Pharroh of the three Phases

*Barron of Butt Welds

*Knight of the order of Kilowatt

*Thon of Thorium

*Ayatollah of Arc-Force

By aevald

Date 02-07-2007 18:00

Lawrence, I think you will probably need to copyright some of your descriptives from your last post here. They have a definite flair to them, "Oh Prince of Plasma". Regards, Allan

By ssbn727 (*****)

Date 02-07-2007 20:19

"Underworld Welding Federation Champion" - Hmmmm, I did not know there was such a thing!!!
Now, is there also a "Overworld Welding Federation Champion"??? What does it all mean???

"Loose Lips - Sink Ships???" Aw shucks, I was never any good in coming up with "Eye catching" phrases so, you'll just have to bear with me... Wait - I know!!! "Lawrence of Arcadia!!!", "Hydrogen Henry???" Nahhhh!!!!

Wait a second, let me start all over with: "Pope of PQR's, "Mullah of Metal", "Legend of Liquation", "Guru of Grooves", "Icon of Inclusion", "Bishop of Brazing" (Sorry Mr. Peaslee), "Viceroy of Voltage", "Behemoth of Buttering"... See - I told ya!!! ROTFLMAO!!!

Respectfully,
Henry

By Molten Metal (**)

Date 02-07-2007 22:47

LMFAO..."Baron of Buttwelds is my favorite.....At your service, CO_SIGNED,"The Master of Molten Metal".I think I may have my cigarette boat re-airbrushed to say that on the stern. OK,my boat is an aluminum john set up for bass fishing,but I have an image to uphold!!!!:)

By DaveBoyer (*****)

Date 02-08-2007 05:10

Wasted Money - that $80 I "wasted" on the auto dark helmet got Me instant increases in quality and productivity. I am not real fond of the hood itself, but the [Arc One brand] lense works well enough. By the way the hood is plain black thermoplastic, but at least the headgear is comfortable.

By yorkiepap (***)

Date 02-07-2007 20:19

Hey Lawrence,
You made my day...... :>))))) Denny

By darren

Date 02-10-2007 21:05

To each his/her own. Every job and person has different requirements to fill so the helmet they are using to actually get the job done is the best one. Your constitution (one of the most beautiful things I have ever read I might add) provides the right for free speech, it does not however provide the responsibility of prudence of speech. Every person has a different idea of what works for them and it is this mass collection of opinions that guides any society. Telling someone else that their idea sucks does not improve your own. If your argument has merits then it will be appreciated, if all it does is try to slander someone else's then well than I think that speaks for itself. Whatever welding helmet you use, just keep it down for as long as you can during your work day, because, you got to burn to earn.
we gotta world to build and i am proud to be part of it
darren
lawrence good post and as far as your irreverence. in correct computer vernacular l.m.f.a.o.

By turbolaser (**)

Date 02-11-2007 14:52

The only problem I have run into with my autohoods, Jackson and speedglas is that if they get too hot they start to turn dark and blurry untill the cool down. I currently run about 35lbs of fluc core a day and us a speedglas adflo repirated hood with autolense. I love it, and my health is better from not breathing in all the fumes and smoke.