Hardhat Rig

Date 03-13-2013 23:38

What are you guys using for a hardhat rig? I've got my Miller digital elite and their rig to put on my hardhat and boy, what a pile of dung! I tighten it so a light breeze don't blow it down and then it strips the plastic(cheap) teeth for positioning it. So I loosen it and that breeze comes along and blows it down. I have to act like my neck is in a neck brace when I work or it closes on me. Is this just a common problem? I was close to using the whole rig as a football and trying for the field goal attempt over the building. I had a different rig for a old school hood and same kind of b.s happened.

Is it just me or are these just inherently a pain in the butt? I don't use it much and the thing is practically brand new, used one day before this job. Guess I'm just wondering if there is something better. The miller rig was $30-40 and is a turd in my experience so far.

By JeremyW83 (***)

Date 03-14-2013 00:25

The fiber metal halos work fairly well. Just have to use a fiber metal hard hat without the lil black nubs on the side.

By tighand430 (***)

Date 03-14-2013 01:01

Fibermetal makes a hardhat with knobs on the side that work perfect with a pipeliner hood. It's what I use when we are required to wear them and they're watching.....I also have one set up that looks like a hardhat hood but the headgear is out of it with the regular pipeliner headgear in it's place for when they aint. Speedglass also makes a good hard hat attatchment for their hoods but the price of them is the sticking point for me.

By Tommyjoking (****)

Date 03-14-2013 01:45

Spring ring and it is a piece. Still trying to get the right parts for that slick metal post thing.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 03-14-2013 01:56

I didn't know Speedglas had head gear. I'll have to check them out since I have one of those. Will also check out the fibermetal.

By tighand430 (***)

Date 03-15-2013 00:23

Yeah, the hardhat has what looks like a track goin up the front of it that the hood goes up and down on. When it's all the way up, it's sitting on your head more instead of hangin over it.

By Stringer (***)

Date 03-16-2013 00:18

Ask them to remove the danger to your head they're concerned about.

By empire welding (**)

Date 03-17-2013 04:41

I have been doing a lot of work in the Northern Nevada Gold mines and it is government mandated that we wear these neck breakers. Best setup I have been using, and I have tried most of them, is the Fibre Metal roughneck Hard hat with quick lock cups ($20), Tigerhood Classic helmet with quick lock cups ($45). I modified the Tigerhood flip lens to accept a thin shade 10 Miller auto lens ($80). The nice thing about the cups is you can easily swap out for a face shield for grinding or shade 8 for cutting. Since most place anymore are require all this safety mumbo jumbo. I have wasted plenty of money trying to retro fit a random hood to a random hard hat with the straps and different one size fits all headgear. This setup is considerably lighter then others I have and the alignment of the lens to your eyes is perfect. My preference is to wear a pancake or sugar scoop but when I can't this is the best hardhat-hood combo I have used. Hope this helps.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 03-17-2013 14:20

Neck breakers, you got that right. Gonna look like Arnold after awhile!

I'll look into that stuff. Seems the Fibre metal is the one most mentioned.

After 100 years of welding and this is the best they have to offer welders. Rovers on Mars, Voyager out of our solar system and we wear 20lbs of gear on our heads to do our job. I wonder if the hardhat and hood folks have ever heard of carbon fibre? Heck, just a plastic hood costs a ton I could only imagine what a carbon fibre made in China hood would cost! LOL!

Almost seems like they could re-invent the hole set up but also seems like they are just stuck in the same ol' same ol' routine.

Thanks for the info guys!!

Shawn

By Stringer (***)

Date 03-19-2013 02:50 Edited 03-19-2013 03:11

Seems to me the price of our heads is rising, so why put it to risk with a hard hat when you can erect something suitable for protection? It's still economics, right? I guess there's always going to be a line drawn between profit and safety, but these days I say no to risk or even discomfort because of what I have seen of the lifestyles of those who profit from my work.
Oh, by the way I use a fibre metal clear face sheild headgear rig when I grind in the shop. If it hits the floor it falls apart 50% of the time. I've been to three big trade shows over many years and I think maybe there's no innovation in this field because of liability. If we'd ship our lawyers overseas maybe we'd get our jobs and willingness to take a risk back.
Oops, check that...the rig is a Jackson, I think. But there's more that need work. I have a Huntsman hood that every 20 cycles will send washers and bits everywhere if not re-tightened.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 03-19-2013 11:12

Wow!! You get 20 times from yours!! :lol:

I don't even tighten the miller because it will strip the teeth or change the adjustment on the hood so when I flip it down the next time I'm staring at the buttons inside instead of looking out the glass!

Liability or welders are just the ugly redheaded stepchild!! :lol:

By scrappywelds (***)

Date 03-30-2013 18:51

Plastic fibre metal hard hat with the speedyloop and a cut down pipeliner. The little dog ears and cups from fibre metal the little lock post breaks off all the time.