Practised grinding tonight

[erikmannie]

Get full sized readers from the drug store, the smaller sized lenses will be too low on your nose. Get something with a focal length that will focus at the distance you are comfortable welding at. It may be a dramatic number because you normally read at arm length, welding is much closer.

With my 2.5X readers, I can weld “at a normal distance”. With 3X, I have to go in a little closer, but it is not a problem.

With 5X, I can see wonderfully, but I have to get ridiculously close.

Some schools & employers require safety glasses (with side protection) to be worn in the helmet, which is why I love a cheater lens.

I have had sparks get inside my hood (always with stick welding at 125+ Amps), so there IS a risk if you are depending solely on hood + eyeglasses.

I bought some “anti-fogging” 2.5X safety glasses at the LWS, but they usually fog up on me.

 

[Aukai]

That's where he has to find his happy medium. What ever posture you use welding comfortably, is where the glasses should be the clearest, plus factor in the shading, that may bring you in closer. I have to admit I'm blind AF in a helmet.

 

[erikmannie]

My vision is so poor that I would be unable to weld without at least 2.5X magnification.

As posted above, maybe a localized, powerful light would help matters.

 

[mickri]

No shortage of places where you can buy cheaters. Every drugstore has them as well as Walmart, Costco, and Sams up to 3.25. Some hardware stores also sell them. Online you can get them up to 5. Maybe higher. As the magnification gets higher the focal length gets shorter and narrower. The half lens ones that sit on the tip of your nose don't work. I buy medium size glasses that pretty much cover everything except for my peripheral vision. For really close work I sometimes wear two pair. Looks really stupid but gets to job done.

 

[lis2323]

No shortage of places where you can buy cheaters. Every drugstore has them as well as Walmart, Costco, and Sams up to 3.25. .

I think in reference to cheaters when used in the welding context they are the rectangular lenses that slide into the provided slot inside a welding helmet.

 

[tjb]

I think your welds look good. Like someone said above, not award-winning, but they'll hold. That's the description of my welds, as well.

FYI, I use 3.00 reading glasses under my helmet when welding. They work fine. Never tried magnifying lenses, but I think I will.

Regards,
Terry

 

[lis2323]

As I mentioned earlier what helped me the most was

1.. light

2...not being afraid to move my head around for a better view WHILE the arc is struck.

 

[WobblyHand]

I find it incredibly helpful to have pretty bright lighting of what you are working on. Have a HO fluorescent fixture over my welding table, with an articulating arm to position it. (If I were to do it again, I'd use a 6000 lumen LED lamp.) Without the bright lighting, terrible welds. With the lights, welds are ok. It really helps to see what you are doing! Just the light from your arc isn't enough!

 

[DavidR8]

I find it incredibly helpful to have pretty bright lighting of what you are working on. Have a HO fluorescent fixture over my welding table, with an articulating arm to position it. (If I were to do it again, I'd use a 6000 lumen LED lamp.) Without the bright lighting, terrible welds. With the lights, welds are ok. It really helps to see what you are doing! Just the light from your arc isn't enough!

Any chance you can share a pic of your setup?

 

[WobblyHand]

Any chance you can share a pic of your setup?

Sure, give me a couple of minutes to go out to the garage. What you see won't be pretty, but you will get the idea.
Hmm, that light isn't HO. The one on the ceiling is HO. Anyways, the idea is to have strong lighting over your table.

Told you it was a mess! Trying to fix a plasma cutter... You can see the pivot over the light. In the second picture you can see the rest of the mechanism. Welded a couple of 1/4" plates onto that big chunk of angle iron to act as the main hinge.

Oh yeah, if you are welding or cutting, keep a fire extinguisher (or two!) handy.