GregP

Have you ever had the problem of needing to wedge your head into a spot where a welding helmet just won't fit to see what your welding? I've been dealing with this a lot on my Corvette, Project No Flight. I've been using the "close your eyes and hit the trigger" method to tack things into place, but wanted a better solution. Feeling it was time for an experiment, I bought a set of gas welding fixed shield goggles and a solar powered auto-darkening replacement lense. Much to my surprise the combination works. I removed the fixed glass and the pressure spring from the goggles, dropped the auto-dark insert in it's place, and the sliding lense cover "just" fits. Now I can have the ease of using an auto-darkening lense in places you just can't get a welding helmet.

I wouldn't recommend this for other than very limited use, as the welding arc will still give your face a good dose of "sunburn" if used too much and it offers no protection from welding slpatter, but for that ocassional difficult to see spot it sure beats the "blind" welding technique.


This is the combination I used, it's available at Weldingmart.com

ID: AD3-10 Name: Hoodlum Auto Darkening Lenses
ID: 0746-0505 Name: Jackson WR-40 goggle

-Greg

BajaRunner

My dad is an oilfield welder, Ive seen him take his hood off and hold it in front of him for tight spots. I know he would rather spend the time to cover his eyes, because as you probably know, it hurts like hell when your eyes burn and you wake up the next morning.

mr_velocity

Why not these? You can wear them in your boat for those really sunny days too.

Weldingmart has a bunch of different ones.
Welding Mart

GregP

Most of the goggles are for gas welding, and aren't dark enough for mig or tig welding. Also, once you've had the convience of the auto-darkening lense you'll never go back to the old "flip the helmet" ones (at least I won't).

-Greg

Roger 1

Greg
That works well bUt if you use a nomex head sock you won`t get the burn on your face either. You need to protect your whole body from the rays not just your head.
AND DON`T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY DO ON MONSTER GARAGE OR OCC OR ANY OTHER OF THOSE TV SHOWS!

GregP

Roger,

I don't do nearly as much welding as you do, I've never really had a problem with "sunburn" except one summer working back in Momence. The only hoods I've seen also have a resperator, which is a good idea but hurts the "minimum space".

I'm usually pretty far from where I'm welding, stick the head in one open space in the chassis and reach as far as I can around all the tubes to get a hand to where I need to weld. I've even had to do it lefty some times, which is really pushing my ability.

Guess it's a good thing I don't have any pictures <lol>.

-Greg

Tantrum

There is a leather hood that is used for exactly what your talking about. You mentioned the damage that UV rays can do that are emitted from the arc so you are aware of the dangers of that.
The leather hood protects your head and the only part that is rigid is the 2x4 lens that is holds. They arent very comfortable and get pretty sticky underneath but you usually dont wear them long.
Good luck and be careful

Roger 1

Not the whole hood, just the sock kinda like a winter face mask.

Tantrum

You guys are talking about a make-shift set-up which is fine, if you know the dangers, and you seem to so thats fine.
I sell welding equipment and am just saying there are products on the market that address the difficulties of a confined space.

This is what Im referring to

Tantrum

Sorry Roger
After reading back I see you were answering GregP's question not replying to me.