No question about it; visibility is a big part of welding. If you can't
see what you are doing, you're not going to lay down a good weld. I
think that there's a tendency for novice welders to attempt to weld
light gauge sheet steel looking through whatever filter # their welding
hood was fitted with, when it came off the shelf. Typically, that
filter will be a #12, which is WAY too dark for light sheet metal work.
I suspect that the manufacturers do that (the extra dark filter) out of
paranoia over getting blamed for "welding flash"/"flash burns" (them
"scratchy eyeballs" you mentioned). Everyone's eyes will be slightly
different in the way they react to light, but, if you are welding with
too light a filter, your eyes will usually tell you about it, before you
really suffer from flash burn.
I use either a #7, 8 or 9 filter, for autobody steel. I've never
suffered ANY symptoms of flash burn, using these filters. I sometimes
direct a floodlight at the area I'm welding, which can be VERY helpful
(keeping in mind that welding sparks EAT light bulbs). I also,
depending on where I'm working, drape a cover over the back of my head &
the welding hood, in order to keep light from coming in behind me, and
impairing my vision. This is so helpful that I'm contemplating adding
snaps to my hood and to the cover (in this case, a 2' x 2' leather
"cloth") that I use for the purpose.
Bud Osbourne
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Walker [mailto:spriteracer98@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 10:31 PM
To: Bud Osbourne
Subject: RE: Horrible Freight Arc Welder question.
That is why you want a 1/25000 sec minimum reaction time.
Even then you may end up with "scratchy" eyeballs. A friend
of mine says the main thing to do is blink as you pull the trigger. Me?
I use the old fashioned way, go by feel!
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