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  1. #16
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    Dec 2020
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    flat battery?
    After few years of procrastrination, when I have decided to actually weld something, it indeed was flat. Batteries in my helmet are non-removable, so I have butchered them out and 3D printed external battery enclosure.

    IMG_20200728_2052531.jpg

    IMG_20200729_171547.jpg

    IMG_20200729_184736.jpg

    IMG_20200730_162500.jpg

    So now I am reasonably sure that they are still OK (and if not - don't have to buy another helmet to get fresh batteries =)

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Dec 2020
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    BKK
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    8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Grahame Collins View Post
    Hi grumpy.i.m
    Welcome to the forums,]
    Hi Grahame

    Quote Originally Posted by Grahame Collins View Post
    You do not tell us if you wear prescription glasses .
    If you do wear glasses, the focal length of those glasses can be important. Do you require glasses to read?. See if length from eye to what are welding corresponds to your personal reading focal length
    Yes, I do use reading glasses.


    Quote Originally Posted by Grahame Collins View Post
    Those who don't need glasses don't appreciate this as there can be problems with the bifocal line up with that spot you are trying to weld on.

    A work around can be a cheap pair of glasses as often found on a display tree in the pharmacy or sometimes in the shopping centers.These glasses are marked in different strengths with sticky labels on the glasses. One tries on the various pairs and finds what suits best..

    Another factor not mentioned often is that a shield if well used will likely need a fresh clear protective lense.

    As well as getting smudged externally, the lense can be covered with a gas residue from the arc. If the cover lense does not respond to a clean,replace it.
    The lenses used to be referred to as 1000hr lenses but none that I used ever lasted that long.

    Modern large window shields seem to use a non standard dimension lense which is either costly or not readily available in the cheaper versions.

    If I hang my shield uncovered, on the wall, the dust in the atmosphere will coat the lens distorting vision to slight degree.

    If you are really doing a lot of welding on a really hot and humid day, the lense can fog up from your own perspiration and a creme used on safety glasses lenses could be polished on to the lense.

    With that being said it could be that the shield is not performing as it should.

    I suggest doing some of those simple,easy and cheap things first ( as described in posts above ) before discarding your shield.
    Thank you for a load of useful information. I have just started getting my hands dirty with welding so shield is pretty fresh. I have clean the lens with microfiber, just in case, but no improvement. So, yes, that might be poor performance of that shield.

  3. #18
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    Dec 2020
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    BKK
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grahame Collins View Post
    grumpy.i.m

    Can you see something like this?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZDosXn8S2g.

    The welder should be able to clearly see the arc, welding wire , nozzle and a small area of the joint or area to be welded. I would say the shade if adjustable on the Utube sample could be a bit lighter, though.
    Well, it looks similar, but like with much higher contrast. that is, before arc is started it looks darker and less contrasty. When arc starts brightness of the arc is making everything else goes so dark that you see the arc and sometime very faint immediate surrounding of the arc. It does not even let me see which way I should be moving the torch.


    Quote Originally Posted by Grahame Collins View Post
    Have you welded with another process or is Mig your first time ?.
    Yes, MIG is my first experience with welding.

    Quote Originally Posted by Grahame Collins View Post
    If your shield window is a smaller one -say roughly- 90 x 50mm -they vary, then magnifying diopter lenses are available.Don't know about the bigger sizes.
    Interesting idea. I will try to add internal removable frame with some cheap lenses.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    N.W.Tasmania
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    1,407

    Default

    Nice fix, but are your vision issues fixed as well? Well hopefully so, I must say that I really enjoy seeing a repair to something which was designed never to be repaired.
    One story I have was a repair done to the torque converter of a Mercedes Benz done by a fellow who had already left the workplace before I started at a mine in Tasmania. He removed the torque converter in pretty primitive circumstances, to find that it had bad bearings, but was designed with a rolled edge in the parting plane, so was meant to be thrown away when its time was up. He took it down to the mine after hours and mounted it in a big 4 jaw chuck, and using a parting tool, separated the alloy housing, allowing him to replace the bearings and make any other necessary repairs. He then turned some spacers the same width as the parting tool, and clamped the two halves of the housing together with the spacers in between to keep all the clearances tickety boo before tack welding it up. It then remained to remove the spacers and fully weld it and job done. BY all accounts the job was a complete success, and the bearings were only a few dollars instead of an expensive Mercedes torque converter. His workmates certainly kept his name alive for years after he left them.

  5. #20
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Perth
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    Quote Originally Posted by grumpy.i.m View Post
    After few years of procrastrination, when I have decided to actually weld something, it indeed was flat. Batteries in my helmet are non-removable, so I have butchered them out and 3D printed external battery enclosure.

    So now I am reasonably sure that they are still OK (and if not - don't have to buy another helmet to get fresh batteries =)
    I had a strong suspicion it was the batteries.
    Next time make sure you buy a helmet that has removable batteries

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    NSW
    Posts
    586

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by joolstacho View Post
    Or $2.50 brain?

    So it's the old story then... the answer is to spend more money? That's 'the tip' is it?
    Some of us just don't have the money to spend on the 'supposed' best equipment.
    And many decades on this planet have taught me that in many many many cases, the pricey stuff is no better than the cut-price stuff.
    Strewth... I didn't realise buying good equipment was so triggering to some. I must be such a capitalist whore.

    I do believe that you get what you pay for. If not in face value, quite often pays dividends over the increased lifespan of the device.

    Helmets are just like this. I work with a guy who has a mid 90's vintage speedglas. 25 years old. Used in an automotive repair environment, and later for repair of his own plant and equipment for his business. He bought quality once, shelling out for a $400 helmet in '95, whereas others would have been on their 15th cheapie at $80.
    I've said it before, but you can get some very nice lenses for the old pipeliner helmets, IF you can get past the fixed shade issue. A gold omni-view lens in shade 10 is about as nice as they come IMO. So you can make it work on a budget if you want to make some concessions.

    The other elephant in the room here is that if you are learning a new skill, make it as easy as possible for you to get to the top of that learning curve. Putting roadblocks to learning like crap helmet, sub-par consumables, and machinery that is not user-friendly will not be a help.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Oct 2020
    Location
    Greendale Vic. Australia
    Posts
    64

    Default The right principle...

    ... may sometimes not be right practically.
    I agree mate, you get what you pay for, quality goes a long way and lasts a long time.
    Trouble is, if it's a tool/equipment you only infrequently use, it's not for profit, and you're on a pretty tight income (read pension), you have x2 options:
    No.1, buy cheap.
    No.2, buy nothing.

    I'm not a professional, I can't justify or pass on to a customer the cost of good stuff for many of the jobs I do. I make do.

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Moscow, RU
    Posts
    1

    Default Too dark - two times?

    Hi!
    I've started to weld couple years ago, not MIG but stick, and I soon realized my mask is just too dark. I've little bit reverse engineered mask PCB (around brightness adjustment potentiometer) and made it "4/8-12" or "4/7-11" instead of initial "4/9-13". You can force mask to darken with sparks from lighter, and check glass darkness making photos of light bulb. You have to put camera in manual mode and measure brihtness with some graphical software.
    Also I've noticed you need bright light at welding table (but not behind your head). Yes, welding arc is very bright, but probably eye can't adapt fast enough.

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Dec 2020
    Location
    BKK
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    I had a strong suspicion it was the batteries.
    Next time make sure you buy a helmet that has removable batteries
    Well. it seems like I am in for buying another helmet, as a fresh batteries did not help with the vision issue. Meh.

  10. #25
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    Dec 2020
    Location
    BKK
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ropetangler View Post
    Nice fix, but are your vision issues fixed as well? Well hopefully so, I must say that I really enjoy seeing a repair to something which was designed never to be repaired.
    Well, as ironic as it sounds, it did not.

  11. #26
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    Dec 2020
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    BKK
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    Quote Originally Posted by plm View Post
    Hi!
    I've started to weld couple years ago, not MIG but stick, and I soon realized my mask is just too dark. I've little bit reverse engineered mask PCB (around brightness adjustment potentiometer) and made it "4/8-12" or "4/7-11" instead of initial "4/9-13". You can force mask to darken with sparks from lighter, and check glass darkness making photos of light bulb. You have to put camera in manual mode and measure brihtness with some graphical software.
    Also I've noticed you need bright light at welding table (but not behind your head). Yes, welding arc is very bright, but probably eye can't adapt fast enough.
    Thank you for a really interesting idea. I will give it a try.

  12. #27
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Has that helmet ever worked?

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Revesby - Sydney Australia
    Age
    56
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    1,183

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    Quote Originally Posted by plm View Post
    Hi!
    I've noticed you need bright light at welding table
    Yes!

    Before I bought a cheap auto-darkening one, I used to use an old flip-down (pipeliner?), but could never strike an arc accurately - I needed to see where the rod was going.



    So, I hand-held a floodlight in my other hand, nearly touching where I was about to strike.

    (note, not one of the large/thin modern reflector ones,
    one of the old short bulbs with a thick diffusing lens on the front,
    so the splatter would not burst the bulb)

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Oct 2020
    Location
    Greendale Vic. Australia
    Posts
    64

    Default So it's not just me!

    The strong floodlight on the work sounds like a good idea, I'll try that. Got a very nice pair of 500 watt photofloods - that should do it (if the circuit-breaker can cope!)
    Cheers.

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by plm View Post
    Hi!
    I've started to weld couple years ago, not MIG but stick, and I soon realized my mask is just too dark. I've little bit reverse engineered mask PCB (around brightness adjustment potentiometer) and made it "4/8-12" or "4/7-11" instead of initial "4/9-13". You can force mask to darken with sparks from lighter, and check glass darkness making photos of light bulb. You have to put camera in manual mode and measure brihtness with some graphical software.
    Also I've noticed you need bright light at welding table (but not behind your head). Yes, welding arc is very bright, but probably eye can't adapt fast enough.
    Hi plm and a welcome,which is a long time overdue since your join date in 2015.

    First up however is the housekeeping where I must tell you about the MetalWork Forums layout and its rules.

    go to the FORUM Box in the above top LH corner (under the sparks graphic) and click and a drop down menu appears.

    If you click of the top title Forum Home and scroll down, all of our sub forums and help pages are listed. Please read our Forum Rules, called the Terms Of Use -TOU's for short.

    We request that members read the TOU's and abide by them.Our TOU's are at the very top of the list.

    Perhaps you can tell us more about you in the Welcome wagon forums.

    We love to hear about our new members, metal working and related hobbies and interests and tools, machines, sheds / workshops, man caves or what ever you call your workspace.

    Personally,I am an avid follower of some of the Russian DIY er Utubers and admire their ingenuity with clever solutions to metalwork problems where they don't have ready access to commercial supplies and work from the scrap pile.

    Welcome to the forums.

    Grahame

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