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  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Default Older eyes and welding vision

    hi everyone,

    I chanced upon a U tube last night thats relevant to the topic of vision problems for the older welder.

    It presents some various snippets of information discussed in a previous thread found in the welding forum of late.

    It primarily is about TIG but contains information that is still pertinent in mig and electrode processes relative to older eyes.

    The video is worth a thousand words.

    There is discussion about the reading glasses and the "cheater lens" - magnifier or diopter lens that is suitable for inserting inside the welding shield.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH8blPm_DPE

    I hope it is of value to someone .

    Grahame

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    I came up with "11 inchs maybe a little less at times" last night, but I was always "get right in there". So I'm in the ball park at least.

    One thing that had me thinking last night and also came up in the video. What is the point of the "big window mask" if the cheater lenses only come in the (old) standard size? My Miller appears to be set up for that size cheater(though the frame on the cheater I have is to thick to fit).

    Has anyone seen bigger ones?(though I have a feeling they would be even worse)

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    Helensburgh
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    I haven't watched the video but I stopped welding due to my eye sight becoming steadily worse and unsuited to welding. I had done in my younger years extensive training in all aspects of welding up to DLI certificate level and I stopped because I was so disappointed and frustrated at the results I was getting compared to what I knew was possible. I sold the stick welder and the remaining MIG sits there unused and the OA gear is in a box somewhere. I suspect the main problem becomes the amount of transmitted light we don't see as we get older as I do not require glasses to read or for my long vision and I am on the wrong side of 70.
    CHRIS

  4. #4
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    All I can offer ,is that the Miller Elite I own, accepts the diopter lens that I obtained some years back. That size diopters were in vogue well before the advent of the large window shields.
    Cigweld was the brand,but I stress it was purchased years ago and has been changed out through the various shields I have owned and possibly a little thinner than current diopters.

    That might explain your difficulty. I'll drag my old diopter out and check the thickness for you.

    However I did google and come up with the following :

    If you wear bi-focals or need visual assistance, make welding easier with a 1.25 magnification lens (commonly called "cheater lens")
    2 x 4 lens available in 8 different magnification strengths ranging from 0.75 - 2.50
    For use with any Miller helmet that has a magnifying lens holder; compatible with all current models


    Consider though,when you are welding as per normal the function of that large window is largely under utilised as we only need to look through the same (roughly) 100 x 50 mm area as we did in in the older style shields. The excess just provides a view of what is adjacent and is not necessarily needed during arc time.

    Sadly my own Miller is electronically challenged and I am now campaigning with a WIA shield.

    Grahame

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    Brisbane
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    452

    Default old age welding

    Hello from BC.
    I believe we are born with all the light receptors we will have. As we age some are lost and we go to lighter shade lens to get more light thru. For my self my eyes are shot and my script is over 4Diopter in each eye for reading plus a crooked correction. When welding I wear my reading specs and use a 1.5D cheater lens, bingo I can see the joint line. The big problem is the focus distance is very critical, about 35cm. Bright background lighting helps to get better perspective of the job and there are welders pencils. I use a silver colour and draw the joint line. This is reflected in the arc and helps. The newer tru colour lens are much better as the frequency of light they allow thru seems more natural to use. They are getting cheaper all the time. Keeping your clear lens's clean helps and changing them is cheap.
    Maybe in a few more years I'll have to change to cold welding with epoxy's.
    BC

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by steamloco1954 View Post
    Hello from BC.
    I believe we are born with all the light receptors we will have. As we age some are lost and we go to lighter shade lens to get more light thru. For my self my eyes are shot and my script is over 4Diopter in each eye for reading plus a crooked correction. When welding I wear my reading specs and use a 1.5D cheater lens, bingo I can see the joint line. The big problem is the focus distance is very critical, about 35cm. Bright background lighting helps to get better perspective of the job and there are welders pencils. I use a silver colour and draw the joint line. This is reflected in the arc and helps. The newer tru colour lens are much better as the frequency of light they allow thru seems more natural to use. They are getting cheaper all the time. Keeping your clear lens's clean helps and changing them is cheap.
    Maybe in a few more years I'll have to change to cold welding with epoxy's.
    BC
    Yes, it is not the clarity of sight it is the amount of light we see and that diminishes as we get old. I recall reading that a person of about my age sees only about 70% of what they did when much younger. I have put auxiliary driving lights on my car which standard has powerful LED headlights just to overcome this problem because every time I drive out of town I am on a freeway or secondary roads and the deer around here are suicidal.
    CHRIS

  7. #7
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    One thing that I would like to try one day is one of those pyrex cups that Jody at weldingtipsandtricks.com uses. They certainly seem to throw more light around, so that may also be a plus for aging eyes.

    Michael

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stustoys View Post
    Has anyone seen bigger ones?(though I have a feeling they would be even worse)
    I checked with the Global welding ,a welding supply chain.

    They confirm that the diopter is only available in the original dimension but fits the Elite and ( their words) most of the other large screen shields.

    Grahame

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael G View Post
    One thing that I would like to try one day is one of those pyrex cups that Jody at weldingtipsandtricks.com uses. They certainly seem to throw more light around, so that may also be a plus for aging eyes.

    Michael
    Token Tools have them on their website, I recall reading somewhere that they are not suitable for AC though and quite fragile.

  10. #10
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    I used to have the same problem, however since I have had cataract surgery in both eyes the problem has gone.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael G View Post
    One thing that I would like to try one day is one of those pyrex cups that Jody at weldingtipsandtricks.com uses. They certainly seem to throw more light around, so that may also be a plus for aging eyes.
    I've seen those, I dont understand them. Are you able to look through them to weld? If not whats the point?

    Quote Originally Posted by Grahame Collins View Post
    I checked with the Global welding ,a welding supply chain.

    They confirm that the diopter is only available in the original dimension but fits the Elite and ( their words) most of the other large screen shields.

    Grahame
    I didnt think they would. I think to make them bigger you have to make them thicker.
    The cheater I have has a 5mm thick border all the way around. I assume the Miller ones are some what different.
    Nothing a little filing cant fix.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by China View Post
    I used to have the same problem, however since I have had cataract surgery in both eyes the problem has gone.
    I have had cataract surgery in both eyes and it corrects the vision and restores the transmitted light that the cataracts stopped but unfortunately it does not prevent the loss of transmitted light that ageing causes.
    CHRIS

  13. #13
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    My welding helmet may just be more forgiving.

  14. #14
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    This is a link to an interesting, if somewhat technical, article from a reliable source about ageing eyes.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2585730/

    One of the most interesting is major changes colour vision. One cause is as the eye lens ages it absorbs more blue light leading to loss of blue colour vision which results in blues appearing darker - really important for welding. Apparently it's also the reason artists use brighter blues than younger artists. The other is loss of colour discerning cones in the fovea leading to reduced ability to discern between blues and greens.

    The ability of the iris to open up wide and close down small is reduced which means oldies find it harder to tolerate really bright lights, and function in even ordinary lighting. The average loss of visual sensitivity is ~3x between some one in their 20s and then in their 60's. This means we should be increasing the amount of light in our sheds by a factor if 3x which may not be practicable but it can be done for selected work areas by using spotlights.
    What can you do about it? - apparently diet (fruit and veg intake) is really significant but its something that needs to be done earlier rather than later in life.

  15. #15
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    I found that with my jewellery work a mate rebuilt my old fluro desk lamp using LED's it's now like turning on the sun, big difference

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