Thread: Auto darkening welding helmets

Originally Posted by ozwinner

ooock ooock.

I did it for 10 years+ straight, what a pain in the bum, but it paid the bills.

Al

Yep, sure does, just don't tell Zed

Cheers

Try the online discount store http://www.dealsdirect.com.au. They have auto-darkening welding helmets for $69.95 plus $9.95 postage to anywhere in Australia.

G'Day All,

I used these helmets for 12 months, and thought they where good, untill I mentioned them to the bloke I was working for (who by the way was wearing a standard type helmet). He said they are OK, just OK, for long run welds and not designed for short runs or spotting, as mentioned above the continious phasing of the lens is not enough for this type of work and eventually your eyes will get sore, his advise, learn to use the standard helmet when you get the hang of it you can see what you are doing. A tip he gave me was to strike an arc close to the job and your eyes adjust for a few seconds, use that time to move to the job and strike your arc and proceed to weld. Not only does this give your eyes full protection it warms the rod and your weld starts easier, I am not a certified welder and largely self taught but I can do decent welds even with my little handy arc CIG welder. Remember, practice, practice and more practice.
savage(Eric)

Your electronic helmet under $100 will turn out to be expensive.As it is made to a price ,not a standard, it will fail sooner rather that later.Usually at warranty gauarantee time plus 1 day in my experience.
Cheap goods can only be made with cheap production techniques from cheap components. There are a few decent brands around, but think $300 and more for them otherwise give the notion away,and learn how to use a flipdown.

cheers Grahame

See the auto darkening lenses are built like thus.

They are composed of a usually tinted layer of plastic or glass, that provides UV and Infrared protection..

The lense when not activated, then allows a higher degree of "filtered" light through than what a conventional stained glass lense allows.

However when an arc is struck, the semi-opaque (flat) crystals (like microscopic mica flakes) in the Liquid Crystal Screen, then change orientation, kind of like a slat window, to then pass the high brightness light of the arc through a dimming medium...(the crystals)

This all occours within about ).0001 of a second.

What happens when tho, is that sometimes bcause of the position of the torch , ones hand or work piece, is that it may block enough light from reaching the solar cells, and the crystals either don't orientate to filter the light or they reorientat to being "off" and mostly translucent.

One does not get flashed, rather one gets "lighted" too much, to actually see the arc "welding".

I am not one for saying "cheap filters" are ####, nor supporting these arguments or opinions.

Since no one here has performed light meter tests for optical penetration at both luminosity and at specific frequencies, and the activation times, and can present the evidence, I rest my case.

Further to this, since the arbitrary value of electric lenses is also open to some debate, given that the field is populated by three ends of the spectrum. First we have fair quality, at a fair price, then we have the junk part at a high price and a high quality part at the bargain price.

So unless one knows the proven standard of a particular part, and it's manufactuating price, and to then follow the mark ups through the distribution networks, then it may prove to be a fact that a bargain electric helmet, may in fact be pretty good and the quite higly priced one may be it's eqivalent or less; or a quite highly priced one may be of an excellent overall quality, and the cheap one may be junk.

Facts over ride opinions anyday, however, the willingness or ability to prove ones case is usually absent or unable to be done.

I am also a bit of a contender for the challenge of confronting the enrenched status quo.

Sure the old real welders do use the crap glass lenses, cause they are brainwashed with the "this is the way we have always done it" mindset.

Sure I bet most of them can weld and superbly so.

However just because of the accepted practice of using pox glass lenses is entrenched in the Australian welding industry, does not mean it's the case for the rest of the world, nor does it mean that this will continue to remain the case.

Glass lenses are CHEAP, which is their #1 advantage; but as the prices and competative sales of the electric lenses are driving the costs down, the really nice lenses (read EXPENSIVE) such as ESAB and the such like, come out of their loft domains, as the manufacturers of China undercut their sales, through the delivery of an excellent product at very low prices, then the european prices will have to drop - or be priced out of the market.

But when one lists the advantages and disadvantages of each type of welding lense, then the electric lenses come out way in front.

Such as electrics allow a full and clear view of the job at all times, they also allow full use of both hands when welding...

The disadvantages of glass lenses are the restriction of vision, the inability to use both hands and the damage to neck nerves from flicking ones head, when you can't close the cover with a hand.

I also tend to hate people who voice unqualified opinions in formums, who have nothing but opinions - try reading the instrutions that come with the electric lenses.. before you even dare to comment upon the subject.

"Life is like being in an unfamiliar place and having to ask directions.. There are lots of people who either don't know, or think they know, and then there are few who actually do know."

Shane T. Hanson

Originally Posted by 2shane

I also tend to hate people who voice unqualified opinions in formums, who have nothing but opinions -

Shane T. Hanson

Settle down, eveyone is allowed an opinion, even if it is one you disagree with.

Al

hi there. auto welding helmets are great i think . ive got a miller big window elite , it is the best thing ever but it has a big price tag . i bought a 100 dollar job for my little brother to use mainly to stop him using mine and i think its ok ive used it on occasions , for occasional use the 100 dollar ones are ok , i bought miller because of the large viewing area and i use it alot .

I bought an el-cheapo off EBay and it seems to work fine.

I have a hand held, a flip down and now the auto but I prefer the auto.

I am NOT an expert, just a casual at welding and I find that with the manual ones I repeatedly get out of step and get flashed.

I found that with the auto one I did not flash myself (Ok stop that ) and my eyes did not get sore.

For me the auto one is better.

Originally Posted by 2shane

I also tend to hate people who voice unqualified opinions in formums, who have nothing but opinions - try reading the instrutions that come with the electric lenses.. before you even dare to comment upon the subject.

So, I take it you are qualified to talk on this subject? Therefore it would be highly improbable you would be qualified to speak or voice an opinion on ANY OTHER SUBJECT. Ergo..... thank you for your post on THIS subject & we will not be hearing from you on any other subject as it would be highly unlikely you are qualified to voice an opinion.

Thank God, as ozwinner said, everyone is allowed an opinion.

If the world worked as you espouse no one would know anything outside of what they are qualified to talk about.

We are living now in what the experts are terming "The Information Age" this is characterised as the sharing of information, ideas & opinions. If you find it hard to deal with there is always alternate lifestyles you could/should explore.

If it wasn't for this forum you wouldn't get the chance to voice such a crap opinion, then again you SEEM qualified.

Then again it's your opinion & I can chose to accept or ignore it.

I just bought a auto jobby for $60 from Nightingales on Spencer Street in the City.
It seems to work.

If I was going to do more than just occasional welding I'd get a good one.

Originally Posted by 2shane

I also tend to hate people who voice unqualified opinions in formums, who have nothing but opinions - try reading the instrutions that come with the electric lenses.. before you even dare to comment upon the subject.

As a matter of fact I'm inclined to agree with you :eek: , I too tend to dislike people who have nothing but opinions.

And as you have uttered only your opinions without any supporting facts to back up your opinions or details of your assumed expertise I tend to ignore your post as irrelevant.


Peter.

Originally Posted by Grunt

I just bought a auto jobby for $60 from Nightingales on Spencer Street in the City.
It seems to work.

But Grunt, it may prove to be a fact that a bargain electric helmet, may in fact be pretty good and the quite higly priced one may be it's eqivalent or less; or a quite highly priced one may be of an excellent overall quality, and the cheap one may be junk.

P

One thing to keep in mind is that the actual control module (lcd panel and electronics) are only made in a few places in the world.
Most of the cheap ones use a Chinese variety and are all pretty similar.

They comprise
An outer protector which stops the hot bits of metal
UV and IR filters
A LCD panel

Mine has :
Ultraviolet filter to 0.0001% (99.9999%)
Infrared filter to 0.01% (99.99%)

Activated shades, adjustable Din4/ 9 thru 13

They work by sensing the 50hz in the arc.
They operate so quick you do not see any flash.

It is possible to get into a position where something blocks the light from the arc getting to the two sensors, and the module deactivates.
This is not a real problem due to the filters still in place and you just need to move a fraction for the module to reactivate.

These are the unqualified opinions of a novice and should be taken with a grain of salt

Just wondering how much it would cost to replace a smashed LCD screen?
I am tipping that this may be the reason why old welders prefer the old welding masks.

I am still using the same welding mask that’s over 25 yrs it was my dads before I started using it and it is still working fine.