Cannot See The Bead

admin

I just can't see the bead anymore. . I got the 55 age cheaters lenses , I never updated since I'm a hobby welder , but I'm 65 now  . Is there a 65 lense ? Or just gob it up? I wanted to make so farm machinery repairs in retirement . To much of a perfectionist to do turkey droppings. Any Ideas. I just see the arc but no bead. I have a Lincoln Helmet Auto Darken and it will adjust I tried turning the sensitivety down , helps a little.
Reply:Is the problem blurriness or darkness, or something else?The sensitivity setting of an auto darkening helmet just sets how much or how little light will tell it to darken (turn on).You want to set the shade...probably a little lighter, unless it's too bright, then darken it a little.Rich
Reply:What is the helmet you are using?  For me there was a big difference in a lower end helmet and a good one for seeing what is going on.
Reply:Try setting up a 500 watt halogen light. Light is your friend.
Reply:There is a guy that put an LED headlight on his helmet, said it made a huge difference.    I am but 55, and don't see the bead like I used to WITH READERS!SteveSteve from SoCal now in HutchMiller Dynasty 300DX Coolmate3 Speedway TorchMiller XMT 450 MPa plus with D-74 MPa Plus Miller Bobcat 225 NTHypertherm Powermax 45And a whole bunch of machines
Reply:Concentrate on the puddle and not the arc. Sounds nuts but it will help.                                           MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:Originally Posted by steelsurgeonIs the problem blurriness or darkness, or something else?The sensitivity setting of an auto darkening helmet just sets how much or how little light will tell it to darken (turn on).You want to set the shade...probably a little lighter, unless it's too bright, then darken it a little.Rich
Reply:I'm using the Lincoln Auto darken with sensitivity 8 to 12 , I think it's about $100 at hd. I will take and post picture if it helps
Reply:Originally Posted by 560DennisThanks , This what remember , the last time.  I line up the arc point , I pull the wire trigger. The lense darkens . The only thing I see is the arc . I can't see the where I'm going  and really nothing of the bead.
Reply:I don't think you will be happy with any auto darkening helmet you find in a big box store. if you switch to a passive fixed shade lens, you will see a HUGE difference...much clearer and easier to see what you are doing.  I have yet to try an AD helmet that has the clarity of a fixed shade lens, although some AD helmets are better than others. I have a nice Jackson smartTIGer wh-40 with Balder technology, etc., etc. Its the nicest AD helmet I have owned, but it is not as clear as the shade 10 1970's vintage pipeliner I got from my Dad.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Agree with Louie above but add it's time to shop for new cheaters.  Everyone's eyes go for a dip as age takes over.  When you're young you have the ability to focus even if you move your head back and forth a foot.  Twenty years later you may only have a 2 inch range.  Another twenty years and you need cheaters and have to search for a sweet spot.  Now I have to carry an arsenal of cheaters to cover the various restricted areas I find myself in.
Reply:The thing about cheaters is the magnification factor changes focal length. The higher the magnification, the closer to the puddle your eyes need to be to see clearly. At some point you add too much magnification and it hurts rather than helps. I have terrible eyesight. I worked with my doctor to come up with a prescription pair of single vision glasses (not progressives) that are "tuned" for how close I like to be to the puddle (about 20 inches or so). Made a big improvement over the cheaters.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Originally Posted by Louie1961The thing about cheaters is the magnification factor changes focal length. The higher the magnification, the closer to the puddle your eyes need to be to see clearly. At some point you add too much magnification and it hurts rather than helps. I have terrible eyesight. I worked with my doctor to come up with a prescription pair of single vision glasses (not progressives) that are "tuned" for how close I like to be to the puddle (about 20 inches or so). Made a big improvement over the cheaters.
Reply:Originally Posted by Louie1961. I have terrible eyesight. I worked with my doctor to come up with a prescription pair of single vision glasses (not progressives) that are "tuned" for how close I like to be to the puddle (about 20 inches or so). Made a big improvement over the cheaters.
Reply:I use both. I have poor eyesight corrected with contact lenses, cause glasses couldn't give peripheral focus. At 58 I now need cheaters for close. I would use 1.00 for work, I know safety glasses are important, but I can't work with the bifocal safety readers. I favor the Albus Dumbeldore readers I can look over the top of to see farther away. Then I have a 1.00 or 1.25 cheater lense in my Miller helmet. Old people aren't very efficient with use of light. I find good work lighting is very important. Don't place it behind your head where it shines into the back of your helmet.An optimist is usually wrong, and when the unexpected happens is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, when wrong, is delighted, and well prepared.
Reply:as mentioned already, the sensitivity only determines how much light is required to switch the filter to dark mode.  based on your description it sounds like your helmet may set on to dark of a shade. try a lighter shade and see what happens.  if you get a chance try a jackson trusight. ive got the w60 trusight and even at shade 13 you can see perfectly whats going on even at 80amps. it uses some type of gold filter rather than the tradition green color. makes a world of difference
Reply:With single vision only, how do you handle chipping and grinding?
Reply:I forgot to think about the bifocals . I just got an eye exam. New glasses =$700 . i got to make this work , you've given me a lot of options to try. I forgot that I might have been lookin at the bifcal line an in anout of focus. Also I was warned not to use bifocal looking  through  a rifle scope. So much to think about when your a rookie. I want so badly to make a decent weld every time, That's why I posted , I knew I would great advice , Don't know why I waited so long , embaressed to ask I guess. I just don't weld that much but I can't stand to screw up.
Reply:im big on board with louie1961im 26, have great vision (thats what i tell myself anyway), and am forever put-off by auto hoods.i own a miller elite that i have had since 2008 or so, great hood, but my eyes are done after a couple hours with it, they will refuse to focus after a while.i put on a co-worker's top of the line jackson auto wednesday night (cause my boss took my lense from my hood to give to a helper to use as a faceshield then took off with it in his pocket at around 7pm for a parts run to get this shut down dun by sun up and i about got myself fired when he got back cause i am real sensitive about sharing things as personal as a hood is) and couldn't see a darn thing with it. a standard size phillips safety athermal glass lense in a pipeliner is as good as it gets in my opinionbosses stuff:trailblazer 325maxstar 200my stuff:sa 200fronius transpocket 180100 amp Lincoln w/f97 f350 DITKevin
Reply:you don't want bifocals for welding, not at all. No bueno. I use rX readers that go out to arms length for welding, anything farther than that, have to take them off.
Reply:My catafacts are what cause the problem for me.I often have to usd steelsurgeon's method, with my head in front of the puddle, and the weld coming toward me.I wear bifocals, but use the top half of my glasses, with a fairly weak cheater in my hood.I do that just because the top area of the glasses is much larger than the 'reading' area.I have to use a number 9 shaded lens at the most.Hobart Beta-Mig 2511972 Miller AEAD-200LEMiller 250 TwinNorthern Ind. Hybrid 200Longevity Stick 140Longevity Migweld 200SThermal Arc Pak 3XR
Reply:I just got a standard size Phillips Athermal gold mirrored glass lens in shade 12 put in my Huntsman hood at work and am really liking it.   Currently have a 1.75 cheater lens behind it.   Have gone with stronger diopters (2.00 and 2.25) in the past but things were blurry out at full arms reach.   Got a brand new 1.50 cheater I'm going to be trying out this week which I'm thinking might be the best compromise for the welding situations I'm dealing with now.   Quite often make welds that are in the 24 to 40 inch length range in one go with out stopping.   Need to start out at full arm extension and bring it toward and on past me.As to bifocals not being good for welding I have to disagree.   I've got prescription no line (progressive) bifocals I wear under the hood with out problems.   By tilting my head back and forth slightly to very  which part of the progressive lens I'm looking thru as my distance is changing while welding I seem to be able to keep things clearly in focus over a pretty wide range.
Reply:Originally Posted by 560DennisI forgot to think about the bifocals . I just got an eye exam. New glasses =$700 . i got to make this work , you've given me a lot of options to try. I forgot that I might have been lookin at the bifcal line an in anout of focus. Also I was warned not to use bifocal looking  through  a rifle scope. So much to think about when your a rookie. I want so badly to make a decent weld every time, That's why I posted , I knew I would great advice , Don't know why I waited so long , embaressed to ask I guess. I just don't weld that much but I can't stand to screw up.
Reply:Check out this thread for more info on safety glasses that might be useful to you.   The ones I recently got from Sam's Club are just like the ones shown in post #5.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...51#post5916951
Reply:A trip to an good eye doc, (not the kind you find in walmart) is well worth it. Explain what you want to do and what distance you want to focus at, and he can set you up with a prescription to take care or it. I had my prescription set in a pair of safety glass frames since it's for use with power tools, grinders as well as welding. Worth every penny I paid.