Cap passes for the blind part 2

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This seems to be a pretty common problem in the field so I'm hoping to get enough feedback to test in the shop and develop a consistent solution.To recap my situation and experience:-I am professional welder/ fabricator of nearly 6 years-I never have trouble seeing the work when I tig weld and seldom do when I stick weld, the trouble mainly comes when i'm ready to cap up a grove with MIG-I do wear glasses-I have tried soap stone, cheaters, and adding more light to the work piece with no real improvement-If I hide the arc behind the cup I can see exactly where im tying in but as a result lose visual clarity of the puddle-grooving out an area does help but some of the tests I've taken in the past don't allow itAny thoughts?
Reply:Are you pushing or pulling the weld? I find a lot of students want to drag the weld and have the mig nozzle get in the way. We teach to push the weld, so they need to get out in front to see the puddle well.2nd thing might be to go see your optometrist. When I started to realize I was having issues with seeing the puddle/joint well, I realized I was often trying to look over my prescription glasses ( I'm near sighted) The solution was to go see my eye doc and have him rig me up with a set of glasses specifically set up for working at roughly 18" vs the long range glasses I use for driving. I probably could have had it adjusted to see better a bit closer, but this way I can still legally drive with my work glasses if need be. He says it's not at all uncommon for him to set up glasses like this for guys who work..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Same thing here - see fine with tig and stick - mig is the issue.Got glasses and went down to shade 8 and see fineYou already have glasses, so maybe going down a shade will fix it?btw, I have to religiously clean my lenses, inside and out, if I mig.Dave J.Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:I second what DSW said. Depending on your age, you may have gotten to the point where you need bifocals, or fixed-focal-distance lenses specifically for welding. Possibly it's just a coincidence that the MIG gun is right at the distance where you have trouble focusing. I suppose a cheater lens, which you've tried already, might accomplish the same thing--I don't actually know how it might overlap with the functionality of a bifocal.I say this because, at the ripe old age of 38, I recently got my first pair of bifocals. I went to the optometrist and said, "I don't know what the problem is. When I watch TV, there are double-images around the credits, or anywhere there is a high-contrast image." He said I was straining my eyes close-focusing on things and then they were tired and couldn't focus right when I was far-focusing.Everlast PA160-STH... and that's about it!