Difficulty seeing in some situations.

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I have a tough time seeing when welding some outside corners on lighter 10 gauge and lighter steels.  I tried putting soapstone on both sides.  I can see the puddle well but have a hard time seeing the v.  I have a Miller auto-darkening helmet and have tried different settings.  On thicker metals I don't seem to have as much problem.Does anyone have any ideas on this one?Jim
Reply:Put a bunch of tacks along the seam, throw the helmet away and go back to a standard shade 9 I'd rather be hunting........USE ENOUGH HEAT.......Drifting around Aussie welding more pipe up, for something different.....wanting to get home.
Reply:Light it up with a shop light, and put a clean cover lens in your hood.   MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Some things you just have to learn to live with. The joint you are talking about can be a real bear. The majority of your light is reflected in a direction other than back at you. About all you can do is use the lightest shade lens you safely can and do your best. What process are you using? That and electrode selection can have a lot to do with it.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.
Reply:Do you wear prescription lenses?  Have you had an eye test lately?  Clear vision under well-lit or daylight conditions with a small pupil does not mean that your vision will be well suited to the lighting conditions inside your helmet, since your pupil probably opens up behind a dark lens, decreasing your depth of field i.e., making it difficult to focus on the bead.  Your eye might be f/16 in daylight but open up to f/4 or so inside your helmet, reducing your depth-of-field. (I don't know actual eye response to welding lighting conditions.) I've always had trouble seeing the puddle clearly, mainly due to never having the optimum prescription for the task at hand.  I'm quite nearsighted and at age 70 have very little accomodation (focal adjustment) left.  After trying various lenses I found that using no prescription lens at all and getting close to the work with a dark lens was best for me.  Get lots of spatter on my cover plate, but at least I can see the bead.awright
Reply:The primary problem I have had is with MIG.  I picked up a gold lens today and added a pair of 2.5 diopter cheaters and will see what happens.  I have been taking a community college class and the stations are not very well lit.  I will see how it works tonight.  I tried it with TIG today.  With my cheaters, glasses, and the gold lens it worked better.Jim