Arc is too bright to see the joint.

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I have a new Lincoln Viking 2450 hood with a cheater lens and I'm using CO2 and .035 wire on a 220v Hobart. On butt joints, when the arc starts up I cannot see the joint due to the arc brightness and wind up wandering off track - even if I don't look at the arc and look ahead where the joint is supposed to be. My previous hood had the same problem so I got the Viking hoping that would solve it. Nope. Fillet welds are no problem because the vertical wall provides guidance and reflection. I've tried settings of 11 and 10. Neither makes a difference and 10 makes my eyes tired. Lenses are clean and clear. I've tried scribing the joint with a Silver Streak and it doesn't help at all. The scribe line completely vanishes.All I can do is weld in short segments using muscle memory so that I don't get clear off the joint.I'm amazed at Jody's videos because you can clearly see the puddle, any slag and also the complete joint. What add on to my mask do I need to reduce the contrast so I can see like that? All I see is a brilliant spot of light even when I look ahead of it, no puddle, no joint.How do you all manage to see the joint and puddle and stay on track?
Reply:

Originally Posted by JD1

How do you all manage to see the joint and puddle and stay on track?
Reply:First, add light to the area being welded. The brightest lights you can find it sounds counterintuitive but it works. Also try lightening up to a shade 9
Reply:might be getting reflective light from behind or underneath messing with your vision.
Reply:might be getting reflective light issues from behind or beneath your shield
Reply:

Originally Posted by JD1

I have a new Lincoln Viking 2450 hood with a cheater lens and I'm using CO2 and .035 wire on a 220v Hobart. On butt joints, when the arc starts up I cannot see the joint due to the arc brightness and wind up wandering off track - even if I don't look at the arc and look ahead where the joint is supposed to be. My previous hood had the same problem so I got the Viking hoping that would solve it. Nope. Fillet welds are no problem because the vertical wall provides guidance and reflection. I've tried settings of 11 and 10. Neither makes a difference and 10 makes my eyes tired. Lenses are clean and clear. I've tried scribing the joint with a Silver Streak and it doesn't help at all. The scribe line completely vanishes.All I can do is weld in short segments using muscle memory so that I don't get clear off the joint.I'm amazed at Jody's videos because you can clearly see the puddle, any slag and also the complete joint. What add on to my mask do I need to reduce the contrast so I can see like that? All I see is a brilliant spot of light even when I look ahead of it, no puddle, no joint.How do you all manage to see the joint and puddle and stay on track?
Reply:No reflective light problem, I have a black wrap around cloth shield covering the sides and back. I'm uneasy about going to a 9, 10 gives me eye trouble. I have one of those ridiculously powerful pocket flashlights, I could put it on a stand and aim it at my work area. I have 2 fixed shade hoods but can't stand them. I get positioned, nod or pull the hood down and wind up welding a half inch away from where I was supposed to be.Oldiron2, I fixed my profile. I don't know the amps it's a tapped machine. But it doesn't matter really, happens no matter which tap I'm on. I'll try 13 and my serious flashlight.But you guys who weld all day for a living, how do you deal with this problem or are your eyes good enough that you can clearly see everything? I'm sure you all don't hang massive lights over your work areas. Some great welding is done in miserable and dark areas. So how can you see where you're going?Last edited by JD1; 3 Weeks Ago at 09:49 PM.
Reply:Maybe an eye exam is in order.Ol' 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 JD1

No reflective light problem, I have a black wrap around cloth shield covering the sides and back. I'm uneasy about going to a 9, 10 gives me eye trouble. I have one of those ridiculously powerful pocket flashlights, I could put it on a stand and aim it at my work area. I have 2 fixed shade hoods but can't stand them. I get positioned, nod or pull the hood down and wind up welding a half inch away from where I was supposed to be.But you guys who weld all day for a living, how do you deal with this problem or are your eyes good enough that you can clearly see everything?
Reply:It maybe the hood has a error.Dave

Originally Posted by JD1

I have a new Lincoln Viking 2450 hood with a cheater lens and I'm using CO2 and .035 wire on a 220v Hobart. On butt joints, when the arc starts up I cannot see the joint due to the arc brightness and wind up wandering off track - even if I don't look at the arc and look ahead where the joint is supposed to be. My previous hood had the same problem so I got the Viking hoping that would solve it. Nope. Fillet welds are no problem because the vertical wall provides guidance and reflection. I've tried settings of 11 and 10. Neither makes a difference and 10 makes my eyes tired. Lenses are clean and clear. I've tried scribing the joint with a Silver Streak and it doesn't help at all. The scribe line completely vanishes.All I can do is weld in short segments using muscle memory so that I don't get clear off the joint.I'm amazed at Jody's videos because you can clearly see the puddle, any slag and also the complete joint. What add on to my mask do I need to reduce the contrast so I can see like that? All I see is a brilliant spot of light even when I look ahead of it, no puddle, no joint.How do you all manage to see the joint and puddle and stay on track?
Reply:

Originally Posted by JD1

No reflective light problem, I have a black wrap around cloth shield covering the sides and back. I'm uneasy about going to a 9, 10 gives me eye trouble. I have one of those ridiculously powerful pocket flashlights, I could put it on a stand and aim it at my work area. I have 2 fixed shade hoods but can't stand them. I get positioned, nod or pull the hood down and wind up welding a half inch away from where I was supposed to be.But you guys who weld all day for a living, how do you deal with this problem or are your eyes good enough that you can clearly see everything?
Reply:Try a different helmet. Your helmet may be misbehaving.   Fix shade is a good suggestion, especially for hobbyiest and practice.    Pro’s will have their preference.  Is your clear lense new?  Try replacing it, if notGood luck
Reply:Have you ever been able to clearly see the puddle and joint seam, even before your previous hood? You should not have to add anything to your hood if it is working properly and if your eyes are in good shape.

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Reply:3 helmets, same problem. Low end one, medium end one, high end one, new lenses, same thing. Haven't used those fixed shades for a while, they're 10's. But if I get time tomorrow I'll give them a go and see. Along with the flashlight.
Reply:

Originally Posted by JD1

3 helmets, same problem. Low end one, medium end one, high end one, new lenses, same thing. Haven't used those fixed shades for a while, they're 10's. But if I get time tomorrow I'll give them a go and see. Along with the flashlight.
Reply:You could take something like this https://www.harborfreight.com/310-lu...4aAu2gEALw_wcBDo away with the head band, velcro the light to your hood and velcro the battery back to your headgear. Harbor Freight Quantum is actually pretty nice. Sent from my Lincoln Buzzbox using Tapatalk
Reply:

Originally Posted by JD1

3 helmets, same problem. Low end one, medium end one, high end one, new lenses, same thing. Haven't used those fixed shades for a while, they're 10's. But if I get time tomorrow I'll give them a go and see. Along with the flashlight.
Reply:Answer Oscar’s question.  Is this new?
Reply:If the arc is too bright, you need to increase your shade value. Also, you should be looking at the puddle, not the arc. A lot of beginners focus on the arc.
Reply:I have very bad vision, thanks to genetics and age. I do the following:1. I use a set of lights like these to help illuminate what I am working on/welding. Extra light on the weld puddle cuts the contrast between the arc and the rest of weld area.  https://www.harborfreight.com/4500-l...ght-64800.html2. I have a prescription set of glasses made just for welding. You can't just keep adding magnification through cheaters, as that lowers the focal distance, meaning you need to put your face right in the work if you go too high on the magnification. I figured out where I comfortably like to weld, measured the focal length and asked the optometrist to build glasses to suit that distance. The glasses also correct for my astigmatism. 3. Use the best helmet you can find. If an AD is what you want the Optrel Crystal 2.0 is clearer than the Lincoln Viking 3350 4C helmet I have. 4. I always wear a down vent respirator. It keeps the hood from fogging up. 5. I drape the back of my hood if the lighting behind me is bright.6. Someone mentioned playing the shadows. I do that all the time. I will use a LOWER shade lens, like an 8 or a 9 and then I purposefully try to hide the arc with the tip of the welding rod or MIG gun, and just focus on the the edges of the puddle and where I am aiming my bead. I find that I have to do a small amount of rod manipulation or gun manipulation to get this technique to work for me. Not a huge weave or anything, but enough to cause the light to move around a bit and to take advantages of the shadows.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:biggest thing that helped me was using a flood light.  mine is the 75 watt spot instead of the flood light.  spot light was a game changerlincoln 125spdayton 250 ac/dcmiller 211 w/spool gunahp  200 sx tiglotos ltp5000dkubota b3200 FEL BHof course duramax diesel
Reply:

Originally Posted by Louie1961

I figured out where I comfortably like to weld, measured the focal length and asked the optometrist to build glasses to suit that distance.
Reply:

Originally Posted by tapwelder

Answer Oscar’s question.  Is this new?
Reply:You might try yellow or amber "night" glasses to try to reduce the glare, I've done it at times & it can help.NRA LIFE MEMBERUNITWELD 175 AMP 3 IN1 DCMIDSTATES 300 AMP AC MACHINELET'S GO BRANDON!"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
Reply:I don't know how one can weld without seeing the puddle...kinda like trying to shoot a gun blindfolded. That sucks!   Don't know whether you've been to an optometrist, but that would be my first stop... Hope you get it straightened out soon.

Originally Posted by CAVEMANN

You might try yellow or amber "night" glasses to try to reduce the glare, I've done it at times & it can help.
Reply:Well as previously mentioned work lights help tremendously. Soapstone is your friend mark the joint with a line on either side. If your welding outside or in a bright environment I highly recommend getting a pancake hood the backlighting (sunlight or other peoples arcs reflecting off the inside of the hood) on a sugar scoop hood sucks. Sure a pancake hood takes some time to sand to fit your face trust me you’ll never go back to a sugar scoop! Also try different lenses personally I like the Wens true blue in #9 but this is a personal preference. Hope this helps.
Reply:Interesting... I had to Google the pancake hood... kinda like my AD though... The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:I'm in the same boat with liking my auto darkening hoods.Lincoln, ESAB, Thermal Dynamics, Victor, Miller, Dewalt, Makita, Kalamzoo.  Hand tools, power tools, welding and cutting tools.
Reply:[QUOTE=JD1;8880623]I have a new Lincoln Viking 2450 hood with a cheater lens and I'm using CO2 and .035 wire on a 220v Hobart. On butt joints, when the arc starts up I cannot see the joint due to the arc brightness and wind up wandering off track - even if I don't look at the arc and look ahead where the joint is supposed to be. My previous hood had the same problem so I got the Viking hoping that would solve it. Nope. Fillet welds are no problem because the vertical wall provides guidance and reflection. I've tried settings of 11 and 10. Neither makes a difference and 10 makes my eyes tired. Lenses are clean and clear. I've tried scribing the joint with a Silver Streak and it doesn't help at all. The scribe line completely vanishes.All I can do is weld in short segments using muscle memory so that I don't get clear off the joint.I'm amazed at Jody's videos because you can clearly see the puddle, any slag and also the complete joint. What add on to my mask do I need to reduce the contrast so I can see like that? All I see is a brilliant spot of light even when I look ahead of it, no puddle, no joint.How do you all manage to see the joint and puddle and stay on track?[/QUOTI do a lot of welding at night outside and have lights on my rig. I dont use an auto dark hood unless Im in a tight spot or its something real small (that aint often).  I agree fillet welds and lap welds is easy. Tight butt joints are a problem. Now most of the stuff I do is thick, so you got v it out usually to the bottom of the joint. Its easy to follow a groove with stick or wire feeder gun, I cant say anything about TIG welding because I dont do it, but I would imagine its easier.I dont know how thick the steel is your dealing with but you grind a small bevel on each side and follow the groove or you can leave a slight gap, either way you are making a better joint because you are getting better penetration.Good Luck with itLast edited by old miner called Pop; 2 Weeks Ago at 08:53 AM.
Reply:You might try using white-out tape to layout a line to follow. It's available almost everywhere - grocery stores, drug stores, office supplies & etc.Last edited by robert-r; 2 Weeks Ago at 10:46 PM.
Reply:In addition to a cloth cover on the back of my hood (to eliminate back light), and lighting up the welding area well, I've found that line drawn with a silver welding pencil can help me see the weld path.I must admit though, that my Optrel Crystal 2.0 hood did more than anything to help me see clearly.Miller Trailblazer Pro 350DMiller Suitcase MIGMiller Spectrum 2050Miller Syncrowave 250DXLincoln 210MP
Reply:I just bought a Hobart #10 Gold lens yesterday at TSC to give it try and compare to my Northern Tool AD helmet lens.  I too have been having trouble tracking the bead.Old Lincoln Weld-Pak 100 MIG conversion Vulcan 220 Omnipro
Reply:

Originally Posted by Flyer58

I just bought a Hobart #10 Gold lens yesterday at TSC to give it try and compare to my Northern Tool AD helmet lens.  I too have been having trouble tracking the bead.
Reply:UPDATEI tried the amber polarized lenses and they didn't help. Neither did drawing soapstone lines or hiding the arc with the torch tip. Only thing that works is doing dry runs of the joint then welding short bits using muscle memory.Oh well, you adapt to your deficiencies the best you can. Thanks all for your help.As a side note, I was really surprised that my HF Vulcan hood and my Lincoln Viking 2450 hood were identical in lens clarity. And the Vulcan has a larger lens. Shocked me. The Lincoln headgear is better but for double the price?? I bought the Lincoln hoping it would fix my problem but it didn't. Still keeping it though, it's a nice hood.The Viking 2450 lens is rated 1/1/1/1, can't hardly get better than that but just to my eye, the Vulcan looks the same. I don't know what it's specs are.Last edited by JD1; 2 Weeks Ago at 04:47 PM.
Reply:Running gold coated lens since the early 1980s…..makes a huge difference
Reply:I don't think there are AD versions.
Reply:The Viking 2450 lens is rated 1/1/1/1, can't hardly get better than that  but just to my eye, the Vulcan looks the same. I don't know what it's  specs are.
Reply:I've used the old standard lenses, the gold lenses, the auto dark lenses, special colors combined lenses.  CSS has hit hard since my crash.  I tried to use phillips multi lenses (magenta backed with green) with a old jackson hood.  adjusted ad to 9, once in a while I get to follow along and all of a sudden .... circle the wagons.  Totally beside myself.  Sniper vision is shot.  The only thing I can suggest is to keep trying.
Reply:Optometrist time.
Reply:Ophthalmologist time. Get checked for everything. Tell them your issues.www.tjsperformance.comDynasty 300 DXHTP 240HTP Microcut 380Hyperthem 85JD2 Hyd Bender and HF Hyd Ring Roller all in one =(Frankenbender)Bpt. Mill/DRO4' x 8' CNC Plasma TableInstagram: tjsperformanceYT: TJS Welding and Fabrication
Reply:Getting old sucks. One of these days I might break the piggy bank and get the Optrel too, but for now keeping good clear lenses in my Hobart is liveable...The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:Agree on the Ophthalmologist. I'm not due yet but I'll tell him next time I go.
Reply:theres three main players making adf. speedglas ,optrel ,colts. miller ,lincoln,esab filter is all made by the same people at colts. cheap stuff from harbor freight , amazon etc is probly  chinese stuff im sureinvertig 221 water cooledhypertherm powermax 30xpfronius transpocket 180fronius transsteel 2200fronius iwave 230i water cooled
Reply:

Originally Posted by JD1

On butt joints, when the arc starts up I cannot see the joint due to the arc brightness and wind up wandering off track - even if I don't look at the arc and look ahead where the joint is supposed to be.
Reply:

Originally Posted by Mike_27

i also had this issue, cataract surgery fixed it ....