Wife can't see the weld.

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Hi, my wife and I are new to welding.  We have a 110 mig running flux core. $50 Auto darkening helmets. I am able to see the weld form and watch the wire feed pool and my welds are not bad.  My wife says she can't see the weld. I have explained it, we have set the helmets and reset them and I see the weld process just fine once the arc strikes. All she can see is the arcLight and is welding blind. I am at a loss as to what to do. I have tried to explain what I see but she can't see past the "green light". I appreciate any advice you can provide. Thanks!Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply:Have her watch the welding tips and tricks videos. Point out what she should be looking for. Then take her out for some arc time. It also might just take some time for the 'ah-ha' moment to hit.Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Reply:Did you take the plastic film off the lens? Should be one inside and outsideTorchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:Over 40?  Need cheater glasses?I see bright light and weld blind without my cheaters.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:Try setting hers darker i've noticed some people see better at different shades like for tig I prefer 9 instead of 10 or 11 like I see most using.
Reply:I'm sure DSW will jump in soon, but the difference between hoods can be huge.   I'm red green color blind so green lens sucks for me.   Love the blue lens of  The Jackson Balder series. The Amber of the Truesight I is really nice too.   Look for a hood with a 1/1/1/1 optical clarity rating.    Cheap $2 reading glasses work good as  cheaters as well.Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:You rang? Eyes and seeing is one of the hardest things to work with as an instructor. Every ones eyes are different and react differently. All the suggestions above have merit. A decent hood with good optical qualities is #1. Good optics don't have to be expensive, but when talking auto darkening hoods, you usually get what you pay for. However my fixed shade Jackson hood is just as clear as my $300 Miller AD hood is, and it costs less than $35.Going darker can often help if all they see is arc glare. It's a balancing act between dark enough to block out the glare, and light enough to see around the weld. Most people think welding is like regular vision. It's not, you don't need to see everything, just the puddle and enough to let you continue the weld, often only maybe an inch or so in front of you. If your Ad hood allows you to go darker, go as dark as possible to try and see the puddle, then lighten up until the glare starts to be an issue. General lighting can also play a part. Some need the work to be brightly lit in order to see well while welding. This often goes hand in hand with using a darker shade to see the puddle clearly, yet to be able to see around the weld as well. Needing glasses might also be a problem. I found as I have aged, I've needed a different prescription to be able to see well enough to weld well. Reading glasses are inexpensive and a cheap way to determine if these will help you weld better. I have my eye doc give me a prescription at the distance I weld as well as my regular prescription I need to drive when I'm in the office.Often I find simply time is needed for people to learn to look "around" the arc as well. Your body naturally is attracted to bright lights. It takes a bit to train yourself to not look at the bright light, but to look at the puddle around it. In some cases people pick this up right away. In others it may take more time, then everything will click one day and it makes perfect sense.I've also run into the plastic covers still being on the lenses. I had one student with this problem. When I handed him my hood and used his, I could probably have done just as well with my eyes closed. All I saw was this giant fuzzy blob of light. Before I even had the hood up after the weld he was exclaiming how clear things were to him using my hood, and he was 3' behind me doing the weld. As soon as I looked at the lenses I saw the protective clear film was still on them.Shade color can also play a part in seeing clearly. Some see better using a green or blueish lens. Others prefer an amber color. Some will swear by gold fixed lenses. I had one student years ago who claimed a yellow spot light helped him see the puddle clearly. He claimed to be partially color blind. It was obvious if you had several bright lights on the work, and turned off the yellow one as he was welding, he noticed the difference immediately, so obviously something about that worked for him..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:What DSW said about the lighting helped me a lot. I saw much better after I added a halogen shop light aimed at what I was welding. I also taped black cloth over the back of my hood to block out light entering from the rear. That helped too. The last piece was making sure I look out of the bottom part of my glasses (I wear progressive lenses).
Reply:JD1 has some of the ideas that came to my mind.>cheap halogen light from Harbor Freight (12" away from weld)>small/tiny fan to blow away the smoke (also 12" away)>look behind the arc  (at the puddle) rather than at the light>find a pair of reading glasses for close-up (if necessary)...she might not even know she needs them>switch hoods to see if there is a difference there>since the bright light is the problem, have her look over the gun instead of to the side (no arc will seen). like a pistol sight line. This is a temporary fix that is not optimal but rather for training.>keep turning up the level (if the helmet is adjustable darkening) until no arc is seen, then back it off>she needs to find the comfort zone for eye focus, gun position, helmet settings>DSW seems to be the guru for new weldors so read his posts carefully. My list is mostly just retelling his advice.Last edited by GWD; 01-21-2016 at 09:56 AM.Lincoln AC buzzboxLincoln AC/DC buzzboxHobart 125EZ (110V flux-core)Everlast PA200 (stick)Everlast PA300 (stick)Everlast PP70 (plasma cutter)O/A outfitSeveral Metabo, Bosch, HF grinders set up differentlyMisc tools
Reply:I had an evening class student who had  similar problem.  When I did some troubleshooting with him I realized that he was blocking the sensors. As a result all he saw was a bright light.  I forget if it was his arm or hand but once he moved things were fine.  I don't use an autodarkening often but had a cheap one that catches me once and awhile when doing TIG.
Reply:My (old) eyes started at about age 40. Started having trouble seeing the color change on stainless. I have found fixed shade polarized lenses work the best for me, coupled with good lighting. Having more than one helmet with different shades in each is quick and easy.
Reply:I'm using magnifiers power 1.00 right now. Welding at comfortable arms length, I also want a 1.50 cheater in the helmet. Real close I switch to 1.75 magnifiers. It's dark older people, (over forty) need more light to see well. Good lighting is a help also. Heep it dark inside the hood.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:Have the wife push instead of pulling.  This solved the problem for me.
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldordieHave the wife push instead of pulling.  This solved the problem for me.