Considering Welding As Career

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I am considering welding as a career but i am legally blind in one eye and have close to perfect vision in the other, i live in wisconsin, and would go to gateway tech if that matters and there is nothing they can do to fix my legally blind eye i was just wondering if i was getting my hopes up to become a welder for nothing. thankyou
Reply:Are you a good welder? Have you welded before?*insert welding gibberish here*                    Mandy
Reply:i have never welded i have gone and shadowed people who are welders and i love it i was just wondering if there is any like restrictions on your vision to become a welder and i have been looking all over the internet and came up empty handed on an answer
Reply:Originally Posted by Nateoi have never welded i have gone and shadowed people who are welders and i love it i was just wondering if there is any like restrictions on your vision to become a welder and i have been looking all over the internet and came up empty handed on an answer
Reply:I hate to do this because I really enjoy welding as a hobby. But, one spark, and you're blind. I'd guess no one on this site has lost an eye welding. But, sometimes, the risk isn't worth it. FWIW: I raced motocross when I was MUCH younger and I broke my leg twice. Your vision is much too important to take this chance.I'm in my third year of welding classes, since retirement. And I've have asked myself repeatedly, "If I loose an eye in an accident, will I continue welding?" My emphatic answer to myself is "HELL NO".9-11-2001......We Will Never ForgetRetired desk jockey. Hobby weldor with a little training. Craftsman O/A---Flat, Vert, Ovhd, Horz. Miller Syncrowave 250
Reply:Nateo,Even though Welding is a good career it does have it's hazards. Since you have one good eye, you might want to take into consideration the issue of eye safety. Every welder I know of has at one point in thier career had some sort of eye injury. Most are minor and a few have actually had "burns" to the cornea from the intense UV light that welding arcs produce. But most injuries come from welding spatter bouncing around inside the weld helmet during welding. Sometimes these small metal metors manage to find it's way past the safety glasses and lodge in the eye. One welder I know got one small metor in his eye and didn't know it until it became infected. The metor had to be medically removed by drilling into the eye. He was lucky that he did not lose the eye or suffer vision problems afterwards.  Having one good eye should not be a deterrent for anyone wanting a welding career as long as they do everything they can to protect thier remaining vision. Perhaps the best safety gear is the goggles. Not the cheap kind bought at Wal-Mart. Below is a link to the type of safety goggles I'm referring to.  And note, I do use safety goggles myself. Especially in confined spaces. If you are willing to commit to eye safety 100%, then by all means go for it.  BTW- you may want to consider specializing in GTAW (TIG Welding) since weld spatter is not a problem in most cases.  http://www.elvex.com/goggles.htm
Reply:Well put Unomike.  My thought (goggles) and more.  Good recommendation on possibly specializing in tig too.Nateo, with a 100% commitment to eye safety (goggles, proper shield lenses, etc.) I don't see why you shouldn't go for it if that's what you want to do.Welcome to the forum too BTW!MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Thankyou for your information everyone i am going to go for it and buy some good eye protection
Reply:It sounds like you are still kicking around ideas, so I'll give you a completely unrelated suggestion.  Try your hand at programming.  Computer monitors are still 2d and there's virtually no physical risk unless it's carpal tunnel.  You still get to build stuff and much of the language in computer science is taken directly from architecture.You can download a copy of Microsoft Visual Studio C# (or visual basic) free of cost at their web site.  (Say what you will about MS, their developer tools are first class.)  There are C# tutorials all over the web, and you can even check out the Java tutorials as the concepts are very similar.My 2c.
Reply:On the vision thing, some MIL-Specs have vision test requirements for welders and there are minimum standards.  Our welders here to the new AWSD17.1 aerospace spec have a mil vision test reqmt - w- annual testing.  I don't know if the standard says both eyes.  You might get by with one if corrected meets the std.  I don't know how many other specs have this reqmt since I only deal with MIL and aerospace.
Reply:Hi,The alternative side of welding may suit you, as with the programming response above.  Becoming a Welding Engineer may be an option, where you work with the welders and perhaps do a bit of welding to get the process correct and then the rest is process definition, equipment purchase, joint design, QC etc.  It requires a bit more school I am afraid, as you couldn't go in the route that most take which is do the welding for several years and then sit the qualifications.  You would need to get a mechanical or materials engineering qualification and come in from the side that way.What ever you decide, good luck with it.Poe
Reply:the only person I know that has lost eye was griding with improper safety glasses
Reply:an I  have been a union welder 34years
Reply:With safety glasses and helmet, should not be a problem. Measure twice, cut once,  and weld like a madman!!!!   hahahaGood luck.
Reply:Originally Posted by clearchrisIt sounds like you are still kicking around ideas, so I'll give you a completely unrelated suggestion.  Try your hand at programming.  Computer monitors are still 2d and there's virtually no physical risk unless it's carpal tunnel.  You still get to build stuff and much of the language in computer science is taken directly from architecture.You can download a copy of Microsoft Visual Studio C# (or visual basic) free of cost at their web site.  (Say what you will about MS, their developer tools are first class.)  There are C# tutorials all over the web, and you can even check out the Java tutorials as the concepts are very similar.My 2c.