Shade for 7018 rod

admin

i have a shade 10 fixed hood that i have used for mig and tig...soon i will be using SMAW specifically with 7018 rod... will my shade 10 be enough so i can still see the puddle with out being blinded by the light?matthttp://www.aloumac.ca/
Reply:i suspect if you are running some big diameter 7018 at 250 amps it will throw more  light at you than if you were burning some 3/32 at 70 amps...you gotta try it out to know the answer...
Reply:What weldbead said.  I've never needed anything more than a shade 10 with 1/8" and smaller electrodes indoors, but bumped it up to shade 11 outdoors a handful of times.  Lenses are cheap enough anyways, so its worth picking a few up.
Reply:yeah i have a 10, based on what you said ill get an 11.. but i guess then no need for a 12 or 13 then..thanksmatthttp://www.aloumac.ca/
Reply:Its a personal thing.  Since I got an electric helmet, I keep it around 10 most of the time.  This is for MY eyes.  What ever works best for you is what you need.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:ive ran a 10 or 12 gold for just about anything, but 7018 on the 10 shade hurts my eyes and I dont know why.  1/8" 60xx or even other 70 series are fine but 7018 leaves me seeing spots.In the end you have to try it out foryourselfHave we all gone mad?
Reply:If I had a penny for every stick of 7018 that's been burned with the weldor looking through a #10 shade I'd be too busy with young women and old booze to answer your question.
Reply:It depends on how light sensitive your eyes are. It also depends on what size rod you are using, Larger rod, darker lens is the rule. What I can see fine with a #10 lens is too dark for some people and vise versa. Fixed lens are cheap so try different shades. When you can see your puddle clearly and enough of the area around it to tell what you are doing and not just a big bright spot you are there. If you go too dark of course you can't see well enough to make a good weld.I've never had to change shades for different classes of rods. What works on 7018 has been good for 6010,7010,6011, 7024, SS, and aluminum electrodes. That is just for me and might not work for you. There are a lot of eye conditions that can affect the way you see. I was in my mid fifties whern an eye exam found I was "tone blind". I was like "What the hell, I can see red and green just fine". What I can't see are subtle color changes close together and never had a clue.Last edited by Oldtimer; 09-12-2008 at 10:18 AM.
Reply:thanks alot for the replies.Next question?What are gold lenses? do they abide by the standart shade system(10 11 12 so on)? are they expensive? any experience with them?matthttp://www.aloumac.ca/
Reply:gold lenses give a clear or gold color to the weld.  it looks more natural and clear to me.  They use the same shade system but some people think a comparable green r grey shade is darker just because of the color.I have used them for 2 years now and would never use  a regular shade again.  They are slightly more expensive, but well worth it.However, some people hate them so your just gonna have to try it for yourself.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:I always liked the gold lenses because the gold reflects some of the light and my eyes felt less tired at the end of the day.'Mike
Reply:expensive?http://www.aloumac.ca/
Reply:and are their nockoffs?http://www.aloumac.ca/
Reply:I'm one of the ones that HATE the gold lense, I find they don't give a defined view,not as shape as the green. So it's shade 9 green for me for pretty much everything, the only time that changes is when I'm stoving, then I wear a pair of shaded safety glasses under the helmet for the hotpass and maybe the fill.....I'd rather be hunting........USE ENOUGH HEAT.......Drifting around Aussie welding more pipe up, for something different.....wanting to get home.
Reply:It's pretty much a personal choice mathew. I tig, mig and stick at work but mostly tig. 10 is a little bright, but it doesnt hurt my eyes. Of all the processes I think tig is the brightest, and hottest. Just use what works best for you. What works for one won't work for another.