flash burn! I think?

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So i bought a Chicago auto darkening welding mask at harbor freight a while ago and every time I weld I have a horrible migraine the next day. At first I though I didnt have it set dark enough. I only mig weld mild steel and even if i set it on 13 I get a horrible migraine the next day. I dont think the lense has a fast enough reaction time. I think it said 1/25,000 or something like that when I got it. Am i F#$%ing my eyes up here or what? Do i need to purchase one of these $300 mask i see at the welding supply stores? ANy help much appreciated. Money no option if the cheap one is gonna make me blind. Thanks guys.Tyler
Reply:Look up all the threads where people are defending these hoods, claiming they're all quality pieces and 100% UV protecting....even if the batteries are dead.   Go there and tell them about it.  I've heard cases similar to this over and over...and the huge majority are with the cheap auto darkening hoods...yet people swear by them.Personally, I don't take chances I don't have to with my eyes.  I use a standard fixed shade hood.  A hood doesn't make the welder.
Reply:I have 2 harbor freight ones and a miller elite ($300).  I use all 3 all the time with no trouble.  Could be just me.  Can't tig with the harbor freight ones, they don't "see" the arc and flicker.  Stick or Mig they are fine.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:well , you have a headache and it maybe caused by a cheap helmet but if you were eyes wereflash burned you would think you would know it. it really hurts.  it would feel like someone was rubbing sand in them. you wouldn't get much sleep either. It's been said that the poor optics causes the headaches. i don't know what's going on for sure but when i barrowed a cheap $50 helmet the view was not nearly as good as a fixed lens or a good auto darking lens and i didn't like it at all.
Reply:Maybe my eyes are more sensitive or something since ive just recently began welding frequently. It just feels like i get a lengthy flash before the shade darkens. And it does make it difficult to sleep cause my head will hurt so bad. It doesnt feel like sand in my eyes but more of an intense pain behind my eyes. It literally keeps me from doing anything for the whole next day cause i cant even really go outside if its sunny. Does this happen to people when they first begin to weld on a daily or every other day basis. What mask do you guys recomend?
Reply:If you're getting any perception of a flash before the lens darkens throw it away. Any fair quality helmet won't give you that feeling. you might not be getting a full intense arc flash to the eyes but if you repetedly get a small flash the helmet maybe dark in the clear state to keep you from getting burned but you can sure get a headache from it.
Reply:Originally Posted by tresiIf you're getting any perception of a flash before the lens darkens throw it away. Any fair quality helmet won't give you that feeling. you might not be getting a full intense arc flash to the eyes but if you repetedly get a small flash the helmet maybe dark in the clear state to keep you from getting burned but you can sure get a headache from it.
Reply:maybe before you go out and spend a bunch of money is there anyone with a good expensive helmet you could borrow to see if the same thing happens?
Reply:this may be dumb but maybe your allergic to the gas or flux being produced when welding. some fluxes will make me cough and choke and struggle for air. When you get flash burn there is no doubt in your mind what it is
Reply:Originally Posted by wdsI think this is most likely the problem. What is a good helmet that is fairly priced.
Reply:I would give a manual helmet a try and see what happens. You might even be able to get a fixed shade that will fit in place of the AD unit.A couple of other thoughts. Is there a shiny back ground behind you? At school they painted all the walls with gloss paint (idiots, but they fixed it quickly) I would get reflections off the wal that bothered me. Also I heve glasses and I get reflections off them from other welders behind me as well.One thing that I have noticed is that if my glasses get dirty or my hood lens, I have a tendency to shift my visual focus to the lens without noticing it then back. My eyes will ache from all the change in focus back and forth. I actually noticed it at first while driving at night. A friend who is an eye surgeon explained it to me, also as it was dark my pupils were wide open and I didn't tend to squint to help focus like I do durring the day automatically. New (clean, no chips from cutting and grinding) lenses with a slightly stronger prescription helped. I found a similar experience with welding at school where the light wsn't the greatest.
Reply:Originally Posted by idacalthis may be dumb but maybe your allergic to the gas or flux being produced when welding. some fluxes will make me cough and choke and struggle for air. When you get flash burn there is no doubt in your mind what it is
Reply:I was thinking the same thing about the fumes being the culprit. Does your lens get dirty/suit deposit on it looks like dust kinda sorta? If so the fumes are getting to you for sure.Miller Thunderbolt 225Millermatic 130 XPLincoln HD 100 Forney C-5bt Arc welderPlasma Cutter Gianteach Cut40ACent Machinery Bandsaw Cent Machinery 16Speed Drill PressChicago Electric 130amp tig/90 ArcHobart 190 Mig spoolgun ready
Reply:Originally Posted by wdsSo i bought a Chicago auto darkening welding mask at harbor freight a while ago and every time I weld I have a horrible migraine the next day. At first I though I didnt have it set dark enough. I only mig weld mild steel and even if i set it on 13 I get a horrible migraine the next day. I dont think the lense has a fast enough reaction time. I think it said 1/25,000 or something like that when I got it. Am i F#$%ing my eyes up here or what? Do i need to purchase one of these $300 mask i see at the welding supply stores? ANy help much appreciated. Money no option if the cheap one is gonna make me blind. Thanks guys.Tyler
Reply:Does your weld hat have a sensitivity control? I'm new to welding and think that those controls affect the reaction time of the dimming or how much light before it reacts...something like that. Miller has a good instruction video on the use of AD helmets.I get headaches which are slight as I tend to need to over tighten the hat as I'm am not adjusting all of the strap positions right.Any good helmet should have a screen which protects against UV and IR light. The shade of the helmet is determined by the amps. For example: it's fine to stick weld at 40-80 amps with a shade 10 lense. An automatic should adjust just fine to the amount of light. HAPPY WELDING UALL
Reply:Originally Posted by blueduckyDoes your weld hat have a sensitivity control? I'm new to welding and think that those controls affect the reaction time of the dimming or how much light before it reacts...something like that. Miller has a good instruction video on the use of AD helmets.I get headaches which are slight as I tend to need to over tighten the hat as I'm am not adjusting all of the strap positions right.That'll do it every time. Any good helmet should have a screen which protects against UV and IR light. The shade of the helmet is determined by the amps. For example: it's fine to stick weld at 40-80 amps with a shade 10 lense. An automatic should adjust just fine to the amount of light.
Reply:I agree, you can get a decent fixed lens hood from anywhere for like 25.00.  Lots of automotive stores have them.  I got mine from Pep Boys.  Works fine, but of course it lacks a lot the big boys will have.  I also have to agree with previous posts:  if it's flashburn, you'd know it man.  Way more than a headache.  However, it's not to be ruled out!Have a Jeep Cherokee?  Click Here!
Reply:I lost count of all the times I have burned my eyes and not once did it ever cause a headache. When is the last time you had your eyes checked? If it has been two years you need to get in and have it done. Eye strain can cause pain exactly like you describe. I was diagnosed many years ago with acute photophobia (extreme sensitivity to bright light). Can't stand sunlight without sun shades, but have no problems with welding as long as I have the proper shade lens. If you see spots after welding your lens is too light, and if you do it for extended periods it will cause headaches just like you describe. I would really recommend you discuss this with an eye doctor. If it is an eye problem causing it, spending even thousands of dollars on hoods won't help you at all. My eye doctor sets my bifocals up for me to focus at the distance I commonly keep from the puddle. It really helps with the eye strain and on days when I have to do a lot of welding at a shorter distance I can really feel it in behind my eyes.I do get migraines. I also tried the HF hoods. They hit the trash barrel long ago. I had migraines with them. I bought a very expensive Jackson AD and had even more migraines. It weighed about twice what the HF hoods do. I have had my Miller about a month now and so far no migraines but they will come. In my case it is from damage I suffered to my neck while in the army and there is nothing to be done for it.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.
Reply:Bright flashing light causes migraines in some people. Heck, even the 3600 cycles of fluorescents causes migraines for some. Have you been welding for years, is this new with your AD helmet? If you're new to welding, maybe you're light sensitive at these intensities, even 1/125000.  I agree, get yourself a fixed shade to try.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:Originally Posted by Craig in DenverBright flashing light causes migraines in some people. Heck, even the 3600 cycles of fluorescents causes migraines for some. Have you been welding for years, is this new with your AD helmet? If you're new to welding, maybe you're light sensitive at these intensities, even 1/125000.  I agree, get yourself a fixed shade to try.
Reply:Originally Posted by bob50I agree ...i love all the guys that buy these AD helmuts ..unless your sitting  at a bench tacking things for 8 hrs a day i say screw em,i dont want my helmut on for any longer then needed!i say go get a cheap jackson even go with a good head band and see what happens..it sounds to me like either the fumes or the AD..??bob
Reply:do you think the headaches could be caused by breathing the welding fumes?  Are you using fluxcore?
Reply:I think the migraines are a light issue. Fumes make me sick to my stomach or I try to cough my lungs out.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:It's not a flashburn. Imagine rubbing your eyes with 60 grit sandpaper and that will give you an idea of what a severe flashburn feels like. A flashburn is basically the same as a sunburn but the pain is much moe intense because the eyes are so sensitive. It is usually gone in about 24 hours and causes no damage according to the experts. I have my doubts about that because of the damage caused to my face and arms because of exposure to the sun over a lot of years but that is another subject.Migrains can be causes by a lot of things. A fixed lens hood is cheap and I would try that first. Lens for it are cheap and three lenses, a 9, 10, and 11 should tell you what shade you need. As previously stated, if you see bright spots when you quit welding and raise your hood you need a darker lens. If you still have migrains I would see an opthamoligist, not an optometrist for a start to finding your problem. This is my personal opinion and you know about opinions. An AD hood is great if you are doing a lot of tacking, Saves a lot of wear and tear on your neck. I prefer the fixed lens for firing up and burning a lot of rods. I know the fixed lens hood is low tech and not the latest, greatest thing but it has been proven over a lot of years.