Welding helmet for camera

We're gonna try an experiment of filming thru an auto darkening lens to see a MIG welder in action. Stay tuned!

Welding Safety

Welding jobs can be as dangerous as other industrial activities and includes the risk of asphyxiation due to dangerous inhalants, skin and eye damage due to ultraviolet light, electrical or chemical fires, and long-term negative effects from fumes. These risks can be avoided or mitigated with the use of proper equipment, safe materials, and a few common sense measures.

Apart from physical risks associated with sparks and arcs, their brightness and strong ultraviolet (UV) rays also pose major health hazards and can cause cancer in unprotected eyes and skin, if exposed for longer durations. Welders can protect themselves with the help of a wide range of safety equipment such as auto-darkening helmets and thick gloves that reduce exposure. Any flammable material or substance present in the welding area should be removed to prevent the risk of accidental fire due to sparks.

Welding may also lead to the release of carcinogenic or toxic chemicals that might be present in a sealant or coating over the metal surfaces to be welded. The welding machines generate immense heat that releases these hazardous molecules in the air, where they are easily inhaled.

Metals such as stainless steel, copper, and zinc may contain lead, cadmium, and chromium, which can prove very dangerous if inhaled. Initial symptoms of exposure may include temporary flu-like sickness whereas long-term exposure can lead to fatal diseases affecting the lungs, liver, and other important organs of the human body. Welders can protect themselves from these toxic fumes by using industrial welding masks available in the market.

Welding jobs must be undertaken in well ventilated spaces as welding processes are often associated with the depletion of life giving gases such as oxygen. Welding in closed spaces will lead to the buildup of large concentration of ozone, nitrogen oxide, and carbon dioxide, which can cause headaches and even brain damage if exposed for longer periods.

Choosing Your Welding Hood

There are so many choices concerning the contemporary welding hood. Really, when it comes down to it, it is not so much the hood itself but the lens you will see through.

There are multiple makers of welding lenses today. Some of those lenses are solid glass, some of those lenses are plastic, some are glass with coverings on the glass. Some lenses have a green tint, some have a gold tint, some have a maroon tint and so on. The variations of lenses also come with variable pricing as well. Welding hoods are also composed of various materials causing the actual to have different weights as well.

Let me deliver to you the helmets that I believe are the best for each different situation and why as we dig into this subject. The solid glass of old is still the best for working with TIG welding. Due to the nature of the welding arc being obscured from time to time by the movement of the cup, the lens has a tendency to flash on and off. This is not so much damaging as it is a nuisance to the vision of the welder.

There are some hoods that proclaim the ability to stay darkened even under the environment that TIG welding of MIG welding produces. Let me tell you from my professional experience as a long time TIG welder, that when you use some of the advanced techniques that an expert welder uses, an auto darkening lens is not the best choice. I always find myself going back to the solid filter glass of a fixed shade. I personally like the # 10 shade. You will have to experiment for your own preference when it comes to the shade of your choice and what works best for you.

I try to use the auto darkening lenses as much as possible, especially when using stick rod processes. I welded on jobs where one simple accidental arc strike outside of the weld zone got you run off if detected by the welding inspector. Using a quick change lens can save you from an embarrassing and costly situation like that.

Let's look at the solid lens first. Solid Lenses have been around since the time of torch and brazing were used. It was not the protective hood that was a staple of the mechanic/welder but the goggles and his lenses used to get a better picture of his puddle in the days of brazing and oxygen gas welding. The solid lens is cheap and efficient. It is not fancy but still very effective.

I still find myself going back to the solid lens for certain welding processes. It works well with any basic hood and can be a good place to start for the inexperienced welder. Better yet, the welder that does not have much money when getting started.

The shades of fixed lenses usually range from 9 to 12. There are some 5 and 8 shades but I would not recommend using anything less than a 10 when welding high voltage electricity. You may not feel the immediate affect of the damage that can be caused by using the lighter shades of lenses, but the damage is being done and will catch up with you much later in life. Please take that seriously.

One of the very popular fixed shade lenses of all time has to be the gold plated lens. You find a difference in the visuals of the puddle when comparing the different lenses. The gold lens appears somewhat gold and orange in nature. The old green style appear as just that, greenish blue. There are solid lenses designed for exotic metals like aluminum that are somewhat different than the nominal carbon series. You don't have to have one of these but I tell you just to inform you. I have a lens still today that is a plastic lens that has a gold laminate covering but the puddle does not appear gold, it appears maroon colored. The only problem with it, it is not bright like the normal shade 10. It appears along the lines of a shade 11.

Auto darkening lenses have almost replaced the solid lenses of old. I prefer the quick change lens for most welding applications. Whether the solar powered or battery charged will be your choice as well. The solar lens is usually less expensive and does not need a larger hood for its housing. The one drawback with this lens is its ability to move from one shade to another. Most of the solar powered lenses are fixed shades as well. If you find a lens like the Radnor that poses as a dual shade filter, you will find the viewing is not consistent across the entire lens. What I mean by this is that there will appear to be some spots from the center out to the sides of the lens that are designed to lighten giving the shade variable darkness. If you like looking out of the side of your head to weld, in order to achieve the shade 10 area then this lens might be for you. I never like that. Years ago Huntsman made a solar powered quick change lens that was I believe the best ever. It is not the same as the Solera, which they make today. I have never found an adequate replacement and I have searched.

The next stage of auto darkening lenses are the battery powered variable shades. These lenses also allow sensitivity and reaction time as well (usually). In today's market place there is a very competitive field of auto darkening platform and the producers of these hoods. Optera, Speedglas, Jackson, Huntsman, Miller, Lincoln, Hobart, Sellstrom, and there are the Foreign markets too.

These helmets are all good and have similar pricing in this competitive market. If you can afford one of these hoods, one of most remarkable lenses ever produced is the 3M Speedlgas. It has one of if not the most consistent shades of all the quick change lenses. The glass at any shade is smooth and high quality all the way across the lens. I personally have favored it over the Jackson line of the NexGen models along with all other offers.

Everlast Power Vision Welding Helmet

Soon to be released line of Everlast Welding Helmets

Cheap Rhino LARGE VIEW Auto Darkening Welding Helmet Hood Mask - Battery and Solar Combo - Inferno RH15

Rhino LARGE VIEW Auto Darkening Welding Helmet Hood Mask - Battery and Solar Combo - Inferno RH15 Review

CHECK PRICE TODAY!

Technical Details

• Rhino Auto Darkening Welding Helmet with OVERSIZED LENS
• Built for Professionals, Priced for Everyone. The New Standard in Welding Helmets...
• 10.4 Square Inches of LCD Auto Darkening Viewing Area!
• Almost DOUBLE the size of standard Viewing Windows!
• Check out the competition...Their viewing windows will typically be 4-6 square inches.

Rhino LARGE VIEW Auto Darkening Welding Helmet Hood Mask - Battery and Solar Combo - Inferno RH15 Overview

Light State: #4 (DIN4)

Dark State: Adjustable #9-#13 (DIN9-13) (Adjustment knob on exterior of helmet - See Picture)

Reaction Time: 1/25,000 Second

Delay Time: Adjustable from 0.15 Seconds - 0.80 Seconds (Adjustment dial inside the helmet above the lens - See Picutre)

Sensitivity: Adjustable (Adjustment dial inside the helmet above the lens See Picture)

Low Battery indicator light: Yes (inside helmet above the lens - See Picture)

Recommended Welding Processes and Max Weld Amps: Stick, MIG, and Flux Cored up to 300 Amps. TIG 5-250 Amps

Power Source: Replaceable Li-Mi Battery and Solar Powered Combination(Minimum Lifetime: 5000 Welding Hours)

Safety: Conforms to ANSI Z87.1-2003, DIN/CSA/TUV/CE standards

Lens Technology: LCD lens with solar-charging panel in addition to 100% ultraviolet and infrared protection.

Headgear: Ratchet-Style with Headband

Lens Cover: 1 Interior and 1 Exterior Lens Covers are included

Weight: 1.2 Pounds Including Headband

Warranty: 2 Years

MSRP: 9.00

Rhino Welding Helmets offers the largest auto-darkening viewing window for the best price in the welding helmet industry.

Rhino Welding Helmets are on par with the quality of Jackson, Miller, Hobart, ArcOne, and other leading brands, yet Rhino is the best value.

Wire Welding Tips - 7 Nuggets For How to Use a Mig Welder

1. Get a good ground clamp - Spend 20 bucks and get a copper ground clamp with a strong spring. Your mig welder is not smart enough to know when your ground is not good and so it just keeps on feeding wire. This is why some wire welders sound like a drive by shooting when they first light up.

2. Watch your stickout - Stickout is controlled by how far away you hold your mig welding gun. But it is also increased if your contact tip is recessed way back in the mig nozzle. Adjust the mig gun nozzle so that the tip is flush with the nozzle or even protruding a tiny bit.

3. Shielding gas - 75 argon 25 cO2 is the standard. Plain C02 works too. If you have a 115 volt wire feed welder that only welds with flux core, sell it and buy one with a gas conversion kit.
4. Welding wire - for bare wire welding, use E70S6 , for flux core use Lincoln NR211. There are other good ones buy lets keep it simple.

5. 115 volt vs 230 volt - 115 volt wire welding machines are great for sheet metal and up to about 3/16 inch in a pinch...Next time you are behind a boat trailer, think about whether it was welded with a 115 volt wire feeder welder or a 230 volt mig welder, or a 230v stick welder. After you get that chill down your spine, slow down and put some space between you and the boat, Then make you your mind never to weld anything like a boat trailer with a 115 volt mig.

6. Bare wire vs flux core - flux core will weld hotter and thicker and outside in the wind. Bare wire is better on really thin metal and looks better.

7. Mig welding polarity - Reverse polarity Electrode positive is for bare wire welding. Some flux core wires require changing the polarity in order to weld ok. Since mig welding machines don't have a polarity change switch, this requires you to swap the leads. It is easy and takes only a couple of minutes, but some people never think of it. Lots of 115 volt mig welders are sold on Craigslist because someone forgot to change polarity for flux core welding and because of that alone, think their mig machine is junk.

Great Price Rhino Welding Helmets RH5 for Rhino LARGE VIEW Auto Darkening Welding Helmet Hood Mask - Battery and Solar Combo - Black RH5

Rhino LARGE VIEW Auto Darkening Welding Helmet Hood Mask - Battery and Solar Combo - Black RH5 Review

CHECK PRICE TODAY!

Technical Details

• Rhino Auto Darkening Welding Helmet with OVERSIZED LENS
• Built for Professionals, Priced for Everyone. The New Standard in Welding Helmets...
• 10.4 Square Inches of LCD Auto Darkening Viewing Area!
• Almost DOUBLE the size of standard Viewing Windows!
• Check out the competition...Their viewing windows will typically be 4-6 square inches.

Rhino LARGE VIEW Auto Darkening Welding Helmet Hood Mask - Battery and Solar Combo - Black RH5 Overview

Light State: #4 (DIN4)

Dark State: Adjustable #9-#13 (DIN9-13) (Adjustment knob on exterior of helmet - See Picture)

Reaction Time: 1/25,000 Second

Delay Time: Adjustable from 0.15 Seconds - 0.80 Seconds (Adjustment dial inside the helmet above the lens - See Picutre)

Sensitivity: Adjustable (Adjustment dial inside the helmet above the lens See Picture)

Low Battery indicator light: Yes (inside helmet above the lens - See Picture)

Recommended Welding Processes and Max Weld Amps: Stick, MIG, and Flux Cored up to 300 Amps. TIG 5-250 Amps

Power Source: Replaceable Li-Mi Battery and Solar Powered Combination(Minimum Lifetime: 5000 Welding Hours)

Safety: Conforms to ANSI Z87.1-2003, DIN/CSA/TUV/CE standards

Lens Technology: LCD lens with solar-charging panel in addition to 100% ultraviolet and infrared protection.

Headgear: Ratchet-Style with Headband

Lens Cover: 1 Interior and 1 Exterior Lens Covers are included

Weight: 1.2 Pounds Including Headband

Warranty: 2 Years

MSRP: 9.00

Rhino Welding Helmets offers the largest auto-darkening viewing window for the best price in the welding helmet industry.

Rhino Welding Helmets are on par with the quality of Jackson, Miller, Hobart, ArcOne, and other leading brands, yet Rhino is the best value.

Great Price Jackson 3004629 for $56.30 Jackson Safety Welding Helmet HSL100 Hellraiser #3004629

Jackson Safety Welding Helmet HSL100 Hellraiser #3004629 Review

CHECK PRICE TODAY!

Technical Details

• Lens: Shade 10
• - Unit Measure: Ea

Jackson Safety Welding Helmet HSL100 Hellraiser #3004629 Overview

Narrow shell design is perfect for work in tight spaces and weighs only 13.8 ounces; Extended front increases throat protection against sparks, slag, and fumes; Standard shade 10 filter plate and cover plates installed at factory; Meets ANSI Z87.1 standards

ATD-3721 LARGE VIEW WELDING HELMET

sund4less.info ATD-3721 LARGE VIEW WELDING HELMET Super Sized 100MM (3.94in.) X 60MM (2.36in.) Viewing Area - Perfect for MIG, MAG/CO2, TIG Welding & Plasma Cutting - Designed to protect the eyes, face & neck from sparks spatter & harmful radiation under normal welding conditions - Removable canvas neck protection - UV/IR protection at all times - Auto-Darkening filter automatically changes from clear to dark in 1/24000 of a second when arc is struck

Auto Darkening Welding Helmets - What is a Cheap But Good Electronic Welding Mask?

Even a cheap auto darkening welding helmet will make you a better welder.

Does that sound like a Hype? It is not, and here is what I mean when I say an auto darkening welding helmet will make you better:

• When Mig welding, the mig gun does not care if you are ready when you pull trigger. Metal melts  immediately even if you slip a half inch off the seam while you are nodding your helmet. Given the fact the mig welders sometimes start colder than we wish, it is a huge benefit to have the wire aimed at precisely the point you want to begin the weld.


• When tig welding small precise parts like aerospace parts, or medical devices, or even grandmas antique pot metal hood ornament for her old Chrysler, sometimes you cant afford to miss the arc strike. There might be threads that could get messed up, thin seal material, or just a polished finish you dont want to have to re-polish.  Being able to see exactly where the tungsten is pointing and to hold exactly the right tip to work distance lets you pinpoint the arc right where you want it.


• For Stick welding aka Arc Welding, who wants arc strikes outside of the weld zone? If you are taking a welding certification test, arc strikes all over the place is a sure way to fail  and cause you to miss out on a job opportunity. Again, being able to strike the arc exactly where you want it is a big deal.

 
Now once you get that arc start out of the way, its all up to your welding technique and skill because an auto darkening helmet will not make you a good welder if you are not good  already...but it will make you better.

So where can I get a cheap but good Electronic Welding Mask?

Here is some tips for shopping for a cheap electronic welding mask:

• Shop the internet for  terms like "cheap auto darkening welding helmet"


• Only Use websites that allow consumers to post product reviews


• Only buy a cheap autodarkening helmet if it meets or exceeds these specifications...darkens in 1/25,000 second, adjustable shade from 9-12, adjustable sensitivity and delay controls.


• Shop only at reputable sites that have a good return policy


• When you find a cheap electronic welding helmet with excellent user reviews that has these specs, you can buy with confidence.

EFP Tip-ADF (Auto Darkening Filter)

EFP Tip-ADF (Auto Darkening Filter)