Thanks for the advice! I used the hand-held thing for a while yesterday and I suppose it served it's purpose but it's definitely a pain in the butt to try to hold it and weld at the same time. I have some good welding gloves and I'm pretty cautious with stuff.....however, I was wearing some ripped up jeans and looked down to see how easily they catch on fire!! Yikes!! No harm done though. Probably would have been funny to an onlooker.....LOL!

Home Despot has a self darkening helmet for $100.....I see various ones on Ebay for $29-$300 so I guess it just depends on how much one wants to spend....I too am leary of many of the "great deals" on ebay!

You'll be happy to know I finished my taxes on Saturday! Woohoo! and I don't have to pay! double WooHoo!

I hope you get a break in the weather so you can do some painting. Tell me again what color you're painting the car.....