For the other half-blind geezers

Ok, because of the normal age deterioration thing and probably something to do with years of abuse I'm having a heck of a time trying to see good when I'm welding..... TIG or MIG, same thing. Soon as the arc starts, I have a terrible time trying to see what I'm doing....same thing happens with the plasma arc. Seems to be the more welding I do, the worse my vision gets.

I've tried different shades of lens, a 10 seems to be the best. I have a high quality auto darkening helmet that seems to be fast enough, at least no sore eyes or anything. I use a florescent light for backlighting, seems to help eliminate some of the shadows.

Kind of wondering if some of the other geezer qualified folks on the site are experiencing the same problems, and what you might have for suggestions on how to improve things when welding....????? Soon I'll be putting a frame and cage together for 2 projects, and a 6 point bar for another.... I've always done my own welding on roll bars, don't know if I'm really ready to turn it over to someone else......I have on occasion been known to crash test some of my welds, no failures so far, and am just a bit nervous about having someone else do the cage work.... Just another part of getting old, or is there some other things I can try???????

A friend of mine was having the same problem and had a recert. coming up. He solved the problem by trying different magnifying lenses (in the helmet) until he found one that worked. I've been getting by with reading glasses so far, but the weld isn't as easy to see as it usta' be. TIG helps over MIG less smoke & sparks, other than that, dunno.

I try to keep the lens & lens protective cover changed often too. When I have a hard time seeing the bead a fresh (no scratches & dust) lens & cover can make a big difference.

Your not alone Dave, ive seen this topic brought up before on other forums. I believe most recomend reading glasses when welding or cheater lenses. Im sure your fellow geezers will chime in with help. Good luck buddy.

Same problem here. :mad: I use an 8 shade for mig, 10 or higher for stick. Put a couple of good bright light on your work from different directions seems to help too.

Well, I found out that bi-focals and welding do not work at all for me.....so I got a pair of glasses with my reading and close up 'scrip in them....helped some, but not much....but it's better then using bifocals, and way, way better then no glasses....

Might have to try the magnifying lens,,,, how much magnification works for you Pro Z????

i have had the same thing i think i told you about the time i tried using my finger for filler rod when i was tiging .No Joke. but know that it all healed up it is funny?:whacked: i can not move the filler rod fast thru my old fingers and i do not wear the gloves makes it for me harder to feed in the filler rod .soooo i hit my finger with 250 amps of tig:eek: on headers i like very small welds less the 3/16 so the fit up has to be ligth tight this has been getting harder for me to see .i guess it is time for a helper lens or my seeing welding eye dog**) just find a welding hood for the little guy i will be all set:D hell that s not going to work my dog has no thumbs:LOL:

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Well, I found out that bi-focals and welding do not work at all for me.....so I got a pair of glasses with my reading and close up 'scrip in them....helped some, but not much....but it's better then using bifocals, and way, way better then no glasses....

Might have to try the magnifying lens,,,, how much magnification works for you Pro Z????

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I just use +1.75 reading glasses. I don't know if the magnifying lenses are the same #? Some day I will have to find out.

Increase your budget for grinding and cutoff wheels and be prepared to buy more wire.

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Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Increase your budget for grinding and cutoff wheels and be prepared to buy more wire.

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i think the welding store may give you the senior deal:HMMM:

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Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Increase your budget for grinding and cutoff wheels and be prepared to buy more wire.

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Ahhhhh, good old Uncle Bob!!!!!! A constant source of inspiration for me over the last few years!!!!!!:CRY::CRY::CRY:

BTW---I still don't understand why I can't get 10% off at State Steel!!! I do at the restaurant when I show them my AARP card!!!!:LOL::LOL::LOL:

The welding magnifiers and off the rack reading glasses use the same numering systems--but both my eyes aren't thr same

i HAVE ALSO TRIED both the helmut magnifier and reading glasses at same time---no matter what i use i have found it helps to have a lite source shining on the weld area

Like Jerry, my eyes are different. Went to the optometrist and got a prescription for 14" focal length dedicated welding spectacles, full lens, no bifocals. Use a very strong light on the puddle and I'm good to go.

Thanks for all the good advice, guys!!!! Think I'll have to have me a chat with my local welding supply house and get some of the magnifying lenses. I've got the last perscription for my glasses, hopefully that will help him get me a magnifying lens I can work with...... Got to try something, welding by Braille ain't gonna work on roll cages and frames!!!!!!!!

Face it Dave, you're blind just like myself....
I bought a tad stronger reading glasses(I've been wearing Trifocals for 4yrs) just so I can see what I'm welding & that's the best it gets for myself. It works great for myself so I'll continue to use what I know that works for me....joe

I found that not only was the problem that I needed "cheaters", but the glare of the arc, even through a 12 or 13 was "dazzling", like night blindness - I have a heck of a time at night in heavy oncoming traffic. I talked it over with the eye Doc, and he suggested I use a polarized shaded lens cheater, and a lighter shade in my helmet. I got a pair of polarized "close up" glasses made in a shade about half as dark as my regular dark glasses, and experimented until I settled on an eight to a ten in my helmet flip glass, and it helped a lot. With good work lighting, I can still see the work fine through the clear for inspecting or picking and brushing. As an added benefit, I can use the cheaters when working on something closeup outdoors; they cut the glare pretty well, although not as much as my regular dark glasses.

Ah ...... the joys of senior maturity!!!

I have multifocal glasses (no line trifocals plus). Then to top it off, they are auto darkening(need these to see outside) so whatever ultraviolet light gets through, they darken up. Then to make it difficult, I have a different 'scipt and a major and different shaped astigmatism in each eye - all of which means I can't use the Wally World off the shelf specs. I'm resigned to what Uncle Bob has suggested - lots of cut off and grinding wheels and an occasional weld bead that runs wild.

My welding supply laughs at my AARP card and I believe does a 10% ADDER

One thing that helps me is to grind a bevel on the butt welded pieces.

Gives you a good line to follow.

[QUOTE=IC2;336373]"I have multifocal glasses (no line trifocals plus). Then to top it off, they are auto darkening(need these to see outside) so whatever ultraviolet light gets through, they darken up. Then to make it difficult, I have a different 'scipt and a major and different shaped astigmatism in each eye - all of which means I can't use the Wally World off the shelf specs. I'm resigned to what Uncle Bob has suggested - lots of cut off and grinding wheels and an occasional weld bead that runs wild".

I have the very same problems. I've tried several different remedies like all of you but always come back to "..oh crap I missed the seam again.." . TIG is easier than mig just because I have to position everything and get in close. No more laying on the floor, mig gun at arms length trying to reach what I should have put on the bench in the first place.
Ain't getting old just so #&%&$^* much fun
John

Well you old folks, I'm glad I found this thread-------Dave!:toocool:
I too have that trouble. Mostly with the MIG. Stick I do pretty good. My eyes don't do so good with light pickup now. And I have those newer style lenses that graduate without the bifocal line. Been about five years, and I still have trouble adjusting to where to hold my neck to have the best portal for my eyes in those lenses. Would I do it again???? I dunno, they are a pain though. Perley :(

I think the no line bi or tri focals are only good for desk /reading type work---in the real work world (away from a desk and chair) they are pretty well more of a pain than help--with them you need to be looking squarely at whatever and in welding sometimes you can't turn your head/helmut and need to focus out the corners of the glass---a larger single focal lense would be best and needs to be for focal lenght that YOU weld at

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Originally Posted by dmw56

Same problem here. :mad: I use an 8 shade for mig, 10 or higher for stick. Put a couple of good bright light on your work from different directions seems to help too.

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I agree with strong lighting on the work, helps me a bunch...along with my Wal-Mart $10.00 readers.

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Originally Posted by jerry clayton

I think the no line bi or tri focals are only good for desk /reading type work---in the real work world (away from a desk and chair) they are pretty well more of a pain than help--with them you need to be looking squarely at whatever and in welding sometimes you can't turn your head/helmut and need to focus out the corners of the glass---a larger single focal lense would be best and needs to be for focal lenght that YOU weld at

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Sounds like good information, think I'll call my eye doctor. He of course knows my perscription, so if I tell him the usual distance my eyes are away from the actual weld, he should be able to do me up a pair of glasses that are correct at that distance, right???? Just ain't quite ready to have someone else doing my cage welding, I guess.... Hate to think I'm gonna crash test one again, but you never really know.......

Dave--that should work--when I was flying, many guys would get bifocals---some would get trifocals--distant, instrument panel distance(aprox 30 in or so) and reading distance for instrument charts

Have any of you bats looked into lasik surgery? I was talking to a guy when i had mine done who was in his late fifties, and had been a welder for years. he was having the same vision problems you guys have, but the lasik fixed him right up! I had a super bad astigmatism in both eyes and they fixed it, they even hooked me up with night vision. It was by far the best 4 grand ive ever spent.

Lasic (sp) is a possible alternative, if you are otherwise healthy enough to tolerate it. My D-I-L had it done, she's 40, and sees batter than she ever has - had worn glasses all her life.

The mention of multi-focal lenses reminded me of something that I experienced with mine: I had a terrible time walking and working on jobsites with them, and finally went back to single vision lenses; I kept tripping over grade changes, or misjudging a low clearance and trying to take my cabeza off, or I'd reach for something and miss. If I was working on a piece of equipment that required a lot of eye movement and different focal points, I'd get a headache, or make myself dizzy from moving my head around to accomodate them. I still have a pair of bi-focals, but only use them rarely, on work on a bench, like carb work, or such.

woo-hoo, I actually have a suggestion no one else touched on:

Use a 500W work light, put it very close to the work.

this tip also helps for those whom don't have an autodark helmet.

I'll have to gve that a try the next time I'm melting parts together. :cool:

I tried reading glasses and I tried a magnifying helmet lens and I STILL can't weld worth a flip.

The only thing I tried that really works is to take the job over to my brother's shop and let him do it.


Jim

Dave
Though I am only 31 i have been welding for years. I noticed that my eyes started to get a bit fuzzy about 3 years ago. I also used a high quality (expensive) auto darkening helmet. almost an #12 shade. I since went back to old faithful after a misunderstanding with my expensive helmet flying accross the shop and into one of the poles (LOL). SO i went to a #11 gold lense ( they say its better for stainless) But all around the gold lens is alot better I can see 1000 times better with it, plus I have noticed that my sight has come back a bit.

After talking to a few other welders they have said that even the best auto darkening helmets still will get your eyes everytime you start the arc. They also use a flip down now for that very reason. I was wondering years ago when on the race team all our welders used the flip downs. Well thats my 2 cents hope maybe this will help you..

Since we have about gone to visual impairment with reading this thread, how 'bout us that are half (or more) deaf. This is my biggest problem now. Thanks to my good Uncle Sam in the '60s and some of his more explosive militant moments I have to turn my radio up to the point the neighbors look at me funny. The TV - my wife will leave the room unless I have the closed captioning turned on - then to make it even worse, it seems that every female under the age of 35 talks so fast and jumbles whatever she is saying, that I keep saying What? Huh? Then the phone!! Especially cell phones, seem to jumble and miss entire sentences. Then there's my wife. She has a very soft voice most of the time (it's only when it isn't I worry). I think she is aware that sometimes my hearing can be a bit selective:D, but not always. And if I'm driving, she's on my deafer side:toocool:

So, since I've hijacked Dave S' thread(again!!) - any comments on this sad state of affairs

A colleague of mine and myself were wondering, just how much light does an auto-dark allow in? so we worked with the average dark speed of the helmets in the catalog and although we were able to determine that several MILES of light waves burn into your retina before the dark kicks in.

LOL sorry about all those problems. I also have a wife like yours but mostly she yells at me. ( iam always doing something to get into trouble). I dont have any answers for ya except one of those head set things lol " You can hear a pin drop accross the room" ones. Truly sorry though about the hearing...

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Originally Posted by IC2

Since we have about gone to visual impairment with reading this thread, how 'bout us that are half (or more) deaf. This is my biggest problem now. Thanks to my good Uncle Sam in the '60s and some of his more explosive militant moments I have to turn my radio up to the point the neighbors look at me funny. The TV - my wife will leave the room unless I have the closed captioning turned on - then to make it even worse, it seems that every female under the age of 35 talks so fast and jumbles whatever she is saying, that I keep saying What? Huh? Then the phone!! Especially cell phones, seem to jumble and miss entire sentences. Then there's my wife. She has a very soft voice most of the time (it's only when it isn't I worry). I think she is aware that sometimes my hearing can be a bit selective:D, but not always. And if I'm driving, she's on my deafer side:toocool:

So, since I've hijacked Dave S' thread(again!!) - any comments on this sad state of affairs

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Geez, I just figured being deaf and blind was just normal aging.... Ya mean not everyone is the same way????:LOL::LOL:

As to the blind part, I had a chat with a Tech from Lincoln Welders when he was calling on the local store... He's doing some research on it back at his office, and promised to get back to me with some suggestions to help the vision while welding issue.... Hopefully he can find me something that will help. I was actually kind of surprised that he even took an interest in the issue!!!!!

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"Geez, I just figured being deaf and blind was just normal aging.... Ya mean not everyone is the same way????"

I can't speak for "everyone", but I definitely fit that pattern. And there doesen't seem to be a satisfactory resolution to the hearing deficit. Most of the time, folks talking to me, unless they are in a cone about 45 degrees directly in front of me, sound sort of like the teacher in the Charlie Brown Peanuts cartoons - wa-wa, wa-wa, wa-wa. My Bride has a bad habit of talking to my back, and I can't make out what she says, most of the time. Maybe it is a bit selective, though; up until I retired, I had pretty acute hearing faculties, or so it seemed. I still hear things others don't, but not a lot of what others do hear. As to remedies: my Dad had hearing aids, and was always fighting them; a good friend has the same situation - in fact, the last time I saw him, he was without them and said they were more trouble than they were worth. Not only were they hard to regulate, they held too much moisture inside his ears and caused a condition similar to athletes foot.

As to the vision subject: I have a new auto-dark helmet, and it seems to be ok, but I am concerned about the darkening time; even miliseconds are not as fast as light rays, and there must be some "leaking" in the time it takes to get dark. I am thinking of buying a new flip lens one; my old Jackson has served well, but parts are getting hard to get - the suspension is broken, again, and I have had it for over thirty years. With the auto dark, I still reach up to flip the lens or even the helmet; old habits die hard.

Well, alll I'll say is being half deaf (selectively) isn't all bad!!!!!:LOL::LOL::LOL: Allows me to miss out on a lot of things I don't want to hear. But your right, any conversation behind me or to the side is lost!!!!

I like my auto-dark for tacking and small parts, but anytime it's a long, high-heat structural type weld I get out the old Jackson!!!!

On my hearing---I wore a ear piece for the radio for years while flying and I listened to everything around me with my right ear and radios with my left ear---today I make my wife sit, walk on my right side so I hear her but use my left ear for phones, etc

There is a huge difference in the reaction time for a top of the line auto dark helmut such as an Jackson and say a harbor freight type---check out the times in the spec sheets

My glasses for regular use are progressive (definition: blind as a bat) but I had a set made that are for close-up only. I use a Jackson auto helmet & a bigazz halogen work light so I can find the end of the wire.:rolleyes:

I know this is a bit old and also probably answered already but a tip is DO NOT go with a lighter lens to compensate for not being able to see the piece being welded. Not only will you hurt your eyes but you may notice that everytime you weld you will go to a lighter and lighter lens and then one day you will probably wake up and not see anything! Glasses help, also marking a line with a soap stone helps to see it a bit better. I have trouble seeing as well (I am young but bad eyes) and I have to somehow scribe or mark my line to weld with my auto darkening helment. I suggest investing in a good one as well, not a cheap $100 one either.
I have a funny story that a friend told me and experienced in the Army while in Iraq during the invasion... He said one day the gate around the base got hit and needed repairs from a vehicle hitting it. Instead of taking our own guys off a project and paying them to fix a lousy fence they hired a local from the town to come fix it. He said he would do it for some rediculously low price like $30 or something (I can't remember the exact price but it was really low like that). The next day the guy comes to the base with about 20 people or more and had a welder. He said everyone was laughing so hard because they thought this one guy was comming by himself to weld up the fence, get paid and leave. Well they found out quick why they brought so many people. They took a stick with tape, they taped a sun glasses lense to the stick and they would line up. One guy would weld with one eye shut and using the sun glass lense on a stick while the others were lined up behind him. When one guy could not see anymore he would pass the lense and welder to the next guy in line. Pretty funny story but kind of sad what some people will do to make a living.