Helmet issue NEED HELP

[Tejas214]

I'll try to give as much detail so that you can understand my situation.

1. I am welding 2"x2" .060 square tubing. My welder is a HH187 and my seting is 2/30, Fluxcore wire

2. My helmet is a XVS and Shade setting is 12 and sensitivity is medium high, Delay control is set to high

My Issue.
I've been welding for a total of maybe 25-30 hrs. 3 hrs at a time. My eye is starting to itch as i start into the thrid hr of welding, I get a spot on my right eye as if i was looking at light bulb for a long time. Its a big consern i know that this can be bad. I dont know why this is happening because it is only effecting my right eye not my left. Is my lens bad or is my settings wrong Pleas help.:(:(:confused::(:(

[Rocky D]

For MIG the delay is set too high, but wouldn't have an effect on your situation. I think the 12 setting is too high, too, but I have know guys that can use it just fine...it's just that I use a 9 for MIG. If there were something wrong with the lens, you would get the sensation in both eyes, so I'm thinking that maybe one eye is different than the other. Try it on 10...experiment with the different shades to see if that helps. All that said, though I can remember that when I was hyper-concentrating on a particular weld, I would see the black spot, but it goes away, and you get used to it, I guess.

[ace4059]

My guess is the shade is to dark, and you are straining to see the weld causing discomfort in your eyes. Not sure about the spot only being in one eye. Only thing I could think of is the light could be reflecting off your shirt (are you wearing a white shirt) or the walls and is reflecting back into your helmet.
I recommend you turn down the shade to 10. try that and see how your eyes are after welding for a few hours.
What most people dont realize is that too dark of a shade can be just as bad as to light of a shade. with to dark of a shade you have to strain to see and that will hurt your eyes. That maybe what is happening to you.
-Ryan

[Roger]

I would look for light being reflected into your welding helmet. Could be reflecting off white shirt, reflecting off SS or other reflective metal. Use safety glasses with UV filter in addition to welding helmet lens will help solve this problem & keep stuff out of eyes. You can buy/make fire proof cloth cover for top and back of head that also keeps sun light out of helmet when welding outside.

Auto Darkening LCD part of filter pack only filters visible light. A thin film low pass filter in front of LCD lens which looks sort of like purple Oakly sun glasses lens reflects/blocks UV light. The reflective low pass coating should not have scratches to let UV light pass to your eyes and consistent color from edge to edge when looking at the front side of lens.

[Tejas214]

Thanks for the response guys.

I will try the shade adjustment I guess going from light to extreme dark every 2" could cause discomfort and a lighter setting could help.

No I am not wearing a white shirt I have a black jacket also i am welding at night outside under a carport with one florescent light.

I have UV rated safety glasses I will give that a shot as well.

I also inspected the auto lens and it doesn’t seem to have any defects in it.

Someone mention to me that the auto darken lens pending manufacture. will darken left to right or top to bottom. And even though it is instant a left to right or right to left will cause one eye to receive less protection. Have any of you heard this.


Thanks again Rocky D, Roger, ACE4059, The eye are precious.

[Wyoming]

Tejas214,
Sounds like eye strain may be your biggest problem. Check and see if the strain doesn't correlate to your "stronger" eye. Each of us has one eye that takes precedence over the other. Hold your arm out with your thumb up and look at it with one eye and than the other followed by both eyes. The eye that gives you the same relative position as viewed when both eyes are open will be your dominant eye. If this is the eye that is causing you the problem, I would bet you are suffering from eye strain and not the flash from the welding.

[Rocky D]

I knew a guy that used to strike the arc, then pull his hood down...he was stick welding...I don't know for how long, tho. :D

Roger...I caught you using the word "the" in a couple of posts...you must be adjusting to civilian life, ol buddy!

[ace4059]

also i am welding at night outside under a carport with one florescent light.

That sound like the problem to me. You are welding in low light conditions. You are straining your eyes. In the low light levels (outside at night, with only one light), your eyes are adjusting to them, them you have higher light levels, so you eyes have to keep changing or readjusting from lighter to darker areas. Its kinda like being in a very light room then you turn out the lights (at night), it takes time for your eyes to adjust to the low level of light.

I wouldnt think it would be how the lens adjusts from left to right or top to bottom. your eyes only refresh (maybe 40x/sec) so they cant tell the fraction of the sec (maybe 1/20,000 of a sec) that lens is clear when you start welding.

[Jonesy70]

sounds like eye strain to me...ever have your eyes checked by a doc? try closing your eyes just before you strike your arc..that second will not efect your weld but will help with your shield delay...it will take some getting used too...but it might help...hopefully it is just the getting used to process and it will take care of its self...if all else fails...go see a doc

[Tejas214]

Thank to all

I was welding this week for about six hours straight. Taking the advice from you guys I adjusted my shad to a 10 and reduced the sensitivity. I also wore a UV rated safety glasses that have a light mirror tint (indoor outdoor) (rated 99.9%UV protection). I had no issues that day no strain and no spots. At one point I took off the safety glasses and I quickly notice the symptoms returning.

One key thing I noticed when welding with safety glasses and readjusted settings, when I’m looking directly at my weld area the lens operates normal, but if I turn my head slightly to the side the shad lightens up and becomes less effective.

This is weird and all new to me. What did I learned.
1. Don’t turn my head when I weld
2. Safety glasses with UV rating work wonders
3. The new Hobart web layout allowed me to post my questing quickly in the right category and was responded to immediately.

[Rocky D]

The lens can lighten up when you block the sensors either with your hand, or part of wht you're welding on, and so forth. Make sure the sensors have a clear view of the arc.

[Tejas214]

I thought about that but the lens dosent operate that way. I belevie it is either on or off. The sensor does not manipulate the level of the shade.

[Rocky D]

I thought about that but the lens dosent operate that way. I belevie it is either on or off. The sensor does not manipulate the level of the shade.
Sorry , that is what I meant...when you block sensors the lens turns the dark off.

[Jonesy70]

this is one of those rare cases that the more you spend the better the lens...speed glass, nex gens..the miller shields work much better than the $50-$90 shields you get from the harbor freights nad low end supply houses....BUT if you keep your work right in front of you..you should do fine