head and neck protection

[mikecwik]

i never wear a welding cap but today i really wanted one.
i'm looking for something like a balaclava with proper neck protection. i saw a few nomex balaclavas and optrel had a nice leather over the helmet deal going on.
any suggestions about what you use or have tried and liked or didnt would be appreciated.

i took my harbor freight helmet apart for a cleaning today and noticed spatter had found its way onto the outside of the ad lens and melted some spots. made me think, maybe this is why this helmet is so cheap but as i put it back together i cant see how it ever got in there.

[Rocky D]

Maybe one of these?

http://www.thegangbox.com/images/Product/medium/479.jpg

[Roger]

Leather hoods are so hot with no ventilation. Tiny vent screens are insiders joke not real ventilation. Someone should come up with innovative solution without powered ventilation. Maybe chain mail or interlocking spiral knitting as used on some fire place curtains replacing leather back. But that might be hair pulling solution.

[mikecwik]

https://weldingsupply.securesites.com/cgi-bin/einstein.pl?PNUM::1:UNDEF:OR:K5932 optrel leather neck protection

http://www.websoft-solutions.net/Arc_Flash_NOMEX_Hood_p/sp-665.htm probably will hold up to welding, nice for winter.

http://www.ukwelder.com/shop/helmets/monkey_masks.php will not ship to usa

http://www.worldtools.com/tools/world-pro-elite-auto-darkening-welding-helmet-p-1094.html im actually digging these helmets. it looks fully enclosed in the back but will have to contact them to find out.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_EU/Speedglas/Home/ProductInfo/AccessoriesAndSpareParts/ forced air unit would be great for warmer weather

i have seen those leather ones rocky but thought id only like one for tight spots which i really have not encountered as of yet. they remind me of the unknown comic off of the gong show.

[Rocky D]

Most of us, Mike just deal with the BB's...every lens should have a plastic protector on both sides of the plate. When a hot one lands on a body part we deal with the pain, not wanting to stop the weld, which is permanent...the burns will heal up eventually.

The downside of these hoodies you're looking at is they fog up your lens, especially in cold country, where you are. This is also true of the "sock hood" I posted earlier...I knew I'd get a response from an old-timer on that. :D

As an alternative to the sock hood, I have had to remove the lens from my hood and hand hold it, at arms length, to get a weld in a tight spot. :eek:

[mikecwik]

i was doing vertical stick welding. while i may not be hines ward, cal ripken or forrest griffin tough i wouldnt say im soft either.
the electrode was running a few inches in front and right to left across my lens. it was raining pretty hard, and felt like someone had dumped sand on my neck afterwards such was the debri deposited there. i stuck it out for the maybe 2 feet of weld that it was but wouldnt do it again. id put a towel on my head if i had to without something proper like im looking for.

ill probably try the nomex balaclava as its the cheaper solution and if i dont like it for welding i can always wear it sled riding!

fog, knock on wood, has never been a problem for me (thanks for mentioning that rocky) as i wear a valved 3m respirator and the dew point is reached inside it when its colder out. some people would find it a little bothersome that the condensation pings off of the valves onto your face every so often but i actually find it an amusing sensation more than an annoying one. but, as you say that fully enclosed hard hood is a different beast so fog may be an issue.

and yes if its not 95 degrees out id probably wear the balaclava when i was using mig too.

[mb_welder]

Up here we wear welding hats. :eek:

I get em from here, I would recommend the high crown! :D
http://www.weldinghatsbypam.com/

[brianw]

i took my harbor freight helmet apart for a cleaning today and noticed spatter had found its way onto the outside of the ad lens and melted some spots.

If there are melted spots on the lens it is possible that the UV protection layer of the lens has been compromised. If your eyes feel strained or flashed you may want to consider replacing the lens.

[mikecwik]

If there are melted spots on the lens it is possible that the UV protection layer of the lens has been compromised. If your eyes feel strained or flashed you may want to consider replacing the lens.

my eyes always feel dry after welding . its an annoying feeling. i thought maybe i was oversensitive to fumes. i still have not put in a fume extractor and have been getting by with garage doors open and fans running.

i had been second guessing my helmet as a possible source of the irritation but the spatter is something that has just occurred. im not positive but i felt that it had happened the same day i took it apart to clean it.

thanks for that bit of info.

im broke and an adflo is calling my name.

[Rocky D]

You mentioned you took your helmet apart...is it possible there is a little gap in the lens to hood that might be leaking light? I also have known a guy who was allergic to helium fumes, and had to wear a special helmet had kept a positive air pressure to keep fumes out. His eyes used to get like cue baiis! :eek:

[young welder]

or one of these

[Roger]

ALL that holds back UV light in Auto Dark lens or gold lens is very thin film that reflects UV light. Scratches from cleaning with dry cloth or paper can let UV light pass. Spatter damaged can open flood gate for UV light. Must have properly installed cover lens protection of thin film filters. Don't put finger prints on thin film filter so they have to be cleaned. But from years working with cameras some people can't keep fingers off lenses or clean them properly.

[mikecwik]

You mentioned you took your helmet apart...is it possible there is a little gap in the lens to hood that might be leaking light? I also have known a guy who was allergic to helium fumes, and had to wear a special helmet had kept a positive air pressure to keep fumes out. His eyes used to get like cue baiis! :eek:

i only removed the frame work that holds the protective lens for the ad and the frame that secures it, not the ad portion itself. it looks to me to be the way it should be to me. of course as ive said before i cant see how spatter made its way onto the ad lens in the first place. if spatter made its way in then light coming into the holes where the outer lens frame clips to the main hold is not beyond the realm of reason.

this is nagging on me now. how can you be sure any helmet youre using is working at full capacity?

[mikecwik]

ALL that holds back UV light in Auto Dark lens or gold lens is very thin film that reflects UV light. Scratches from cleaning with dry cloth or paper can let UV light pass. Spatter damaged can open flood gate for UV light. Must have properly installed cover lens protection of thin film filters. Don't put finger prints on thin film filter so they have to be cleaned. But from years working with cameras some people can't keep fingers off lenses or clean them properly.

i just got a cheap flippy hobart hood. i take it these fixed lenses arent so sensitive to cleaning? its still out in my auto and ive not opened it but it didnt look to even have a protective clear lens on it.

my lens is most likely ruined then. ill try to borrow a friends camera for a photo to post for a closeup of it.

[Roger]

Non AD lens are not hurt by excess water getting into unneeded electronics.
Brush of blow off big chunks then put drop of dish detergent on each side, add a little water and gently scrub with finger tips. Dish detergent and water lubricates preventing scratches. Blow dry or gently dry blotting with soft clean cloth or tp. Wiping with tp, Kleenex.. to dry surface can scratch. Some thin film filters surfaces are so easy to scratch i worry about looking at them hard. :eek:

I clean cover lenses same way.

AD lens surface would just use much less liquids. Probably diluted dish detergent drops and lens tissue or Kodak lens cleaner and lens tissue. Never lens paper. When using lens tissue right you wad it up using the cushioning folds against lens. Can roll up lens paper and tear off end to make lens brush. Then use this to wipe of dust before clean lens. If must use TP and other paper products, often not soft enough or is abrasive so be extra gentle.

[mikecwik]

its hard to believe that ive been using a defective or damaged hood for years now.

maybe the lens was made poorly or maybe spatter had damaged it or maybe its even something else? am i that ignorant? how is the end user suppose to determine that what seems to be a properly functioning helmet is not.

i tried my new helmet out for about 30 minutes of constant use on mig today. no eye issues to speak of what so ever. so, it wasnt the fumes doing it to me.

the day i bothered to clean it was the last day i used it and that was just coincidence. ill admit that i had no idea that it was just a coating on the lens doing the uv work. i hope im the only one out there to not know that.



thanks yet again for all the info. a very special thanks to brianw though!! cheers mate!

[brianw]

its hard to believe that ive been using a defective or damaged hood for years now.

maybe the lens was made poorly or maybe spatter had damaged it or maybe its even something else? am i that ignorant? how is the end user suppose to determine that what seems to be a properly functioning helmet is not.

i tried my new helmet out for about 30 minutes of constant use on mig today. no eye issues to speak of what so ever. so, it wasnt the fumes doing it to me.

the day i bothered to clean it was the last day i used it and that was just coincidence. ill admit that i had no idea that it was just a coating on the lens doing the uv work. i hope im the only one out there to not know that.



thanks yet again for all the info. a very special thanks to brianw though!! cheers mate!

From the Miller Elite owners manual:
 Do not weld in the overhead position while using this helmet.
 Inspect the auto-lens frequently. Immediately replace any scratched,
cracked, or pitted cover lenses or auto-lenses.

That being said, you are not the first person this has happened to and I am sure it will not be the last. I actually had someone ruin an AD lens because they were too cheap to buy a cover lens, so they ran without it. With your recent experience I am sure you can guess the results. Overhead can also cause spatter to get behind the cover lens of even the best helmets.

I am glad you got your issue resolved and hope your eyes last you a long time. BW

[mikecwik]

Don't waste your money on these balaclavas.

http://www.weldfabulous.com/casearch.aspx?SearchTerm=revnh100-bk

http://www.weldfabulous.com/p-43313-revco-nh100-nomex-knit-single-layer-sock-hood.aspx

http://www.weldfabulous.com/p-43326-revco-nh200-nomex-knit-double-layer-sock-hood-wsingle-layer-circular-drape.aspx

I have not tried the third one yet and it is possible it will work but the top two are not even long enough to put into your jacket collar.

[weldaway]

I have a expensive auto shield, and I have a good old fashion fibre metal helmet with the2x4 lens. I almost always use the fibre metal helmet, especially when heavy spatter is involved. Glass clear lens on the outside, glass shade lens, and glass inner lens.
I have in the past gathered up 4 of those mudflaps that are meant for the front of your helmet, made out of leather. Used three in front, and one attached at the top to protect my head. I never found it hard to breathe and was protected from flash and MOST spatter. You will look like a freak, but it gets the job done.
Miller makes headgear that is meant to cool by way of fans. I do believe that it covers most of your head, but cost 150-200 I believe.

[moya034]

I used to work on rail cars and would often have to get in some weird spots (especially on Purdue's chicken feed cars) and do welding... or worse, air-carbon arc gouging. Not a fun job.

I got used to wearing a shield on my hard hat real fast. I'm at the point now this is my preferred welding shield setup, whether I actually need a hard hat or not. I would then duct tape pieces of leather to the hard hat and sides of the shield, if I needed the neck protection.

I've had bad luck with just nomex for welding spatter protection... it's useful under leather, but not by itself. That being said, if you want some nomex gear, call up (302) 652-0522, ask for Jack (he sells safety supplies), tell him one of his former employees who was a welder sent ya. He should be able to get ya what you want at a much cheaper price then weld fabulous.

http://i.imgur.com/5TbLZEy.jpg?1

I prefer the "Superglas" however, as it get's you more side protection, but I couldn't find a pick of it mounted to a hard hat. (Jack is also a fibre-metal dealer too)

http://i.imgur.com/eAAP1I8.jpg

I'm with ya, weldaway, on the shield... I only use my auto darken shield for TIG these days.

[weldaway]

Tig is where I use the 2x4 lens most. I do not like the view quality of the plastic lens in the auto helmet, and tig is a very detailed motion. The glass lens is much more true picture.

[mikecwik]

I have a expensive auto shield, and I have a good old fashion fibre metal helmet with the2x4 lens. I almost always use the fibre metal helmet, especially when heavy spatter is involved. Glass clear lens on the outside, glass shade lens, and glass inner lens.
I have in the past gathered up 4 of those mudflaps that are meant for the front of your helmet, made out of leather. Used three in front, and one attached at the top to protect my head. I never found it hard to breathe and was protected from flash and MOST spatter. You will look like a freak, but it gets the job done.
Miller makes headgear that is meant to cool by way of fans. I do believe that it covers most of your head, but cost 150-200 I believe.

Until recent I favored my $30 miller helmet. I still favor it but when you pay for something it does little good to leave the AD sitting idle. Yes, I did put a neck flap thing on my miller. It does not do much good though. Even in a helmet with skirts basically all the way around the darn thing I still feel like my face is getting burned.


I used to work on rail cars and would often have to get in some weird spots (especially on Purdue's chicken feed cars) and do welding... or worse, air-carbon arc gouging. Not a fun job.

I got used to wearing a shield on my hard hat real fast. I'm at the point now this is my preferred welding shield setup, whether I actually need a hard hat or not. I would then duct tape pieces of leather to the hard hat and sides of the shield, if I needed the neck protection.

I've had bad luck with just nomex for welding spatter protection... it's useful under leather, but not by itself. That being said, if you want some nomex gear, call up (302) 652-0522, ask for Jack (he sells safety supplies), tell him one of his former employees who was a welder sent ya. He should be able to get ya what you want at a much cheaper price then weld fabulous.




Thanks for the nomex lead. I never used a hard hat model but I often thought it was a pretty good idea. I always wanted to try one.

[weldaway]

It don't bother me a bit that a 400 dollar helmet sits idle. I use what works regardless of cost, its the quality. The plastic distorts vision in many instances, and when welding a fussy little job it just won't do. Its a lesson learned for me, don't buy another expensive paper weight

[mikecwik]

Either one will work. I had no known reason to me as to which helmet I tended to grab more. I would even ask myself why I was doing what I was to no avail.

[moya034]

I never used a hard hat model but I often thought it was a pretty good idea. I always wanted to try one.
It's heavy. I won't deny that. I got used to it fast. I get used to things that protect me becuase the results of not using them are worse.

I still wear a welding beanie under the hard hat just to keep the dirt off my hair. Because the hard hart with the welding shield is worn backwards, the brim does a very good job at defelecting spatter away from your neck... a better job then a beanie. Quite franky, the combo works so well for me, the only time I bothered to break out the duct tape and leather was if i was in some type of a confined space... such as the draft pocket on any railcar, or the portion of a covered hopper car in between the sloped area at the end and the first compartment.

The headgear for the fiber metal shields is easily interchangerable, so take your pick of shield. They have several different types of headgear available. The one I pictured is my preference. It allows quick removal of the welding shield while still wearing the hat. This is good in "industrial" areas where you are always required to keep a hard hat on top of your head no matter what.

I find it sad, that in the shop I worked at, you were always required to wear a hard hat under any circumstance, but yet I was the only person in the shop that had a welding shiled attached to a hard hat. I wondered why welding was all of a sudden an excuse to break the hard hat rule... I also wondered why the company didn't provide this equipment as inexpensive as it is.

Edit: I don't weld anymore for a living, but I'm very blessed, that at the company I work for now, any time I ask for a piece of safety equipment, or a tool to make my life easier, it get's provied to me with no questions asks despite cost. The latest thing I asked for were 6 ft step ladders rated for 375 lbs. Those babies aren't cheap. Two of them showed up very quickly as soon as I supplied the Grainger part number!

I'm rambling, so I'll stop now.

Edit2: And no, before anyone says it, I do not way 375 lbs, not even close, not to say i'm skinny. That being said there are some larger people on our team, and 375 lbs is the highest rating you can go on a step ladder according to my research, so it covers everyone on our team.

[weld27]

i wear a hard hat under my viking, it's heavier but my bald head doesn't get burned :).

if we can't use AD for welding what good are they?

what do you do about spatter/slag in the ear, that stuff goes any where with no reason. i was doing a horizontal weld last night and had a piece land in my ear. how do you avoid it when OA cutting out of position? we used to use silicon ear plugs but i was always concerend of the silicon melting.

[mikecwik]

Anything in there is far better than an open canal. I never thought about them melting though and I probably wont put too much more thought into it. Hopefully you would feel warm before it went in.

[Dale M.]

my eyes always feel dry after welding . its an annoying feeling. i thought maybe i was oversensitive to fumes. i still have not put in a fume extractor and have been getting by with garage doors open and fans running.

i had been second guessing my helmet as a possible source of the irritation but the spatter is something that has just occurred. im not positive but i felt that it had happened the same day i took it apart to clean it.

thanks for that bit of info.

im broke and an adflo is calling my name.

Its quite possible you are forgetting to blink..... IT is a tendency on the hot glass work world (lamp work- torch melt glass) for people making glass beads and sculptures to get so involved in what they are doing they forget to blink.... Maybe a bit of eye drops through out day at break time or lunch time..

Try it for a few days, if no relief maybe its time to see eye doc....

Dale

[mikecwik]

This is an old thread Dale. It was because my eyes were getting fried from a messed up lens.

I was testing for light passage in one of my helmets with a camera flash and one thing I did note is that a camera flash viewed through an autodark is painful in the eye. I could not understand it even with the shade being fixed.

I need to compare that with a fixed shade passive lens but cant see how it would be any different.

[Dale M.]

Maybe speed (duration) and intensity of camera strobe indicates how slow AD system really is....

Dale

[mikecwik]

Maybe speed (duration) and intensity of camera strobe indicates how slow AD system really is....

Dale

It would be my first thought to, however when welding I tend to close my eyes to establish the arc but with the camera flash the lens was already in a fixed shade of 13 so there was no delay.

[moya034]

what do you do about spatter/slag in the ear, that stuff goes any where with no reason.
That's easy. I wear ear plugs whether it is noisy or not. Keeps spatter out of the ear. Only process I don't wear ear plugs for is TIG, cuz there's no spatter.