tackwelds..no helmet..autodarkening

[ytloonatk]

hey

two part question..

one..i like to watch the spate of build shows popular these days..i notice, as have ton's here i suppose, that lot's of times people will tack things with no helmet. obviously they got thier eyes closed but i would like to know some opinions of those who know. does anyone here do this?

two..i'm enrolled in a non credit welding course at our local college. i've been doing lot's of mig at work and there's more to come. much more if i have my druthers. i want an autodarkening helmet to reduce chances of flash and besides i'm a bit of a tool freak (huge understatement). i've read lots of stuff here on them and i'm leaning towards dropping the cash tommorow..researching some brands tonight. anyone here not like them? not looking for a huge discussion..more of a poll i guess. yay or nay and maybe a quik reason.

thanks

[mrimpact]

you probaly see those crazy folks on monster garage or american chopper.that is non-sense.always use a helmet.even though your eyes are closed the arc is still bright enough to harm your eyes.

[Jmb]

Yeah, Ive seen some that tack with their eyes closed, but I certainly don't do it. In the first place, I want to see where I'm welding.
Yes I use A Jackso Nexgen auto hood and love it. Pricey tho.

[blueoval557]

Hey man-
First of all, on the helmet...if you just want a autodarkening helmet, and it doesnt have to be the absolute best, then just pick a cheapy up on ebay! there pretty cheap and work well. BUT if you are a tool freak like me, , you will more than likely want the best. i would also say either a jackson or a miller/hobart. i currently have the top of the line miller helmet, with the american flag on it, and i ABSOLUTELY love it....most comfortable helmet ive ever tried on! i think paid about $200 for it with a helmet bag. yes, the autodarkening helmets r DEFENITELY worth it!
as far as the tacking with no helmet...yes i know you see TOO MANY people doing it. i did it for about the first 2 weeks i had my welder, until one day I was at work, welding this cheain to a pole for tire chalks for the big semi's, and i was just putting alot of tacks on the 2 links that were connected...anyways, long stroy short, i was tacking with no hood on, and the next morning i woke up with THE WORST sun burn EVER! my entire face started peeling, and it stung for about a week or so after that. so yes, it will hurt your eyes, but also the UV rays coming from the arc will really mess up your skin!
so go drop the cash on a bada** new autodarkening helmet and ALWAYS WEAR IT! thats what there for!!!
GOOD LUCK!
Kyle

[ytloonatk]

kyle..(my youngest son's name )

haha...when i was a teen i was watching a mechanic air arc apart a set of ramps for a bed truck to back up to the top of the base for an oil rig.

this took awhile and i had goggles and a v neck shirt...yup..wicked sunburn for sure. when i think about it now i'm surprised he didn't warn me.

i'm pretty sure on the helmet thing but i don't know about always wearing it...can't see my wife letting me come to bed with it on!!

i'm a believer in getting what you pay for

[Rocky D]

There are times when the flipping of the hood down to tack on a critical fitup will cause a misalignment. Then I will do a "blind Tack" without the hood down. No harm done. You don't want to do it repeatedly, of course.

"sunburn" no biggy, goes away in a day. peeling skin, not good, though. Body has a marvelous way of healing itself.

[bomberz1qr20]

Uh, skin cancer is bad, mkay.

[t-bone]

um i gotta agree with Rocky D,,,,,minor temporary situations no problem,,,if your doing it all day long thats another story,,,,,,,,,,,,my opinion on a good self darkening helmet it would be the hornel and yes you get what you pay for,,,,,,,we have a self darkening hood at work i forget what brand but it is heavy and bulky in my opinion,,,,,i personally like a hood that is as slim as possible and as light as possible thats why i like the hornell,,,,but i,m a welder /mechanic and i work with some mechanics who think they are welders

[Roger]

Not even saftey glasses are used on those shows. Cool looking sun glasses on forhead don't count.

Auto darkening welding lens eliminates temptation to do eyes closed tacking.

[JEFF75]

i have a miller elite auto dark, and yes they are woth the money this is one of the lightest helmets i have worn and also no up and down of the hood.i also like the fact i can go from 9 to 12 shade with just the turn of a switch.

[INTP]

With the risk of retina damage, UV burns, and spatter, to name a few, I cannot think of any good reason not to use a helmet. Tempting fate is just playing the odds, and the more you do it, the more likely you'll play the losing hand.

Because of RockyD's point, I find the auto-dark helmet particularly helpful with MIG. My helmet (Speedglas Utility) isn't good for TIG, so I have been using my fixed-lens helmet for TIG and haven't felt so compelled to get an auto helmet for it. It's just too easy to strike the arc before you get a big wad of filler. There are other 'toys' no my list that will come first.

[ScottDFW]

I know its already run in the ground from the other good posts above...but another point to make, besides eye/retina burns is...

I was doing some spot welding of exhaust components (for fitting) and was doing the "close eyes"-tack-"open eyes" routine for about 2 hours... The next morning my face and under my chin was so sore, and I was definitely regretting my lack of sense. The helmet was 3ft away, but I thought I would just "do it real quick" and didnt need it. It stung and itched for the whole day, and was ok the next morning...but it really sucked!!

Now I wont do ANY welding without long sleeves, full mask, and full gloves. :-)

[mrimpact]

i don't cut or weld with gloves on only just when it's critical.the gloves get in the way and are too clumsy and big.try picking up a electrode on the ground with a large welding glove on!...it's hard right? cutting by the way isn't a problem with my scrapping torch but i can get burned with the smaller sized one but not too bad.but i always remember to protect my eyes.because you only have 1 set and when they go bad you're screwed because cuts and burns can heal but not your eye's.don't do what other people do but be yourself and be safe.if they had the brains they would wear a **** hood.

Good Luck

[wroughtironguy]

I remember when I first started welding I was under a camper "tacking" a piece of galvenized conduit to a steel shaft. Since I was "just tacking" I didn't wear a hood. When I hit that galvenized all he$$ broke loose. Honestly I was shaken up when I saw all the 1/4" pieces of slag that had landed right next to my face. Never again will/have I count on that thin eyelid to protect my eyes from flash or worse.

You can always buy on of those shades that clips onto the torch to help protect against flash. Safety glasses are a MUST and Face Shields are better. Ever seen a cutoff or grinding wheel explode? SCARY.

[ytloonatk]

good points...

i was lookin' at a local supplier (acklands) and they have the optrel satelites on for 379.00 canadian. **** i want it bad...now all i gotta figure out is how i can't live without it!!