2017 POTD Thread Archive

I just re-read the specs on my 3M SpeedGlas 9100 helmet (around $350) and specs for HF #61610 Auto Darkening Helmet (around $45).

The SpeedGlass manual says "The welding filters keep the welder protected from UV and IR radiation. This protection remains always, in on, off, dark and light states. The curve also shows that the transmission in the light state is dominated by green light. Which is the reason for the green glass in the welding filter." This was explained to me by the dealer that even if the auto darkening didn't work (the lens was at the lightest or "resting/off") full UV and IR protection would be afforded.

The specs for the HF states "UV/IR protection up to DIN 16 at all times". I take that statement to mean that it has similar UV/IR protection (even when off) as the SpeedGlass helmet. I don't know that for sure though.

I have an older HF auto darkening helmet and have struck arcs with both helmets when they were in the "off" or lightest settings. I have not experience flash burns with either helmet (although I have gotten flash burns when the helmet is laying on the bench beside me!).

My eyes might be less sensitive to burns though? (I had a mechanic working for me whom I would catch welding without a helmet - for minutes at a time. He never complained of burn symptoms. I had to threaten to fire him to keep him from welding without protection).

Comparing the SpeedGlass to the HF; The SpeedGlass is very much more adjustable - which is why I got it, for low amperage tig welding that the HF was not sensitive enough for. The SpeedGlass is bunches more comfortable - lighter, better head band, etc. but functionally, for most welding, they seem to do the same job and offer similar protection. Note: those are just my personal observations.

Maybe some food for thought?
 
I currently have the HF helmet and noticed when TIG welding for long periods my eyes do seem to burn a little. Also it is hard to see the weld puddle and it is hard to fit the Mag lens in it as it is an odd size filter cartridge.
I tried a friends Lincoln recently and really liked it. It was lighter and easier to see the puddle when TIG welding. He had a 2.5 MAG lens in it and it was awesome. Totally night and day to the HF I use.
That's why when I just found that good deal on the Lincoln on Amazon, I bought it.
 
Burning eyes while welding could be from the fumes of course, but I would be very concerned that it could be from exposure to Ultra Violet radiation getting through your helmets lens. You cant see this light, its out of range to the human eye, but..... This should be taken as a warning unless you want to end up blind in your later years.

Concerned Grumpy Old Man
 
It was a good week. Recieved (2) 1" plates to make welding tables for free. Traded a good bumper and got a great bumper in return. Received my new Milwaukee 8" metal saw. Used a 3/4" plate to test it on. I am thoroughly pleased. The first saw I bought had a broken base when i pulled it out of the box. The second one was great. This saw eats metal!


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I finally finished my end mill sharpener jig, based on Harold Hall's plans. On his website he said it only took him 6 hrs to complete it, including the write up. I'm embarrassed to say how long it took me but here it is. I had to make changes since I used an R8 collet block that was larger than the smaller blocks HH made. This resulted in a couple of issues I didn't foresee and caused me to have to redo some parts. There are 2 issues that still need to be addressed, 1) the stand is not solid enough with it being bolted to the sheet metal shroud of the grinder wheel and 2) with the end mills I have, the center is not hollow and I can't get to the center of the end mill. That results in a little nib in the center that I have to grind down. It does however work well enough for the larger end mills. I sharpened a couple of dull ones I had and tried them out. The finish on the milled piece was very good, except where the chips didn't clear.

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This looks terrible but it worked well.
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The finish is very good compared to other stuff I have done lately. It was smooth to the touch except for the parts where the chips got caught. I may need to start using compressed air to clear the chips.
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I also finished installing my Igaging DRO's on the mill / drill. I finished the X and Y installs a long time ago but put off the Z because I thought it was going to be difficult. But today I just charged ahead and got it done in about 1 hour. This will be much better.
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The instruction book that comes with the HF welding helmet says that it is not to be used for TIG welding... or the one I bought said that, anyway... I didn't even try it, I returned it and ordered a Miller AD helmet online.

-Bear
 
682bear said:
The instruction book that comes with the HF welding helmet says that it is not to be used for TIG welding... or the one I bought said that, anyway... I didn't even try it, I returned it and ordered a Miller AD helmet online.

-Bear
Click to expand...
My HF helmet is not sensitive enough to darken at low TIG amperage settings. (as I said before, I think it still affords UV and IR protection even when not darkened)
 
A buddy at work was snowmobile trail riding and decided to do some tinkering with the idle adjust screw in the field. As luck would have it, he dropped the screw in the snow. Me being me, told him at work that he now knows the meaning of being “screwed” . . . High speed carb metering screw is the same as the idle, so the POTD was making him a new one.

The original looked to be nickel-plated steel, really gets snagged by a magnet. I made the replacement out of 303 stainless. Started by running a couple of M5 nylock nuts over the screw and chucked up the assembly. I started with regular M5 nuts, but they were loose enough that the carburetor screw wobbled in the two nuts. Was using an indicator to match the compound angle to the taper on the metering screw and didn’t want any movement, so went to the nylocks.

Turned a piece of 5/16” 303 down to diameter and ran an M5 x 0.8 mm die over the round. I don’t have a die holder for small dies, yet another POTD in the future . . . The diestock was held square to the work by mashing the face of a drill chuck in the tail stock up against the back of the diestock.

Cut the taper on the end of the screw with the compound set to the matching taper angle and cut a relief groove at the screw head end of the screw. I did this since the screw head would be knurled and didn’t want to have an interrupted cut (albeit only a few thousandths) when parting off the screw with a carbide grooving bit. Used a Rockwin hand knurler for knurling. No problem with a genuine American-made Rockwin embossing a nice straight knurl in 303 stainless.

Parted off the screw and mounted it in a 5C collet in a square collet block, off to the mill. Mounted a 0.040” slitting saw in an arbor and eyeballed the height for the slot screw. The screw head had a little nib on the end from parting, set the saw at the center of the nib, it’s within a few thousandths of center in height.

Looks like donuts as payment in the office for everyone next week!

Bruce

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First I have to say that I'm not a scientist and have no facts on paper but I have worked with a lot of welders in my time.
The Speed Glass hood in general by said welders and myself is considered to be the top of the line. The HF hood the bottom.I have always believed that with the Speed Glass hood ( I'm on my third one now due to dropping then from high places) you are buying a really high end optically clear electronic lense and they throw in a cheep annoying plastic helmet to hold it. That said, even with new clean lenses and the excellently clear view it offers I still have to wear my reading glasses to do any fine work. You do NOT need to buy a $350 dollar hood I do this for a living. I'm under a hood for 8 to 14 hours some days and I want the best for that use. The issue we are addressing for you here is not being able to focus on your weld. I started having issues with my welding in my early twentys. No fancy hoods then. I tried different shades and colors of lenses and finally went and got my eyes checked out. Well sure enough I plain old needed reading glasses.
I guess what I'm saying is that the best of hood will not fix bad eye sight. The only issue I have now it that the focal length of my latest pair of glasses is incorrect for where I like to weld at.
As a side subject I've learned by force from a few years I worked in a shop that it was mandatory to wear 100 percent uv protective safety specks that if you wear you safety specks even working around other welders with your hood up. You will not get flash burns. I'm use myself as example. Sence starting that some 20 years ago I've had zero flash burns!
Now this may sound a bit nuts to most and is safest to have someone else do the prep work, If you do get the dreaded, wake up in the middle of the night with your eyes screaming in pain and feeling like there full of sand you can't get out. This is the part where you need the helper because you now cannot see and want to claw your eyes out of your head to make it stop hurting. Get you a raw potato and cut it up or run it thru the blender. You need to put the potato juice in your eyes.it will provide you relief that no oral narcotic you may have leftover will.
Sorry for the long reply I can get a bit wordy.

Master of unfinished projects
 
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