Automatic welding helmet

[Burnerman]

I have one of these helmets, bought from the Welders Warehouse a good while ago....it was highly rated at the time and it seems to be still available today for around the £80 mark.
Its not used very often, sometimes months before its brought out to work.
The trouble is, even on setting 9 its still too dark to see the weld run so its dead easy to go off course. I'm using MIG, maybe in the 90 amp range on average and will have perhaps two weeks work ahead.
I know these things have internal batteries and wondered if these play any part in the darkening level? The switching from light to dark as the arc is struck is still instantaneous.
Any comments, anyone?
John

 

[EddieM]

might sound like a flippant comment, it's not meant to be. but might be worth having your eyes checked. A person's vitreous humour get significantly darker as we get... ahem older.

 

[Keithmac]

Worth checking the batter, iirc the battery makes it clearer?.

 

[Burnerman]

might sound like a flippant comment, it's not meant to be. but might be worth having your eyes checked. A person's vitreous humour get significantly darker as we get... ahem older.

I'm sure you're not far wrong there, Eddie.....I'm using my reading specs within the helmet now I have my eyes tested every year and (apparently) there are no cataracts yet! Maybe some of those yellow lensed specs with my prescription could be the way forward, if there's such a thing.
John

 

[Burnerman]

Worth checking the batter, iirc the battery makes it clearer?.

The circuitry seems to be totally sealed Keith but I think I'll give battery replacements a go....trouble is, I need the helmet just now for outside work.
If I could get to a level 8 I think that would be what's needed.
Engineer Google doesn't come up with any particular fix, unfortunately, I've tried leaving the thing out in the sun (!) and that hasn't helped with any solar charging that may apply.
John

 

[EddieM]

Be careful.. the last thing you want to do is expose your eyes to high levels of UV.

 

[Keithmac]

My Speedglass mask has an easy access battery cover with some coin batteries underneath it.

 

[lostinthelight]

Some of the helmets ive had have a solar charger so leaving them in sunlight cures the problem as the battery, when flat seems to defaults to darkest setting.
litl

 

[Burnerman]

Alas, the unit in my helmet is sealed up big time....I'm prepared to have a bash but I need the thing for the next few days so I'll leave it for now.
I'd leave it out in the sun if there was any!
John

 

[Roger928]

If you don't do much welding a standard mask is fine.

 

[Burnerman]

Just an update on this one......
If I look towards a fluorescent light for example, and turn the brightness control the image dims as you may expect.
However, once the arc is struck, it makes no difference on any setting - its still too dark. Time for a new lid, I guess!
John

 

[Nozzle]

One trick I pick is... The metal darkens from the heat once you've done an initial tack weld. Use a steel brush to restore back to shiney steel and the higher contrast makes it easier to see what is metalwork and what is the gap you're trying to weld. Also, careful positioning of a light source so it illuminates the work piece without causing any reflections past your head into the mask and reflecting off the back of the lens.

Nozzle