Best tint shade for MIG welding? No. 9 ok? Help!
VT63993
Howdy folks,
I'm an absolutely green wannabe welder. I recently purchased a new Millermatic
250x welder which I've set up but not yet used. It's complete with a shielding
gas bottle of Argon/CO2. I also bought two standard (not self-darkening)
hoods.
The weld shop guy recommended No. 9 tint shaded lenses. I've just installed
these in the hoods. When I look out a window or at 60 watt bulbs I can see
pretty clearly.
Are No. 9's dark enough for MIIG welding with .035 wire and argon/co2 mix gas?
I'd hate to frag my eyes. I had assumed that if the lenses were dark enough
I'd be able to see absolutely NOTHING until I struck an arc.
Now I'm afraid to attempt to weld until I hear from somebody. My eyes aren't
very good but they're the only ones I've got!
Thanks!
Vernon
Daryl Peterson
try a No. 10. I think No. 11 is too dark for a 250. Just try and see what
you are comfortable with!
Mike Graham
>
>Howdy folks,
>
>I'm an absolutely green wannabe welder. I recently purchased a new Millermatic
>250x welder which I've set up but not yet used. It's complete with a shielding
>gas bottle of Argon/CO2. I also bought two standard (not self-darkening)
>hoods.
Sorry, Vern, but shade 9 isn't going to cut it unless you're just
doing body work (low amps). In fact, for heavy material a lot of guys
go to shade 11 and 12. For hobby use, a shade 10 should be all the
protection you need.
Mike Graham <mike at off-road.com>
Caledon, Ontario Canada
Mangler of metal. User of many grinding discs.
Cut with an axe, beat to fit, paint to match.
jmke...@aol.com
.035 wire. The normal lens that is supplied with the helmet is a shade 10.
The 9 will work for lower amp welding with .023 and .030 wires on light sheet
metal. If you are using the .035 wire on heaver material you should be using
a shade 10 or higher. Good luck and safe welding, John
In article <19980927180443...@ng81.aol.com>,
vt6...@aol.com (VT63993) wrote:
>
> Howdy folks,
>
> I'm an absolutely green wannabe welder. I recently purchased a new Millermatic
> 250x welder which I've set up but not yet used. It's complete with a shielding
> gas bottle of Argon/CO2. I also bought two standard (not self-darkening)
> hoods.
>
> The weld shop guy recommended No. 9 tint shaded lenses. I've just installed
> these in the hoods. When I look out a window or at 60 watt bulbs I can see
> pretty clearly.
>
> Are No. 9's dark enough for MIIG welding with .035 wire and argon/co2 mix gas?
> I'd hate to frag my eyes. I had assumed that if the lenses were dark enough
> I'd be able to see absolutely NOTHING until I struck an arc.
>
> Now I'm afraid to attempt to weld until I hear from somebody. My eyes aren't
> very good but they're the only ones I've got!
>
> Thanks!
> Vernon
>
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EDMFS
Eyeballs are important. Even though you are running .035 wire I would recommend
a No 10 lense. If you keep it clean you should be able to see alright. I think
a no. 10 minimum should be used in all arc welding processes. If you run high
amps then maybe an 11 or 12.
Eric B. Vogel
Vernon, there are a lot of things which factor in when deciding on
the proper shade lens to use. First of all, can you see everything you
want to? If not, you need to go lighter. Second, is the arc so bright
that you are uncomfortable or see after images like when a flashbulb
goes off? If this is the case, then you need to go darker.
With my corrected vision I look through a lot of glass even before
dropping the hood, and this has a tendancy to make things darker. So if
I'm making small precise welds which are short in duration, and using
small wire, then I use a #9 lens. If I'm out in the sun and my pupils
are already constricted, then I have to use a #9 too, or I might as well
have a steel plate in the hood. If I'm welding in a dimly lit area, or
using 1/8" or larger rods, or arc gouging, then I go to a #10. The
majority of guys I weld with go with 10's and 11's in the same
situations.
Many times a man will need more light to see with as he gets older,
so this is a consideration as well. Just before my Dad retired he welded
with a #9 lens and a .250 cheater over bifocals. He was having trouble
making tube welds with 3/32" rod by that time, but he sure could pound
in the 3/16"! The big rod made enough light for him to see what he was
doing.
I was on a job a few months ago where we had to make 10,000 feet of
seal welds in a good sized package boiler. We used .045 mig wire. I
started off with a #9 lens, but found that 7 hrs spent welding in an 8
hr shift made my eyes tire quickly, so I went to a #10. After that, I
was fine for the duration of the job, but the other three guys used
11's. It's really an individual comfort thing. Straining to see through
a lens which is too dark will make my eyes damn near as sore as welding
with a lens which is too light.
It's no big deal really. Your eyes will tell you what you need.
Respectfully,
E-Man
Full-time subscriber to
K.I.S.S.
P.S. Whatever you do, make sure your hood doesn't leak. I saw a guy
drop-kick a brand new Huntsman hood out the door once because it leaked
and he got a killer flash.
VT63993
My thanks to E-Man and all of you who educated me about tint shades.
I've gone to 10s for starters. I've got my hood on.
Now if I could just find my butt with both hands...
Vernon
George Greul
Hobart had hand out refrence booklets which suggested which lense to use to
how many amps your machine was set at. I still use this refrence guide from
500 mili amps. all the way up to lense max of 14...
I hope this helps....
george
VT63993 wrote in message <19980927180443...@ng81.aol.com>...
Isacc Manuel
Hi Vern
I use a shade 10 must of the time, I will use a shade 9 if I weld out of
postion for an extended part of the time, or whatever I am welding is
almost beyond reach (the further you are away from your work the harder it
is to see). One of the most important things in welding is you have to be
able to see what you are welding. With a shade 9 you will have more light
to see. When I weld I tend to look in front of the arc, or the back of the
arc, never at the arc whether I use a 9 or a 12 (12 for Air Arc) You did not
mention this but since you are new at this heres another tip, If you wear
bi-focals get some magnifing lences for your hood, You have to see it to
weld it.
Good Luck Isacc