Welding Masks

[Peter T]

I have a fair bit of welding to do on my truck to get it through the MOT :evil: :evil:

I have a MIG set and up to now I've used a cheapo hand held mask but, as I get older, I get more concious of how little protection these give so I thought about an automatic welding helmet.

Trouble is there are so many out there, and the prices vary so much, it's hard to know which to choose.

Any welders out there who could shed some light on which ones are good and which are to be avoided?

Thanks,

 

[jasonB]

I only do the odd bit of welding but bought one of the auto darkening ones last year, they seem to work very well and its far easier to see what you are doing. You can adjust the amount of darkness and the time delay, the very cheap ones may not be adjustable. Mine was the basic Clark one from Machine Mart for about 65 quid, think you can get them cheaper on e-bay.

Hitachimad on here will be able to answer better if he sees the post but he also is very active on this forum and there is a whole section on helmets and safety gear
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/

Jason

 

[Peter T]

Thanks Jason. I've seen the Machine Mart ones and was tempted but then I started looking round and saw other, more expensive ones.

Sounds like the MM ones will do for what I want.

Thanks again,

 

[white_sw]

I only do the odd bit of mig here and there. I got myself one of these a couple of years ago. Never had any problems with it. Less that 30 quid using Quidco cash back.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TOP-SPECIFICATION ... 1c16539b8d

Sam

 

[t8hants]

I'm a fabricator by trade and I use a cheap one, every day, and all day. I have never noticed a quantifiable difference between the £35 helmet and the £120 in use, and they are just as easy to damage by accident.

Where you do have to take care is in replacement glass, make sure the replacement clear screens are a standard size, and not a one off size for a one off production run of helmets, or you could find once you have scratched the clear screen your stuck with a perfectly good helmet you are struggling to see through.

There is probably a welding supplies dealer in your area, he should have a range of helmets, and will be able to tell you which are well supported with back up spares, if you want to keep it for any length of time.

G

 

[Hitch]

Ive got a free issue Esab Origo, its cheap and nasty compared to the Esab eyetech i had previously. The lense is pretty poor , its darker one corner than the other. Just goes to show, even brand leaders produce some junk.

I would steer clear of the very cheap ebay ones, pay sligtly more and get a branded one, even if it is Clarke, it should make it easier when you require the cover lenses.

Siflite and parweld are both reasonable headshields for the price.

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/shop/helmets.htm for the siflite

 

[Peter T]

Thanks for all the help.

I just ordered a Siflite plus some replacement covers. I'll let you know how it works out.

Now, where did I put my angle grinder................

 

[Hitch]

Good choice Peter. 8)
If you need any other advise or tips with the welding, pop over there and ask, even if you think its a silly question.

 

[Peter T]

Just got my new welding mask and I've been "Playing" since lunch time

Haven't had so much fun standing up for a long time. The adjustments mean I can really see what's going on with the weld for the first time in a long time.

Thanks again for all the advice,

 

[dickm]

Out of interest, where do you get the gas for your Mig? Or are you affluent enough to be a BOC customer?

 

[Peter T]

Out of interest, where do you get the gas for your Mig? Or are you affluent enough to be a BOC customer?

...............Unfortunately not!

I use the small, disposable bottles that are available almost anywhere. Not very economical but easy to find and easier than lugging a big cylinder around.

 

[Hitch]

Have a look at this if you want gas....

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/show ... =volkszone

 

[t8hants]

Hi Hitch

Seeing your strap line, I thought you might like the this little ditty we sing to the nippers when they get a flash.

"Arc eye burning like fire.
arc eye, when I blink there's pain.
Oh will my eyes that hurt so badly, ever see again?
arc eye!

G

 

[colinc]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a mask for TIG welding?

I have access to a TIG machine that is little used and I thought that I might give it a try. The cheap auto mask that was with it is too dark to really see what is going on and I don't have the experience with TIG to know what I need.

Am concerned that a lot of the budget auto masks are too dark for TIG at the lower power settings.

regards

Colin

 

[Hitch]

Its not usually about how dark they are with the budget ones, its sensitivity to switching between light and dark.

In the same link i posted theres a SWP one which says 'suitable for Tig'
I cant comment on it as i have not used one of them.
The cheapy i have at work is the Esab origo, not great, but does the job.
Quite often people use fixed shade helmets for very low current. A bit harder to learn with though.

 

[dickm]

Have a look at this if you want gas....

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/show ... =volkszone

Thanks for that, mate. I'm a member of the Mig forum, but hadn't been on there for some time with the house move (OK, I know that was 3 years ago.....)

Looks as if the special Volks offer might still be on. But I don't imagine just taking my Golf to the local BOC would do the trick