welding helmet “bifocal” lense

simps80

simps80

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the older i get the more i cant see at “reader” distance while welding -
any experience out there with these lenses in a helmet? worth it?
or just wear readers under the helmet?
 
DaveInDenver

DaveInDenver

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I've got ones that fit in the hood as well regular glasses.

The ones that fit in the hood are OK but I need help even with the hood up so I end up wearing cheaters anyway. So I find the full lens safety magnifiers work best for me.


Bifocals don't work for anything but perfect flat, straight welds sitting on a table. Useless if you weld in any position that isn't ideal.

To some extent lenses in the hood are like this as well, a narrow region of magnification, but it's generally right where you're looking anyway. I will double up, weakish cheaters and a weakish hood lens sometimes, like TIG on fine things.
 
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Brucker

Brucker

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DaveInDenver

DaveInDenver

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Brucker said:
Do you not use a decent auto darkening hood? I rarely flip mine up anymore unless I am talking with someone.
Click to expand...
They're good I thought, 3M 9100 and Lincon 3350, but 15 to 20 years old. I have really terrible eyes now and poor lighting in my garage. I am also not anything like a good welder, now especially, if I ever was in the first place.

It could be that these are old technology, that I don't know. They both only seem to brighten on grind roughly the same darkness as my full sun mountain sunglasses, which are what the eye doctors call a category 4, ~92% blocking (e.g. 8% VLT). So my experience is probably a major outlier from norm.

IMG_5006_mid.png
 
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