Can't see what I'm welding

[waynedear]

I am new to this welding malarkey, I have a Clarke 135te, I can get 2 pieces of metal to stick together, problem I have is 75% of the time I can see curse word all and miss the bits I want.
Now I only have 'outside' to work in daylight ( when there is not a sniff of a breeze) I have an auto mask with adjustable dials and switch, its front and a bit sides only with a head strap.
As soon as I pull the trigger though it darkens which I assume is a good thing 😄
I am thinking it's natural light flooding in from the back and bouncing off the inner screen, does this happen ??
[URL=https://thumbsnap.com/L2zm4FaX

[kevstarlet]

Jan 14, 2018 12:32:53 GMT waynedear said:

I am new to this welding malarkey, I have a Clarke 135te, I can get 2 pieces of metal to stick together, problem I have is 75% of the time I can see curse word all and miss the bits I want.
Now I only have 'outside' to work in daylight ( when there is not a sniff of a breeze) I have an auto mask with adjustable dials and switch, its front and a bit sides only with a head strap.
As soon as I pull the trigger though it darkens which I assume is a good thing 😄
I am thinking it's natural light flooding in from the back and bouncing off the inner screen, does this happen ??
[URL=https://thumbsnap.com/L2zm4FaX

The light going through the back of the shield will definitely mess things up for you, try and put a hood or something similar over the back and see if it helps

[BenzBoy]

Most masks have an adjustment on the darkness setting - what's yours set at? You could try easing off the darkness a tad. Not too much though, you don't want arc eye!

[waynedear]

Jan 14, 2018 13:01:37 GMT BenzBoy said:

Most masks have an adjustment on the darkness setting - what's yours set at? You could try easing off the darkness a tad. Not too much though, you don't want arc eye!

Herself is now stitching up a leather shield made from the back of our old sofa 👌

[waynedear]

Jan 14, 2018 13:01:37 GMT BenzBoy said:

Most masks have an adjustment on the darkness setting - what's yours set at? You could try easing off the darkness a tad. Not too much though, you don't want arc eye!

It's at the highest, I will try a couple of 1 step adjustments and no I don't want arc eye AGAIN 😄

[mercedeslimos]

This was happening to be over the summer. the sun was auto darkening the mask before the arc was struck. made welding impossible. Whereas I now do it on an overcast december day and welding is perfect

[Darkspeed]

You would not need anymore than shade settings 8-10 for a 135 Amp Mig welder - typically for 1.0 to 2.0mm steel shade 9 is about right. Make sure that your work is well lit by lamp as well.

[waynedear]

Jan 14, 2018 14:14:01 GMT Darkspeed said:

You would not need anymore than shade settings 8-10 for a 135 Amp Mig welder - typically for 1.0 to 2.0mm steel shade 9 is about right. Make sure that your work is well lit by lamp as well.

Brill, also never thought about lighting up the area.

[turbom]

There was a post on here about fitting lights to welding masks etc.
Only a while ago in the tec section.

[waynedear]

Jan 14, 2018 14:51:54 GMT turbom said:

There was a post on here about fitting lights to welding masks etc.
Only a while ago in the tec section.

Cheers, found it and adapting an old headtorch 👍

[ChasR]

I normally go with 11, but 10 should be fine .

[welshpug]

you shouldn't get arc eye even if the shield doesn't darken, they still block out all the harmful stuff but make it darker so you can see what you're doing.

[Good Scrap]

I was taught, if the environment is bright you need a light lense and if dark then a dark lense.

As mentioned a 500w halogen lamp shining on the work are helps no end, as will blocking out light from behind you with a hood.

[chris y]

If you really just cant see, one of my friends cant as his eyes just arent good enough, it might be worth a try of an old fashioned non auto mask.

Its not my advice to be honest, but remember a similar thread where the advice from several people was that auto darkening screens give less clarity than an old fashioned one.

Maybe an expert can comment on whether this is true. I think it was on the MIG welding forum that I read it. If you are new to welding then the MIG welding forum would be well worth joining or at least browsing anyway.

[waynedear]

Jan 14, 2018 19:46:29 GMT chris y said:

If you really just cant see, one of my friends cant as his eyes just arent good enough, it might be worth a try of an old fashioned non auto mask.

Its not my advice to be honest, but remember a similar thread where the advice from several people was that auto darkening screens give less clarity than an old fashioned one.

Maybe an expert can comment on whether this is true. I think it was on the MIG welding forum that I read it. If you are new to welding then the MIG welding forum would be well worth joining or at least browsing anyway.

My first mask was a nod one, I could see even less, I shall see how it goes knocking darkness down a notch and having the shroud at the back.
This evening I received a late Christmas present, a 'neck light' 2 led lights on a flexi, think it will cable tie perfectly on top of the mask 😄

[skkylinedave]

Jan 14, 2018 19:46:29 GMT chris y said:

If you really just cant see, one of my friends cant as his eyes just arent good enough, it might be worth a try of an old fashioned non auto mask.

Its not my advice to be honest, but remember a similar thread where the advice from several people was that auto darkening screens give less clarity than an old fashioned one.

Maybe an expert can comment on whether this is true. I think it was on the MIG welding forum that I read it. If you are new to welding then the MIG welding forum would be well worth joining or at least browsing anyway.

When i started welding i had a £12 mask bought for me by work . Made from compressed  cardboard with a small lense that you had to chance the glass in for a different shade . It took me a longtime after that to get used to light reflective ones mainly due to the weight difference .


 It may be true what you say as you are just looking through a tinted glass screen with a couple of clear layers rather than a light reactive screen . Maybe for a beginner thats a struggle using a reactive one . 

I'm betting its set to dark or to much light is interfering with it . Mine used to get set off by forklift truck flashing beacons etc .

[waynedear]

Here I am making a glorious cream leather shroud to go on the back of my mask (kindly donated by a local trimmer for a box of teabags), the time is now 20.12 at approx 20.08 I discovered the bloody adjustment switch on the outside of the mask 🤦‍♂️

[Deleted]

Jan 14, 2018 18:28:57 GMT ChasR said:

I normally go with 11, but 10 should be fine .

Always go 11. it's one louder.

[incarsolutions]

I use an old security flood light to aid lighting the area. I screwed an old speaker magnet to the back of it too

[waynedear]

Well with the mask correctly set I can see, all down to my dopiness, boy it makes welding in the right spot easier.

Thank you all for the input and suggestions 👍