Welding Tips and Tricks

Ok, I'll bite. What's a cheater lens?

WildWestWelder wrote:Ok, I'll bite. What's a cheater lens?

It's a magnifying lens (two, side-by-side, actually) in a standard 2X4 size like a small-window welding lens. They come in different "diopter" numbers like reading glasses. They mount inside the hood, over your filter lens.

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:

WildWestWelder wrote:Ok, I'll bite. What's a cheater lens?

It's a magnifying lens (two, side-by-side, actually) in a standard 2X4 size like a small-window welding lens. They come in different "diopter" numbers like reading glasses. They mount inside the hood, over your filter lens.

Steve S

My trick is to wear reading glasses that allow me to see good enough when in the shop. Then I also have a cheater lens in the hood that together with the reading glasses makes it so I can see the weld puddle perfect, but still be able to see pretty good without having to put glasses back on when I lift the hood.

electrode wrote:

Otto Nobedder wrote:

WildWestWelder wrote:Ok, I'll bite. What's a cheater lens?

It's a magnifying lens (two, side-by-side, actually) in a standard 2X4 size like a small-window welding lens. They come in different "diopter" numbers like reading glasses. They mount inside the hood, over your filter lens.

Steve S

My trick is to wear reading glasses that allow me to see good enough when in the shop. Then I also have a cheater lens in the hood that together with the reading glasses makes it so I can see the weld puddle perfect, but still be able to see pretty good without having to put glasses back on when I lift the hood.

Huh? Do you weld with glasses and a cheater at the same time? I do. I have to have my face stuck in the weld like that but I can see it amazingly well. If I can't get my face in close, I have to take the glasses off. When I mig, I only use the cheater. I wish I could find a good glass cheater instead of the chinese plastic POS's.

exnailpounder wrote: Huh? Do you weld with glasses and a cheater at the same time? I do. I have to have my face stuck in the weld like that but I can see it amazingly well. If I can't get my face in close, I have to take the glasses off. When I mig, I only use the cheater. I wish I could find a good glass cheater instead of the chinese plastic POS's.

I wear progressive lens glasses and use a cheater. This allows me the greatest flexibility when I can't get in as close as I'd like, or when I need to stand back (think 6010 rod) and still see. I'll stick with the inexpensive plastic cheaters as they are susceptible to damage and wear and are inexpensive enough to replace. My glass lenses are not. I've had them do their job of protecting my eyes from flying objects and get chipped badly enough to require replacement. Cheaper than a visit to the Ophthalmologist surgeon, but the Optician took her pound of flesh.

two words: Optrel e684. Have you seen how often Jody is using it in his videos lately? All of them.

cj737 wrote:

exnailpounder wrote: Huh? Do you weld with glasses and a cheater at the same time? I do. I have to have my face stuck in the weld like that but I can see it amazingly well. If I can't get my face in close, I have to take the glasses off. When I mig, I only use the cheater. I wish I could find a good glass cheater instead of the chinese plastic POS's.

I wear progressive lens glasses and use a cheater. This allows me the greatest flexibility when I can't get in as close as I'd like, or when I need to stand back (think 6010 rod) and still see. I'll stick with the inexpensive plastic cheaters as they are susceptible to damage and wear and are inexpensive enough to replace. My glass lenses are not. I've had them do their job of protecting my eyes from flying objects and get chipped badly enough to require replacement. Cheaper than a visit to the Ophthalmologist surgeon, but the Optician took her pound of flesh.

I absolutely despise "progressive lenses" for welding. I'm happy you like them, but I cannot deal with changing focus as my view angle changes and cannot, will not recommend them for anyone who doesn't weld on a bench.

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:

cj737 wrote:

exnailpounder wrote: Huh? Do you weld with glasses and a cheater at the same time? I do. I have to have my face stuck in the weld like that but I can see it amazingly well. If I can't get my face in close, I have to take the glasses off. When I mig, I only use the cheater. I wish I could find a good glass cheater instead of the chinese plastic POS's.

I wear progressive lens glasses and use a cheater. This allows me the greatest flexibility when I can't get in as close as I'd like, or when I need to stand back (think 6010 rod) and still see. I'll stick with the inexpensive plastic cheaters as they are susceptible to damage and wear and are inexpensive enough to replace. My glass lenses are not. I've had them do their job of protecting my eyes from flying objects and get chipped badly enough to require replacement. Cheaper than a visit to the Ophthalmologist surgeon, but the Optician took her pound of flesh.

I absolutely despise "progressive lenses" for welding. I'm happy you like them, but I cannot deal with changing focus as my view angle changes and cannot, will not recommend them for anyone who doesn't weld on a bench.

Steve S

It's not by choice, it's by necessity that I wear them. I highly recommend eating more carrots when younger to avoid wearing them later in life..

Poland308 wrote:

Farmwelding wrote:The titanium series from Miller is cool. Flip up the auto dark and have a grind shield. I'm gonna get the 1600i soon. Passive shade with the grind shield. As for construction sites and helmets with grind modes. I thought they were up to snuff with osha and all the other alphabet organizations?

For big companies like P&G, DuPont, or ADM. it's not osha you have to listen to. The onsite company safety people are way more strict.

So even like a purloined hood either the flip up or a Miller titanium with a 180 degree grind shield doesn't count?

cj737 wrote: It's not by choice, it's by necessity that I wear them. I highly recommend eating more carrots when younger to avoid wearing them later in life..

Did you even read my comment before you replied? I understand necessity. Also, the carrot thing is pure bullshit, or I would still be 20/10.

I tried Progressive lenses. Wore them for a year. HATED them. I mean F@#KING HATED them.

I wear only standard bifocals now. I will get trifocals before I'll weld in "progressives" again.

Steve S

Nope. Clear full face shield. And it has to clip to your hard hat. So does your hood. And you have to wear gloves and safety glasses at all times. Except past the front gate or inside the job trailer. They once watched about 30 guys leave the training trailer just after they finished there on site training. Walked 5 of them off site before they even got to work at all. 1 for no gloves on. 1 for safety glasses on top of his head and 3 for walking down the front steps without a hand on the hand rail. There were 4 steps top to bottom.

Otto Nobedder wrote:

cj737 wrote: It's not by choice, it's by necessity that I wear them. I highly recommend eating more carrots when younger to avoid wearing them later in life..

Did you even read my comment before you replied? I understand necessity. Also, the carrot thing is pure bullshit, or I would still be 20/10.

I tried Progressive lenses. Wore them for a year. HATED them. I mean F@#KING HATED them.

I wear only standard bifocals now. I will get trifocals before I'll weld in "progressives" again.

Steve S

I got progressive lenses about 10 years ago. Picked them up at the optometrists office, put them on, walked out the door and fell down the stairs. Hated 'em and never could get used to wearing them.They screwed with my depth perception really bad. Went back to drug store cheaters and threw the prescription glasses in the bin.

I wonder if 'progressive lenses' are what we in the Southern Colonies refer to as 'multi-focals?'

My eyes were damaged as a result of drugs used following surgery on my brain and I've needed glasses ever since I escaped from hospital some years ago. I don't have a problem with normal 'single vision' lenses but the multi-focals are just awful. I hate them. I can't even read with them let alone weld while wearing them.


K

MosquitoMoto wrote:I wonder if 'progressive lenses' are what we in the Southern Colonies refer to as 'multi-focals?'

My eyes were damaged as a result of drugs used following surgery on my brain and I've needed glasses ever since I escaped from hospital some years ago. I don't have a problem with normal 'single vision' lenses but the multi-focals are just awful. I hate them. I can't even read with them let alone weld while wearing them.


K

Hey Kym! Long time, no see. Up here they also call progressive lenses "no line bifocals" or trifocals. They're horrible. I was convinced by the eye doctor that I needed glasses when all I really needed glasses for is reading, my eyesight is fine otherwise. $2000 later(my insurance paid for it) I couldn't wear them and I tossed 'em. I wear my 2.50 readers and use a 1.75 in my hood and I can see the individual atoms in my weld puddle Nice to see you around again. Don't be such a stranger

Get Lazik surgery done...best 3000 bucks I ever spent...9 years later and I'm still 20/15

Popeye the old miner wrote:Get Lazik surgery done...best 3000 bucks I ever spent...9 years later and I'm still 20/15

Regrettably doesn't resolve issues for folks who need distance and near sight assurance. LASIK gives you one or the other; not both.

It's called presbyopia. Literally, "old eyes".

As we age, the muscles in our eyes that do the work of focusing don't flex like they used to. My supervisor at work is blessed to have his focus excellent in near view. He can weld some tiny beads. The trade-off is he needs thick lenses to drive.

I'm middle of the road. I need lenses for distance, and bifocal magnifiers for close work.

I've considered LASIK, and think I will pass. I can't undo it if I'm not happy, and things are fine just now.

Steve S

I'm no eye doctor but what they told me was yes I got old eyes, I was 51, they told me what they do is give you what they call monocular vision...one eye is set for distance one eye for near...I don't need glasses for anything, and I can tell you my glasses I was wearing since I was 8 years old were 1/4 inch thick or better and last 12 years I wore em I had bifocals. These days I can shoot the eye out of a fly on a bulls ass at 300 yards...ok its a bit of a stretch...but my shooting improved a lot...I saw stuff when welding I never saw before, or don't remember seeing, must have been doin it all by feel through the stinger if that's possible. The only thing I did notice is that when driving at night if I'm looking for road signs or something like that it does take a bit longer to focus...not so much that its blurry from a distance, but that when I turn my head to look at a sign it takes a bit longer to focus. Other than that I am very happy with the results.

Miller Digital Elite with a 2.5 cheater lens on X mode and I am very pleased both ARC and TIG welding.

I can't argue with results.

I may revisit it someday, if my vision degrades further, but my prescription has changed very little in ten years and I have no issue with my vision at the moment.

Steve S

As with most of us, my eyes ain't what they used to be. I've been struggling to see what I'm welding for several years now. I've tried a fixed shade gold lens in my old Huntsman, a cheap auto dark (bah!), a Lincoln Viking and a Miller digital elite. None were giving me the results I wanted. I just picked up a speedglas 9002X I believe it is off craigslist. I replaced the clear lenses and gave it a try. When I sparked up my tig, I think I could hear angels singing
I can see what I'm doing! As always, your mileage may vary. Just my $0.02

Cheers
-EB

cj737 wrote:

exnailpounder wrote: Huh? Do you weld with glasses and a cheater at the same time? I do. I have to have my face stuck in the weld like that but I can see it amazingly well. If I can't get my face in close, I have to take the glasses off. When I mig, I only use the cheater. I wish I could find a good glass cheater instead of the chinese plastic POS's.

I wear progressive lens glasses and use a cheater. This allows me the greatest flexibility when I can't get in as close as I'd like, or when I need to stand back (think 6010 rod) and still see. I'll stick with the inexpensive plastic cheaters as they are susceptible to damage and wear and are inexpensive enough to replace. My glass lenses are not. I've had them do their job of protecting my eyes from flying objects and get chipped badly enough to require replacement. Cheaper than a visit to the Ophthalmologist surgeon, but the Optician took her pound of flesh.

I guess I missed this and many other posts as I have been behind on everything here lately due to contractors...
Yes, I wear reading glasses and use a cheater at the same time. I too wish I could find glass cheaters. I have a Miller Digital Elite and thought I found some glass cheaters but they don't fit. I may try to modify them and try them some other time but didn't want to tear up the helmet trying. Anchor brand makes the glass ones and they can be found on ebay.

edit: Maybe I replied to the wrong post too. (where's my damned glasses!)

electrode wrote: I too wish I could find glass cheaters. I have a Miller Digital Elite and thought I found some glass cheaters but they don't fit.

I thought these mag lens were standard, certainly the Miller hoods accept them?

I know Harris makes them.

Those may work. Didn't see them yet so I may have to give them a try. Glass is the best.
Thanks.

I just got a new ESAB Sentinel A50. I like it even better than my speedglas and it looks really cool too. Cheers.
PS..also it has a 1.5x cheater lens in it