welding mask

[rybec 339]

I looked up the official safety listings for standard welding helments ther eratings for light deduction are grouped into different wavelengths.. the 89% reduction is in visible light - gor ultra Violet it is 100% reduction etc... of course there are modern facemasks with battery powered speed glass light aleration.. but here where I work they are not used - no one has them, they are expensive and they are not required by law, only the 89% visible light reduction is a legal requirement.. we all use the standard black glass vizors that have been used by welders for years. The face cover protects you from sparks and drops of hot metal, certainly not from any blows with anything a

So you're at a shade 10 maybe?

 

I used to work with a crabby old guy who had to use cutting goggles because he ruined his eyes so bad from flashes he couldn't see through a helmet anymore. I like to go a little darker.

[slippery gypsy 107]

Note - visible light is only a part of the range of light frequencies which are destructive to the human eye. The close-to-visible are worse, especially UV.

 

I looked up the official safety listings for standard welding helmets. I started from wikipedia and then went on to the technical papers quoted there, then the legal standards and then the sales and technical pages from different companies offering gas and arc eye protection visors.  Took 10 or 12 minutes because there is a lot of reading . The ratings for light deduction are tabulated according to the wavelengths emitted by hot metal as well as by the flame or arc itself.. the 89% reduction is mandate for visible light - some manufacturers state that their product's light reduction  is higher than this requirement - over 90% for instance..However - for Ultra Violet within given wavelengths a 100% reduction is required by European law, and ... whatever... mainly the whole spectrum is cut out almost completely, from 97%-100% - and leaving only a tiny (necessary) requirement for a range of visible light to reach the eye.

 

Of course there exist modern facemasks with battery powered speed glass light reaction.. there are also digital image-transmission screens on sale ATM, so that the operator never looks at the process directly at all - Naturally, here where I work these are not used ..( I mean - never ) - no one has them, they are much more expensive than standard equipment and they are NOT required by law - only the 89% visible light reduction is a legal requirement., not the means to achieve it -  We all use the standard black glass vizors that are have been used by welders for many years. Pro welders (people who do nothing else) seem the most indifferent to technological advance, I have heard them say that only the amateurs care about what they can see while the arc is not lit. They hold the mask up to their face with one hand to weld and do strap it on. This is standard practice, using absolutely standard equipment.

You may have seen different actions.

The situation will be the same in eastern European countries as it in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Norway etc.. I would not expect it to be 'worse', as the standard arc-welding mask is so totally commonplace, and is used equally for brazing, etc..for all forms of welding..

The face cover gives no protection against blows of any kind, It is a large clumsy thing, non-inflammable, it protects the face from sparks and small molten metal projections, and when not welding it is difficult to see out of except within in a very reduced angle. You could not drive a car or run up stairs wearing one, for instance, even with the glass removed, because your vision is too constrained. The limited field of view is (exactly?) similar if you are using a modern electronic reactive glass faceplate. 

 

... so that's where the 89% visible-light reduction comes from, to answer your question :  - from European and USA  law on industrial and working standards, legal safety parameters, and  the performance statements on the many pages where this stuff is sold, where they also emphasize the legal requirements to define the efficiency of their gear..

so you can't miss it if you look.

ive used all brand over the years and still go back to my flip top bucket ... only use a speedi glass for tig ...main reason is no company will supply clears for a speed due to so many models and the rebreather is a bulky pain in the ass when your up in a confined space ... i see how you got the answer now ... to my point i think it would not be relevant to the in game mask as i stated before a standard mask would be like having a sack over your head as oppossed to a auto darkening helmet aside from actual viewing area you can see very well through them til there flashed and in game is a auto tint mask granted a $30 ebay fixed shade still a auto tint ....  

what do you work on as a matter of interest ???

 

[slippery gypsy 107]

not a welder its an acetylene torch ... to torture some one with a welder you would need to use like a coat hangar in an arc welder and put them in a bucket of water or something ...you can be completely drenched in sweat and tack a job while bare handed and get a small boot hardly torture ... 

[nettles 396]

not a welder its an acetylene torch ... to torture some one with a welder you would need to use like a coat hangar in an arc welder and put them in a bucket of water or something ...you can be completely drenched in sweat and tack a job while bare handed and get a small boot hardly torture ... 

 

Means to an end. No point in splitting hairs. Fire hurt, pain bad.

[slippery gypsy 107]

Means to an end. No point in splitting hairs. Fire hurt, pain bad

kinda massive difference 

[pilgrim* 3514]

..//..

what do you work on as a matter of interest ???

 

 

Stainless steel pipes, in a weekend team at a geothermal water place, but now we're repairing/ maintaining not building it any more, so the welding has gone down. This water eats any kind of metal..: but I have that kind of blue eyes so even if I glance a couple of times from a distance at someone else welding I get grit in my eyes and start going blind before the next day.  -- That's why I'm so interested in the subject (heh). I cant spark an arc and then put the mask over my face - I'm already screwed if I do that. So I'm a crap welder but i take a lot of notice of it. I can do it if I need to if it's down to me, if it's 2am and no one else around. It will be watertight but it won't look good and I'll still probably be as blind by tomorrrow as if someone sprayed Mace on me. - so definitely not a Pro.

[slippery gypsy 107]

Stainless steel pipes, in a weekend team at a geothermal water place, but now we're repairing/ maintaining not building it any more, so the welding has gone down. This water eats any kind of metal..: but I have that kind of blue eyes so even if I glance a couple of times from a distance at someone else welding I get grit in my eyes and start going blind before the next day.  -- That's why I'm so interested in the subject (heh). I cant spark an arc and then put the mask over my face - I'm already screwed if I do that. So I'm a crap welder but i take a lot of notice of it. I can do it if I need to if it's down to me, if it's 2am and no one else around. It will be watertight but it won't look good and I'll still probably be as blind by tomorrrow as if someone sprayed Mace on me. - so definitely not a Pro.

then here is something that might interest you wearing clear glasses reduces the chances of arc eye than if you were wearing dark glasses because allegedly dark glasses absorb lights where as clears reflect light ...stainless is the worst for ray burn in general 

[JohnBarlyCorn 1]

I was reading this topic... and I was a welder professionally for about 10yrs and have continued welding as a hobiest for about 20 more. So I had to make an account and post!

 

Medically... I can't really speak on this. I'm not a doctor. But anecdotaly, I can tell you all about it.

 

A welding arc is brighter than the sun. When welding, if you're not waring long sleves and long pants you will get a sunburn. Notice how all the people above that aren't waring protection are also dark completected? They likely dont need sunscreen at the beach either.

 

If you don't ware a mask, you will likewise get a sunburn on your eyes. It's often misleading, because a common amature trick is to open your eyes, make sure you have the gun in the correct spot, and then close your eyes and start welding. Your eyes were protected by your eyelids! Or so it seems.

 

I've done this, stupidly. Everything seems fine for a few hours until your entire face is starts hurting. You have a face wide sunburn, and your eyes still get burned through your eyelids. It hurts like crazy and bright lights become unbarable.

 

The damage is not temporary. Sure, the pain goes away after a day or two. But eventually this all adds up. When i worked in the industry there were a lot of legally blind welders. They could still see enough to weld,  but their day/night vision was shot and they couldn't drive anymore.

 

Lastly, a welding mask should protect you from a flashbang's flash (but obviously not the sound) Welding is really really really bright. There's no way a flashbang is brighter. That said... it would make no sense. You can't see out of a welding mask. Even my fancy auto darkening mask... the view power is only about 5" wide. You can't see anything that's not a few inches in front of you and its still dark.

 

I'll leave it up to the developer to decide how realistic to make the game. But I really dont think you should be able to run around in a welding mask without crashing into stuff.

[call him Steve 46]

Arc flash would be worse than just being blind. You'd get to experience the joy of feeling like you have sand in your eyes.

 

 

 

 

And JohnBarlyCorn  seems to have done it himself as well.

 

It's not just sand but river rock and gravel. The Doctor explained it just about the same way as John did, sunburn for the eyes. The crap he gave me was just basicly Visine, almost useless, but he said it was going to help. The light is BRIGHT and I got Flash Burn from reflected light off the duct work in the room. We had a weld screen between us but just did not think about the sheet metal ducts around the room. So now a dayz you will never see me looking at or near anyone else's welding flash, reflected or otherwise. 

Edited November 8, 2014 by call him Steve

[Deathlove 2283]

I UNDERSTAND ppl want functions with any piece of gear they obtain but cant we just have items just for aesthetics sake as well? It will not hurt the immersion in the least bit really. I mean we DO have payday mask which do not add really any type of practical function outside of elaborating your character more and maybe showing yourself as an American being its one of the only really relevant American based symbols in game outside of Communist gear. That being said i would love to see new types of none functioning mask as well like ballroom mask, old Halloween mask, the classic Jason Hokey mask etc.

 

Keep the head gear mask coming i say! :)

 

Also we need the full face plate for the Gorka helmet as well!

 

 

 

[St. Jimmy 1631]

I want to see people running around with welding mask. You can't see literally anything through unless you're watching something VERY bright. It's pretty much the same if you tie your eyes so you can't see and try to go anywhere. Though I don't know about high quality masks/glasses but normal welding masks glass is too dark to see through anywhere clearly.

[Deathlove 2283]

I want to see people running around with welding mask. You can't see literally anything through unless you're watching something VERY bright. It's pretty much the same if you tie your eyes so you can't see and try to go anywhere. Though I don't know about high quality masks/glasses but normal welding masks glass is too dark to see through anywhere clearly.

Almost every mask has a flap on the front you can lift up to see normally and avoid this. Maybe not with allot of the traditional ones but the more modern ones you can lift up the visor portion without flipping up the whole mask. There are also auto darkening lens models now to.

 

Here Sears has a pretty large selection of models and designs http://www.sears.com/tools-welding-equipment-welding-helmets-safety/b-1021360

Edited November 8, 2014 by Deathlove

[slippery gypsy 107]

And JohnBarlyCorn  seems to have done it himself as well.

 

 

there is no welder who has done it for a living that hasnt given them self arc eye or ray burn its just a part of the territory the only thing that changes is the frequency it happens and the severity 

 

 

 

 

The damage is not temporary. Sure, the pain goes away after a day or two. But eventually this all adds up. When i worked in the industry there were a lot of legally blind welders. They could still see enough to weld,  but their day/night vision was shot and they couldn't drive anymore.

 

 

 

could be co incidence ... but i noticed alot of the older guys were getting alot of skin cancer in there noses and under there eyes ..and they were the bat shit blind old guys ...and then lets not get onto the health issues with the wire like 3XP and 80ni dualshield verti core type stuff banned in numerous states of america but openly almost exclusively used in australia with law only stating a paper dusk mask as adequate protection  

[slippery gypsy 107]

I UNDERSTAND ppl want functions with any piece of gear they obtain but cant we just have items just for aesthetics sake as well? It will not hurt the immersion in the least bit really. I mean we DO have payday mask which do not add really any type of practical function outside of elaborating your character more and maybe showing yourself as an American being its one of the only really relevant American based symbols in game outside of Communist gear. That being said i would love to see new types of none functioning mask as well like ballroom mask, old Halloween mask, the classic Jason Hokey mask etc.

 

Keep the head gear mask coming i say! :)

 

Also we need the full face plate for the Gorka helmet as well!

 

 

no one said they wanted the mask to impede view in game for immersion or reality.. what was stated was does anyone else think the welding helmet implicates future crafting features which multiple people think it does ..  to test a flash bang with a welding shield would kind of prove the fact i dont think anyone gives a rats ass about in game function of a welding shield but the futher implications ....if any at all