If someone is using a grinder nearby, the sparks can pose a danger to you.Ī lot of eye injuries don’t happen while welding angle grinders and bandsaws can be just as dangerous. The peripheral protection is extremely important, especially if there are other welders near you. This is why it’s important to have glasses that fit well (and are large enough). Often times, debris will come from the side and sneak under your glasses. As mentioned in our article for the best welding safety glasses, models that have more of a “wrap around” style are regarded as safer. Safety glasses can prevent most debris from damaging your eyes, but sometimes a spark just finds its way inside your glasses. Now that we have covered the obvious danger of UV damage, let’s dive into the other hazards regarding eye safety. It is a great setting to have on your machine, but it can be really annoying at times. We try to limit the amount of time where we use pulsed TIG. This can cause headaches and eye irritation depending on how sensitive you are. Pulsing is when the TIG arc rapidly starts and stops – this is often used to achieve perfectly spaced dimes. The pulse setting for TIG welding can also irritate certain peoples eyes. A shade 10 or shade 11 will cover most regular projects. If you aren’t sure which lens shade to use on a project, refer to the chart or ask a more experienced welder what lens they’re running. We personally think that auto-darks aren’t bad for your eyes, but passive is still the safest lens choice. The UV rays from a welding arc are very extreme, especially at higher amperages. Similar to staring at the sun, cancer is definitely a factor down the road. Repeated exposure to arc flashes can cause corneal damage over time. A buddy welding next to you can flash your peripherals, or you may just forget to put your hood down. However, most welders will get flashed on occasion just due to human error. Īll of the little arc flashes that are fractions of seconds could, in theory, damage your eyes over time. Does this still harm your eyes over time? That is up for debate. Most welding hoods today are auto darkening, and some have switch times as fast as 1/25,000 of a second. This makes it easier to start your arc, but is believed to harm your eyes if used for an entire career. Veteran welders will be used to welding with passive lenses, but newbies can find them very frustrating.Īuto-darkening lenses switch from light to dark (usually in 1/10,00 of a second). These passive lenses can make it hard to start your arc because once you flip your hood down, you can’t see anything. They are usually made of tough glass that comes in specific shades based on your needs. The safest lens in terms of eye protection is what is called a “passive” lens. If you can see your entire work piece while welding, you probably need a darker lens (as too much light is coming through). Remember, you should be able to see your arc and not much else. If you follow this advice and always use a dark enough lens, you shouldn’t be causing any damage to your eyes. If this is the case, you may want to run a darker lens shade than usual. Some welders eyes are more sensitive than others. Many welding hoods nowadays will have shades 8-13 that can be changed with a click of a button. The chart above is a safe bet when selecting the lens shade for your project. A shade 7 or 8 just isn’t that useful most of the time. These are the shades that are most commonly used by most welders. You’ll notice that shades 10-12 have more of a range in terms of amperage. Maybe their eyes can handle that, but we wouldn’t recommend it. You may see a welder running dual shield flux core MIG with a shade 9 lens. It is conservative and based on our personal preferences when it comes to lens shades. We have formulated this chart by combining info from other charts, and also by what we have experienced while welding. Shade 7 < 60 amps Shade 8 60-70 amps Shade 9 70-80 amps Shade 10 80-110 amps Shade 11 110-150 amps Shade 12 150-200 amps Shade 13 200 amps and above (be careful) The info below should give you a better idea of which lens is right for your project. Lens shades vary and can be used for different amperage applications. This is one of the most essential pieces of equipment that a welder can have.