Welding helmet magnifiers

Sea Farmer · Jun 6, 2017

My eyesight is horrible, I wear progressive lens prescription glasses to correct both near and distance vision as well as astigmatism. But I need to finish a welding job before I can get a new prescription. Not only is it hard to see the puddle, its impossible to see the joint I'm trying to follow (I'm stick welding). So the bead usually ends up wandering away from the joint partway through.

The trick of wearing cheater glasses in front of my regular glasses hasn't worked, they don't stay in place, or in the right place.

So I'm considering the magnifying lenses made for my Miller Elite welding hood. Anybody care to relate their experiences with these? And with different diopters?

sfriedberg · Jun 6, 2017

I used those helmet mag/diopter inserts for years, with no trouble. I usually use auto-darkening helmets with a large 5.25"x4.5" window, and mounted the standard 2"x4.25" diopter lenses on the lower part of the window. Worked fine, although on days when my helmet lens was fogging up, the extra insert just made things worse. However, I no longer use them for two reasons.

First, my distance accommodation got so bad that I had to put on reading glasses (or safety goggles with cheater/bifocal patches) whenever I raised the hood to look at the work, chip slag, etc. And if I was stick welding, I had to take my gloves off to manage the glasses. Major nuisance and waste of time.

Second, I took a couple of welding courses to improve my skills and the school shop rules required safety goggles at all times, including under the hood. So I got in the habit of wearing cheaters in my goggles, rather than cheaters in my hood.

I've never worn progressive lenses, so I don't know how much trouble you will have adapting to the "bifocal" way of looking at things. Personally, I had no trouble, although I did order a bunch of different brands/models cheater safety goggles until I found some models I really liked, with well-positioned diopter patches, comfortable earpieces, etc. Outside the shop, I just pop on a pair of reading glasses; have not gone the bifocal route for office and daily wear.

rbcmetalwork · Jun 6, 2017

I worked with my optometrist to make a pair of reading glasses just for welding. I took my welding helmet with the cheater lens to her office to work out the best focal distance. We used different sized fonts to simulate the welding bead sizes. The other thing I do to make it easier to see the puddle is to use a work lamp to light up the area. Hope this helps.

adama · Jun 6, 2017

I dont wear glasses but will make use of a 1.5x cheater lens on small stuff with TIG, if you can't see it you can't weld it!!

Above all do you have new clean cover lenses in? As they get shittier they make it progressively hard, can't realy explaine it, but when you need to change it you need to no ifs no butts! if there not brand spanking new, change em! Don't try and clean them, the fine scratches will make glare worse and you won't see shit under arc on conditions!

swatkins · Jun 6, 2017

I started using them about 2 years ago and now they are in both of my helmets. +2 works well for me and I keep them about 1/2" off the bottom of the slot. I can still look over them and see far off things if needed.

One trick I had to resort to... I slit a clear piece of 1/4 vinyl tubing and slide it over the bottom edge of the lens. My nose sometimes hits that edge and was scraping it up... Ruining my good looks

Fabworks · Jun 6, 2017

I wear 1.5 readers when I'm MIG or stick welding. I use a 2 cheater in my welding helmet with the readers when TIG welding. The focal length is pretty short so have to get real close to the work when TIG welding.

Sea Farmer · Jun 13, 2017

Update. The local welding supply place has a selection of magnifier strengths, and the sales guy was good enough to open a few os them and let me try them out--I brought my helmet in with me (Miller auto-darkening).

The 2.25 diopter gave the best combination of magnification and focal length in combination with my regular glasses. Cost was about $6. Cheaper than online, and with the benefit of being in the store and experimenting.

They work well. Amazing how much stronger a weld is when the filler metal is actually in the join instead of wandering off half an inch to the side of it

Illinoyance · Jun 13, 2017

I have also had a problem following a joint because I could not see it. Part of the problem was ambient light reflecting off the back of the filter glass. I got a 2' square of black Nomex. I put it on my head with most of it hanging in back and shove the helmet down over it. Visualize Arab headgear. It blocks the light and helps me see better. I am very nearsighted so don't need a magnifier to see close up. A friend of mine used to tape the lens from an Optivisor behind his filter. I was told that a 500W halogen light close to the work helps but I have not tried it yet. I would advise single vision glasses for welding so you don't become a bifocal bobblehead.

HuFlungDung · Jun 13, 2017

I remember as a beginning welder back in the old days when men welded with stick and didn't have no damn autodarkening helmets, just start in the dark, like a man and be quick to find your place

Anyways, one summer, I was doing some welding outside in the bright sunlight. I was amazed I could see the parts before I struck an arc. That was nice.

I tried the worklight thing lately, didn't really help as much as I hoped, just not all that bright. What we really need is a focussed work light. Would work great for me, I do quite a bit of mig on a rotary turner, so I don't need to move around at all.

Scruffy887 · Jun 13, 2017

Been using the cheaters for a few years and like them. Also use my readers with them for detailed TIG stuff. Can bugger the tungsten perfectly while seeing every detail. Also often use those silver welding pencil marker thingies time to time to draw a line next to the bead, or both sides.

Sea Farmer · Jun 13, 2017

Scruffy887 said:
Been using the cheaters for a few years and like them. Also use my readers with them for detailed TIG stuff. Can bugger the tungsten perfectly while seeing every detail. Also often use those silver welding pencil marker thingies time to time to draw a line next to the bead, or both sides.

That's a really good idea. I have one of those silver pencils, had never thought of using it that way.

saltfever · Jun 14, 2017

All progressives do is blend the line between two or more focal lengths. My eyes are so bad that if I didn’t have my progressives I would be using tri-focals. For my welding I have no need for distance correction. So I use 3.0 diopter cheaters and take my progressive glasses off. The cheaters are perfect for close-up welding and I just don’t look at anyone in the distance. I also find the cheaters are much better than progressives in this situation. Cheaters give clear vision all the way across the field of view. Progressives have a narrower field of view in focus and distort your side vision. Our brain adjust to the way progressives work in daily activities but they are not as good as a single lens optimized for the distance we need. BTW, it appears there is nothing stronger than 3.0. Probably some kind of regulation or medical ethic.

Scruffy887 · Jun 14, 2017

A -word of caution on using cheaters. You will loose your long distance vision. It turned out to be a bigger deal than I thought. I had just bought an aluminum work platform from Home Desperate because I had a tall project on my welding table. Finished my bead and went to step down with my right foot, to the side. I mis judged the distance to the floor and started to fall sideways to the right. Because on the blurred vision of the cheaters I lost that split second that I would need to compensate, eyesight could not quickly tell I was falling. I knew I was going down hard onto the concrete. By right arm went out to break my fall and my shoulder slammed the floor hard, helmet went flying after saving my head. I did not dare move and just stayed there in pain. Right arm was now just about useless. Had all I could do to put my jacket on to go home, wifey had to help me out of it. Saw my doc, got an MRI and Xray. 2 complete tears and a partial tear. That was 4 months ago. PT and not any pain, but my arm really does not want to go above my head. I can drink a beer with right arm, but have a hard time tipping it high enough to finish it. Surgery is the only way to recover the full use of my arm, 6 months for full recovery.

HuFlungDung · Jun 14, 2017

Scruffy887 said:
A -word of caution on using cheaters. You will loose your long distance vision. It turned out to be a bigger deal than I thought. I had just bought an aluminum work platform from Home Desperate because I had a tall project on my welding table. Finished my bead and went to step down with my right foot, to the side. I mis judged the distance to the floor and started to fall sideways to the right. Because on the blurred vision of the cheaters I lost that split second that I would need to compensate, eyesight could not quickly tell I was falling. I knew I was going down hard onto the concrete. By right arm went out to break my fall and my shoulder slammed the floor hard, helmet went flying after saving my head. I did not dare move and just stayed there in pain. Right arm was now just about useless. Had all I could do to put my jacket on to go home, wifey had to help me out of it. Saw my doc, got an MRI and Xray. 2 complete tears and a partial tear. That was 4 months ago. PT and not any pain, but my arm really does not want to go above my head. I can drink a beer with right arm, but have a hard time tipping it high enough to finish it. Surgery is the only way to recover the full use of my arm, 6 months for full recovery.

I wouldn't call it "losing distance vision", I can see far away just fine without glasses. It's more that 'things are farther away than they appear', if you're still attempting to look at your feet with magnifiers on. Yup, it'll fool ya, so make sure you look through the plain part of the lens when looking to place your feet.

Scruffy887 · Jun 15, 2017

HuFlungDung said:
I wouldn't call it "losing distance vision", I can see far away just fine without glasses. It's more that 'things are farther away than they appear', if you're still attempting to look at your feet with magnifiers on. Yup, it'll fool ya, so make sure you look through the plain part of the lens when looking to place your feet.

Better solution for me was to not move until helmet is up. I had my reading glasses on with the cheaters and things at any more than a few feet away were fuzzy.

gustafson · Jun 15, 2017

I used to use 'Mr Magoo' glasses for welding and found that I had to be careful because I basically couldn't walk with them. The lenses in the helmet work great

neilho · Jun 16, 2017

I wear microreader glasses (Ben Franklins) that I can look over easily and a magnifying lens in the helmet. So I look only through the helmet lens when welding and only through the readers when the helmet is up. Requires good positioning of the readers for welding, though, cause the damn helmet lenses only come in the small size. Options of wide lenses and/or strengths of more than 2.5 diopters would be great!

Anyone have a source for either of these?

swatkins · Jun 16, 2017

When I first started looking for the helmet lenses I was surprised to learn they only came in the small sizes also. After using them for a couple of years I found that I like the size and would not use a full window size even if they were offered.

The smaller size allow me to use them like your Ben Franklin readers and I can position the lens where it's needed. Most of the time I have the lens in the lower part of the helmets window track but when I'm welding something above my head I slide it up to the top so I don't have to bend my neck as far.

Welding helmet magnifiers

Diamond

Diamond

Aluminum

Diamond

Titanium

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Stainless

Diamond

Titanium

Diamond

Plastic

Titanium

Diamond

Titanium

Diamond

Titanium

Titanium

Similar threads