SPEED DOESN'T MATTER?! Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet

Auto-darkening filters are UV and IR opaque. The only thing that darkens is the visible spectrum light. Electronic filters actuate in less than a millisecond. So, electronic welding helmets are safer than flip downs. You'll never flash yourself with an auto-darkening helmet.
Machining Chanel Abom79 / abom79

[@bighunterman77]

confirmed...aVe is actually a rarely focused camera with arms

[@noone-nd4ml]

bighunterman77 its AvE not aVe

[@bunsoft2]

Who's sensible to the "focus you f@ck" sentence :-)

[@qwertyasdf66]

It all makes sense. I mean, has anybode ever seen AvE and a camera together in the same room at the same time?

[@noone-nd4ml]

Halojen or is he a room and the camera is a part of it

[@edreasner44]

If you cover up the sensor on the auto darkening element and use the welder arc, does any thing get thru? I wonder if the auto darkening reacting slow and is letting ir and uv thru?

[@Cyparagon]

The IR that can cause cataracts is longer wave IR. Polycarbonate DOES block longer wave IR. Virtually all glass and plastic types also block longer wave IR. Your device tests for SHORT wave IR, which poses no danger to the cornea. Thermal cameras view longer wave IR. You can confirm your glasses block this type of IR by using your thermal camera.

[@andersjjensen]

Why are you all the way down here?!? Up you go Sir!

[@nerfinator03]

Bump

[@thedyingtitan1247]

Bump

[@jaswats9645]

bump

[@kyledrexler7749]

good man

[@LongPeter]

How about regular prescription glasses for a test? It’s about the most protection my dad ever used, hence why I’ve got so many brothers.

[@timothyball3144]

Sorry, but I went a different way with your joke. I was thinking it was his bad eyesight that caused so many siblings. I got it on the second read.

[@upperdecker3448]

@@timothyball3144 I thought the same thing! I only got it after I re-read it, after I read your comment. LMAO

[@timothyball3144]

@@upperdecker3448 lol. I had to go back and re-reread it all to figure out WTF I was talking about.

[@justgonnagetbetter1037]

Hey, I got it in the first read! Course I've been schooled by the twisted humor that is 2020

[@ryankimball6030]

I thought he meant his dad was so blind he had no discernable standards. Lol

[@irontobias]

Had a welding teacher beck in school that was a god; cut his teeth in his teens welding tungsten into subs during the last great war and was probably all of 90 pounds wet standing at 5'2 and struck fear in the hearts of the degenerates thinking welding was an easy pass like shop. Dude was a hard ass with a heart of gold; you're by the book or you get the fuck outta the shop. First day of class I got a long stare after he read off my name - turned out he had taught my stooge uncles 40 years prior in the same class and expected it ran in the family... asked which one was my father (gramma had 8 kids, 6 of them boys), and I told him none luckily, and won him over busting my ass re-welding brass rods together a dozen times until he couldn't break it over his knee at the join... for extra credit no less. Rule was you could re-do the same assignment as many times as you'd like until you got the grade you wanted, and if he thought you were fucking around and using the brush to clean up some shitty welds he'd put em in a vice and laugh at the easy break and then watch you over - under, really - your shoulder and shit on your technique until you got it to his satisfaction. . I ended up with an A+ on everything and signed up for the advanced class the next year. Finished all the assignment welds on mig/tig, arc and oxy-acetylene early and got permission to fuck around with the cutting torch at leisure, so I made little animal cutouts for the tomboys who signed up for the class and stupid joke stuff for my buds for the last few weeks. Meanwhile some friends in the class were arc welding sans helmet cause it 'didn't hurt at all', and one kid tripped on a gas line causing the first injury in his shop in years when a torch ran across another kid's thumb. I regret never carrying on with the trade I grew fond of, and actually became GOOD at, but I'll never forget that fucking teacher, and to this day I'll spot a shitty bead on dumpsters as I pass and remember how important it is to allow those young minds to fuck up and encourage their growth while steering them towards improvement. No trade is truly dead unless those in said trade lose their passion or grow apathetic towards the newcomers who, though idiots, are persistent enough to stick with it.

[@iDHype]

Cool story, thanks for sharing. Do you do any welding these days for personal projects at least?

[@NextGenesis88]

What happened to his thumb? Let me guess. That bad ass teacher welded her right back on.

[@mephInc]

I know a couple guys like that at the steel mill. I've been welding for a decade.......they simply smirk and I hear "listen kid. When you get some whiskers, you can say you're a welder. I've been doing this for 40 years". Then they proceed to weld at some upside down mirrored back assward angle. I love welding and aspire to be a "god" at it just so I can have a smug laugh at a fresh mind some day.

[@justkiddin1980]

that was a nice read on the toilet....thnx from my bowels...

[@copperheadsevenpointthree8523]

Thanks Joe Z- We had a metal shop teacher that was much like that guy you described- I was out of the trade for a while, but after retiring from Active Duty, I'm an inspector now. And I still love my welding at home, and starting blacksmithing- What can I say, I love metals, but especially steel and copper/brass.

[@blindsqurill]

So you can use a remote control to trigger the electronic helmet?!? Sounds like a new prank for the apprentice!

[@bansheemania1692]

Put enough of them Leds together. And you can Change The Lights Green At any intersection 😜

[@tylerleslie3178]

@@bansheemania1692 gotta love Opticoms lol

[@knut5328]

you could use a IR flashlight, those can probably blind someone from across the room! 😅

[@6061]

Hi AvE, I think one thing worth mentioning is that when welding in tight spaces (exhaust header tubes for example), the welding hood's sensors get blocked often, so you still do get "flashed" (not nearly as harmful as a bare eye flash as you mentioned) and then you have to wait several seconds for your eyes to re-adjust before welding. It hurts a bit, but won't give you the 3AM emergency room visit for the eye drops. The higher end hoods like yours have 4 corner sensors to help with this. The cheaper (and even some expensive "Spedglas" brand) hoods only have 2 sensors, which suck big time for welding in tight quarters. They constantly get blocked and then you get flicker. Also, some higher end hoods have a "grind" setting, which comes in handy. Cool to see welding related stuff on your channel. Thanks, Aaron

[@Brettjnash]

Having tigged together a few thousand mustang and jeep headers back in the 90s... yes 2 sensor units sucked.

[@bwt3278]

My Radnor hood has 4, I rarely ever have a failure to darken

[@TravelBackroads]

A few years back I got the Miller Digital Elite helmet because it has something they call X-Mode. From their site "X-Mode Electromagnetically senses the weld to eliminate sunlight interference and continuously detects the arc even if sensors are blocked."

[@6061]

Corsa, I'm skeptical. Please completely block all 4 sensors with electrical tape, try welding and get back to us. I use a Miller Elite (non-digital) and never went with the Digital Elite due to the additional cost, weight and complexity. If that truly works, I may "upgrade". Thanks in advance.

[@qwertyasdf66]

I'm not sure, but I suspect IR can pass through electrical tape. So maybe use something else to block the sensors.

[@randomdude1786]

saw my dad without his bathrobe on when I was a kid I think a combination of inverse square law and quick reflexes saved the day no lasting effects

[@Abom79]

I know you said not to laugh, but I think I woke up Abby cracking up to that Chinese Cool Guy Shades welding shield! 🤣 OMFG! Hey thanks for the test and tune man, I appreciate the knowledge. I’ve been a true believer in wearing the proper safety glasses, especially when running the torches. I know some guys that need to watch this. The argument I hear all the time is the Harbor Freight welding shields will damage your eyes, over using a “named brand”. If you get a chance, pick up one of them Power Fist hoods and compare it to you Lincoln and shed some light on that wives tale. Thanks man! Way cool!

[@chrisj4570g]

YES! I've been eyeballing the Hazard Fraught hood.

[@arduinoversusevil2025]

+Abom79 I hear a rumour that the new Vulcan helmets are decent. Thanks for the heads up! I learned that cutting glasses aren't just for sissies. 😎

[@JeepITguy]

I've been using them for years. I'm not a professional welder, however. But Jody over at WeldingTips is, and he recommends them .

[@roncharette524]

Abom79 “glarses” is proper.

[@makehasteBrandon]

AvE I was in fact eyeballing that very helmet today and it had some interesting claims regarding its tinting technology permitting more color spectrum through? specifically stating truview as a disclaimer .the display Hood and I believe all hoods also have a test button which is convenient as well it also Auto darkens to the lighter shades 5 through 8 I believe and then 9 through 13 so should also be appropriate for oxy-acetylene torch cutting and Welding but at 11300 pennies the cost was comparable to the by once cry once models

[@heatherroseisrflyer]

Dad: *flips up welding helmet* "You're not watching the welding arc, are you?," 10 year old me: "No" *later, that night* 10 year old me: "WHAA, my eyes feel like they have sand in them. WHAA" Dad: "You were watching the welding arc, weren't you?" 10 year old me: "Yes."

[@timothyball3144]

I remember 10 year old me using a beer bottle to watch my dad use oxy/acetelyne but he wouldn't let me watch him arc weld. I was a good boy and obeyed my elders so didn't have Sandy eyes. That was later, after I grew up and knew better

[@TaintedMojo]

I learned that lesson as a kid at a ski slope not wearing sunglasses or goggles. The sensation of hot sand in the eyes lasted for two days.......it fucking suuuuuuuucked.

[@aegg9915]

The vast majority of the times I’ve had ark eye was when I wasn’t looking directly into the arc

[@adolfilyichmarx9589]

@@TaintedMojo yah my grandpa always used to yell at me to wear sunglasses ice fishing. I never had to experience the sandy misfortune thanks to him.

[@LewSassle]

I tell mine it will burn his eyeballs out and he’ll be blind, bet your ass he doesn’t look at it 😂

[@AlFooteIII]

Your high speed camera footage was too high speed! I blinked and missed it!

[@NavinBetamax]

Not possible by just a Blink...unless you had a decent shut-eye ! or....you are kidding ! Lol !

[@samsonn25]

@TDAKS Probably HARD TO get a camera fast enough TO RECORD .04 MILLISECONDS?

[@pentachronic]

The way you record the speed is by having an LED act as a photodiode (or if you have a photo diode + resistor then use those.). Hook up diode+resistor it up to a psu negatively biased and then hook a scope across the diode. The time the light goes from something to next to nothing is the reaction time of the glass. Simple. You coild shine a bright flashlight through the glass if you wanted.

[@randomblogger2835]

two photodiodes into a DSO, that'd give a usable measurement, yeah.

[@unfa00]

I was on the edge of my seat waiting for a face to reflect off of that module.

[@vileguile4]

Do you think Darth Vader's mask protected against UV and IR? I bet those light sabers would radiate more than just a little.

[@babablacksheep3950]

Sleepydog Nope, he use force shades

[@sporktek]

Yeah, but few other Siths or Jedi use googles of any kind, so I doubt it.

[@redwhiteandbluebonnets8180]

I think that comment is a big load of sith.....

[@unfa00]

How cool would it be that all light saber users would have to wear eye protection?

[@gromett]

Got flashed once. Scarey and extremely painful. The sand in the eye description doesn't do it justice...

[@bradeenm2848]

It reminded me of what I imagine sticking my eye holes in front of a media blaster loaded with habanero powder during a haboob would feel like. Minus the grits in my nether bits o course.

[@rhamph]

I've been flashed but I enjoyed it. She was quite a looker.

[@builtrodewreckedit]

Its radioactive sand that came off the toes of the porcupine that got shoved into your eyeballlllls

[@zanpekosak2383]

Yeah I bet with tig its a problem. With stick I havent noticed any issues if I get flashed. But looking at it hurts for sure!

[@donkeymedic]

I have had both sand in my eyes ( having an older brother lol) and welders flash. The feeling is similar but I agree flash is worse. Maybe a better description would be having glass shards in your eyes.

[@Talasas]

Your intro becomes more operatic each time. Keep up the good work.

[@stevemiller6766]

Thanks - this was really informative. Been an amateur welder for 40 years and wondered about the stopping power of the lenses. Thanks a bunch!

[@yourshootingbuddy]

I can't understand how you make topics that most regular people care less about so entertaining. I love your channel.

[@buillioncubes]

But Uncle Bumblefuck, autodarkening helmets deprive you of finger dextrosity from constant fiddling with the tension screws!

[@doorguner01]

buillioncubes keep playing with it you'll go blind!

[@SweMisterB]

This is just an old wives tail. I've been playing with it for 30 years, and i'm still only wearing glasses. No white cane.

[@buillioncubes]

We're still talking helmets, right?

[@texasdeeslinglead2401]

buillioncubes I thought it was just me losing my mind with the fricken tension scew knobbys . holy smokes , they suck. But the hood itself is awesome

[@niceguy2171]

As a older guy..ok, older than dirt, can relate SO MUCH to this! Probably have 2 yrs. or more just to fiddling with them, as we didn't have autodarkening in my "walk 5 miles to school uphill in snowstorms w/drifts higher than your house days", and I've spent a fair bit of time under a welding helmet from my now long past youth.

[@shurdi3]

I have to stand in front of ULTRA VIOLENT LIGHT for two hours every day It keeps me from going funny in the head

[@wwsxa39]

So that's where I've been going wrong.

[@GasNBullets]

shurdi3 must be female light....

[@biggles1024]

Are you its working? :P

[@dave-cj5gb]

How does that work?

[@Tourn94]

hepatic disease ?

[@Wizzanker]

My Miller helmet has a "grind" mode for the reasons you mentioned. For the record, I use it with a Lincoln welder :)

[@motor2of7]

Josh Rizzo I do the same thing. I liked the Miller helmet better but I like Lincoln welders. I put Lincoln stickers all over the helmet

[@MrTheHillfolk]

Haha I like the miller welder, but bought the Lincoln cart because it has room under it for the hypermax plasma cutter.

[@mdogs36google23]

Thank you for letting my family know I'm going blind from actual work and not from masturbation.... I've been telling that to them for years.

[@bedlamite42]

You need to test one of the hazard frought chinesium auto shields

[@JCLawn51]

Wayne B that was what i was going to suggest

[@bedlamite42]

And maybe shade 3 and/or 5 brazing glass too.

[@williammccall627]

Uh oh!!!.......I watched this without my welders helmet on and you arc flashed me Ave.........now what should I do???.....should I go to the ER??......😂😂......thanks for another great moment of your time....👍👍

[@bobs12andahalf2]

This question has bugged me for years. Much appreciated!

[@gc6329]

YES!! I HAVE WANTED TO KNOW THESE THINGS FOR LITERALLY 2 YEARS AND 5 MONTHS AND NEVER HAD THE TIME OR MONEY TO FIGURE IT OUT THANK YOU

[@grendelum]

This reminds me of a device a friend developed decades ago for the laser industry... in the USA scanning a crowd with laser is a *big **_NO_* with anything above the mW range but not so in the rest of the world. To try and change the the mind of the powers that be he built an LCD panel the final beam output went through that if the galvos (the X and Y scanning mirror drivers) stopped, the panel would become opaque and thus not blind anyone... a laser quickly scanning over you is safe, if it happens to stop, and that happens to be in your eye, this would save you... interesting gomsee it in this application !!

[@kamj6607]

So I can't get UV/IR damage even through a non-activated hood? That's good news since I've left my auto-darkening hood on grind mode while lighting up an arc more times than i care to tell.

[@rockymountainrotary2005]

Everyone in the welding shop I work in uses the auto darkening helmets, they're great for when working with another person or making lots of little welds with starts and stops. We just leave the hood down and never have to worry about getting flashed. Also, there's no friggin way someone with an always dark lens could keep up with the pace, having to flip it up and back down for every single weld when they're only a couple inches long and there are probably 30 or 40 to be made just takes too dang long. I totally went with the buy once cry once option, I picked up the new fancy Lincoln electric 4c lens and it has the sharpest image I've ever seen. Awesome video as always!

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

This is by far the most helpful video you've done. Now don't get me wrong, I love all your videos. This one has just given more relevant information for my life. I do body work and metal fabrication. Always wondered how auto darkening welding helmets work. Also never thought about using tinted lenses for the torch. You've helped me more than you'll ever know. Thanks again.

[@GasNBullets]

Tacked without a helmet once with the dont peek method.. Gravel in eyes and trip to the hospital for a second or two of exposure.... Never happen more than once.

[@juangonzalez9848]

GasNBullets Helping a brother out when we only had one helmet. Just close the eyes while holding the piece to tack it. 20 pieces later and the old face is feeling a little warm. Come out of the dark hole we were in and was lobster red. Just don't do it.

[@linglingjr]

I did an entire patch panel with a t shirt and no gloves.... Worst sun burn I've ever had and it only took a couple hours to get.

[@EeroafHeurlin]

I've done the same (except I did wear gloves), the weather was super-hot (for Finland anyway) and as usual I didn't think things through, I figured that any minor spatter of molten metal I can handle in the name of not getting heat-stroke... it was a very uncomfortable night and few days afterwards, probably second worst sunburn ever.

[@pyramidsinegypt]

My very first welding experience was with a free-with-the-welder pair of round eyes-only glasses.... welded an entire rack for an entire afternoon. I found out just how much UV I absorbed when I woke up the next morning, rubbed my eyes, and felt like I just took the skin off my face... A real steep learning curve if there ever was one!

[@alabama7636]

Had a extremely bad sun burn on my left arm after mig welding for most of the afternoon, never again long sleeves after that. Have seen some old guys use the close your eyes and turn your head method.

[@Bane_Diesel]

I spent more on my welding helmet that my first welding machine and for good reason. My helmet has 3 modes weld, grind and torch also you can set the sensitivity high enough to auto darken when using extremely low amperage. The nice ones are well worth it.... unless you forget to turn it on.

[@tylisirn]

Well, as we just found out, even if you don't turn it on, it'll still block out the most important parts of the spectrum regardless.

[@FrancisR420]

most cheap hoods have those options nowadays.

[@hambone51501]

Hands down, one of the best videos you have put out in quite awhile, when it comes to highly useful information that we have not been told by either the manufacturer nor the schooling we have taken. I am very happy to hear all the times i have forgotten to turn my lid on, I have not done a terrible amount of damage to my eyes. The other times not wearing SH** is what has done er. Good job dude LIKE the vids.....

[@JBFromOZ]

So cool to have the questions answered you haven't even questioned yet! My eyes my eyes!!

[@Kevin-xy2tu]

The darn squint reflex ! I closed my eyes when the pixies started to dance.

[@mikesavage8793]

I've got the "look away" reflex but I'm not a welder.

[@unclebenis2540]

Engage safety squints!

[@embracethesuck1041]

What I'm hearing is buy the cheapest automatic welding hood I can find.

[@ducomaritiem7160]

Thank you, I did not know that even if the shades are not down, you're still protected. So, big thanks for this knowledge.

[@poot111111]

less than 5 minutes into the vi-jay-O and I have already learned so much!

[@jasonf7110]

Real curious what kind of IR rejection those yellow glasses for laser cutting have. I think I remember Willie Osman talking about it a few months back.

[@pendulousphallus]

Feel as though my KZbin experience is getting more and more narrow if AvE is doing responses and Essential Craftsman and Willy O's videos are getting mentions in these comments. Practical Engineering even did a minor response to AvE a while back now.

[@PeregrineBF]

That strongly depends on the glasses. Some are narrow-band filters for one specific frequency, others are rather wide-band. So if you got a set of 400nm-450nm notch glasses (for violet/blue lasers) they'd have almost no IR rejection, while a set of 808nm+980nm+1064nm mulnti-frequency ND:YAG glasses reject those IR wavelengths but not others, like the 10.6um of a CO2 laser...

[@niko1even]

I've had enough uv... **stares directly at sun**

[@lolouro2266]

reminds me when trump looked at the sun during the solar eclipse...lol

[@stellarpod]

Great segment! I actually learned something useful from this one. As always, thanks for sharing. Steve

[@RustyWrenches]

This is great information! I had always thought they were triggered by light intensity. Also great information about cutting. We had a family friend who passed from eye cancer so this is something that we will take to heart and make some changes in the shop.

[@FilmGourmet]

I am getting excited every time he posts a video working around reflective surfaces.

[@tristin5723]

@AvE What about the cheap eBay, alli, harbor freight ones? Do they provide 100% UV and IR before they activate?

[@sleepwalker3520]

Dude, thank you so much for sending me in the direction of the workshop... much appreciated

[@OEMPlus]

this is awesome. i'm officially addicted to watching your videos.

[@jef383]

Just wanted to say thanks for making all these videos, I find myself always learning something new while being entertained with every single one. That's is a true art form which can't just be taught,aside from the wealth of knowledge you obviously have. There are some extremely knowledgeable people here on youtube but watching their vids is like watching slugs race, or they are just pompous know-it-alls who can't fathom that there may be alternative (possibly even better) waynthan their own way. By the way, it may just be my selective stupidity, but did I see a Voivod poster in the background of one of your videos? Are you near Jonquière? Beautiful little slice of heaven up there. Anyway, thanks again.

[@toolthoughts]

could you test different samples of common glass? all this reminded of feynman observing the first a-bomb test through a truck windshield, ditching the issued dark eyewear.

[@jfan4reva]

I read that too, and remember he explained why he could get away with it. The laminated auto glass he was watching through had a cellulose (or some other kind plastic) layer. It wasn't common glass. Common glass hasn't been used in cars since the 1930s. Being smart can be helpful!

[@toolthoughts]

jfan4reva I might have been a bit ambiguous, but I meant types of glass that's usually around: window pane, auto glass, recycled or tinted glassware etc - not just plain glass

[@firstmkb]

+Feynman!

[@TheDanbulance]

Glad to hear that it's always IR and UV opaque. I've had a bunch of occasions welding in shitty spots where the sensor gets blocked and it clicks back over.

[@loganm.5068]

What a convenient vidjayo considering I just got my new fangled auto erecting welding helmet this week for work so this was a nice little tidbit of information

[@jcruzazul93]

If someone is welding or using one of those helmets and you point a remote control and push buttons can you mess with him?

[@tylisirn]

I so want to do this now...

[@e-ironmanmarsden754]

I love my 3M SPEEDGLAS SL

[@billneu9520]

Thank you for keeping all of us distracted and entertained from the un-seeable danger of a virus. I never miss one of you great videos. Most DIY’s take things apart to see how it works. BIG THANKS AGAIN BILL N LINY

[@AaronCarr]

This is definitely a new way to present scientitious goodness - I approve

[@zalmaflash]

I got flashed once - by my wife - but it was a pleasant experience. Released the schmoo shortly after that.

[@HiroProtagonistak]

Test the amazing Harbor Freight welding helmet.

[@arthurlejawka6392]

Thanks for this. Going to pass this bit of info around for sure!

[@BrewPub]

Learned TIG, Stick , MIG and OxyFuel at local technical college. First few classes, did it with the manual welders the class provided. Then bought myself an Optrel e684. A good auto darkening is the best investment a starting welder can make.

[@briangarrow448]

Momma always told me not to look at the eyes of the sun, But momma, That's where the fun is.... Apologies to Springsteen and Mann.

[@arduinoversusevil2025]

+Brian Garrow thanks for the wise words. I stole em in the redux.

[@briangarrow448]

AvE -No worries. ALL of my best stuff is stolen from others. The last original idea I had ended with me on a dirt road in a small Mexican border town with a number of irritated locals trying to practice the hat dance on my liver, kidneys and lower digestive tract. I really should have spent more time learning Spanish and local customs.

[@MoisesQuirozT]

Brian Garrow a mexican fellow fan of ave here, so sorry to read your experience with those locals, I apologise for the vast majority of uneducated bastards we have down here, but hey, not all of us are that way, there's also a lot very nice guys and gals.

[@christianfontaine5]

MORE WELDING CONTENT!!!

[@quaide78]

Thanks for this! As someone new trying to learn to weld, I was not confident in the protection my hood provided. It's good to know that all of the most damaging light is 100% blocked.

[@Juozas1942]

Thx for a video as a welder for 5 years i knew some stuff but got to know something more

[@JimmysTractor]

For the sequel, smear some SPF 50 on some clear saran wrap.

[@HardKnocksForge]

I wonder if you would have gotten different results had you used a Skidmore-Wilhelm...

[@volvo09]

With a liberal coating of fresh eye grease

[@MikaelBu]

Great timing, was just discussing whether to get a few of these for work the other day.

[@MaverickandStuff]

I always end up using my autodarking helmet like a fixed shade. Head nod right before striking the arc. I learned to weld with a fixed shade while wearing sunglasses. It took me awhile to figure out why everything was so dark. Keeping a spotlight nearby helps alot.

[@paulince1715]

How much uv or ir does an eyelid stop?🤔

[@ChickenDeranged]

ever tried to weld with your eyes closed? it aint going to work mate. use a helmet...

[@paulince1715]

I'm not a welder. But have watched welders tack weld eyes shut and hand to shade. This was before electronic sheald. Just wondered what level of risk they where at. Thanks. Merry Christmas

[@dennisphoenix1]

@@paulince1715 that's a fair question, I have done the same when holding something that was being welded

[@MrCamarofreak87]

How exactly does it limit the visible light through the "electric" lens? What causes the switch? Curious minds need to know.

[@stonent]

It's basically the black LCD part of a calculator without the opaque silver backing. The switch is probably the bright flash hitting the solar cell or a UV sensor on the hood.

[@ChristopherMcRae]

@stonent the sensor is typically a photodiode which is maximally sensitive at around 880 nm, which is IR.

[@interdiction2]

Love the channel and everything that goes with it. Hope you and your family have a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year. Keep your bits where they should be. 🖒

[@yourredcomrade717]

i remember when auto darkening helmets were really expensive. i was delighted when i found some at HF for less than 100 bucks. they work perfectly. just remember to turn them ON. grind is the off function lol. now if only they could invent a welding helmet that stays up when you want and flips down when you want instead of flopping around all the time lol

[@billrussell7672]

test harborfright,penceless auto welding hood ,,,,mucho importanado

[@5HlNOBI]

Eye flash sucks. The feeling of sand in the eye indeed.

[@fredblogs7819]

Its Christmas, and I'm watching AvE talking about his helmet. FML.

[@hickeyskustomresto]

I've been enjoying your channel bud. Nice to listen to a tuber who talks like I do. Cheers

[@MrLucidity]

You can tell the manuel helmet users by the welders-nod, and the electronical users by the welders-blink

[@johnathonlevesque3784]

Hey just to let you know welding can damage camera's, you might have weird color lines showing up.

[@johnathonlevesque3784]

You can guess how I figured that out.

[@trickcyclists]

Zin Gaming... Ahhh.. the old 'empirical evidence' experience.. You can't beat it.. expensive though it is, haha.

[@johnathonlevesque3784]

Chris England $600 phone.... last time I buy those phones for where I work. Found the cheap ones were tougher and doesn't make my bank account cry.

[@hambone51501]

learnt that, Screw on filters from now on

[@volvo09]

Zin Gaming if you work in a shop you can't have an expensive "designer phone". Been trying to get that point across to my buddy for years, 8 (or more!) iPhones / screens later he still has one, but now it's more delicate. Waiting for the day :) ....

[@sheldonross6968]

Welder as a career my work provided me with a 3M Speedglass. Its a great helmet.

[@johnsonp.]

When I was a kid these guys were welding our staircase rail and I was so mesmerized I couldn’t see for the next few minutes.

[@halnywiatr]

With candy mountain jelly beans so cheap; just wear virtual reality glasses with two cameras for depth of vision. it's not as if we are dropping shields to watch welding videos after all.

[@M3nd0zaBrack3n]

What I'd be interested in with these autodarkening types, how do they compare in terms of power generated off the arc (photovoltaic cell) and power used by the electronical brainbox and LCD? Also, are there differences in that metric between cheap and pro gamer gear?

[@BerndFelsche]

Merry Christmas Uncle Bumble.... The prescription lenses in my spec's show up black on IR. They're acrylic plastic based with refraction enhancers .. can't get glass lenses for my dehanced vision any more. Worked for 7 years "in" steel fab shop. Avoided welding "flash" and radiation burns... Always wore long sleeved shirts and kept 5 metres away from arcs in gas when not wearing eye protection. Submerged arc... Wow. Only the warm glow of the backing bar tells you that it's working.

[@Fishhookjack]

Thanks for that. I knew that safety glasses blocked uv but didn't know about the ir. Going to pick up cutting glasses in the morning

[@hotel-california]

Ooh, a rare early viewing! Edit: doesn't seem like you ever actually answered the question about trigger speed 🤔

[@RenaxTM91]

The answer is quite fast, certantly fast enaugh, and that it really doesn't matter... Atleast for the good ones. You might find some super cheap ones that works slower..

[@aususer415]

Wasn't it "it doesn't matter". The auto dark was for visible light - that's not the damaging bit - IR/UV... Unky bumblefuck stated the IR and UV is ALWAYS protected with that glass. Ie... The auto-dark is for your comfort, not your protection

[@PeregrineBF]

Trigger speed is listed in the manual for all of them. My helmet is rated at 1/20,000 second (50 microseconds). Plenty fast enough.

[@thatgoodnutt6764]

they usually darken with a 1/25,000 second delay iirc

[@nwimpney]

@@aususer415 You can still get some damage from visible light, though. just not as quickly as from IR/UV. In theory the pulses are short enough not to do any damage.

[@biker1373]

do tea bags help with a flash ?

[@SuperB776]

biker..I have used concentrated milk before (Pet brand )...a couple drops in eyes works wonders...b

[@donkeymedic]

these things aide in alleviating the symptoms only. Luckily you eye are one of the fastest regenerating organs and heal fast. With the exception of pissing in your eye's, which is strongly discouraged. Not going into why but peeing on your eyes is similar to hitting your hand with a hammer to get rid of a headache.

[@donkeymedic]

All of these things will aide in providing relief. I find Vicodin does wonders but most bosses get upset when your high for some reason.

[@jamest.5001]

biker I have found. when I was younger and dumber. nothing helps enough as. DON'T DO IT! it took me about two days to go to sleep. when I did. I woke up and could not open my eyes to save my life! talk about freaked out! I bumbled around found the sink and washed them a lot. finally got them open! I haven't seen to great since! best to not burn them to start!

[@dean37422]

Apparently the tannin in tea helps soothe them.

[@derickmoore3529]

One of many awesome videos man thanks for what you do

[@charlesworton4020]

The more I watch, the more I like JB Weld.

[@benphilippi9325]

Just wear 2 pairs...Quick MATHS!

[@tartredarrow]

You only need to do that if the v-notch you're burning is dirty. Am I right?

[@thomas316]

Why stop at 2?

[@SuperAWaC]

huh... i always figured it didn't make sense that the thing wouldn't do the stuff if it didn't go, you know. so it musta done without even doing, just in case, or else what's the fuckin' point, right?

[@andersjjensen]

BWAHAHAHA! Thanks for that one! And merry Christmas!

[@Ethorbit]

English please.

[@exportedafrican]

Great video! Probably the best one on KZbin!

[@1musicsearcher]

I like that your old pipe welders helmet as a machinist Union sticker on it. Thumbs up!

[@raymondmucklow3793]

I can attest to burning my eye holes with a gas welder, I fixing up some tailpipe (she asked me to) got done. Later that night woke up crying couldn't open my peeps, there were on fire.

[@rhyssutherland8937]

Raymond Mucklow that was remorse from “fixing the tailpipe “

[@raymondmucklow3793]

throttle bottle 10-4.

[@toastymallow-gaming8382]

used to keep a remote control in the tool box for fucking with the newbies during lunch and what not when they used the shop helmet. :P

[@rickramirez8664]

ToastyMallow-Gaming I used to come up behind my new welders and block the sensors on their auto datkening hoods.

[@rwpresley]

Just the info I was lookin for. Thanks!

[@chriscase9549]

W@eeelllll, my decade-ago $29 electronic self darkener turned instantly black, then took sooo loong to brighten back up to 11 that my eyes got lost in the dark. Pupils dilated, focus went to infinity, binocular/stereoscopic vision shut off. Once the screen allowed the 11 through it took a half second for the eyes to align and focus. Meantime I had no idea where my shakey hands had moved the spark to. Recent purchase of a $59 helmet made me the weldor I thought I was 10 years ago when neck discs had precluded the old snap-it-shut helmet.

[@funkyzero]

I was a fitter for quite a few years, heavy equip stuff in a shop full of welders. I never liked these things. Its maybe a good idea for casual use, but too many things make them a pain and they just aren't practical when you do this for a living 12 hours a day. First, electronics in a welding shop. They get broken a lot. And every time some wanker drops a piece of plate on your hood, you don't want to spend 150 bucks to replace it. 20 is much better. Second, only in a perfect world where the shields are clean are these nice to use. After 10 minutes of welding, shields covered in smoke and splatter can't be seen through very well anymore, and that totally sucks. For most home users and fab shops, you spend far more time measuring, squaring and tacking than you ever do welding. I just cover the arc with my hand or something. Sunburn is also a factor needing considered... we used a lot of sunblock and quickly figured out which brands burned like piss in your eyes after you start sweating. So you need to cover the arc when you are tacking or you'll end up with nasty sunburn... or glob tons of nasty sunblock on your skin. I spent about a week trying to get acclimated to one of these and ended up giving it away to one of the kids int he shop. They all tried to use these things and all eventually ended up ditching them for the old fashioned head-nodder

[@robertwallace713]

The best compromise, in my opinion at least, Is a pancake shield with an auto-darkening unit. You don't get glare from the reverse because it's sealed, you can replace just the darkening unit if damaged or somehow runs outta chooch, and you get the auto darken benefits.

[@BGraves]

I smell a professional tacker

[@funkyzero]

I was a professional tacker for quite some time. Howd ya know?

[@bkarston485]

I sit in an office chair and weld aluminum military coolers with a miller dynasty 700 with wireless footpedal. There is no way I would want anything less than a speedglas 9000x or miller titanium.

[@mephInc]

$35 el cheapo plasteek hood for me at the Steel Mill. Can't tell ya how many times I've dropped my hood 300+ft or smashed it on a beam. I'd much rather destroy that hood than some snazzy, expensive one.

[@omikr0nsk]

164 likes and no dislikes? Am I still on youtube?

[@JimBiddle.]

Your voice is like a Canadian Terry Wogan, soothing.

[@dwhitehouse9829]

Thank you so much. Great video. It would be cool to test the EM radiation at different settings on various processes, extrapolating data to learn a "safe" distance

[@Nordern]

What if you use s permanent marker on clear glasses? Would it help?

[@MonkeyFabGarage]

Good info. Thought the same about the polycarb. Guess I’ll be buying some cutting glasses. Thanks

[@mikakoivusaari4546]

Always wondered about those autodarken helmets, nice to know.

[@johnsayman2271]

I have had my cheap Harbor fraud mask for 6 years, 170amp chicago electric 220v mig welder just as long and they are both still going strong. Since I usually weld outside in the wind I buy 10lb spools of .035 fluxcore wire. 0 issues. Also my mask has grind setting, sucks to forget to switch back weld setting