HOW TO RESTORE SCRATCHED/ BURNT/ CLOUDY WELDING LENSES

Here's a quick trick to get your old welding helmet lenses looking like new in 1 minute. Restore and recycle!
FLOOR PLATES EBAY LINK: www.ebay.co.uk...
Support my latest project project, Feed The Mongrel: paypal.me/pool...
MERCHANDISE: urchfab.com/mer...
Support the channel: / urchfab
Instagram: / matt_urchfab
Website: urchfab.com/
Facebook: / urchfab
Thanks to my sponsors..
xtremeplasma.e...
www.inverterfu...
My camera gear:
Camera. amzn.to/2DbvxdD
Mic. amzn.to/2DbyKd0
Tripod. amzn.to/2DxaEud
My name's Matt Urch and I own and run Urchfab welding and fabrication.
I specialise in custom automotive fabrication from building roll cages to complete one off builds. I built the worlds most unique and oldest drift car known as 'The Drift Rod' which can be found on my channel.
So if you're into grinding, welding, fabricating, etc, you're in the right place!

[@xXSarahSacrificeXx]

Sir, you just helped my husband save a good chunk of money by making this video. He has the same ESAB hood, loves it! However a 5 pack of lenses can range between 35-50$ depending on where you get them and at times I have a hard time finding replacements for him. Gonna show him this video and ask him to teach me how to use his power tools so I can do this for his other lenses while hes out working if needed. Much appreciated.

[@SickNaban]

What a great wife! Kudos!

[@MarkyPaine]

I used meguires scratch x 2.0 with a little polish wheel/buff pad that fits in your cordless drill and it came up a treat. So a similar solution. Good stuff

[@MrCristianflorin]

Where did you got the polish pad for drill? Have u got a link by any chance?

[@MalcOfLincoln]

Works great Matt. 1982 and I finally rebuilt a vehicle properly. A 250 RD Yamaha. Fitted a fairing from a different bike. Screen was scratched to death. Did it by hand, fine emery, steel wool them metal polish. Person I bought it from saw it afterwards and asked where I'd got the new screen from 😊

[@MalcOfLincoln]

@Walter Sobchak Yes, any abrasive fine paste works well

[@malcolmtill]

I do my prescription glasses once in a while, They come up great.

[@watahyahknow]

cool idea , used to restore plexyglass motorbike windshields that way using a paintbuffer and copperpolish

[@jackdawg4579]

good tip! thrown out a few face shields for the same reason. Will have to stick them on the buffer from now on!

[@steveveness3829]

G'day from West Australia Matt🙂 Started doing that a long time ago out of necessity. Didn't want to buy a new helmet coz the manufacturer stopped making replacements, so I bought what they had left and started cleaning and polishing. LMAO had to buy a new helmet about 8yrs ago. Couldn't recycle any more coz the dam self darkening lens finally died.🙄👍👍

[@allofusmoreofus2281]

Gonna try this on my normal glasses. Always dropping them lens down. Great tip Matt. New shop is the mutts.

[@joshmarlow1609]

Thank you so much for this video bud this is exactly what I was looking for

[@ephronj]

Any specific grit you recommend?

[@bruced1429]

Matt, good idea , but if you do not have a belt sander with 1200 grit , I use a product called Mothers aluminum polish, it works great , I think any aluminum polish will work. I have the same helmet as you mine came with 3 of each (clear,yellow) and I have not touched them yet , just wipe some mother's on it and wipe it off and presto clear lenses again. Cost about 12 dollars Canadian at Canadian Tire stores. got this idea from another you tube channel

[@martinm4961]

Will we be getting a mongrel update soon?

[@garyxperia7725]

Hi Matt great tip your right i am kicking myself i have chucked loads of these away and now just buy the clear because they are cheaper, have you got links to the items you are using i cannot find them any were also do you get the same result with the grinding wheel buffer pad and were do you get them from checked toolstation and screwfix but no joy.

[@brentonpaterson7047]

A day after I buy new safety glasses I scratch them. Thanks so much for this tip!!

[@Mikey-ym6ok]

Safety glasses have coatings that you don’t want to take off mate. Imy myself buy packs of them and throw them away when they get used up.

[@josevalerin3270]

Nice! What polish did you use?

[@markhendry1761]

Great tip Matt I can't believe how many if lenses I bin over the course of a year. Does the same truck work for the internal lens?

[@SeaToSkyOverlanding]

Try out multi surface polish from Tesco or Lidl. Just spary it onto the lens while it’s on the helmet and let it sit for a minute and than polish it up with a clean rug. Since a Polish welder showed me this i always have a can of polish in my toolbox to polish up the lens and glasses.

[@Afrodizyak47]

Brasso works a treat also.. bit messy though Where do you use the yellow lens Matt?

[@tomfrantz]

Brilliant. Thank you.

[@ifell3]

Fantastic stuff Matt

[@stephencoulthard1718]

On the cheaper helmets I gaffer taped half a CD case to the front ,worked a treat! (Hard to get CD cases now :))

[@nicolastrudel9320]

What is that polishing belt and where did u get it ?

[@peterbonnez]

Good tip, worked a treat. Thank you..

[@PaulsGarage]

I dont have that kind of welding helmet but I could definitely use this trick on my face shield

[@Mikey-ym6ok]

Yup!

[@Sennaxm71]

The Stig's welding cousin :-D Helpful vid

[@nathanchalecki4842]

Wow had no idea they could be cleaned up so fast

[@harryballzack]

Nice tip!

[@saturdayshanks3753]

Just bought one of these hoods - saving this video for when the inevitable happens.

[@Mikey-ym6ok]

I ordered this hood. How do you like it 4 months in?

[@saturdayshanks3753]

@@Mikey-ym6ok Really love it. Super clear, and very comfortable. Pretty light as well. Haven't been flashed once, and still have the original batteries in it. I mainly stick and mig and it's been awesome for that, gonna pick up a tig machine next year.

[@shanewright6958]

Great job 👍

[@tattooste]

you can use cif liquid or t cut

[@Medinabros2007]

Muy bien saludos desde Honduras 👍👍👍🇭🇳

[@fambuild]

Good stuff!

[@matejsmetka2968]

That is a great tip! Thanks! I realised that I won’t need a new face shield protector neither. Also protection glasses!

[@garagemonkeysan]

Great tip! : )

[@justblitzin7290]

I have a burn mark on my visor I don’t know how to get it off

[@nickwhitney1534]

Any update on the mongrel?

[@MattBrownbill]

Will it work on perspex headlights?

[@harveysmith100]

yes There are many kits on the marked just for headlights

[@hectorcalderon3011]

What type of policy is used

[@kirstysinclair9021]

Also acetone vapour will work .

[@blackbuttecruizr]

Top tip

[@peterimmington549]

What would you need a welding helmet for matt lol. I love your work, l look forward to every new vid.

[@D34THaturplace]

very smart

[@vanillagoose4444]

Yoi Matt teach us how to use an angle grinder like a Pro ! seems daft but you seem to push while cutting and i’ve always pulled ! No youtube advice on that ! what about how you built your welding table etc too ! all exciting stuff to us hobby fabricators welding up our old jalopies 😂

[@6wil0liam2]

Esab lenses are way to expensive. This is good to know

[@shayne7300]

OMG.."The Black Stig" Lives...lol

[@TheTimmyc123]

Don't put it face down? Doesn't fill with dust then either...

[@jasonbailz9754]

Man, I need a multi tool!

[@Mikey-ym6ok]

Yes, you do. I love mine.

[@888johnmac]

did I really just watch someone polish his helmet ?? .. in all seriousness nice tip Matt

[@ajones8699]

Nice tip😂

[@melgross]

I find that most of the garbage is from the welding smoke, and with cleaning fluid for counters, and a couple of paper towels, most of it comes off. It doesn’t take scratches off, of course. But then, I don’t put my helmet down on the front. Five or six quid each is a real ripoff. In dollars, I buy a package of 5 for about $18 off eBay. That’s about £14.3 at current rates. So about £2.86 each. Not cheap, but not terrible. Polishing works well, but you can clean it two or,three times first. Seriously, just don’t put these face down!

[@malcolmyoung7866]

SAAAWEEET!!

[@jonasthemovie]

Most of the echo comes from using too loud voice. The camera picks your voice up fine, just trust it to do its thing. New shop is nice!

[@richardpowell5369]

Should fit some horns to the mask, then when you put it down, only the horns and chin will touch the work bench

[@Fredixxl]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@ipaddlemyowncanoe.7441]

👍👍🇨🇦

[@insanebilly]

Can we get a better Male model the next time.

[@landiv8]

That’s why I didn’t buy that helmet.

[@Rusiputki]

Why do I find these videos after I've already done it? :) This guy is stealing my tips!!! First thing first, don't do this on a bike helmet, window, screen, something you want clarity with. Second. Meguiar Plasti-xR (balm without sand) is garbage and still won't make it cloud free. Third, I'm gonna give the flame polish a try. Fourth, Urchfab still never gave tips how to prevent this shit from sticking, can't polish after every 2-3 uses, that will get old fast. I'm thinking grease, wd40, engine oil, candle wax, dish soap, etc... which substances do you guys think will help the spatter slide a little bit better without melting onto the lens?

[@Rusiputki]

Update: using flame does nothing to polycarbonate, in fact you can ruin it, starts getting hazy, worst it can start to bubble. And finally using some oil does prevent shit from sticking badly. It was definitely easier to wipe then re-apply some oil again. Just don't expect clarity....

[@Rusiputki]

So I've restored a bunch of welding helmets for colleagues with great success. WD40, or any oil is highly recommended to prevent stuff from sticking, kinda like how you put dish soap onto race car windows to stop them from steaming up. As for removing you can start with something extreme like 1000/2000 grit sand paper if you see deep scratches and then work you way up with any type of polish you have in hand. Most of them are some sort of paste with sand which at the end will return the haze look. So here is the important step, if you are into knife sharpening then you have stainless steel green compound which is down to microns. That shit will really polish the surface to crystal clear and easiest way to get it is from Aliexpress. It's important you get the green one and try sharpening your knives with it.

[@12121149]

What happened, I subscribed to your channel to watch the Mongrel build,???????????? Not this crap,just sayin'

[@dmitrijsjacenko2502]

Thanks