Eclipse and welding helmet?

Geo-TH,In · Aug 18, 2017

Would a welding helmet give enough protection to view eclipse? People are buying up all the eclipse glasses and then boot-legging them at a ridiculous price.

Too late to order off internet and some off internet are not up to specs.

I have both auto darkening and regular welding helmet. Will they work?
geo

gordy from Iowa · Aug 18, 2017

Depends on how much you value your eyes. The short answer is NO.

TGP · Aug 18, 2017

A welding helmet will work as long as it has a # 14 lens
According to the Experts.
That's the darkest lenses you can get I think.
Most are #12.

They also recommend not to look at it for very long.

Tom

Geo-TH,In · Aug 18, 2017

I did say I wanted protection. So No is the answer. Glad I asked. I like my eyes.

In the 70's or 80's, not sure when, we had an Eclipse. I used a welding lens in front of an an old black and white movie camera and safely taped the eclipse. Didn't damage the camera.

Bob in SD · Aug 18, 2017

No, the short answer is exactly what TGP said above.

If you look at the NASA link below, they are even saying:

[i:654c4848f0]Experts suggests that one widely available filter for safe solar viewing is welders glass of sufficiently high number. The only ones that are safe for direct viewing of the Sun with your eyes are those of Shade 12 or higher. [/i:654c4848f0]
NASA link

WAYNE-N-TX · Aug 18, 2017

In the 50's, when I was in school, we took an old comb, set it on fire and smoked broken window glass, I guess that's why I can't do much now?

Phil in Pa · Aug 18, 2017

Of course it will. I did it years ago. The truth is, an eclipse gets pretty boring pretty quick to stand there and look at.

Janicholson · Aug 18, 2017

Two layers of helmet lens would be real nice. A 10 and an 5 or 2 8s The lens holders usually are deep enough and the cover glass can be removed. Jim

denglish · Aug 18, 2017

(quoted from post at 14:24:02 08/18/17) Of course it will. I did it years ago. The truth is, an eclipse gets pretty boring pretty quick to stand there and look at.

I plan to use a shade 12 welding filter. I may stack it with a shade 9. It's true that the eclipse is fairly boring, so exposure times will not be long. During totality you can look with your bare eyes.

banjoman09 · Aug 18, 2017

Yes....12 or more; do not use "auto darkening".

Geo-TH,In · Aug 18, 2017

I have no Idea what shade my lens is. I
looked around and can only find #11 or
smaller. What would two #10's do? What
about my auto darkening? I think it goes
up to #12.

denglish · Aug 18, 2017

A shade 12 diminishes (attenuates) the transmitted light by 50,000 times. A shade 10 by only 4,000 times. So two 10's are not better than a 12. A shade 14 attenuates the light by 373,000 times.

denglish · Aug 18, 2017

(quoted from post at 15:12:29 08/18/17)
A shade 12 diminishes (attenuates) the transmitted light by 50,000 times. A shade 10 by only 4,000 times. So two 10's are not better than a 12. A shade 14 attenuates the light by 373,000 times.

Let me correct myself! Actually, two 10's are better than a 14. They attenuate the light by 4000^2 = 16,000,000. So yes, use two 10s.

Steve in VA · Aug 18, 2017

I'm packing my speedglas set to manual on 13 but I plan to use a #10 over the camera on the tablet, shoot over my shoulder, and watch it occasionally on the screen until totality. I've seen partials using a pin-hole camera so totality is my prey.

Stephen Newell · Aug 18, 2017

Better try the auto darkening helmet first. I've never used one that worked aimed at the sun but others have said they work.

Goose · Aug 18, 2017

I stacked two lenses in a standard arc welding helmet. I also have approved eclipse glasses that I bought before the panic hit. The results are virtually identical. I haven't tried my auto darkening helmet and I don't believe I will.

Ozlander · Aug 18, 2017

There will be approx. 256,000 videos on U-Tube by Monday night.
Take your pick.

Mike(NEOhio) · Aug 18, 2017

I just got my Lincoln auto darkening out today to see if it would work. It adjusts up to 13 but only darkened momentarily when I faced it to the sun. Don't know if it's gone bad or just that sunlight isn't intense enough to trigger the darkening. I took it to a nearby welding shop to test it but the guy was out so I don't know for sure. I have two #11s. Looking through one was hard on the eyes, two and I couldn't see the sun at all.

Dick L · Aug 18, 2017

I watched/looked years ago using my welding helmet. What ever lens that I used every day. I was at work at the time and went out and looked a couple quick times. Watching it didn't ring my bell of interest like most I worked with. I won't bother this time.

CKain(MI) · Aug 18, 2017

two standard welding glasses will work. needs to be at level 14. auto-darkening are very risky...

kevinstuff · Aug 18, 2017

The tv news here in s.e. WI says a #14 lens is minimum

36F30 · Aug 18, 2017

(quoted from post at 13:38:13 08/18/17) Would a welding helmet give enough protection to view eclipse? People are buying up all the eclipse glasses and then boot-legging them at a ridiculous price.

Too late to order off internet and some off internet are not up to specs.

I have both auto darkening and regular welding helmet. Will they work?
geo

Things that make you go hmmmmmm. So would you trust your eyes to a pair of cardboard glasses off a convenience store counter with questionable manufacture, quality control, and zero regulations from an industry that will be gone the day after for another 100 years.....or would you trust them to a highly regulated industry that designs and tests to standards and regulations a product designed to protect your eyes from processes that mimic the suns light. Get a shade 12 or 14 lens. They say the 12's work but the 14's are out there as they are used for carbon arc torch work.

NCWayne · Aug 18, 2017

I've been welding outside many times, and looked directly at the sun with my helmet on. My vision sucks due to genetics, and age, but the direct sun hasn't hurt me anymore than thousands of the welding arcs, be they shielded, or unshielded (flashes).

That said, they tell you these things to err on the side of caution due to people who will try staring at the sun all day with nothing but a welding lens.....because so and so said it's OK.

In other words, they are trying to protect the idiots from themselves.....LOL

RusselAZ · Aug 19, 2017

Use a #10 and a #8 together and use a hood. One welding lens is not enough. You can watch it from start to finish. Another safe way is to put a small hole in a piece of cardboard to project the vision on whatever you want.

rustyfarmall · Aug 19, 2017

(quoted from post at 13:38:13 08/18/17) Would a welding helmet give enough protection to view eclipse? People are buying up all the eclipse glasses and then boot-legging them at a ridiculous price.

Too late to order off internet and some off internet are not up to specs.

I have both auto darkening and regular welding helmet. Will they work?
geo

I have looked directly at the sun several times while wearing my auto-darkening welding helmet. That is the best method I know of for testing the helmet before I begin welding. I plan to use it for viewing the eclipse.

Russ from MN · Aug 19, 2017

Where were you? We beat this topic to death a few days ago! My speedglas only goes to 13, they recommend a 14. I put a #10 and a #5 in an old helmet, that's what I plan on using.

jCarroll · Aug 19, 2017

My Dad damaged his left eye in 1917 by using homemade smoked glass.

Two Dogs · Aug 19, 2017

The last time this show was in town about 25 or 30 years ago I used my welding helmet. I only looked at it momentarily and that and other activities that supposedly make you go blind haven't done so. TDF

dr sportster · Aug 19, 2017

Darkest lens I have ever heard of in a welding supply is a number 11 .Good luck finding a number fourteen. You could always add a five to your ten from a gas lens and make a fifteen . I choose not to look at all.

730virgil · Aug 19, 2017

i plan on watching tv local station out of rockford il to broadcast live

Hobo,NC · Aug 19, 2017

I looked at the sun with my auto dark in mode 13 then my old school helmet that I guess is a 11 are 12. The old school helmet was like looking at the moon at night the sun was completely round with no glare, I felt like I could look at the sun all day. The Auto dark had glare and no defined roundness to the sun like the old school helmet view, I did not feel conferrable.

I survived both old school is my pick.

Hobo,NC · Aug 19, 2017

Played with auto dark I don't think it went into auto dark mode. When I press the test button the sun was more defined and view able. I am not gonna use it and would not let anyone else use it either...

My daughter said she had the real deal glasses when she looked at the sun it looked like a bright moon a defined circle.

Eclipse and welding helmet?

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