How do I get better at welding?

[vtsteam]

 

Yup. I am getting worse by the day after lessee learning to "weld" 56 years ago. Back then it was stick welding with 6013. All on a red tombstone Lincoln AC welder. Period. That was it.

I didn't progress much over the years. Maybe 6011, then 7018AC.  I'm better at grinding the blobs off, too. Okay, serviceable farm-quality welds on 1/8" and thicker steel.

Last ten years I have had a Harbor Freight electronic shade welding helmet to replace the original peephole 1930's style helmet. And two years ago, I got a wire feed flux core welder that I like a lot -- especially for doing sheet metal.

Lately I find my biggest problem isn't the welder or the brand of wire (both working really well for me). It's my ability to see what I'm doing. I don't remember having as much trouble with stick welding, but nowadays, I just can't seem to see the joint or weld puddle after the arc lights. And yet I feel it's a little dazzling, so I don't want to turn down the shade number.

My welds are all over the place, guesswork. I don't know if it's aging vision -- don't think so, I don't even need glasses normally. I weld outside due to fumes,etc. , so there's a lot of light.

Any suggestions?

[shipto]

I was going to say practice makes perfect but not much use if you cant see it. Maybe some different glasses I for example have my regular glasses and some +3.5 for fiddly work.

[vtsteam]

Thanks Dwayne. I did try some reading glasses yesterday. Didn't seem to help much. My problem is the whole area seems really dark, not necessarily out of focus. Except for the arc which seems a little too bright.

Just writing this above, I'm wondering do I need to set a DARKER shade level instead of a lighter one? Maybe it's the brightness that is interfering with my ability to see the surrounding area well? Right now I'm at shade 11 on this helmet.

[awemawson]

I found that fixing a “cheater lens” in my helmet as did gluing a piece of leather from a farriers apron to the back of my helmet down my neck to stop light entering from the rear helps enormously.
I’ve always found hitting the right spot with mig an issue that I’ve blamed on my monocular vision but maybe that’s an easy excuse. Clamping a bar parallel to the desired track that I can run the gun down, and grinding a weld prep that I can follow with stick helps me. White soapstone welders chalk also helps as it stand out in the glare.

[RussellT]

I have had the same trouble and I found that turning down the shade number worked.  I know that the manual says one thing, but I couldn't see what I was doing.

Russell

[vtsteam]

Andrew, I especially like that leather shade idea. Definitely I get light coming into the helmet from the back, and that does interfere. I'm going to try that. I don 't know what a cheater lens is unless it's a magnifier? Russell, I think I might beat as low a number as I dare.

[awemawson]

Cheater lenses come in a range of magnifications but are widedly available on the web - here is an example:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Welding-Magnification-Magnifying-Magnifier-Polycarbonate/dp/B0CJ2GSP43/ref=asc_df_B0CJ2GSP43?mcid=1e6e13054d99388fbbe6e5a2dd1ce482&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=714477417514&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9324668300695673610&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007058&hvtargid=pla-2459421290592&gad_source=1&th=1

Certainly the leather flap made a big difference when I fitted it.

[vtsteam]

Thanks Andrew. Didn't know about cheater lenses. Ordered one.   

[vtsteam]

Received the lens today and I do think it will help. I was woried it wouldn't fit inside the helmet because it was thicker than the plastic inner shield, but the spring wire clamps did hold it in. Sitting at the dining room table (not actually welding yet) the focused area seemed just a little bit closer than optimal, but definitely usable. I ordered 1,75 diopters, and probably could have got 1.5, but we'll see when I try welding.

Haven't added a leather backlight shield yet. Looks like it will need to be in my chin area, since most of the light is coming up from there instead of in back, with my helmet. Looking forward to trying this all out! Thx Andrew again.

I did have another weird idea. Wonder if it would help any to wear sunglasses for say ten minutes before welding to dark adapt one's eyes?