[TheForge] Automatic welding lens

Wed Jan 5 10:05:49 EST 2005

I have a sheild from Harbor freight that I paid $60 for (they're $49
now,
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=46092).
It works well and seems to be pretty durable--it's a couple years old
and has been dropped a few times with no ill effect. I thought it was a
luxury too so I went cheap having heard that the protection once dark
is as good on a cheap one as an expensive one. My only complaint is
that for some reason I get a momentary flash before the shade darkens
when I'm tig welding. Doesn't happen with the mig. My sheild has a
1/20000 response time and it could be that the 1/25000 unit (119 and
HF) would solve that problem. I also find that when grinding the shade
flips back and forth between dark and light, so maybe adjustable light
sensitivity it a worthwhile feature. Seems like features and maybe
response time are what you get for additional money. Overall, I'd agree
about the usefulness...I rarely use my fixed sheild anymore.

Justin.

--- Rob Fertner <rfertner at cox.net> wrote:

> Does anyone know how the Hobart brand stacks up? A local farm supply
> has
> some for sale at $99. I haven't check on it yet,but if it's a good
> brand
> I might.
> Rob
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Larry and Pat
> Brown
> Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 4:17 AM
> To: Sponsored by ABANA
> Subject: RE: [TheForge] Automatic welding lens
> 
> I've used the Jackson executive and now the nextgen, I have been very
> happy 
> with them as you can also grind and torch cut with them. Mine have
> bounced 
> off the floor quite a few times and been bouncing around the shop and
> truck 
> mildly for years and are still alive. My biggest complaint is on the 
> executive, sweat getting into the battery compartment which they
> solved 
> with the nextgen
> Larry Brown
> 
> 
> At 01:30 AM 1/5/2005 -0600, you wrote:
> >Bill, I have had several electronic shields. They are great but
> don't
> drop
> >one... They don't like that. I think that the cheap ones work as
> well
> as the
> >expensive ones. I can't thank you enough for using the term
> "shield".
> How
> >the hell the word "helmet" ever replaced "shield" is a mystery to
> me. A
> >"helmet" protects one's head. A welding "shield" offers little head
> >protection but does a great job of shielding your face & eyes from
> the
> >welding arc.
> >
> >dave mudge
> >dave at magichammer.net
> >http://www.magichammer.net
> >http://www.metalsmithinghowto.com
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> >[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Woolley
> >Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 8:13 PM
> >To: Sponsored by ABANA
> >Subject: [TheForge] Automatic welding lens
> >
> >Greetings,
> >
> >Just thought I would engage anyone on the fence about buying an
> >automatic welding lens.  I thought I would never have much use for
> one
> >until a couple of stair railing jobs ago it dawned on me that it
> might
> >be more than useful for welding/tacking pickets to bottom/top rails
> >without having to lower and raise my shield everytime I moved my
> >electrode 4 inches. ( I had been using 6010 to tack, then finish
> with
> >either the same rod or 7018 since I don't have a decent MIG machine)
>  I
> >probably should be using my 110 volt MIG for this but can't seem to
> get
> >in the groove of turning to it for this application. Anyway, having
> the
> >automatic lens has greatly eased the process of making these simple
> >railings.  The fact that I can start and stay with 7018 is a
> blessing.
> >(Since I don't have to mess with my shield, the rod end never fully
> >cools in between stops and starts, thus making the problem of
> restarting
> >this rod cold without sticking all but solved)  I like the
> appearance
> >and control I am used to with this rod.  I looked at most of what
> was
> >currently available in a  mid to high quality lens before I chose a
> >Jackson NexGen which came with their Shadow shield (sorry I just
> can't
> >call it a helmet), which  spec wise is pretty much state of the art,
> >American made, available on line for $275 total.  I was looking into
> a
> >Jackson EQC Master which was $240 but decided to go the extra mile
> to
> >gain a larger viewing area (lens size).  For what it's worth, I
> thought
> >for a long time that it would be a frivolous purchase, or a luxury
> to
> >have one, but from just a couple weeks of  use I can tell that it is
> >going to be a valuable tool for me to have in the shop.
> >
> >Regards,
> >Bill Woolley
> 
> 
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