[TheForge] Eye protection/filters while forge welding

[Paul Novorolsky]

Thanks for the detailed response. I was able to find the discussion in the archives, back in Feb 2006. I appreciate your patient demeanor, as other lists that I've been on have been less kind to "newbies" that ask questions that have been covered in the past.
   
  Since I'm new to this list, I was wondering if there's a better way to search the archive other than the "brute force" of visiting each months archive and searching through the subjects.
   
  Thanks,
  **Paul

Bruce Freeman <FREEMAB at pt.fdah.com> wrote:
  This has been discussed here extensively, but I don't think there's much
agreement.

You can search for messages involving "IR", "UV", safety glasses,
didymium, etc., in the archives.

We call a fire "white hot" but it never truly reaches "white." (It
looks that way by contrast.) Certain lamps - halogen things used for
photography, for example - get white hot like the sun and are rated in
Kelvin temperatures to indicate this. When an object (the "black body"
of physics) heats up, it first starts emiting IR. As it gets hotter it
emits visible light, first in the red and then adding yellow and
"hotter" colors to the mix. Finally, only when extremely hot, the
"black body" will emit UV. A forge never gets that hot. (Arc welders
do emit UV, but that's only slightly due to the heat. An arc emits UV
light by an entirely different mechanism than "black body radiation". 
This is why fluorescent lamps are more power-efficient than incandescent
lamps - they don't waste so much energy producing heat.)

UV (=ultraviolet) light can and will damage your vision. Forges
produce only insignificant levels of UV. Sunlight, by contrast, gives
off considerable UV, which is why looking at the sun will destroy your
vision.

Visible light will cause spots before your eyes. Your eyes respond to
visible light, so they protect themselves from it to some extent. 
However, "what you see is what you get." Glare can HURT, but I doubt it
will cause serious permanent injury. Eyestrain is not to be scoffed at,
though, so wear protection against glare.

IR (= infrared) light is nothing more nor less than radiant heat. Heat
can cause you injury, but not like UV causes. Pretty much, you can feel
IR so you'll tend to avoid excess exposure. However, it has been
pointed out on this forum that the eye does not respond to IR in a way
that protects it. Clear plastic lenses are probably sufficient to
protect your eyes against IR. 

Bruce
NJ

>>> crosspein at sbcglobal.net 12/5/2006 8:36 AM >>>
All the recent discussion about protective headgear has prompted me to

ask the question about eye protection while forge welding.

I'm a novice (I've only been at this about a year), but I spent a fair

amount of time forge welding in a coal forge this past weekend. Staring

into a white-hot fire as the pieces reached temperature left me with 
spots before my eyes as I dressed the joint. I wear clear safety 
glasses, but was wondering if I should move to a shaded (sunglass type)

or perhaps a welding filter.

So the bottom line is, what do you more experienced smiths use? Is
there 
danger of permanent damage from staring into the coal forge?

I searched several months back into the archives, but didn't see any 
recent discussion on the topic.

Thanks,
Paul
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