American Optical Welding Lens

[jhammer]

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/wat/tls/1507115849.html

Apparently these are the best lens out there. I believe they stopped making them in the 70`s. They go from 200 to 1000 $$. Has anyone tried one?

The company that made the lens (American Optical) ran out of cobalt at their mine and could not make anymore. Plus people thought that cobalt 87 was radioactive, but its not. Cobalt 82 i think is.

I have read lots of threads on these lens and lots of people out there would sell there firstborn for one, its crazy.

Any old welders have a stockpile i can have..

 

[pedrobedro]

Couldn't they get Cobalt from somewhere else ? Do they make you weld that much better ? If I'd paid that much for a glass it would be in a safe

 

[jhammer]

yup

 

[hotrodder]

The darker welding lenses may be different but i've heard some nasty things concerning the cobalt blue lenses that used to be used in foundries + eye damage. https://www.tinmantech.com/html/tm2000.php, not exactly impartial but the best i could find from a quick google