Do Auto Helmets Wear Out?

[normspanners]

Do Auto Helmets Wear Out?

YES THEY DO----------- the bloody pivot friction bits so they dont stay up properly and come crashing down on your nose you can tighten till your fingers are sore and it is nearly impossible to lift it but the next time you walk or turn with it up -----BANG and the nose is gone

 

[PTvor]

Hi Guys

I'm Relatively new to welding and i am currently doing my apprenticeship for Tig Welding, I need some help figuring out why my welding helmet i received as a gift is not darkening properly, its a Disston YC-06 Auto Darkening Helmet.
It darkens perfectly when i start the weld but as soon as i move into a corner it starts flickering and sometimes stops all together, is this helmet suitable for Tig welding or is my sensor maybe not strong enough, should i resume using my older helmet for the Tig welding?

http://androware.co.za/Beta/YC-06-C-D.html

It's fixed shade 11 and it has a response time of 1/5000th of a second, which isn't tremendous compared with the cheap ebay ones. I'd find the fixed shade a pain.

It has only two sensors which might be causing problems if you are managing to block the light. Four is better. The blurb says it works down to 25A with TIG, if you are doing less than that, you'd expect problems.

Generally TIG welders seem to have more problems getting a helmet which works properly, especially at low amps, than MIG or stick welders.

 

[Richard.]

Generally TIG welders seem to have more problems getting a helmet which works properly, especially at low amps, than MIG or stick welders.

Its because with tig 4,5,10 amps are weldable current levels.
25-35 amps are usually the minimum for Mig and mma even more so.
You've also got the added aid of sparks and spatter which easily trigger the sensers as well as the arc.
Serious tig welders are better off with serious masks.
Shade 11 would not work for me either. Anything over 25-30 amps on tig and I'm a shade 12. Too light I find distracting.
I think for the money the Viking 3350 is a super tig mask. I've just repaired one of my bandsaw blades tacking at 9 amps and it's 4 sensers catch everything.
Controls inside are a pain with a glove on but I can live with that for its super optical performance.

 

[PTvor]

Its because with tig 4,5,10 amps are weldable current levels.
25-35 amps are usually the minimum for Mig and mma even more so.
You've also got the added aid of sparks and spatter which easily trigger the sensers as well as the arc.
Serious tig welders are better off with serious masks.
Shade 11 would not work for me either. Anything over 25-30 amps on tig and I'm a shade 12. Too light I find distracting.
I think for the money the Viking 3350 is a super tig mask. I've just repaired one of my bandsaw blades tacking at 9 amps and it's 4 sensers catch everything.
Controls inside are a pain with a glove on but I can live with that for its super optical performance.

Yes. Some helmets specially recommended for TIG trigger at a minimum of 2A, not 25A.

I'd say that Disston helmet just isn't up to the job.

 

[Richard.]

Yes. Some helmets specially recommended for TIG trigger at a minimum of 2A, not 25A.

I'd say that Disston helmet just isn't up to the job.

It would do a job if the user is happy staying above 2mm and doesn't mind the odd flash. I'm sure but for me It wouldn't be too usable.
I'm all for saving a few quid on equipment as I don't believe you need high end gear to produce good welding but with masks I'm a believer that good ones really do improve your welding.
I've even proved this theory many times over with learner tig welders . @Noods welding was ten times better as soon as he slapped my new tec on his head before we even got started.

 

[PTvor]

It would do a job if the user is happy staying above 2mm and doesn't mind the odd flash. I'm sure but for me It wouldn't be too usable.
I'm all for saving a few quid on equipment as I don't believe you need high end gear to produce good welding but with masks I'm a believer that good ones really do improve your welding.
I've even proved this theory many times over with learner tig welders . @Noods welding was ten times better as soon as he slapped my new tec on his head before we even got started.

I don't do TIG, just MIG and stick, but I find I adjust the helmet to anywhere between 9 and 12 depending on the job. I think 11 would be too dark for car panels.

Anyway, as Mr Casey is training as a welder he'll be doing a lot of it and he'll have to weld what he's told to weld and that may well be less than 2mm.

If you say that you've found that a better helmet instantly improves the performance of learner TIG welders, even before they've picked up the torch, I'll take your word for it.

Enough people on here seem to be happy with the ebay cheapies but they are probably used for MIG and stick. Helmets at that price certainly have an appeal for people who are likely to find their helmet has been pinched or knocked about or have people who insist on watching. If you only weld a few times a year you may not feel like splashing out either.