On 07/12/2013 18:10, Gefreiter Krueger wrote:

yep, caught a case or arc-eye once from accidentally striking arc while
I was moving to get in better position ... hurts like hell.

Just from ONE arc for a few seconds? That can't be true. I've often
watched people welding for a couple of minutes.

I was welding heavy current under large assembly, flipped up hood to
look at weld, and as I moved position caught a big flash as rod stuck
arc up close to where I was looking.
Initially just unable to see properly out of one eye, residual image of
teh flash ... carried on work .. then feeling of sand in the eye, and
that got worse & worse ... intensely painful.

Whether it's the intent flash, up close, high current ......... but I
would NEVER arc weld without a shield .... EVER.

Illogical and senseless to do so, the intense UV alone is bad enough.