On Sat, 07 Dec 2013 16:50:19 -0000, "Gefreiter Krueger"
wrote:

On Sat, 07 Dec 2013 16:46:18 -0000, Tim Watts wrote:

On Saturday 07 December 2013 16:33 Muddymike wrote in uk.d-i-y:

"Gefreiter Krueger" wrote in message news For a small arc welder for a small job, is a mask really necessary? The
spark doesn't look any brighter than starting at a bright lightbulb.

It is very necessary. You don't need anything fancy though. A simple hand
held shield will do.

Mike

Particularly if you don't want to get a painful case of arc-eye and possible
long term eye damage!

It doesn't look brighter than a lightbulb (this is a small welder), and UV would give me sunburn on my face before it damaged my eyes surely?

Have you never heard of snow-blindness?