I've always had the problem with arc welding that before the arc strikes
I can't see a thing, so sometimes the first strike marks the work. So I
rigged up a couple of spotlights which illuminated the work very
brightly. I could then see the work through the mask before the arc was
struck. This made things very much easier.

I've never heard of anyone doing this. I wonder why?

Bill

"Bill Wright" wrote in message ...

I've always had the problem with arc welding that before the arc strikes I
can't see a thing, so sometimes the first strike marks the work. So I
rigged up a couple of spotlights which illuminated the work very brightly.
I could then see the work through the mask before the arc was struck. This
made things very much easier.

I've never heard of anyone doing this. I wonder why?

Bill

I have a Wickes spot light over my welding bench for just that purpose.
However I now use an automatic darkening helmet that helps enormously

Andrew

Andrew Mawson wrote:
"Bill Wright" wrote in message ...

I've always had the problem with arc welding that before the arc
strikes I can't see a thing, so sometimes the first strike marks the
work. So I rigged up a couple of spotlights which illuminated the work
very brightly. I could then see the work through the mask before the
arc was struck. This made things very much easier.

I've never heard of anyone doing this. I wonder why?

Bill

I have a Wickes spot light over my welding bench for just that purpose.
However I now use an automatic darkening helmet that helps enormously

Andrew

Ohh! I didn't know there was such a thing! I'll get one. Any
recommendations? Aren't newsgroups useful?

Bill

"Bill Wright" wrote in message ...

Andrew Mawson wrote:
"Bill Wright" wrote in message ...

I've always had the problem with arc welding that before the arc strikes
I can't see a thing, so sometimes the first strike marks the work. So I
rigged up a couple of spotlights which illuminated the work very
brightly. I could then see the work through the mask before the arc was
struck. This made things very much easier.

I've never heard of anyone doing this. I wonder why?

Bill

I have a Wickes spot light over my welding bench for just that purpose.
However I now use an automatic darkening helmet that helps enormously

Andrew

Ohh! I didn't know there was such a thing! I'll get one. Any
recommendations? Aren't newsgroups useful?

Bill

Spot light or helmet?

The light is just a standard halogen floodlight like the security lights but
without the PIR
The helmet is a generic one I've had for probably 5 years - ebay abounds
with them.

Andrew

On 19/08/2015 21:21, Andrew Mawson wrote:
"Bill Wright" wrote in message ...

I've always had the problem with arc welding that before the arc
strikes I can't see a thing, so sometimes the first strike marks the
work. So I rigged up a couple of spotlights which illuminated the work
very brightly. I could then see the work through the mask before the
arc was struck. This made things very much easier.

I've never heard of anyone doing this. I wonder why?

Bill

I have a Wickes spot light over my welding bench for just that purpose.
However I now use an automatic darkening helmet that helps enormously

Andrew

+1 for auto helmets. Only slight downside is that if you put too much
light on the workpiece, the helmet darkens just before you start. You
really need a bright light which comes on after the arc strikes. Another
"one of these days" projects!

"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...
I've always had the problem with arc welding that before the arc strikes I
can't see a thing, so sometimes the first strike marks the work. So I
rigged up a couple of spotlights which illuminated the work very brightly.
I could then see the work through the mask before the arc was struck. This
made things very much easier.

I've never heard of anyone doing this. I wonder why?

Can't say I have ever had the first strike marking the work.

Rod Speed wrote:


"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...
I've always had the problem with arc welding that before the arc
strikes I can't see a thing, so sometimes the first strike marks the
work. So I rigged up a couple of spotlights which illuminated the work
very brightly. I could then see the work through the mask before the
arc was struck. This made things very much easier.

I've never heard of anyone doing this. I wonder why?

Can't say I have ever had the first strike marking the work.

You've marked the vice then?

Bill

"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...
Rod Speed wrote:


"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...
I've always had the problem with arc welding that before the arc strikes
I can't see a thing, so sometimes the first strike marks the work. So I
rigged up a couple of spotlights which illuminated the work very
brightly. I could then see the work through the mask before the arc was
struck. This made things very much easier.

I've never heard of anyone doing this. I wonder why?

Can't say I have ever had the first strike marking the work.

You've marked the vice then?

Nope, almost never done any in a vice and don't
recall ever marking any clamp or vice grips either.

And I don't use a self darkening mask either.

"Rod Speed" wrote in message ...



"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...
Rod Speed wrote:


"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...
I've always had the problem with arc welding that before the arc
strikes I can't see a thing, so sometimes the first strike marks the
work. So I rigged up a couple of spotlights which illuminated the work
very brightly. I could then see the work through the mask before the
arc was struck. This made things very much easier.

I've never heard of anyone doing this. I wonder why?

Can't say I have ever had the first strike marking the work.

You've marked the vice then?

Nope, almost never done any in a vice and don't
recall ever marking any clamp or vice grips either.

And I don't use a self darkening mask either.

Of course you don't need any light reduction. You're so ****ing dim that all
light is nullified in your vicinity.

In article , Bill Wright wrote:
I've always had the problem with arc welding that before the arc strikes
I can't see a thing, so sometimes the first strike marks the work. So I
rigged up a couple of spotlights which illuminated the work very
brightly. I could then see the work through the mask before the arc was
struck. This made things very much easier.

I've never heard of anyone doing this. I wonder why?

I've done it, back when I did a lot of MIG welding to my Alfa. At other
times I used a large mirror, angled so the bit I was working on was
no longer in shadow (working outdoors with part of my field of view
in bright sunshine, so the contrast added to the problem).

That was years ago - I can't remember if I'd heard of auto-darkening
masks then, but I'd certainly not seen one for sale at a reasonable price.

On Thursday, 20 August 2015 11:45:33 UTC+1, Alan Braggins wrote:
In article , Bill Wright wrote:
I've always had the problem with arc welding that before the arc strikes
I can't see a thing, so sometimes the first strike marks the work. So I
rigged up a couple of spotlights which illuminated the work very
brightly. I could then see the work through the mask before the arc was
struck. This made things very much easier.

I've never heard of anyone doing this. I wonder why?

I've done it, back when I did a lot of MIG welding to my Alfa. At other
times I used a large mirror, angled so the bit I was working on was
no longer in shadow (working outdoors with part of my field of view
in bright sunshine, so the contrast added to the problem).

That was years ago - I can't remember if I'd heard of auto-darkening
masks then, but I'd certainly not seen one for sale at a reasonable price.

They have them in screwfix.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/bolle-volt...g-helmet/5190h

bright sunshine, so the contrast added to the problem).

That was years ago - I can't remember if I'd heard of auto-darkening
masks then, but I'd certainly not seen one for sale at a reasonable price.

They have them in screwfix.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/bolle-volt...g-helmet/5190h

Cripes Screwfix really is getting a bit comedy. even CPC under 38 quid

http://cpc.farnell.com/sip/02874/wel...tic/dp/HE32953

"Adam Aglionby" wrote in message
...
bright sunshine, so the contrast added to the problem).

That was years ago - I can't remember if I'd heard of auto-darkening
masks then, but I'd certainly not seen one for sale at a reasonable
price.

They have them in screwfix.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/bolle-volt...g-helmet/5190h

Cripes Screwfix really is getting a bit comedy. even CPC under 38 quid

http://cpc.farnell.com/sip/02874/wel...tic/dp/HE32953


Too many to count for less than twenty quid on eBay. Think I paid about 17
with free postage for mine. Complete with spare outer glass panels. Also has
controls inside to make it fully adjustable for speed and sensitivity. Also
useful for solar eclipses ... :-)

Arfa

On 21/08/2015 01:51, Arfa Daily wrote:


"Adam Aglionby" wrote in message
...
bright sunshine, so the contrast added to the problem).

That was years ago - I can't remember if I'd heard of auto-darkening
masks then, but I'd certainly not seen one for sale at a reasonable price.

They have them in screwfix.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/bolle-volt...g-helmet/5190h

Cripes Screwfix really is getting a bit comedy. even CPC under 38 quid

http://cpc.farnell.com/sip/02874/wel...tic/dp/HE32953


Too many to count for less than twenty quid on eBay. Think I paid about
17 with free postage for mine. Complete with spare outer glass panels.
Also has controls inside to make it fully adjustable for speed and
sensitivity. Also useful for solar eclipses ... :-)

I got mine off eBay as well at a good price a few years ago.

Better than any alternative method of striking a weld, though most of my
work has been MIG.

"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...
I've always had the problem with arc welding that before the arc strikes I
can't see a thing, so sometimes the first strike marks the work. So I
rigged up a couple of spotlights which illuminated the work very brightly.
I could then see the work through the mask before the arc was struck. This
made things very much easier.

I've never heard of anyone doing this. I wonder why?

Bill


Because automatic welding masks are so effective, and so cheap on eBay,
perhaps ?

Arfa

On 19/08/2015 21:07, Bill Wright wrote:
I've always had the problem with arc welding that before the arc strikes
I can't see a thing, so sometimes the first strike marks the work. So I
rigged up a couple of spotlights which illuminated the work very
brightly. I could then see the work through the mask before the arc was
struck. This made things very much easier.

I've never heard of anyone doing this. I wonder why?

Don't know - its quite common... Having said that, an auto darkening
helmet makes it much easier.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"John Rumm" wrote in message
...

On 19/08/2015 21:07, Bill Wright wrote:
I've always had the problem with arc welding that before the arc strikes
I can't see a thing, so sometimes the first strike marks the work. So I
rigged up a couple of spotlights which illuminated the work very
brightly. I could then see the work through the mask before the arc was
struck. This made things very much easier.

I've never heard of anyone doing this. I wonder why?

Don't know - its quite common... Having said that, an auto darkening helmet
makes it much easier.



On the mig welding forum there have been many posts from people who have
incorporated CREE LED lights into their automatic helmets to put a lot of
light on the work.

Andrew