Welding and Macular Degeration

[Tractor Seabee]

Over the last three years the course of Macular Degeneration (declining eyesight) is slowly claiming my ability to maintain my welding and woodworking skills.
In the woodworking arena I have retro fitted where possible, didgital readouts on my table saw fence, thickness planer and cut off stops on the chop saws so getting along. Welding on the other hand has become a dismal frustration. Ten years ago working in the construction industry my main focus was carpentry but routinely welded structural members, railings, and other odd ball metal components. Never was certified but always passed muster in the eyes of the inspectors.
Fast forward to present day. Five years retired, 75 years old, good health, active, and can稚 see worth a crap.

Any suggestions on visual aids that would improve the maginification of the weld process? Currently using a Miller auto darkening helmet and 6:0 glasses. Typically Stick and Mig welding fabricating useful shop fixtures and repairs on farmstead equipment and hardware.
After working for over 50 years and now having the time, talent, and resources, to create most anything I could want or need but limited ability to see is highly disappointing.

B. John

John, have you consulted an Ophthalmologist? I was having problems at 79 and went to one. Cataracts, he removed them; what a difference. 20-20 vision now except need 2.5 for reading and close work. I also have a pair of glasses made specifically for working at the computer; the reading part of the progressive bifocal is positioned so I can look down to read a document then look up to see the screen at the right level. Te regular bifocals are a pain as that positioning is missing. Welding is hard on the eyes even using protection. Fortunately I never worked steady as a welder, it was an adjunct to my pipefitter career. 80+ now so maybe there is hope for you.

It Is **** to get old. That is now the least of my problems

Ron

 

[MitchellB]

I'm right there with you soon as my once good eye is going bad now. One trick I started using before mine got to the point they are now is to often keep my good eye shut when the welding helmet was up. Then when I drop the helmet down, open my good eye in the dark headgear and I can see my weld better when I strike an arc, because my eye lens do not adjust to dark and light as fast as they once did. Using magnification helps, but when that blurry spot is right in the center of your vision, there is just not much that helps when the focal point is so small. Heck, I'm even using the magnifier option on my computer screen now to read small print. Eye vitamins hopefully slow down the degeneration, but even that may only be a placebo. Sux to get old, but the alternative sux more.

 

[Oldoak]

.................................................................Using magnification helps, but when that blurry spot is right in the center of your vision, there is just not much that helps when the focal point is so small. Heck, I'm even using the magnifier option on my computer screen now to read small print. Eye vitamins hopefully slow down the degeneration, but even that may only be a placebo. Sux to get old, but the alternative sux more.

Unfortunately, you are correct. And if we live long enough and get old enough, there comes a time in life when we are just no longer able to do the things we used to do. No matter how hard it is to realize and admit it.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Yes, that is true. I do have a young chap who helps around the farm part time. To the best of my knowledge he has never welded anything but i’ll Offer up an opportunity and see what happens.
My son knows his way around hot iron but lives 60 miles away. It’s always a great day when he and I can coordinate a work bee.

B. John

You have so much to offer, experience and wisdom. That would be fantastic to pass on.
Where I grew up in 50s-60s there was a blind TV/radio repairman down the road. He "sparked" my interest in electronics.
He was amazing how he did what he could do.

 

[Budweiser John]

I sincerely appreciate all the tips and comments thus far. Thanks to all.
Yes, bright sunlight is a real problem so wear 然ay Charles type dark glasses on all but the cloudiest of days.
Going from bright light to darker areas is a problem also as the eyes are slow to adjust to the change.
I致e been seeing an othomoligest about every six weeks and getting eye injections. Not the most present procedure in the world but not as bad as one might think. Gave up the car keys over two years ago as the liability is simply too great. Still drive my tractor on the farm and a very limited amount on our rural gravel roads.

B. John

 

[cqaigy2]

My hat's off to you for knowing when to give the car keys up. That's not an easy thing to do.

I wish i could add to the suggestions already given. I've been struggling with vision issues too, between the cataracts, now fixed thank goodness, wrinkled retina and glaucoma, has made close up work all but impossible. I'm starting to use my phone to zoom in on things along with the higher diopter glasses. I've wondered about rigging up something like they use to take video of welding, kind of like remote welding. Larger screen and zoomed in. That would introduce an interesting challenge as far as hand eye coordination. :laughing:

 

[MitchellB]

Eye injections? Ouch! They put me through that one time and once was enough. The doc claims I flinched and that is what caused my eye pain and for it to turn red for a week. I never gave him a chance to improve his aim with that needle. Also, since they claimed it would not improve my wet MD eyesight, just "hopefully" prevent it from getting worse quicker, I opted to forgo that nightmare treatment over a year ago. Although my other eye (my good eye with Dry MD) has gotten worse at up close vision, it has actually improved for distance compared to my eyeglasses (time for new prescription). The eye they injected that had the wet MD has not changed. While I still am able to drive, I limit myself to daylight driving. I know what you are going though and expect to catch up with you soon.

 

[Budweiser John]

My hat's off to you for knowing when to give the car keys up. That's not an easy thing to do.

Yes, very tough. Especially frustrating when in the middle of a project and despite having an onsite inventory of hundreds of miscellaneous nuts, bolts, screws and fasteners the one(s) needed are still at the hardware store.
My wife is earning high marks for learning hardware store, industrial supply house, parts counter, and lumberyard Vocabulary skills and I must say on line shopping is becoming the norm these days.
Pays to be on a first name basis with the UPS driver.

B. John

 

[Sebculb]

Hola! Sorry to hear about your problems, sounds difficult. I was curious, is your vision going a product of welding specifically and flash burn etc, or doing lots of up close technical work in general, or just age? Sometimes I weld a lot for work and wonder if it will cause me problems later.

Wish I had helpful suggestions but it seems others with similar experience have covered everything.

Thanks, good luck

 

[Budweiser John]

Seb, in answer to your question, my Macular Degeneration is not the result of welding, working, or doing other stupid stuff. Early on, I asked my peep guy ‘what could I shoulda, coulda,woulda done’ to prevent the condition. His reply: You should have had better parents. Well, guess what. My paternal Grandmother had the condition and so did my father so somewhere there is a glitch in the gene pool. My father was on only son and I am an only son so there’s not much opportunity to figure out where or how far back the issue began.
The treatment technology is light years ahead of the last two generations so I cling to the hope some bespectacled geeky guy in a white coat will find a cure.

B. John