Bought some shade 3 safety glasses..

Haywire · Dec 22, 2011

..to use with the plasma, but they're too light. I've got sunglasses that are darker. I reordered the same style in a 5. The shade 5 ace hardware goggles are a bit dark. I wanted to try a 4 but the one pair of shade 4 glasses I found was $45. Not gonna happen.

Ian

Jim in ICT · Dec 22, 2011

Shade 5 should work fine if you don't look straight into the arc. They won't seem so dark once you get the arc struck.

gwdixon · Dec 23, 2011

Here is a list of recommended shades for various welding / cutting applications.

Shades

And another:

Selecting the best lens for welders' eye protection - Safety Tech Cell - TheFabricator.com

Right now I'm looking for a full face shield for plasma cutting. I've seen them but haven't run one down yet. Sort of like this:

US Forge 99112 Full Face Grinding shield, Green

Or this:

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=welding+shade+face+shield&sqi=2&cid=2107048358455700107&ei=5oj0TtKZDozCiASZrKhg&ved=0CBoQrRI

monckywrench · Dec 23, 2011

I greatly prefer shields for protection, ventilation, and comfort.

Shade 5 is fine, though not all tints are created equal and some may be "clearer" than others.

Haywire · Dec 30, 2011

Interesting... I got the shade 5 glasses in and they don't seem dark enough either. On the other hand, the shade 5 goggles I got from Ace seem a bit too dark. I guess there are differences in shade darkness between different styles or manufacturers. I stacked the 3 and 5 glasses together and that seemed about right.

Ian

gwdixon · Dec 30, 2011

Here is what I ended up with from Fastenal.

8"W x 12"L x 0.06"Thk Shade 5 IR Acetate Face Shield Window | Fastenal

Unfortunately, the price is WITHOUT the headgear. I ended up leaving the store $55 poorer. But...the grade 5 shade is perfect for plasma cutting.

Haywire · Dec 30, 2011

If that fits a standard face shield frame, I should be able to mount that on the one I have already and wear the shade 3 glasses under them if needed.

I did figure out that the shade is a film on the outside of the glasses. I got some spray on them and they're clear where the spray touched. They should tint the inside instead, they would be more durable.

Ian

Soundguy · Dec 30, 2011

gwdixon said:
Right now I'm looking for a full face shield for plasma cutting. I've seen them but haven't run one down yet. Sort of like this:

I found a generic face gear holder that came with a clear plastic grinding shield at my local gas/weld supplier. then then sold me a shade 5 replacement lense. I use it when cutting with the torch.. love it... way better than goggles..

gwdixon · Dec 31, 2011

Haywire said:
If that fits a standard face shield frame, I should be able to mount that on the one I have already and wear the shade 3 glasses under them if needed.

I did figure out that the shade is a film on the outside of the glasses. I got some spray on them and they're clear where the spray touched. They should tint the inside instead, they would be more durable.

Ian

The mount of the Fastenal (Sellstrom) shield did not fit any of the several headgear that I have for clear shields. The headgear was a bit of a forced buy.

If you go with this setup it will be plenty dark enough IMO. Even a pair of sunglasses under it could be used underneath for really, really sensitive eyes.

I have to wear reading glasses so the goggle style, and even the single (open inside) goggle style, was a pain and it needed to be dark enough to not have to wear something underneath besides reading glasses. (Safety Police, spare me the lecture on safety glasses.)