Shade 7 Glasses

[woodlandfarms]

I am pretty sure I am going to pull the trigger on a Plasma system. Looking at the needs, they say Shade 7 glasses. I have some very nice shade 5 glasses with my Oxy system, so do I need shade 7 or do I just go to my welding helmet.

 

[SquirmyPug]

When plasma cutting I always use my hood set to shade 6-8. If you are able to change the shade on your hood try that first, if you don't like it try the glasses or a burning shield.

 

[Arc weld]

Shade 5 isn't dark enough. Several years ago I was doing a bunch of plasma cutting with a shade 5 and my eyes were getting sore. I couldn't find much info on what shade to use but several places said shade 5 should be enough. A real big pet peeve of mine is that the makers of plasma torches haven't stressed the importance of using a dark enough shade with plasma. Even the Victor calender shows a guy using dark safety glasses with a plasma torch. I haven't seen safety glasses any higher than shade 5. I usually recommend shade 8 for plasma cutting. It is a 20-30,000 degree arc after all.

 

[Buckgnarly]

I got arc burn after using 5 safety shades on night. I was looking at the arc at times, stupid on my part, but do not take plasma eye safety lightly.

 

[Arc weld]

It's not uncommon to be looking at the arc when you're trying to follow a line. With a plasma it's harder to see around the torch so when you do, the arc is right there.

 

[boomer1025]

I have found that a shade 3 or 5 for me is good in bright sun light or bright shop light. But late in the evening or when dark out I need a darker shade.

 

[Arc weld]

Shade 3 for a plasma torch? The arc doesn't change at all. Protect your eyes so you can still see in 10 years.

 

[cqaigy2]

Shade 3 for a plasma torch? The arc doesn't change at all. Protect your eyes so you can still see in 10 years.

Ultra violet is thought to be a contributing factor in cataracts. So it's possible the more the lens in your eye is subjected to ultra violet light, the sooner/worse the cataracts and that's not the worst of it. There is the scarring that takes place when the retina being burned. It will be cumulative and will permanently destroy the ability of the retina to react to light. It's particularly insidious in that the effects could be small and not noticed, but it is cumulative and there isn't any way to fix it.

 

[boomer1025]

The arc light doesn't change, but your eye's do. Stand in front of car with the headlights on during the day, then when it's dark. Some people need more light to see better, just like trying to reading the paper in dim light or not seeing the words in dim light.
You have to use whats comfortable for your eyes. Usually the older you get the more light you need to see with. That's why depending on the surrounding light conditions I'll use a shade 3 for simple cuts and shade 5 if it's going to take a while

 

[boomer1025]

Double Post