Another helmet question: welding with bifocals

[MTNGUN]

My welding has always been handicapped by so-so eyesight (at least, that's my excuse). Well, finally the DMV forced me to get glasses and the doc sent me home with bifocals to correct an astigmatism as well as far sightedness. I have to admit, I can see much better with the glasses.

Prior to getting the glasses, I welded with a fixed lens, standard size. Usually with a 1.5x or 2x magnifier to boost my eyesight. Never saw the need for the big lens or for auto darkening (no tig in my shop at the moment).

Now, if I try welding with bifocals, I cannot tell if I am looking through the near lens or the far lens of the bifocals -- and neither is perfect for typical welding distances, anyway. If I welded for a living, I'd probably have to get glasses prescribed especially for welding distances. However, for HSM stuff, I can't justify the expense of special glasses at this time.

I'm thinking to try a large lens helmet. Also auto darkening so I can adjust my view for the best focus through the bifocals before striking an arc. I'm also thinking to just weld without bifocals and go back to the 2x magnifier.

Question is, how do the other bifocal welders deal with these issues ?

[wmgeorge]

My welding has always been handicapped by so-so eyesight (at least, that's my excuse). Well, finally the DMV forced me to get glasses and the doc sent me home with bifocals to correct an astigmatism as well as far sightedness. I have to admit, I can see much better with the glasses.

Prior to getting the glasses, I welded with a fixed lens, standard size. Usually with a 1.5x or 2x magnifier to boost my eyesight. Never saw the need for the big lens or for auto darkening (no tig in my shop at the moment).

Now, if I try welding with bifocals, I cannot tell if I am looking through the near lens or the far lens of the bifocals -- and neither is perfect for typical welding distances, anyway. If I welded for a living, I'd probably have to get glasses prescribed especially for welding distances. However, for HSM stuff, I can't justify the expense of special glasses at this time.

I'm thinking to try a large lens helmet. Also auto darkening so I can adjust my view for the best focus through the bifocals before striking an arc. I'm also thinking to just weld without bifocals and go back to the 2x magnifier.

Question is, how do the other bifocal welders deal with these issues ?

I just use the cheater lens in the helmet and forget the bifocals. If you need to see close up for other things, a set of $10 magnifier or reading glasses work for me. In fact I think you can get safety glasses with magnifier lens.

[Don Young]

If it's important enough to you, you can get a special pair of glasses made which are optimized for the distance you need. They can be whole lenses so you do not need to tilt your head. Just check with your eye doctor.

[radkins]

If it's important enough to you, you can get a special pair of glasses made which are optimized for the distance you need. They can be whole lenses so you do not need to tilt your head. Just check with your eye doctor.

That's what I did and it was worth every cent, best equipment buy I have made since the auto dark helmet! If you do a lot of welding you will find these glasses simply indispensable and I honestly don't think there is a better solution, certainly there are other ways around the problem but none works as good as a set of custom glasses.

[EVguru]

If you arrange for your work area to be very brightly lit (halogen flood worklights for example), your pupils will contract and improve your focus. A pinhole camera doesn't even have a lens of course and has an infinite depth of field. The autodarkening helmet will then help by allowing more light to your eyes (so your pupils stay contracted) before you strike the arc.

A dedicated set of welding glasses is the ideal of course.

[MTNGUN]

Special glasses make sense, and next time I go to the eye doc, I'll plan on that. Last trip to the eye doc was $400 plus two days lost wages, but eventually I'll have to go back for a checkup and new prescription, and as long as I'm there, the special welding glasses shouldn't add that much to the bill. Prolly need yet another pair of special glasses for shooting with iron sights, too. Getting old is hell.

Meanwhile, as I said before, as an HSMer who only does the occasional small welding project, I can't justify the expense of a trip to the eye doc for welding glasses right this moment.

I ordered a wide view AD helmet from Northern Tools. Dunno if that'll help with the bifocals, but I'll give it a try.

If the AD doesn't tickle my fancy, I'll go back to a 2x cheater lens sans bifocals, until I can afford special glasses.

Thanks for the advice, guys.

[quasi]

I don't know about anyone else, but now that I have an Auto dark shield I will never be without one.

[torker]

If it's important enough to you, you can get a special pair of glasses made which are optimized for the distance you need. They can be whole lenses so you do not need to tilt your head. Just check with your eye doctor.

That's what I did also. I got them to focus from about 15" in front of me to about 3 ft. They work great...lotta money tho...
If you still can...try to use just a 2X or higher cheater. I ran out of that option. I have to use the glasses plus a cheater now.
Ya...my days are numbered.
Russ

[914Wilhelm]

Just call your doc up and ask him to write you a prescription for the welding glasses. If he has just seen you he should have all the info he needs to mail you a prescription for monofocal lenses and he shouldn't have to charge you anything more as he has already done the work. You can get some relatively cheap glasses from Costco or other discounters.