Welding Helmet

Simple Shield

The simplest form of protection is a shield that you hold up in front of your eyes. You look through a piece of dark glass embedded in the shield.

This is the least desirable form of protection, because it takes one of your hands to hold up, and you have to move it out of the way to look at your work.

[photo] This shield was included with the Wire Welder that Dennis bought at Harbor Freight Tools.

Helmet With Dark Glass

You can also get a helmet that includes a piece of dark glass to look through.

The helmet is more convenient than the Simple Shield because it fits over your head and doesn't need a hand to hold it.

The face mask is attached to the head band with a hinge that allows the user to fold the mask up out of the way (to get a good look at the work), and fold it down to protect from sparks and light when the torch is lit.

Self-Darkening Helmet

The self-darkening helmet is one step beyond the Helmet With Dark Glass. The viewing port has a piece of glass that only turns dark when it sees the bright flash of light from the torch.

This lets you adjust the mask for a comfortable position and leave it there, with no need to lift the mask to get a good look at the work.

[photo] This is an inexpensive self-darkening helmet that Dennis bought from Harbor Freight Tools.

[photo]

[photo] David is wearing a baseball cap, turned around backwards, under the welding helmet. The cap protects his hair and the bill of the cap affords some protection to the back of his neck.