1971 HLS30-14938 "Lily" build

[Captain Obvious]

13 hours ago, Patcon said:

So I added to the edge with the welder. It wouldn't looked so bad if I had stripped the primer back further

Ewwww... Are you sure you didn't forget to turn on the gas?

[Mark Maras]

 looks like too much wire speed to me.

[Patcon]

The wire speed might be a little bit high, but it prevents burn back like that. The gas was on but when the primer burns it makes it look like that. That was a half dozen quick welds. One time I burned through it. I had to keep moving the voltage around depending on where on the edge I was welding. I really just wanted to add enough to then knock it down. So I stacked it in different ways until there was enough there.

[Captain Obvious]

Speaking of such related things... I just asked Santa for a new auto-darkening welding helmet to replace my current one. I'm tired of getting flashed.  (No Cliff... Not that kind of flashed.       )

[Patcon]

14 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

Speaking of such related things... I just asked Santa for a new auto-darkening welding helmet to replace my current one. I'm tired of getting flashed.  (No Cliff... Not that kind of flashed.       )

I need to get Cody a new hat. He get's some flash. My hat does pretty good at responding. What hat are you looking at?

[Captain Obvious]

Get ready for a lot of words...

Let me first explain why I'm looking for a new helmet in the first place. My current helmet (Horror Freight blue design) works pretty well with the MIG, but won't stay dark with the TIG. I'm assuming that the TIG currents are just too low and it won't pick up the arc. Either that, or I'm shadowing the sensor with my work position. In any event, it flashes me with the TIG.

And just recently, I was doing some under-car exhaust work on the family Truckster, and my HF blue flashed me even with the MIG. Something about the working position again... Must have blocked the sensor or something. Once I finished the tack welds under the car, I pulled the parts out and finished the job on easels in the driveway and it was fine. Just something about the position under the car.

So I've had it...  I busted my balls on that car job and saved over a thousand bucks by throwing labor at it instead of new parts. With the money saved (think "unrealized expense"), I think I deserve a new tool so I can do a better job next time. I figure even if I spend a couple hundred of that saved thousand, I'm still way ahead in the end AND I've got a new helmet! Right?

I deserve that, right?  Who's with me??    

Anyway, that's where I'm coming from. I wanted something more reliable with more sensors and rated for lower TIG current.

So I did a bunch of investigation into helmets and came to multiple conclusions. First of which is that asking people what is the best helmet is like asking someone "What is the best brand of tools." and is likely to start a religious war. Beyond that, I did some reading of on-line reviews. Here's a couple examples:
https://welderportal.com/
http://weldinghelmetexpert.com/
https://weldinghelmetpros.com/

And here's one that talks about the EU's relatively new rating system being used as an attempt to provide some objectivity to the highly subjective topic of viewing quality:
https://www.thefabricator.com/article/safety/1-1-1-1-clarity

All the top of the line helmets seem to be great. Optrel 684, Speedglas 9100, Miller Elite, Jackson BH3, Lincoln 3350. All fantastic, and even with the unrealized expense, they're still all more money than I can justify spending. However, there is also one lower priced contender that just kept popping up... The Antra AH6-260-0000. This one seems to be very highly rated despite the costs. It's seemed to be at the very top of everyone's "Best helmet for the money" category.

So, I was just about ready to pull the trigger on the Antra AH6-260-0000 when I noticed that all the sensors are in a line across the top of the window. I can picture welding positions where all of these sensors get blocked. Might be very unlikely, but I think it's possible.

In the end, I went with the Lincoln 2450, and here's why. It's got the same optical technology as the very highly rated 3540, but has a smaller viewing window, and hence a lower price tag. But the biggest reason I went with the Lincoln over the Antra is that it has four sensors as well, but they are in the four corners of the lens. I cannot come up with an easy way to shadow all of them at once. And it's TIG rated down to 2A or so.

I went with the cheapest "Name brand" helmet I could find with four sensors in the corners of the lens. If you think the four sensors in a line aren't an issue, then the Antra sounds like a great alternative for a lot less money.

Keep in mind that I'm no welder. I know just enough to make myself dangerous. And light stuff on fire.

[grannyknot]

7 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

I think I deserve a new tool so I can do a better job next time. I figure even if I spend a couple hundred of that saved thousand, I'm still way ahead in the end AND I've got a new helmet! Right?

I deserve that, right?  Who's with me??    

"It's an investment honey, safer for my eyes" I get a lot of mileage out of that one.

I have the older version of the Lincoln 2450 with adjustment for sensitivity, delay and a dimmer dial, I find it's a great helmet. Very light and the viewing window is plenty big enough.

Edited November 29, 2018 by grannyknot

[Captain Obvious]

Yeah, that's what I figured about the window. The 2450 will be an increase in window size from the HF blue that I've been using and I think I'll be satisfied with that. I could have easily asked Santa for the 3350, which was "only" fifty bucks more than the 2450, but I just don't think I need it. Even the 2450 should be a significant upgrade from what I've been using and the larger the lens, the heavier the helmet. So I believe the 2450 is a little lighter than the 3350.

I want to TIG again... After my last experience, I've been avoiding it. It's really unnerving to get your face really close in there, get things working properly and be concentrating on the arc when all of a sudden.... FLASH!    

[Patcon]

The 2450 sounds like a good helmet. I am a little leery of any helmet that costs less than $100. Cody's helmet is a cheap HF helmet I think. It just doesn't dim fast enough when we MIG. I let him use my hat which tends to work better. I have a Viking 1840 series helmet that came with my welder. It is sort of mid price based on what you researched. I wish it responded just a little bit faster but overall it does ok.

[Captain Obvious]

I looked at the 1840 as well, but I went with the 2450 instead. Not because of the larger window, but because of the four sensors and their locations.

Of course, I'm talking about all of this like it's a done deal, but it's not. I've dropped copious hints with SWMBO Clause, but who knows.   

[Mark Maras]

Do you mean, Santa Who Must Be Obeyed?

[siteunseen]

I think he'd get her Boxer seats before she buys him a welding helmet.