Then there was light...

[Moseph]

Afternoon all. I haven't posted much on here for a while as I've been too busy playing with the MIG I bought after getting some advice from this site last year. I recently picked up a low-cost HF TIG unit and finally this weekend had the argon, rods, tips and everything else I needed to start welding.

However, having just started welding, my Auto-change mask keeps flickering from dark to light. It works fine still on MIG, but appears not to be sensitive enough for TIG. Is this common/likely? It's one of the Silverline ones which I bought about 4 years ago.

Hopefully someone can shed some light on this - sorry, that was a terrible pun!!!

 

[matt1978]

Hi mate,

Yeah some of the cheaper masks won't work properly on Tig, suitability for tig is usually written in the spec of the helmet.........although its sounds as yours is only for Mig and MMA. Sorry.

 

[Moseph]

Damn it. I thought that might be the case. Actually, the ocumnetation doesn't mention what it is good for... Oh well, looks like I'll have to order a new one.

Any recommendations from anyone on what's good? Preferably cheap too as I only get time to weld for a couple of hours a month.

 

[Paul.]

Hi
Bet your using DC at fairly low amps, even some of the more expensive helmets suffer from this problem, I had a speedglass cost over £170 and an Esab neither were any good on DC, fine on AC though, in the end my welding rep came down with a pile of helmets to try and would you believe a 40 quid Sealey was the best,although this will still flicker occasionally I always keep an old fashioned fibreglass "bucket" helmet handy just in case,
Technology eh

 

[Moseph]

You're absolutely right, I'm at a reasonably low 25Amps(ish) DC (which incidendentally seems to be about right for 1.2mm steel???). Which model of Sealey was it? I was looking at the Sealey PWH599 ones which can be had fo less than £70, but I don't really want to buy another one which is little better than the one I have.

 

[Paul.]

yea thats the one, find a trade welding supplier and ask to try before you buy as I find that the cheaper sensors vary a bit in quality and sensitivity, also if working in an awkward position and the sensors are shaded this can cause flicker
Paul

 

[matt1978]

Out of interest Paul, how old was the Speedglas and Esab Helmets that wern't any good for tig?

In a previous job, I used to sell Speedglas helmets and if you bought one which was designed for Tig aswell as MMA and Mig, then you shouldn't of had any trouble with it. I think that they were called the 9000 series and they have a sensitivity pot which you have to set when using for tig (most people don't do this and this is sometimes what can cause problems). The reason all the helmets perform better on AC is because aswell as the light sensors, the helmets also get switched on by the electronic noise from the arc, on DC - (especially on the better machines) there is hardly any electronic ripple, the output is much the same as a battery, so some helmets struggle with this.

I have now have a Optrel Satellite helmet from work and this also works fine on DC tig, even at low amps.

 

[Paul.]

Hi
Yes think the smoothness of my Tig on DC may have been a factor its a STEL, I also have an ESSETI inverter that I use for site work this is a pretty smooth arc too, not sure of the speedglass model but it was only about 10 months ago so i guess a recent model, to be fair the Esab was an early one, Ive got through 3 off these and am not very impressed either with the sensors or the general build quality of the helmet, the sealey isn't a rolls royce, but then it didnt cost £200.00 either, Ill look into othe Optrel its not one im familiar with,
Paul

 

[Seano]

Just out of interest I use a Speedglas 90002X for both mig, tig, and brazing and have no probs with it all Paul, as stated its always the sensitivity pot that usually gets forgotten...

 

[Paul.]

Just out of interest I use a Speedglas 90002X for both mig, tig, and brazing and have no probs with it all Paul, as stated its always the sensitivity pot that usually gets forgotten...

No didn't forget the pot, I really liked the speedglass, well made, close fitting, light, tried everything to make it work, even the speedglass rep was beat, I may buy another one and just use it with my pulse tig.
Paul

 

[fingers99]

For what it's worth I have one of the obsolete Speedglas 9000 series -- the one without adjustment -- and (so far, about 30amps) get no flicker with el cheapo Rehmann 160. Let's hope this continues!