Help... almost blinded

[Mad-Dax]

Hey I was DC welding/practice on steel last night for the first time and pretty soon after I started i kept getting brilliant flashes like the SUN!! At first I thought it was the filler rod (just mild steel filler 3/32) cause it kept doing it when I dipped it in the pool..but it seemed to do it randomly as well. Maybe my auto-darkening welding hood is not working. I did not have a problem doing AC welding. I sharpened my rod with the chem-sharp and wiped residue off with a rag....dunno if any of that would cause those brilliant flashes.

[JJW]

Mad-Dax,
TIG welding can be tough for an auto-darkening helmets.

Also some helmets have just a single sensor and some have 4 or more sensors.

If you can adjust your sensitivity turn it up.

Make sure your helmet has fresh batteries.

Good Luck,
John

[Mad-Dax]

They are supposed to be lithium rechargeable and they cannot be changed...well maybe they can i have to read the manual again. It has a solar cell on it. ..so I put the helmet in the window all day and when I came home I put it on and while looking at a light bulb and turned the bulb on ...it darkened and I did turn it down darker too...tried that a while and it seems to work fine...maybe it needed a recharge...I'll go test.

[matteh99]

I have heard of helmets having to be left in the sun to charge.

I would also make sure the front of the helmet is clean. If the sensors are dusty or dirty it can make the helmet less sensitive.

[WAYNESWORLD]

What brand and model helmet is it?
Wayne

[gwk]

I have a similar problem. firstly , do what JJW said turn up the sensitivity to high. and check your front cover plate for dirt ,dust,burn spots by the sensors like Matth99 said. I was told cause I have a 2 sensor helmet which works great for mig,and arc welding that for tig welding you need a 4 sensor helmet. this is what I have notice that causes mine to flash. I usually weld with the garage door open. on bright,sunny days is when I have the problems with the flashes. at dusk or night or cloudy days I never get flashed. I think that the more intense light from the bright,sunny days cause the sensors to be less sensitive and makes it harder for the sensors to pick up the tig welding "rays". I have had two different, 2 sensor welding helmets and both have flashed me with the same conditions as I described above tig welding. the one helmet is a 2 sensor hobart from 2003 , the dale earnheart jr. one.