Welding the Solar Eclipse

-
Got busy "late" (too late the sun was hazy and then clouded) and tried some shots with the Canon 7D / 300mm f2.8

Took a bunch of shots FOCUSING IS GOING TO BE difficult. The AF doesn't work, it's too dark, and magnified live view is not accurate enough, you cannot see "definitively."

I used a no 11 "the big square" welding filter taped to the front of the lens hood. I'll do some more trial tomorrow. Sposed to be a nice day in Coeur d Alene monday. My boss is having a parking lot barbeque I guess they figure we won't be doing much "work" anyway LOL
 
And all across America several hundred people will suffer serious vision damage because they want to find a way to cheat around scientific advice and find a way to look at the thing without proper eye protection.

They won't feel it when the sun's corona burns their retinas because it's not like looking at a bright light and it doesn't hurt. The intense UV radiation will sear their retinas while they watch in glee and 2 mins later they will have sacrificed years of vision for the folly of disregarding the advice of experts. Some will be permanently blind the next day.

Don't screw around with this. Do it right or risk losing your eyesight forever...now or later. It can't be undone.
 
Reflect the sun onto a garage door across the street with a large mirror. Perfect circle and then the pac-man shape will start to appear. I was overseas in March 18,'88: Subic Bay, Philippines. We had a formation outside and I was looking around, like WTF? It was just darker than usual, like looking through some sunglasses. No one was told or no one cared but it was an 80% eclipse where I was.
SE1988Mar18T.png
 
ol lady works for carolina biological supply co and orders been threw the roof for glass's since early july,..sold out 3 times last shipment from china sold out end of last week....welding mask work to!
 
Ddaddy said:
And all across America several hundred people will suffer serious vision damage because they want to find a way to cheat around scientific advice and find a way to look at the thing without proper eye protection.

They won't feel it when the sun's corona burns their retinas because it's not like looking at a bright light and it doesn't hurt. The intense UV radiation will sear their retinas while they watch in glee and 2 mins later they will have sacrificed years of vision for the folly of disregarding the advice of experts. Some will be permanently blind the next day.

Don't screw around with this. Do it right or risk losing your eyesight forever...now or later. It can't be undone.
Click to expand...


Makes me wonder if using Chinese made glasses isn't more risky than a good welding lens.

 
I would always use a #14 shade lens for air arcing or technically it's called air carbon arc gouging.
Depending on the carbon rod size, you would use 250 to 350 amps and that would cause a very bright light during the process.
I also used a #14 shade lens for large flux core wire that ran over 250 amps.
Generally, the shades of lenses are matched by the amperes of the welding process. (Or more specifically the brightness of the light created from it)
For example, gas welding with an oxy acetylene torch or cutting steel with a torch you would use a #5 lens.
Arc welding light sheet metal up to say 3/8'' you would use a #10 shade and between 80 to 100 amps.
Most medium welding of say 125 to 175 amps using a 1/8'' rod i always used a #11 shade lens.
As a rule of thumb, you would go up one shade higher for the approximate amperage when you were Tig welding because the purity of the flame.

So, why not use two #5 lenses stacked on each other to arc weld at say 100 amps?
It would look as dark as the #10 shade while welding, but you would only get the U.V. protection of the highest shade lens because of how they are designed.
DON'T DO IT!
 
both my auto darkening masks are #13's so a shadowbox pinhole projected onto a piece of paper will do.
 
I am in the path of totality. A few weeks ago, I didn't think it was a big deal but things are growing in proportion. The city of Beatrice NE has a population of a little over 12,000. They are expecting as many as 10,000 to 40,000 more people in town. They have ramped up all medical, emergency and law enforcement services for this. In their weekly paper they stated that their small airport usually handles about 6 flights a day. They already have close to 200 booked to fly in. I expect many auto accidents. Much of the path is on gravel roads, a lot of city slickers don't know how to drive on gravel roads. I'll report back later.
 
1979 solar eclipse memories: Profound silence, goosebumps, astounding joy

My Dad took me to this in Goldendale WA in 1979. He had an awesome 10 reflector telescope and we took pictures. My father donated those pictures to my high school in Eugene Oregon, I hear they are still in the science room to this day. My dad was an amateur astronomer, and we also did some astro photography. To me this is rare and kind of special.
 
Dartnut said:
I would always use a #14 shade lens for air arcing or technically it's called air carbon arc gouging.
Depending on the carbon rod size, you would use 250 to 350 amps and that would cause a very bright light during the process.
I also used a #14 shade lens for large flux core wire that ran over 250 amps.
Generally, the shades of lenses are matched by the amperes of the welding process. (Or more specifically the brightness of the light created from it)
For example, gas welding with an oxy acetylene torch or cutting steel with a torch you would use a #5 lens.
Arc welding light sheet metal up to say 3/8'' you would use a #10 shade and between 80 to 100 amps.
Most medium welding of say 125 to 175 amps using a 1/8'' rod i always used a #11 shade lens.
As a rule of thumb, you would go up one shade higher for the approximate amperage when you were Tig welding because the purity of the flame.

So, why not use two #5 lenses stacked on each other to arc weld at say 100 amps?
It would look as dark as the #10 shade while welding, but you would only get the U.V. protection of the highest shade lens because of how they are designed.
DON'T DO IT!
Click to expand...


I don't doubt anything you say. I just don't know.
Everyone is talking about a total eclipse being the only time it is "safe" to look at the sun with no protection.
They are saying the sun's atmosphere around the dark spot is awesome.
At this point, I'm just more curious than anything else.
I wish someone could provide a simply explanation of what is probably a very technical topic.
I've got dark safety glasses that claim to block 99.99 percent of UV.
(Wiki says the UV is the radiation that causes sunburn).
I always wear those UV glasses to prevent cataracts too.
But I sure would not try and look at the sun with them.
They say even clear lens can block 99.99 UV.
So what you have said about the welding lenses confuses me.
In other words, do any of them block 99.99 percent of the UV like my sunglasses claim to do?
It doesn't make sense to me.
For instance why make a number 7 or 8 or 9 lens that only block part of the UV when we are welding?
Does a 14 block all of it then?
Maybe we should research IR radiation on the back of the eye ball?
It may get hot without dark enough glass.
 
Last edited:
Daves69 said:
Maybe not. But then.......
Click to expand...

FWIW, I went ahead and tried this on a HF auto darken (dialed it to the max shade 13 and set it to fast react) and just like the video it turned dark for just a moment then turned light.
Went ahead and used a corner of a support from a white Styrofoam egg carton (hollow side down) for the reflector rather than a cap. The remote is from my car radio. Rather than glue anything I just "painter taped" the whole deal. Well, ..it works. Some buttons on the remote are momentary and can't be used, but the scanning buttons all seem to be continuous and keep the lens darkened.
AutoDarkHelm1.gif
AutoDarkHelm2.gif
 
adriver said:
I don't doubt anything you say. I just don't know.
Everyone is talking about a total eclipse being the only time it is "safe" to look at the sun with no protection.
They are saying the sun's atmosphere around the dark spot is awesome.
At this point, I'm just more curious than anything else.
I wish someone could provide a simply explanation of what is probably a very technical topic.
I've got dark safety glasses that claim to block 99.99 percent of UV.
(Wiki says the UV is the radiation that causes sunburn).
I always wear those UV glasses to prevent cataracts too.
But I sure would not try and look at the sun with them.
They say even clear lens can block 99.99 UV.
So what you have said about the welding lenses confuses me.
In other words, do any of them block 99.99 percent of the UV like my sunglasses claim to do?
It doesn't make sense to me.
For instance why make a number 7 or 8 or 9 lens that only block part of the UV when we are welding?
Does a 14 block all of it then?
Maybe we should research IR radiation on the back of the eye ball?
It may get hot without dark enough glass.
Click to expand...
Disclamer-I am not an expert....The # is the darkness, not UV. I believe you can block most UV with a special clear lense. My precription lenses are supposed to block UV. They also darken in sun. I was told that is triggered by UV. They only darken a little in my car because the windshield also blocks UV. Some picture frame glass blocks UV to prevent yellowing paper.
I believe with the eclipse there are multiple issues including brightness, UV and ?,?,?
 
wave your fingers over the sensor to make a strobe effect on it: extend fingers on your hand and wave it quickly over your shield. It will cause the shield to dim and not recover in time so it will be a constant dim, the faster you wave, the better your FPS will become until you wont notice your fingers. Just keep it up or it will lighten up and nuke you retinas again.
 
monook said:
It is amazing that it is exact same size as the Sun from looking at it from the ground.
What are the odds of that?
Click to expand...

I think God planned it that way although I have no idea why. You know what else I find amazing is that there's people out there smart enough to predict these things including the when and the where years in advance. And again, I have no idea why.

And another thing!!!! How many people are going to feel like they have eyes full of sand after this?
 
Last edited:
So what do we say? Happy Total Eclipse Day? Merry Total Eclipse Day? How about Gay Total Eclipse Day? Have a Totally Gay Eclipse Day. Yeah that's it. LOL
Point to ponder.. Jupiter has 69 known moons. Eclipse would be too common, a nuisance there.
 
After shrugging today's eclipse off as whatever and all the hype as silliness I will now be attending a eclipse party. We will be at 90% here.
Amazing how a man can flip a switch when invited to something
by a lady. :lol:
 
zkx14 said:
a

"See you on the Dark Side of the Moon"
Click to expand...


I was just thinking of this.
And oddly enough, this morning was the first time it has come to mind.
Now I'm wondering.
Does the dark side of the moon ever get sunlight?
I've always felt "Time" was the better song but "Money" got all the airplay.
 
Leadfoot said:
And another thing!!!! How many people are going to feel like they have eyes full of sand after this?
Click to expand...

Looks like rain is a 50% chance for us around here. Lookin' up may just get some sand washed out!
 
adriver said:
I was just thinking of this.
And oddly enough, this morning was the first time it has come to mind.
Now I'm wondering.
Does the dark side of the moon ever get sunlight?
I've always felt "Time" was the better song but "Money" got all the airplay.
Click to expand...

Since the Moon is constantly rotating on its own axis, there is no area of the planetoid which is in permanent darkness, and the far side of the Moon is only completely devoid of sunlight during a Full Moon – when the Sun is facing the Moon with the Earth in between.
 
So, someone has to be in total eclipse to see the corona.
That's the only time it's safe to use naked eyes.
Otherwise you have to use welder's lens or the glasses.
And in that case all you will see is a sliver of the orange sun or a "Pac Man".
 
Leadfoot said:
I think God planned it that way although I have no idea why. You know what else I find amazing is that there's people out there smart enough to predict these things including the when and the where years in advance. And again, I have no idea why.

And another thing!!!! How many people are going to feel like they have eyes full of sand after this?
Click to expand...
Some eyes may look like this after today.
untitled.png

I had this 10 years ago when using a stud welder. ( not me in picture).
Yes feels like sand.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top