If You’re a welder, then Occasionally, A question will come to your mind.can you look at a solar eclipse with a welding mask or goggles. In this article, We will try to Answer All Your questions related to the solar eclipse and Welding Helmet, Mask, and Goggles.
Looking at the solar or lunar eclipse is something everybody years to do. However, a few medical and physical constraints can stop you from witnessing the alluring sites of nature.
You can use a few regular things to watch the eclipse. Some older people would say that it is better to see the eclipse’s reflection to avoid any issue. The experts have now developed some fantastic glasses that will resist the UV radiations to protect your eyes.
But the best thing is that the welders who have the welding mask can easily observe the eclipse through their welding masks.
Does not it sound amazing? One can see the eye-capturing view through a regular welding mask, and it is probably the designing and material of the welding mask that makes it capable of such an amazing thing.
This article will help you understand why and how to use a welding mask to look at the eclipses—especially solar eclipse.
What are welding masks?
It is a special helmet that is sed to cover your face and eyes while doing this risky activity, known as welding. We think welding is a dangerous task when we see from a far-off view, but when a welder uses the required equipment, the danger is not a thing to worry about.
Welding masks are designed to bear and resist heat and radiation. A weld\er needs to wear a welding mask throughout the session, and it is a part of the welding activity. A professional welder cannot even think of performing the welding task without a welding helmet.
Using welding masks, goggles, and helmets
There is three basic extension equipment that one can use to do the welding activities; otherwise, they might damage their eyes.
Is it necessary to buy all the three, or can we go with one of them?
Well, the answer to this question lies in the fact and reality of the matter. If you want to weld for a longer period, then wearing a helmet is important; otherwise, your face except for your eyes will bear the effect.
Wearing welding helmets
There is a slight difference in helmets and masks, the welding helmet is a bigger thing, and those who want to work for a longer period can use the helmets.
If you feel that you are going to working on a very high voltage at a professional level, then wearing a welding helmet is quite important; the welding helmets are advanced gear, and they come with extra features.
You can get a few amazing features in a welding helmet, like filters, that automatically turn the shades dark when there is extra light during the welding sessions. There are several pros of wearing welding helmets.
First, the helmets are electronically integrated, and the welders do not need to waste time in nodding and adjust the angle of the welding helmet. It is all covered, saving time, extremely important in melting, and connecting the subtle points.
There are two types of welding helmets available, the custom one and the automatic one. Both are essential as per the need.
- The customer welding helmets are economical, and the automatic ones will cost you a few more bucks, but you can enjoy the extra features.
- Some welding helmets come with the dual functionalities.
- The larger view with extra safety.
The downside of the welding helmet is the compromising risk that can happen whenever a slight crack occurs anywhere on the helmet.
All these properties show that you can use the welding helmets for watching an eclipse as they will give you extra protection from the IR and UV radiations emitted during the eclipse.
Wearing goggles
Goggles are also a great protective gear for the welding activity, but they are best for the mild work. If you are doing some welding craft at home or for some simple craft activity, then and only then can you use the goggles.
Keeping your eyes safe when welding is the most crucial part of welding; a wise welder will always use the goggles along with a welding mask.
Wearing welding masks
Welding masks are different from the welding helmets; they will not cover your head, but only your face from forehead to chin. You can have welding masks with varying shades, just like welding helmets.
What happens during an eclipse?
A lot of radiation characterizes the solar eclipse. The only way to avoid these radiations is to cover the face and eyes and even the body, which is sensitive to sun rays and excessive radiation.
If you watch a solar eclipse directly, it will eventually destroy your retina. Those who do not know what retina is are the nervous system set that detects the visible light and helps your brain create various objects.
The following are the health and optical issues that can occur because of solar eclipses.
- Loss of vision.
- Altered color vision
- Distorted vision
The reason why one must be very careful is the treatment; we cannot treat the eye damage caused by a solar eclipse. The only reason for the damage is the solar radiation that is extremely high during the solar eclipse.
If you have seen a solar eclipse with a naked eye by accident, and you feel a slight vision distortion, you must consult an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. Usually, the damage caused by solar eclipse appears six to eight hours, but it will occur after 12 hours for some people.
Frequently asked question
This section deals with the article’s main question, i.e., can we use the welding masks for watching a solar eclipse.
Can I wear a welding mask or helmet to look at the solar eclipse?
Yes, you can wear the welding helmet and welding masks to look at the solar eclipse. But there is a condition; you cannot use all types of welding masks and welding helmets; only shade 12 or higher shaded welding helmets or masks can help you.
Using any lighter shaded mask or helmet will destroy the retina, so if you ever wish to look at a solar eclipse, try to use the 12 shaded helmets or mask. NASA approves it.
Sometimes it gets confusing; people think that the normal and regular welding helmet can help, but any manual and customer welding mask or helmet will never help you.
Ensure that whenever you are using a welding mask or welding helmet to see a solar eclipse, your face is properly covered, and your eyes up to your forehead are closed in case of the mask. If it is a welding helmet, you should not use any cracks and broken covering; even a single crack is dangerous.
Can I use welding goggles to look at the eclipse?
The welder glasses, generally known as welding goggles, are also fine when watching a solar eclipse. Just like any other welding mask and helmet, you need a 12-shade goggle. The 12 shade filters on a welding goggle are equal to the professional sun rays filtered glasses.
The strange thing about the welding goggles is their shade number, if you visit a regular hardware store, you may get a 4 level shades, so it is better to ask the sellers before buying a welding goggle.
Conclusion:
Wearing welding masks, helmets, or goggles to look at the solar eclipse is a very wise trick, but you cannot use all the types of welding helmets or masks. Certain restrictions must follow for a protected view.
Otherwise, you may destroy the retina of your eyes and then face the music in terms of eyesight loss. Even if you are sure that you have the right welding mask still, it is better to take advice from a professional.
