Best Eye Protection for Brazing

[Ahmdo Molah]

If cost considerations are set aside, what do you think is the 'Best Eye Protection for Brazing'?

Matters of Interest
1. Sufficiently safe IR/UV protection
2. Orange glare (flux induced) filtering
3. Clarity of the puddle with the flame on the work
4. Flip Up/Down type attachment for clear shop eyewear
5. Glass preferred over plastic

Also, are the common auto-darkening welding helmets fine(safe/effective) for use (if their bulk/weight are ignored)?

Thanks

[Eric Estlund]

https://sps.honeywell.com/us/en/prod...r/uvex-horizon

These can have RX lenses made for the clear, too.

[Ahmdo Molah]

According to ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2020 (p.16) 'Table 7. Transmittance Requirements for Welding Filters',

'Maximum Infrared Average Transmittance %' for the common 'Shades' are;
Shade 3 = 9%
Shade 5 = 2.5%

Shade 5 would seem to be the safer choice. But I wonder if any of you have both and choose one depending on the intensity of the flame for different tasks, say Shade 3 for small braze-ons and Shade 5 for fork crowns?

[Doug Fattic]

According to ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2020 (p.16) 'Table 7. Transmittance Requirements for Welding Filters',

'Maximum Infrared Average Transmittance %' for the common 'Shades' are;
Shade 3 = 9%
Shade 5 = 2.5%

Shade 5 would seem to be the safer choice. But I wonder if any of you have both and choose one depending on the intensity of the flame for different tasks, say Shade 3 for small braze-ons and Shade 5 for fork crowns?

There is maximum safe and then there is practical safe. A #5 shade is too dark for me to be able to see anything. It is perfect for those that braze all day long and already know what they are doing and barely need to see what is going on in the joint. A #3 is tolerable for me to be able to see through but I like to use a #2 which is dark enough to protect my eyes when not brazing a long time but still light enough to actually see what I'm doing. In fact most sunglasses will do the trick. They are particularly useful if one needs prescription glasses. An auto welding helmet starts at a #9 shade and is perfect when you want to look directly at an eclipse of the sun and when TIG welding but way, way too dark for brazing.

Some people really like didymium glasses for brazing that are primarily designed for glass blowing. These are a light rose-colored lens that don’t darken so much as get rid of the glare. It is the flux when bronze brazing that when heated creates an aura that is hard to see through. If I remember right they don't reduce UV rays but they do get rid of most of the brightness of flux when it is heated. They should be paired with dark lenses when brass brazing. It is a little goofy when two pairs of glasses are on one face so didyumium lenses work better with the kind of flip up glasses that can combine them with a #2 or 3 dark shade. I know some people that really like them when silver brazing too.

[Eric Estlund]

The Horizon can be had in 3 or 5, or SCT-Colbalt Blue per your needs.

[Ahmdo Molah]

Eric & Doug, thanks for your tips.

Doug, my welding helmet (unlike most) has a base shade 2.5 when electronically inactive, and the auto-darkening starts at shade 4+ when set to 'auto-pilot'(auto variable). I see what you mean by your preference for a shade 2 as I can see quite clearly through my welding helmet in its inactive shade 2.5.

TM Technologies claims its TM2000 (glass) Lens filters the glare as well as the IR/UV in one shabang, but as it's only offered in shade 5, and does cost an arm and a leg, I'm glad there's no need to be tempted.

I did read elsewhere about glass blowers that use didymium glasses (to filter the glare) with clip-on flip-up tinted shades(for IR/UV protection). This seems like the best of both worlds solution.

Eric, if the Horizon could be offered with tinted flip-up shades and SCT-Colbalt Blue stationary lens, it would function like the didymium + tinted shades method mentioned above. But am I correct in assuming the the Horizon's shades 3/5/SCT-Colbalt Blue options are for the flip-up portion only?