Let's face it – the most important piece of gear in your welder's toolkit is your mask. You can't weld without it. And with good reason. Welding helmets or masks are mandatory to prevent a nasty and painful condition known as arc eye. This occurs when your unprotected eye is exposed to the ultra violet and infrared light rays generated by the arc. Both IF and UV light is invisible, but very dangerous, nonetheless. This is serious stuff. In addition to inflaming the cornea, these light rays can burn the retina, which leads to loss of vision. Never, ever weld without a helmet or mask and a lens filter in place.
If that isn't bad enough, you also have to worry about splatter, flying debris and sparks.
Now that we've got you sufficiently scared, here's what you should know when you're picking out your welding helmet or mask.
The industry standard for welding helmets is ANSI Z87.1. Helmets that meet this standard provide full protection against ultraviolet and infrared light. Unfortunately, in the United States, meeting the standard is voluntary, so be sure that the helmet or mask you select does indeed meet this requirement.
Okay, now that that's handled, let's move on.
These days, the smart thing to do is make sure your helmet or mask is auto darkening. It will automatically darken when you start welding and return to clear when you stop. This means you can leave the helmet down or mask on all the time you are welding. There is no need to constantly flip it up and down to see where to point the torch, which gets annoying really quickly. This also just about eliminates the possibility that you'll forget to flip down your mask before you start the welding arc again. Forgetting to flip it back down when you're restarting – usually called operator error – is a big source of injuries.
As it always does, new technology comes with a price tag. These welding masks with automatic darkening lenses are going to be more expensive than a traditional lift up mask. Ultimately, it's your choice.
Once you've made that decision, there are several other things to consider. Size, fit, weight and size of the lens are all things to look at.
Let's tell the truth. It's not often you get to wear a mask when it's not Halloween. Or robbing a bank. So given that you have to wear one while you are working, you might as well look cool. If you want to have fun, there were lots of very cool designs available. Freddie Kruger perhaps. Or Darth Vader – although the voice deepener is an extra cost option.
An auto darkening welding mask can be a huge life save when it comes to ease of use. Miller makes a great welding respirator mask for sale and you can even pick up a skull welding mask if that's what you're looking for.
One thing to keep in mind is how much you're wearing this helmet. If it's few hours every day, the weight and comfort of the mask is really important to you. A one pound difference may not seem like a lot when you pick it up with your hands, but when it's been on your head all day, your neck muscles will definitely feel the difference.