CNC Plasma cutting eye protection

[Jaime Branco]

What is the best to use for Eye protection?

Jaime

[Gamelord]

Go to your local welding store and get some goggles with the proper tint/shade for plasma.

[Jaime Branco]

But they are to dark to see the machine Computer or not ?

[jimcolt]

This is from a Hypertherm operators manual. Plasma cutters range in power level from 10 amps to 1000 amps, just like with welding, more amps equals a more intense arc. Different shading for comfort and safety is recommended based on the power level of your system. In many air plasma cases a shade 5 or 6 (like dark sunglasses almost) will suffice. Jim Colt Hypertherm

shade chart.jpg

[Jaime Branco]

I use a Powermax 105 but normally I cut at 65 amps and the machine is always cutting minimum 1 meter way from the operator my going to try to buy some UV + Blue light protection glasses to try what you think ?

[michmetalman]

I bought the goggles and took the strap off. I just hold it up to my face when I want to watch the cutting.

[plain ol Bill]

I have made my living welding for 60 years now and still have my eyes. When running the plasma I wear clear safety glasses and don't watch the arc much when cutting. If I hear a strange noise I will look but that is seldom. the arc is so close to the material you don't really get a good look at it anyway. If I have a guest in the shop that is not familiar with an arc I supply them with dark eye protection.

[little blue choo]

Never wear anything.

Rick

[islander261]

Hello

Remember your eyes can't be replaced!

When I first started (40 to 50 amps) I always wore my shade 5 face shield and watched the cut like a vulture. Now I never look at the cut and just listen to the sound of the cut. I do wear safety glasses (my normal glasses plus side shields) at all times. When the cut doesn't sound right I stop the motion (cut) and check out what just happened. The big thing is to get your process dialed in so you are just looking for the problems and let the normal operations carry on. Please don't get me wrong, it took me several years of art work production to figure this out. You watching one of the best resources for plasma cutting info available. Please believe me you will save yourself a lot of grief by paying attention to what many of the experts here have to say.

John

[Rodw]

Hello
Please believe me you will save yourself a lot of grief by paying attention to what many of the experts here have to say.

John

John, surely you are one of those experts. Don't sell yourself short!

[urbnsr]

While running production jobs, I'm not looking at the arc very much, if at all, as I am usually doing a second process with only safety glasses and am out of sight of the arc - only listening for exceptions. When I do need to babysit a cycle at lower amps, I use these shades:

http://www.eastwood.com/plasma-shades.html

p13948sm.jpg

Being only shade 5, some may suggest these are not very useful. I have only been doing this for a few years and cannot recommend what is correct. Please research.

Paul

[little blue choo]

Let me restate myself, I use nothing when the machine is working and I'm doing other things. When I want to look directly at the arc I will put on a pair of #5 shade safety glasses. I keep the disposable ones lying everywhere. Buy them by the 6 pack cheap.

Rick

[Capstone]

There's nothing more frustrating than having a white spot in my vision as I try to do other things.

I went to my welding supplier (ARC3) and bought a cheap $10 pair of #6 or 7 glasses. I also have a spare pair for friends/guests/Observers. I really do pay attention to my cuts because I have yet to get my DTHC Ethercut IV to work correctly with my HT PM45. I have to observe the cut height probably more than most for this reason, especially on thinner material.

[jimcolt]

Heck......its only your eyes. (actually...please pay attention to the chart I posted in this thread...and use it, but only if you want to maintain your vision!) Jim Colt Hypertherm

[Gamelord]

Kinda taken back with some of the replies here. My opinion...and take it for what you are paying for it.....get some cheap glasses from your local welder while you can still see. Damage you do today will show up many years down the road and for less than 20 bucks you can avoid the issues that will show up later on in life.

but then again... I still see people using grinders without gloves and eye protection.....natural selection I guess.

[Jaime Branco]

Thanks for all the answers ....

[Creative25]

If you can’t get the proper glasses for plasma will good sun glasses work?

[Joe Jones]

The damaging light rays from plasma cutting are in the infrared zone. So dark tinted glasses might reduce the bright glare, but if the UV light is blasting through your tinted glasses, then you aren't really WEARING safety glasses. The UV protection rating is what is most important. However, it is also not a good idea to stare at the bright white arc while the machine is cutting. Remember that when you look away, a moment later your eyes seem to feel fine, but the damage that was done is DONE and irreversible. Look for glasses with a high UV protection rating, and maybe some tint to reduce the white glare, which is a completely different wavelength of light.

Joe

[jmersereau]

If you can’t get the proper glasses for plasma will good sun glasses work?

NO, they won't. Don't you have an auto supply or welding supply shop nearby. Or access to the internet (Amazon.com, weldersupply.com, eastwood.com)

The best use of $10-20!

Welding Safety Glasses, IR Filter Shade 5.0

Jim

[Deezl Smoke]

Though you are not welding, just like welding, try your best to not look directly at the arc/plasma stream as much as possible. Even when I weld, I try to focus ahead of the puddle and not directly at the arc.
If you wear corrective glasses like I do, use a goggle with the proper shade that fits over your glasses, or even a welding helmet with large lens and adjustable shade. I like using the lightweight welding helmets myself. Flip it up when at the computer screen, and just a quick nod to chip dross or use the flapper wheel etc. Many have grind mode now.

[Creative25]

Unfortunately local hardware stores don’t sell the right protective glasses. They sell welding helmets. Too dark!!
They sell goggles for gas welding on those it is written no protection for UV light.

Soviet guess amazon would be the best option. How long do those glasses last? Just try to fiver out if I should order a few of them?

[Creative25]

Unfortunately local hardware stores don’t sell the right protective glasses. They sell welding helmets. Too dark!!
They sell goggles for gas welding on those it is written no protection for UV light.

Soviet guess amazon would be the best option. How long do those glasses last? Just try to fiver out if I should order a few of them?

[SegoMan DeSigns]

The only safety glasses that last forever are the severely scratched ones

If you get a good welding helmet that is auto-darkening with shade control you can use it for all amps and weld with it.

My 2 bits on safety glasses:

The flame may be brighter on the higher amps but those jobs normally don't have the tip ups and roll outs the smaller art type projects do therefore you don't see as much of it.

The low exposure jobs I normally use the reflective / flash type glasses, high exposure jobs gets a shade 5 and a hand to shield the pretty blue flame from the eyes.

To answer your quantity question that depends on how long it takes freight to show up and the quantity discounts if offered. The ones I use are 6/box and 4 boxs/case.

[djreiswig]

Since I started working at a factory that requires safety glasses at all times, I find that they last a lot longer when they're on your face all the time. Previous job I would only put them on when doing work that actually required wearing them. They sure got scratched up a lot faster. This probably wouldn't apply for the shaded ones since they would impede most non cutting tasks.
If you have a protective sleeve to put them in, they will last a lot longer.

[Deezl Smoke]

So I have welders in several areas around the property. Instead of forgetting my lid and having to walk all the way back to the shop, I leave lids at each place. I do not have any super expensive professional helmets, as I am not a professional, but I have some that I take better care of than others.
Here's a couple pics looking though my Harbor Freight Titanium in low range, which has both shades 5 and 6. It's not active, but I show 2 pics to show that the shades are available if you look at the shade lcd. I actually like this helmet a lot. I even like it better than some of my more expensive ones like YES Welder etc., though it is one the lids that gets dropped, kicked and thrown around a lot. It's filthy and scratched, but you can still see through it quite well. It also is wide enough to not hit my prescription safety glasses.

helmet shade 1.jpg

helmet shade 2.jpg