Video taping soldering

I’m trying to video tape soldering with oxy/ace and need some sort
of filter that blocks the bright light from the flame and allows the
work to be viewed.

Have any of you ever discovered a filter for this?

Doc,

If you have access to a water torch the process is easy as the flame
shows up green…and simply dimming the lights a bit works for all
media

I have had : minimal success with low light and a flash ( flame
components are visible but length hard to discern) background light
is ok, but turn off the light on the bench,or over it.this gives a
reasonable photo, or video

if you have colour filters and are videoing it: I have used a yellow
filter and a polarized grey#3 on a cannon XL-1S video camera with
good results (makes the flame appear green/blue). You can also just
tape gels,OR polarized films over the lens sans filter attachments
and get good colours from yellow to blue and the entire flame is
visible length, bushiness or not, etc…

best were with 2 gold reflecting umbrellas ( not a bright
white/silver one) directing light away from the work and to diffuse
the fluorescent room light Using fairly close up lens work…but it
was a 23 minute how- to and soldering was not the focus of the
project -flush setting was the best stills I ever took for other
people were in as dim a light as was possible to see hands and
workpiece, but using a flash to take the shots hope you can glean
something useful here.

R.E.Rourke

Dydimium or AUR lens used by glass beadmakers are designed to block
the bright yellow sodium flare of a torch flame. This allows one to
clearly see the piece while working in the fire.

Teri Jo

Glass workers use a didyium (sp) lense to block the yellow sodium
flare. As I remember it is kind of a rose colored looking lens.

Dan Wellman

Doc, Glass workers have long used such a filter in their work. They
wear special glasses made with neodymium and praseodymium oxides.
These elements are very effective in filtering the bright
yellow-orange flare of low pressure sodium - the sodium D line. Any
one with a bit of science knowledge knows about the visible spectrum
and how certain elements emit or absorb certain frequencies. These
spectrum lines are a great help in identifying gems (using a
spectroscope or chelsia filter) or on a TV crime show to identify
evidence using a spectrometer. These glasses tint the view a bit on
the purple-violet side, but are great for removing the sodium glare.

Marlin in Hot, Humid Denver.

Hi Doc; Polarizing filters are traditionally used in photography to
remove glare however they do not remove glare on metal. I think this
might be different since it is torch light and not a reflection at
any rate a 2 part polarized filter might be worth a try. They are
available at any camera store. They are 2 part so that 1 lense can
be rotated to vary the affect.

Dave Owen

For video and film one of the easiest to use filters is called a
neutral density (ND) filter. They come in varying degrees of density

  • typical ND,3,.6, and.9 which corresponds to 1, 2, or 3 stops of
    light loss. They block all light wave wavelengths more or less
    equally so there is no color shifting. They also come in stronger
    versions but harder to find.

I used to use them in high speed welding films. I could be wrong, but
I don’t think polarizers would work well and it might be hard to get
optimal results from it without testing…

Try to kick up your ambient light too, so there is less contrast
between the overall light and the torch light.

In any event you may want to stack a UV filter in front to protect
the more expensive filter or lens from stuff splashing up.

Eric Schmidt

some pro-sumer video cameras have a ND button and filter built in. I
have a Cannon XL1-S and I also beleive their earlier models may also
have the auto ND feature…I think some RCA models also have em built
in…