I got out one of my old welding metallurgy books to confirm
stoichiometric temperatures of various gasses. Stoichiometric is the
ideal combustion process during which a fuel is completley burned.
Oxidizing flame.
Sun’s average temperatue 9927 degrees F
Acetlyene 5589 "
Mapp 5301 "
Propylene 5193 "
Natural gas 4600 "
Propane 4570 "
At the very least sun glasses should be worn to protect your eyes
from radiation given off from the burning of various gasses. The
experts (whoever they are) are now recomending sunglasses should be
worn when outside on a cloudless day.
I just don’t feel comfortable soldering, brazing or welding without
the proper eye protection. To not only knock down the glare of the
flux but to also keep any molten metals from my eyes not to mention
the fumes. But that’s another story. Your mileage may vary. Protect
your eyes.
I have always wondered about wearing glasses while soldering. I have
been wearing the didynium but now I will check with wearing the
shade 3 ones. Thanks so much, our eyes are very important !
As Thomas said, you can never overprotect your eyes. There are
several pairs of safety glasses for welding/brazing under the $20
mark, that will fit over eyeglasses. I got mine online.
There is a difference between them, yes. I only use propane at this
point, and have had the experience of seeing spots, and had
faded/bright vision (the world is covered in a brightish haze of
light)…no, I don’t believe it was supernatural. My eye doctor has
said ANY exposure to a torch flame, even if it isn’t as hot, can
cause flash burns…the UV rays make it more likely, but ANY (her
emphasis) flame, especially when lighting, could cause it.
I do not like working with dark glasses on over my glasses, and so
have been researching options in prescription optical wear.
Working in jewelry means I need to see to accomplish what I wish (at
least that’s the only way I know how to do it.) Better safe than
sorry.
I got out one of my old welding metallurgy books to confirm
stoichiometric temperatures of various gasses. Stoichiometric is
the ideal combustion process during which a fuel is completley
burned. Oxidizing flame.
There are apparently some newer methods of measuring flame temps
that yield different results. I found that more recent data that puts
propane at 5111 F and acetylene a 5678 F with oxygen as the oxidizer
but there are a variety of numbers given by different sources so it
is hard to be real definitive.
I am completely in agreement on some form of eye protection needs to
be worn. Sunglasses are normally close to a shade 2 filter but not
rated by ANSI.
Jim
James Binnion @James_Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts
If UV was present in any significant amount you would get a sun
burn from your torch.
Not to mention what is referred to as “Arc welders flash” which is a
type corneal burns, which is something you go out of your way to
avoid having more than once…
I use didymium lenses when brazing (silver or gold soldering) with my
oxy/propane Little Torch. It really helps me see through the sodium
flare from flux. Big difference in the visibility of the joint I’m
working on.
I do not know anyone who uses dark glasses when soldering with oxy
and propane. When using oxy acetylene, the flame is bright enough
to leave serious spots in your (my) vision even if not looking
directly at it. This is just not the case with propane, for
whatever reason.
It is critically important to understand you always need eye
protection when using a torch, period. And not just against impact.
Even our Spirflame[tm], even for “single gas” acetylene, propane,
natural gas, etc. What we in the jewelry industry usually call
soldering, is in fact properly termed as brazing. It s not just the
flame appearance which can generate harm but the reflective light off
of the soldering surfaces, workpieces, tools and fixtures, including
even furnace brick and binding wire. The AWS specifies 3 to 5 shaded
lenses for this purpose (get a 5) for brazing. I have and recommend
a #6 for Platinum work and welding. Melting can require even more
protection up to, and including a 10. And to add weight to what James
Binnion has already said, Aur92 and Didymium lenses don’t do a darn
thing about UV or Infra Red, which you need to protect against!
Best Regards,
Gary
Gary W. Miller,
Sr. Technical Advisor www.spirig.org
Yes there is a difference (Propane 5,111 F Acetylene 5780 F) but
it is no where near the temp of the surface of the sun which is
5,780 K or 9800 F.
You are correct. I converted degrees Kelvin to degrees Fahrenheit,
using 6,000K as the staring point and came up with a figure of
10,340F. Somehow I had gotten it in my mind that it was 6,000*F. I
stand corrected.
I am a lampworker and a metalsmith. I have recently started using my
dididium glasses when I am doing some of the silver fusing (not
soldering) and it seems to help a bit. The glasses help to cut down
on sodium flare (orange part of the flame) as a stop gap measure but
I am thinking I might try welding glasses as well and see what
happens.
Even our Spirflame[tm], even for "single gas" acetylene, propane,
natural gas, etc. [snip]The AWS specifies 3 to 5 shaded lenses for
this purpose (get a 5) for brazing.
I have used shade 5 for welding, and the torch puts out enough light
to allow you to see what you’re doing, which it also nowhere near
the tiny, delicate work jewelers do. A jeweler’s torch with single
gas or propane/oxy does not put out enough light to need or allow
a shade 5. This really falls under “overkill”. Please do not get
newbies thinking they need to be trying to work with the
disadvantage of such dark shades!
Also, I thought I understood that ordinary plastic spectacles
provide adequate protection from the levels of infrared and UV given
off by single gas and propane/oxy torches. Did I misunderstand?
Light produced by soldering, welding or cutting is visible because
either the radiant body ( normally the piece being worked on ) or the
fuel is at a high enough temperature to radiate. Flux however, can
cause a sodium glare. Acetylene without oxygen produces more light
than a neuteral oxygen / acetylene flame which produces more useable
heat. If you don’t get the metal very hot it does not radiate as
brightly. ( If the gold or silver is bright enough to be a hazard, it
is already molten. - My Opinion )
When in doubt, follow - A.N.S.I Standard # Z 87.1
Practice
I have fitted one of my optivisors with two strips of self adhesive
velcro on the inside of the visor. On the # 4 tinted 2 X 4.25
rectangular welding lens are 2 more strips of self adhesive velcro.
The tinted lens protrudes below the magnifing lens. Just stck it on.
Nothing could be simpler.
Options
Other tints are available for the 2 X 4.25 lens. 4 - 14. These are
Hard Glass lens so in case of breakage, you might wear them to the
outside of your optivisor lenses. If I were doing much oxy/acetylene
welding of of ferrous metals, this might be preferable. These tinted
lenses cost much less to replace than the optivisor lenses.
I have Gold plated # 9 welding lens which are wonderful to use. They
are cooler to the eyes and offer better contrast. They are not
available in a # 4 or 5 tinted lens. - rats !!!
First aid
If You manage to burn your eyes, two safe effective remedies I have
used in the long ago past are - Cleaned, Peeled, and Grated Alo Vera
plant leaf. - or - Irish Potato Apply to the closed eye / eyes
overnight.
Also, I thought I understood that ordinary plastic spectacles
provide adequate protection from the levels of infrared and UV
given off by single gas and propane/oxy torches. Did I
misunderstand?
Some plastics are good at UV filtering but not necessarily for
infrared. As for the shaded filters, it is not just the light from
the torch but the secondary radiation from things like fire brick,
flux binding wire etc. Shaded lenses can make it easier to see what
is going on in some circumstances but can also make it harder in
others. I have tried to use shade 3 for all soldering, it is just
too hard to judge color when wearing them so I tend to only wear them
or darker ones when casting and working on high temperature metals
like platinum. There should be a way to get filters that work in UV
and IR but not in the visible range or are at least a neutral density
(grey) so that the color vision would not be adversely affected.
However I haven’t found any such lenses.
James Binnion @James_Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts