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What are the odds?

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n3480h1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2009
Messages
1,522
Location
Iowa
While welding the engine mounts onto my airframe Sunday, a small spark managed to find its way through the tiny vent holes in the top of my welding goggles, bounced off my glasses, and into my left eye. It became more annoying as time went on, so yesterday afternoon I went to the local opthamologist. He found it easily and removed it. He also found rust, which can promote infection, so he used a very small rotary tool to remove the rust. Yes, he ground my eyeball with a "Dremel" tool, lol. The local anesthetic made it painless, until it wore off. Vision has returned to normal this morning, so all is well.

The bill was $70. I think I'll spend the next $70 to get a better pair of welding goggles.

Tom
 
I'm glad all is well. I had a spark manage its way into my welding goggles too. It jumped all around in the goggles for a second or two but luckily never entered my eyes. I wasn't so lucky at the grinding wheel one year when a small chip of steel ricocheted off my safety glasses into my left eye. Doc got it out.

-Scott
 
If I may, I would recommend visiting Kent White's website. These goggles are old school but they are comfortable, light, and offer full protection from flying slag.
https://www.tinmantech.com/html/head-gear.php

headgear4.gif



By the way, happy to hear that the doc was able to remove the debris from your eye without any issues!
 
Been burnt so many times in so many places I dont even jump around anymore just grin and bear it. :-\ Its the piece of slag that drips off a weld and makes its way into your tennis shoe through your sock and then stops somewhere in the middle of your foot. Of course digging meteors out of your foot is always fun. Or the time I was cutting a thick piece of steel with my 4 inch grinder and the sparks were coming directly at me, ha I say no problem!, till I finally look down and find out my sweatshirt is on fire :eek:

Glad everyone ok with the eye particulates those are really dangerous.

Tim


Those gooogles look cool so I bought em. Cant stand the ones I have always slipping off my head. It was 49 bucks with shipping.
 
Tim, I did the same thing with an angle grinder. Got a nice big smokey hole in my insulated bibs, way too close to parts I really don't want to burn. :eek: Got the flames out ok. All this stuff is just more proof that someone wants us here on earth for a while longer.

Thanks for the lead, Joe, I will check them out.

Protect your eyes guys - there are darn few blind pilots out there.

Tom
 
Re: What are the odds? Now welding goggles

I spent Saturday morning welding with oxy-acetylene. It went pretty well. I have two pair of goggles. The first pair look like swimming goggles buy have green lenses possibly #4.

The other pair are newer. They are made by Selltrom and have darker lenses perhaps #5 or 6, but all the shades are available. The sellstrom goggles have two advantages.
First they have 4 vents. These are inserted into the goggles 2 on each side. I can weld with them for 3 hours with them fogging up. There are no open holes for sparks to enter.
Second they stand away from your face far enough that you can wear any glasses or small goggles you want to.
I'm told that the clear glass lenses that face outwards can be prescription ground for those who weld alot.
Bill Evans
 
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