my head is goign to explosde

Bakerman44 · #1 2010-04-15, 6:13pm

shade 3 jsut aint cuttin it. shade 5 is a need. i can't even stare at the screen that well. light hurts right now. too much pain to deal with. please kick in advil. just wanted to share incase you boro color working ffolks are thing if trying out shade 3 first...don't shade 5 only. ordering some in the morning...i can't burn another piece of glass til i get them...too much pain...

-justin

ginkgoglass · #2 2010-04-15, 6:38pm

Shade 3 works fine for me or even less if it is clear boro.
Seems like people are different in their visual tolerance to the flame.

Kalera · #3 2010-04-15, 6:49pm

A lot depends on how big your pieces are, how much color you work, how hot you work it, how LONG you work it, and how sensitive your eyes are.

Puddy Tat Glass · #4 2010-04-15, 6:53pm

I think it might have something to do with the size of piece you're working on and the torch too. I use a Lynx and do just fine playing with small boro pendants using my regular didymium visor...but, when my son fired up my Mirage and tried making a paperweight size piece using didymium lenses he also fried his eyes. Took a couple of days to get over it and the first night he was in terrible pain. He got eye drops, took a Valium, drank a beer and finally went to sleep.

Three Muses Glass · #5 2010-04-15, 7:02pm

Are you using a plain old shade 3 without some kind of coating like ACE?!?

menty666 · #6 2010-04-15, 7:46pm

I've got blue eyes, which means extra sensitive vs brown, black, etc. I use 5's and most of the time it's fine. Occasionally I still get some radiant redness though, but I think I need to blink more often and tighten my goggles.

You wouldn't think it, but the blinking thing's a problem. The heat dries your eyes, so you don't necessarily notice and you leave them open longer. Make a conscious effort to blink more often, and don't lean too close to the flame.

Oh, and you can safely put a 100 w equivalent CFL into one of those cheap metal reflector clip lights. 2 of them is plenty of light on the bench to counter the 5's darkness.

Bakerman44 · #7 2010-04-15, 9:10pm

well im feeling better now. Advil kicked in and my little lady scratched my head. sorry for the horrible typos earlier.

Gink- I wish i was as fortunate as you. I like being able to see the colors without flipping my shade 3's

Kalera- I agree...I make a shamrock piece all the time and it doesn't bother me. it's a quick heat piece. (here is a tutorial http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...7&l=f1deeab65d ) I made three pendants back to back to back..about 1 inch or slightly larger.

Coquille- i use the mess out of eye drops and they help quite a bit..but i get to a point of pain in the brain.

3muses- My flips are shade 3 green ace. just not dark enough i guess

Menty- I have blue eyes also. Thanks for the "eye-opener" for people like us. I was unaware that could be a problem(genetic). I used to play World of Warcraft and i would never blink until i made my self aware. I started to blink and my eyes stopped hurting. it shouldn't be a problem to replicate that solution. thanks for the lighting tip also

You guys and gals rock!

-justin

Lisi · #8 2010-04-16, 8:18am

I have dark brown eyes, almost black, but I think my eyes are sensitive to bright light. I will try the shade #5 fit-overs from the welding shop over my AUR-92s and see how I do before I buy the much more $$$ eyewear.

ABR Dave · #9 2010-04-16, 10:19am

do you have the plastic shade 3 flips ups from phillips? or do you have metal framed ones?

if you are using the plastic ones, they are meant to go over ACE 202's. You are not getting sufficient protection in that case.

not everyone realizes this when they buy the plastic flips (25 bucks) vs. the glass lensed, metal framed ones.

Bakerman44 · #10 2010-04-16, 10:35am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABR Dave

do you have the plastic shade 3 flips ups from phillips? or do you have metal framed ones?

if you are using the plastic ones, they are meant to go over ACE 202's. You are not getting sufficient protection in that case.

not everyone realizes this when they buy the plastic flips (25 bucks) vs. the glass lensed, metal framed ones.

I think i do. i threw the box away, but i got the glasses from the "deluxe kit." http://heritageglass.com/index2.htm they say 202's on them and im using the philips ace shace 3 from http://www.glasscraftinc.com/product...?part_id=10644

I hope this is sufficient enough protection even though my discomfort level is high.

ABR Dave · #11 2010-04-16, 12:17pm

looks like you got the right stuff. the plastic shade 3's can leave bit to be desired(lots of orange flare). the shade 5's seem to do well though.

good luck, hope you can get back on the torch soon!

Karen Hardy · #12 2010-04-16, 12:22pm

You might look into getting a pair of split lens glasses too.
I have a pair, and they're all I use. I can tip my head down to
see the color before I use it or see fine detail work, and then
tip my head up for the full shade 5. They are on the expensive
side (I paid about $300 for mine) but when it comes to your
eyes, you don't fart around. Buy the best you can - long before
you invest money in ANYTHING else. Once your eyes go bad,
there ain't no lampworking at ALL for you.

ABR Dave · #13 2010-04-16, 12:24pm

agreed Karen. if there is one thing in this line of work you have to do, is take care of your eyes. without them, you can't work at all.

HWCGlass · #14 2010-04-16, 6:06pm

call ^^^^ and get some shade 5's. go to walmart and trade in your pharmies for lightbulbs.

boxcutter · #15 2010-04-18, 8:37pm

i bbq'd my eyes a couple weeks ago. it was horrible. i've had some sensitivity lately when i work longer hours on the torch. i was doing full-color work for like 10 hours. i never want to feel like that again.
i think mine are shad 5's too.
taking more frequent breaks from now i on.

hope your eyes are feeling better. they heal up pretty quick.

Hagstrom Art Glass · #16 2010-04-18, 8:58pm

Keep the Pharmys and get better glasses ASAP!!!!!! Glass may come in and out of your life....but you only get one set of eyes. Good light bulbs are nice too....just like Hman said.....The pharmys can go too for some people.

crofootadv · #17 2010-04-28, 6:33pm

Another thought - how old are your flipups ? Those do fade over time and if you're using them a lot they will fade quicker.

I don't know the "normal" lifetime expectancy, but I'd say if they were older than a year, get new ones.

Bakerman44 · #18 2010-04-29, 7:50am

The flip ups i have are about a month old. I still have not gotten shade 5's but im working on that. Things that have lessened the pain are blinking, longer breaks, and looking off away from the piece when melting color in.

Karen Hardy · #19 2010-04-29, 7:58am

Look, I hate to rant, but some fools on this forum keep calling
ME the voice of reason (yeah, I know...

) and I really get
worried about this issue.

Reality. Flip ups are cheap and crappy. They are not designed to
last forever (even the box says you need to replace them after
about 6 months), and personally I think that they do not offer
true protection against the glare from lampworking. When I changed
over to a good pair of glasses, I immediately noticed a difference.

Before you spend another nickel on ANY supplies, oxygen, ANYTHING -
invest about $300+ (much less than the co-pay for cataract surgery)
and get yourself the best glasses you can buy. You should NEVER have
pain in your eyes so bad that you "can't deal with it". You are doing
damage to your eyes every time that you torch. EVERY time.

Make this your #1 priority, and take care of it before you even
pick up the torch again.

Rant over. You may go about your business.

Bakerman44 · #20 2010-04-29, 8:13am

you know what karen? you're right...i just need to suck it up and spend the money. was thinking about these...any objections?

http://www.mountainglassarts.com/s.nl/it.A/id.2902/.f

HWCGlass · #21 2010-04-29, 1:46pm

I personally do not like those frames, you can not look over the top of them very easily.

Bakerman44 · #22 2010-05-04, 10:45am

k, the new shades came in. they are a little heavier than i thought. they are actually easier to look through than i thought because they fit against my eye sockets and dont let in any light come in through the sides. over all, im pleased, but i think i need to get a neck lanyard with a slider to tighten them against my face.

this is the lanyard im talking about. http://www.outdoorgearheads.com/Affi...oddb=1&pid=491

Cosmo · #23 2010-05-04, 11:48am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karen Hardy

Look, I hate to rant, but some fools on this forum keep calling
ME the voice of reason (yeah, I know...

) and I really get
worried about this issue.

Reality. Flip ups are cheap and crappy. They are not designed to
last forever (even the box says you need to replace them after
about 6 months), and personally I think that they do not offer
true protection against the glare from lampworking. When I changed
over to a good pair of glasses, I immediately noticed a difference.

Before you spend another nickel on ANY supplies, oxygen, ANYTHING -
invest about $300+ (much less than the co-pay for cataract surgery)
and get yourself the best glasses you can buy. You should NEVER have
pain in your eyes so bad that you "can't deal with it". You are doing
damage to your eyes every time that you torch. EVERY time.

Make this your #1 priority, and take care of it before you even
pick up the torch again.

Rant over. You may go about your business.

It constantly amazes me when people go out and spend $1500+ on a torch, $1000 on a kiln, another $1000 on glass and tools, and buy the cheapest glasses they can find...

Bakerman44 · #24 2010-05-04, 12:18pm

just one of those last things you think about i guess. but thanks to yall, my eyes are safe. lesson learned and i hope this can be a lesson to others who read this.

crofootadv · #25 2010-05-05, 7:01am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bakerman44

....but i think i need to get a neck lanyard with a slider to tighten them against my face.

I got these Phillips Assurance frame for this reason, they have adjustable nose pads, spring hinges, and rubber pads at the rear to hold them in place on your face. http://www.phillips-safety.com/store...hp?cPath=40_55

Plus, they are solid metal, not wire frame, and they feel cool on your face.

Right now I just have the plain didy version with shade 5 flipups, but I like them so much, I will definitely have more than one pair in different shades.

Karen Hardy · #26 2010-05-05, 7:50am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cosmo

It constantly amazes me when people go out and spend $1500+ on a torch, $1000 on a kiln, another $1000 on glass
and tools, and buy the cheapest glasses they can find...

STOP it! I am the voice of reason here. If you keep this up, you're going
to take over my title

!

Don't forget ventilation too. Not MY pet issue, but I've walking in on
friends fuming with silver, who have had nothing but a fan in the window
(which wasn't even on at the time

). Helllooooooo! Oxy Concentrators
are for your torch - you don't want to need them for your lungs too!!!

People need to put their health first and foremost.
There will ALWAYS be more glass, more tools, more classes, more
everything. But once your eyes go and your lungs are shot, your
career as a glassworker is over. Period. Health first!!!!
We need more ranters!!!