As a welder, it is critical to keep the welder’s helmet and face lens clean from the elements.
Most of us are breathing in fumes from our welding arc that can cause everything from color blindness and memory loss to death.
It’s just not worth taking chances when the only thing standing between you and the elements is your welder’s helmet.
Cleaning your welding helmet lens is a pretty important task if you want high-quality welds. You should make sure to clean it every time before you start welding. Here’s how to clean welding helmet lens in a simple and easy way.
How does Welding Helmet Lens Work?
Welding helmet lenses are an important part of the safety equipment used in arc welding.
They protect your eyes from the harmful ultraviolet radiation, infrared radiation, and heat that can be emitted by a welding arc.
The lens works by absorbing the light and heat from the arc, which is then dissipated as heat into the air around you.
The materials used to make the lens are usually glass or plastic, although some helmets use a combination of both.
The type of material used will depend on how much protection you need and how much weight you want to carry around with you.
How To Clean Welding Helmet Lens? 5 Steps to Follow
Welding helmets protect your eyes from the bright light produced by welding torches. The following steps will help you clean your welding helmet lens safely and effectively.
- Remove the Helmet Lens
- Removing the Dirt from the Lens
- Use Helmet Cleaner on the Lens
- Dry the Lens with Microfiber Cloth
- Put Lens Back on the Helmet
Step 1: Remove the Lens from Your Helmet
Remove your helmet from its case and place it on a flat surface. If you have an adjustable helmet, take out the chin strap and remove any padding that’s in the way of cleaning your lens.
Next, remove the lens from its frame by loosening the screws on either side of it with a screwdriver if necessary. If you don’t have access to one, try using pliers instead!
Step 2: Removing the Dirt from the Lens
When removing dirt from your welding helmet lens, use a lint-free cloth or paper towel to wipe off any debris or dust on the outside of the lens with downward strokes starting at the bottom edge of the mask’s lens where there is less distortion due to curvature in its shape (this will help prevent scratches).
Do not wipe across horizontally because this will cause scratches in your lens coating, which can impair vision while welding; instead, use vertical strokes only when cleaning off dirt or dust particles from inside or outside surfaces where they are visible without distorting your view through them too much.
Step 3: Use Helmet Cleaner on the Lens
To clean your helmet lens, you’ll need to use a specially formulated helmet cleaning solution that is designed specifically for welding helmets.
The cleaner should be available at any hardware store, as well as online. It’s important to follow the instructions on the bottle when using this type of product.
Once you’ve sprayed the cleaner on your lens, use a microfiber cloth to wipe down the surface of your helmet’s lens. Don’t forget about those hard-to-reach areas! This will help remove any dirt or grime that might have accumulated during use.
If there are still some stubborn spots left over after wiping with the cloth, then repeat this process until they’re gone!
Step 4: Dry the Lens with Microfiber Cloth
After you’ve cleaned your welding helmet’s lens, it’s important to dry it. The microfiber cloth will absorb any moisture that may have been left behind by the cleaning solution and help prevent any streaks or smudges from forming on the lens.
Step 5: Put Lens Back on the Helmet
Once you have cleaned and dried your welding helmet, put the lens back on your helmet. To do this, first, make sure that the screws are tight enough to hold the lens in place. If they are too loose, tighten them up before putting your helmet back on top of your head.
Why your Welding Helmet Lens Becomes Dirty?
If you are a welder, you must have experienced the problem of the lens on your helmet getting dirty. This can be very annoying and can cause a lot of problems when welding.
The reason for this is that when the lens becomes dirty, it is difficult to see what you are doing, and this can lead to accidents. In order to avoid these issues, it is important that you know why your welding helmet lens becomes dirty in the first place.
There are several reasons why your welding helmet lens may become dirty. The first reason is because of dust or dirt particles floating in the air around where you are working. These particles can get into your face shield and on the lens itself, which will make them hard to see through.
The second reason that could cause your lenses to become dirty is if they are scratched or damaged by something, such as another object or even yourself, if you accidentally bump into something while wearing them, which causes scratches on them, making them hard for you to see through clearly anymore!
Another reason why this might happen is because of chemicals such as acids or solvents, which might get spilled onto them from nearby containers, so be careful about what kind of chemicals are nearby when working with these kinds of materials!
Why is there a Need to Clean Welding Helmet Lens?
Welding helmets are designed to keep the welder’s eyesight safe from the high temperatures and ultraviolet radiation emitted during welding.
The lens of a welding helmet is usually made of plastic or glass, which can be damaged by particles in the air, such as metal shavings or dust. If left untreated, these particles can cause scratches on the lens and make it more difficult to see clearly while working.
If you clean your lens regularly, you will not only avoid damage but also extend its life span. I personally recommend that you clean your welding helmet lens every time you take it off after using it, which will help prevent any damage from occurring over time.
How Often Should you Clean your Helmet Lens?
The answer depends on how much work you do each day and how long you spend welding each day. If you only do a few hours of welding per week, then cleaning once per week may be enough for you.
However, if you do a lot of welding in one day or work with dirty materials that get into your eyes when wearing your helmet, then cleaning twice or even three times per week may be necessary for maximum protection against UV rays entering through cracks or scratches on the lens surface area.
Also See: Best Auto Darkening Welding Helmet for Easy Welding
3 Effective Methods to Clean a Welding Helmet Lens
When your helmet lens is covered in grime, it’s hard to see anything. You might be tempted to just toss your helmet and get a new one, but that isn’t necessary.
There are three important ways you can clean your welding helmet lens without having to replace it.
By Buffing Wheel:
Use a buffing wheel to clean the welding helmet lens. This is the most effective method for cleaning your helmet lens, but it does take some time and patience.
You will need to use a Dremel tool with a polishing wheel to buff out any scratches or smudges on your helmet lens.
You should always test this method on an inconspicuous area of your lens before starting on the actual lens so that you don’t accidentally damage it.
I recommend that you wear protective gloves when using this method because it can be very dangerous if you don’t use proper safety precautions.
By Rubbing Compound:
Rubbing compound is an abrasive used to remove scratches from glass surfaces. It works well on welding helmets because the material isn’t too hard or soft, which means it won’t damage the plastic or scratch the glass.
To use rubbing compound, simply apply some to the surface of your lens and wipe it off with a clean cloth or paper towel once it has been applied evenly across the surface of the lens.
This method will take some time if there are deep scratches in your lens because you’ll have to continue applying more rubbing compound until all of them are removed before wiping away any excess residue left behind by using another clean cloth or paper towel, provided that neither of these items contains any kind of oils which could cause damage if left behind after cleaning up everything else properly afterward.
I have used rubbing compound 05973 at once, so I personally recommend you use this while cleaning the welding helmet lens.
By Polishing:
If you want to clean your welding helmet lens, then polish is also the best option that has been specifically designed for cleaning lenses. The polish will help remove any dirt or stains from your helmet lens so that it is as clear as possible.
It also helps prevent scratches from occurring on your lens, which can make it harder for you to see when wearing it during welding projects.
It is better for you that you might choose armor all or furniture polish along with wax for better results.
How to Change Welding Helmet Lens?
Changing the lens on a welding helmet requires some prior knowledge of the process, but it’s not as complicated as you might think.
The first step is to purchase a replacement lens and make sure it fits your helmet and is compatible with the existing lens. You can find replacement lenses at most welding supply stores and online.
Once you have the correct lens, remove the old one from the welding helmet by removing the screws holding it in place, then pulling out the old lens.
Clean out any dirt or debris in the space where you will be installing your new lens, then clean both sides of the new lens with soap and water before installing it into place.
Use a flathead screwdriver to gently pry open one side of your new lens so that you can install it into place on your helmet.
Once both sides have been opened up and placed into position, use pliers to tighten down any screws that hold it in place. If there are no screws present on your helmet, simply push down firmly until all parts are secure and tight against each other.
Tips to Maintain Welding Helmet Lens Clean
Maintaining a clean lens on your welding helmet is an important part of ensuring that you have the best protection possible.
It’s also important for safety reasons, and a dirty lens can cause you to see poorly, which can lead to accidents. Here are some tips for keeping your lens clean:
- Always use a clean cloth or paper towel when cleaning your mask. It is not advisable to use anything that will scratch the lens.
- Use plain water or eyeglass cleaner, never use household cleaners or alcohol-based products on your mask.
- Use a soft cloth or paper towel to gently wipe off any smudges on the lens, then rinse with water and dry completely before putting it back on.
- When cleaning your helmet’s lens, wipe from top to bottom in a circular motion and avoid pressing too hard on any one spot for more than 30 seconds at a time (as this could cause damage).
- Keep Your Lens Clean. You should wipe down the lens with a soft cloth after each use and then before putting it on again.
Also See: Effortless Steps How to Paint a Welding Helmet
Precautions to Follow While Cleaning a Welding Helmet Lens
When cleaning the lens on a welding helmet, it’s important to follow several precautions to ensure you don’t damage the helmet or cause any safety issues.
First, make sure you have a soft, non-abrasive cloth (like an old t-shirt) that you can use to clean the lens without scratching or otherwise damaging it.
Second, if necessary, take off your mask before cleaning the lens. If your mask is dirty or has oil on it, this could transfer onto your helmet and make things worse!
Third, make sure that you are using a safe solvent for cleaning purposes (and not something like gasoline or acetone). This will help prevent any damage to the lens or the helmet itself.
Fourth, do not use any abrasive materials when cleaning; only use soft cloths or tissue paper.
Final Words!
I think the most important thing to remember here is to avoid cleaning your lens while it is still hot.
Not only can that cause it to crack, but you could also get burned in the process. This guide does a really good job of outlining all of the steps necessary how to clean welding helmet lens.
Be sure to clean the lens with all precautions and the above article’s guidelines so that you will easily clean your welding helmet lens.
FAQs:
How do you clean auto-darkening lenses?
When cleaning auto-darkening glasses, you should use a clean, soft cloth and warm water to remove debris that may have accumulated on the surface of the lens. The auto-darkening lenses will darken when exposed to UV rays. Always use fresh lenses.
What do you clean a welding lens with?
You don’t want to use anything too abrasive and scratch the lens. First, take a look at how your lens is made. Most welding lenses are made of glass or a plastic composite that looks and feels similar to glass. You can clean most lenses using dish soap and water with a soft toothbrush. If they are really dirty, try using window cleaner first and then clean them with soap and water before you rinse them off in cool water.
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