Auto darkening welding mask

[Young Farmer]

I have a solar powered one of these that no longer works as it used to. I thought my eyesight was getting bad and my welding was not up to the usual standard when the mask virtually stopped working. Using an old hand held mask I could see what I was doing and a reasonable standard of welding was back. I haven't opened the mask up to see what's inside. Do they have a lithium battery to hold the solar charge? or do I bite the bullet and buy a new one?

[Luxobarge]

I've got one of these, and it's brilliant. I very much stand to be corrected, but I believe there is a little battery - worth having a tinker and seeing if you can find it, surely?

Do let us know how it goes, it might tell me what's in store for mine later on...

Cheers!

[Willy Eckerslyke]

I remember having to fit a battery in mine when I first bought it. A few years ago so probably due to be replaced soon...

[JPB]

Mine has a 1.5 Volt alkaline AAA cell in a small round tube. You can see it just by the bottom of the inner screen frame in this picture:


The lightweight cell that came with was pretty poor but the one in there the past year has been a decent branded one (Morrison's I believe, as found best in a gadget show test some while back) and it's still working after 1,208 hours.

[tractorman]

I suspect it depends on the age and quality of the mask. I have a cheepo one that I got from someone on eBay and it hasn't got a battery. It's a pain in the xxxx as I don't weld often enough to keep it charged and, by the time it has charged, I've usually almost finished welding. I try to keep it pointed to the light when it isn't in use, but the dust in the garage soon covers it!

As an aside - I've eventually found someone to do some heavy welding on my digger 's box-section mounting rails and he came this morning to collect them. That was the last time I used my MIG (to tack the pieces together) and, I've just checked, it was last May! There are good reasons for the delay (being on the dole from June to the end of October being the main one).

[jimmyybob]

Its not solar powered thats the sensor array you can see on the front....change the battery AAA for most types.

[tractorman]

There are helmets, like mine, that don't have batteries - Sealey do one for under £30! However, OP will have to check and see if his is solar powered or has a battery.

Mine was a cheap one from eBay (about £35 four or five years ago) and hasn't a battery - and limited adjustments for response and tint. I should have paid a few more pennies and bought a decent one, but I don't use it that often and only really bought it because the ones that come with the welders are hand held efforts which always seem to be aimed at the wrong place when I strike the arc!

[Young Farmer]

Thanks for the replys boys. Glad to see tractor man is emlpoyed once more. People like him who take time out to care for an elderly relative deserve the deepest respect.If you have never had to care for some one with altzeimers hope that you never will. Back to the topic. I took the sensor unit out of my mask and it was a sealed unit. Working on the principal of its not working therefore I can't make it worse I prised it open . It seemed to have been glued together. It has got a lithium battery which accounts for it holding a charge( when it was working ) even when kept in a cupboard. Will have to get a battery for it and super glue it back together. If I can't get it to work will get another like it as it is so much easier to weld with than either a hand held mask or the noddy type especially in awkward places.
Just finished making an english wheel and tried it out today. I had hammered out a repair panel for my car, getting the shape quite reasonabe but was left with planishing marks from the mallet. 5 minutes on the wheel and it's almost good enough not to need filler to hide the hammer marks.Will try to make some more panels tomorrow.