What shade safety glasses for Dynatorch?

Metal Shop
1

The Dynatorch wiki says shade 8 glasses are required. The hot process training says shade 5 is required. I’m buying my own … which ones do I need?

I understand that the 8’s are darker. If that’s what’s really required to be safe then I’m glad to wear them, but I’m a little concerned about stumbling around in the dark wearing shade 8 if only shade 5 is required.

2

I don’t recall the logic leading to the wiki, if it’s different, but I do recall “minimum shade 5” being the “rule of thumb”.
From OSHA:
https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHAfactsheet-eyeprotection-during-welding.pdf

image
image859×772 75.9 KB

This is likely the source of the Wiki’s content.
Bearing mind OSHA’s about workplace safety, their rules are there to protect someone working an 8hr shift doing this task. Likely a shade 5 will be fine for what we hobbiests are doing. Kind of a personal call, though. If shade 8 lets you see what you’re doing well enough, that’s better for the eyes long-term. Darker’s always better :smiley:

2 Likes
3

I know that my eyes are bad enough that I need a shade 8 to see my welding work area. So yeah, that’s really dark. If you’re buying these, maybe a more middle shade? 6? 7?