A welding helmet is an instrument to ensure the safety of the welders. This is used by almost every welder in welding shops, mills, manufactories, and industrial factories. Cheater lenses are one of the most commonly used lenses in the welding helmets nowadays to assist the visuals and protect the eyes of the welders from external damage while welding things.
Welding can be dangerous if proper measurements are not taken. Installing a cheater lens in the welding helmet can easily protect your eyes from infrared light, ultraviolet rays, and other harmful radiation, and make your welding more comfortable by magnifying the objects.
In this article, I have shared my own experiences on how to install a cheater lens in a welding helmet properly. I have also included some tips that you can follow while installing it. I can assure you that this article will be able to portray the procedure for you.
6 Simple DIY Steps To Install A Cheater Lens In A Welding Helmet:
Installing a cheater lens in a welding helmet is a very simple and easy task to do. For that, you have to buy a cheater lens according to the size and measurement of your welding helmet. Below are the step-by-step procedures to Install a cheater lens in a welding helmet. So, follow the DIY step described as under:
Step-1: Measure The Lens Holder
To install a cheater lens in the welding helmet, first of all, you need to measure the holder of the lens in the front part of your welding helmet. The interior part of the viewing window of the helmet has a curved side of the lens facing out, so all you need to do is to measure that part vertically and horizontally. In most welding helmets the holder of the lens is approximately 4.25”x2.00”. But it may vary from the size of your helmet.
If you don’t have the tools to measure the size of the holder of the lens, or if you find it difficult to measure the size accurately, try to find out the user manual book. The information about your welding helmet should be provided there. Measuring the holder of the lens is a very important step because the following steps are directly or indirectly connected to this one.
Step-2: Make The Cheater Lens Ready
After measuring the holder of the lens in the welding helmet, the next thing you should do is to prepare the cheater lens to be installed. You have to clean the lens properly before installing it. Because it will be the closest material to your eyes when you wear the welding helmet.
You can use any type of glass cleaner available to you. Take tissue paper or anything like that, but don’t pour the liquid directly on the cheater’s lens. Now, take the cleaner on the tissue and then apply it to the lens. Clean the lens properly so that it can give you a proper view while welding anything.
Step-3: Slide The Cheater Lens In The Holder
Once you have finished cleaning your cheater lens, the next thing to install the lens in the welding helmet is to simply slide the lens into the ports of the lens holder of the welding helmet. This process is the simplest task in all the proceedings to install a cheater lens in a welding helmet.
One thing you should notice while sliding the cheater lens into the lens holder is that you should open the surface of the lens holder carefully. There are two types of lens holders in the welding helmets: one is opened from the outside of the helmet, and the other is functioned to be opened from the inside. So, open the lens holder properly then slide the cheater lens inside it.
Step-4: Lock The Lens Holder From Inside
To install a cheater lens in a welding helmet, you need to lock the lens holder properly after you have finished sliding the lens inside it. The locker of the lens holder is there to protect the lens from dropping out. It holds the cheater lens tightly in the lens holder and connects it with the welding helmet.
So, make sure that you have locked the ports of the lens holder. The lock is very flexible. Therefore, if you have to change the lens or the position of the lens, you can open it very easily. Locking the lens is important because if you don’t lock the lens properly, it can get off at any time while welding anything, and it can cause huge damage to you.
Step-5: Adjust The Auto Darkening System
The cheater lens in the welding helmet provides you with an automatic darkening system. It helps the welder resist the extensive light coming out of sparkles. As you know, the eye is one of the most sensitive organs of our human body, so it is very reactive to ultra-extensive heat and light emerging from any kind of sparks.
Cheater lenses are proactive in automatically darkening the screen of the lens while welding in extreme light, or welding produces a lot of sparks if you adjust it properly. To complete the installation of a cheater lens in a welding helmet, you need to adjust this level of darkening the screen according to the comfort zone of your eyes.
Step-6: Test The Auto Sensitivity
The most unique feature of a cheater lens is it works as an automatic sensor for heat, power, and light. It automatically adjusts the heat created by the welding process. Whenever the cheater lens feels the heat is getting more extreme and it can cause damage to your eyes, it reacts automatically and reduces it.
So, after you have checked the auto-darkening system of the cheater lens of your welding helmet, the next important thing is to test the auto sensitivity. You can weld anything which produces extra heat or extreme light while welding, and check if the lens reduces the heat, or sends you a signal to put it off or not.
Now, when all the procedures are done correctly and the cheater lens responds accordingly, the installation of a cheater lens in the welding helmet is complete.
Mistakes You Should Avoid To Install A Cheater Lens In A Welding Helmet:
Nowadays, cheater lenses are installed frequently because of their extreme utility, performance, and common availability. Installing a cheater lens is very simple and easy. Though there are possibilities to make some mistakes in the process, which I have discussed here, try to avoid them. These are:
- Don’t Use Smaller Lens:
The most common mistake people make while installing a cheater lens in a welding helmet is that they buy or bring a smaller size of the lens by thinking that smaller lenses are easy to fit in the lens holder. This is a complete misconception. There are particular sizes of cheater lenses. Don’t buy a bigger or smaller one, buy it according to the size of the lens holder of the welding helmet.
- Avoid Cleaning With Rough Cleaner:
Do not clean the cheater lens with a rough cleaner. The cheater lenses are made of polycarbonate. Therefore, if you use a very rough cleaner to clean it, the cleaner can damage the lens. So try to clean the lens with a simple and ordinary glass cleaner so that the polycarbonate does not react automatically and damage the cheater lens.
- Don’t Break The Lens Holder:
Do not break any part of the lens holder of the welding helmet while sliding the cheater lens in the lens holder. That can cost you an entire new welding helmet. So do it slowly. The parts inside the welding helmet are not that flexible to put extra pressure on them. If you are not careful while sliding the lens into the holder or locking it, you can break any part of the lens holder easily. So be careful with them.
- Never Use Any Kind Of Glue:
Never use any glue or sticky things to install the cheater lens in the welding helmet. Sometimes people think that using glue will set the cheater lens permanently in the welding helmet. Yes, it would stick the lens permanently, but it will damage the lens and the holder too. In fact, you don’t need to use any glue there because there is a lock system in the lens holder to hold it.
4 Tips You Can Follow To Install A Cheater Lens In A Welding Helmet:
The importance of your eyesight is beyond description. Therefore, installing a cheater lens in your welding helmet while welding is an unavoidable caution for you to take. So, while installing the cheater lens in the welding helmet, you can follow the following tips that will make the installation process easier:
Tip-1: Use Hand Gloves
Use hand gloves to hold the lens so that you can hold the cheater lens properly. The hand gloves will help you not to break the lens from falling by increasing the grip of your hand. It will also help you to stand the lens in the focused area. And obviously, it will protect your hand from any kind of external damage.
Tip-2: Measure With Vernier Or Digital Caliper
Measure the lens holder with a Vernier caliper or digital caliper so that the measurement is accurate. To install a cheater lens in a welding helmet, measurement is very important. The size of the lens holder varies from helmet to helmet. If the size of the lens holder of the welding helmet is not measured properly, it will be difficult for you to buy the cheater lens within an accurate size.
Tip-3: Check The Lens Before Buying It
Check the cheater lens properly before buying it from the shop. There can be any kind of manufacturer defect in the lens. And once you have discovered it after installing the lens in the welding helmet or even after buying it, it can cause you an extra amount of money, or extra time and extra work to reinstall it. Hence, check the cheater lens properly so that it does not cost anything extra later.
Tip-4: Try The Lens In Light And Dark
Try the lens in both daylight and darker places. The cheater lenses are installed to weld anything in any condition. As a result, it must be working under extreme heat, excessive exposure to light, and extensive power. Therefore, after you installed the cheater lens in the welding helmet, check the working capability of the lens properly. If it doesn’t work accordingly, try to replace it.
Related Questions:
Is It Necessary To Install A Cheater Lens In Your Welding Helmet?
Nowadays, a cheater lens has been a necessary instrument to be installed in a welding helmet. The main feature of a cheater lens is that it magnifies the object so that you can weld from a significant distance. Another basic utility of the cheater lens is that it helps to reduce the brightness and heat produced by the weldings.
The ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, and other kinds of harmful radiation are resisted by this lens to keep your eyes and visuals safe while welding. So, in a sense, installing a cheater lens in your welding helmet is a must.
What Are The Benefits Of Installing A Cheater Lens In A Welding Helmet?
The cheater lens covers the maximum selected area of the welding helmet, for this reason, it helps to keep the focus on the welding object. Secondly, a cheater lens is comparatively comfortable according to its size. Also, it is very easy to install, and It will increase the durability of your welding helmet.
Again the cheater lens is very easy to use and any welder has the capability of using it. Cheater lenses are very affordable. And last but not the least, the cheater lens protects your eyes from any external damage or risk of damage produced by the welding process.
How Does A Cheater Lens Work In A Welding Helmet?
Basically, the cheater lens helps the welder in magnifying objects, reducing extra brightness, and reducing the heat produced while welding anything. A cheater lens actually magnifies the object in front of it. It has a complicated magnification, and by using that the welder can see a closer view of the welding materials.
The cheater lens also uses its automatic darkening system to reduce the extensive brightness while welding any metallic instrument. The automatic sensitivity works on the amount of heat produced by welding anything. The sensor works to reduce the heat so that the welder can weld properly without any physical damage.
Is It Safe To Install Cheap Cheater Lens In Welding Helmets?
Cheap auto-darkening cheater lenses in welding helmets are always safe to work with. The fact is that the service that the cheater lens provides does not always depend on its cost. It depends on the quality of the product and the way you take care of it.
The cheaper lenses are constructed with polycarbonate, which means they will never break or melt for high heat and damage your eyes. So it does not matter if you have bought a cheaper cheater lens or an expensive cheater lens in your welding helmet. Just take proper care of it and it will last longer.
How Can You Maintain A Cheater Lens In The Welding Helmet?
To maintain a cheater lens in a welding helmet, the first thing you need to do is to clean the lens regularly. As the cheater lens is made of polycarbonate, it has a huge intention to be damaged by any external or internal object. So try to maintain a routine to clean the cheater lens and inspect them at least once a week to observe the condition.
If you think the cheater lens is no longer capable of being used, you should replace it as early as possible. Thus, you can maintain a cheater lens in a welding helmet properly.
Can You Wear Glasses Under A Cheater Lens In Welding Helmets?
You can wear glasses under a cheater lens in welding helmets. Nowadays, welding helmets are specially designed with greater spaces, so there is no foggy situation inside. Even after installing a cheater lens in the welding helmet, there is enough vacant space for the welder to wear glasses under it.
How Often Should You Change The Cheater Lens In Welding Helmet?
Generally, cheater lenses should be replaced once a month. But it depends on how carefully you use the cheater lens. The fact is, if you maintain the heater lens properly and keep it in a safe place, it can last for a longer time. I have even seen a cheater lens run for even a year.
So mainly, as you want to last your cheater lens for a longer time, you have to clean it regularly and take proper care of it. After that, you will be able to use your cheater lens in the welding helmet for a minimum of six to eight years.
How Much Does It Cost To Buy A Cheater Lens For Welding Helmet?
Cheater lenses are very much cost-friendly. Almost everywhere you can buy it at a very cheaper rate which will be in the range of $10 to $15 maximum. It depends on the type of cheater lens you are buying. But whatever you may choose, choose according to the size of your helmet. The price of the cheater lens will not exceed $15.
What Is The Best Cheater Lens To Install In A Welding Helmet?
Lincoln Electric Cheater Lens is one of the best cheater lenses you can install in the welding helmet. This cheater lens is well known for its durability and praiseworthy performance. The most important thing is the Lincoln Electric cheater Lens is very much affordable.
According to my own experience, you will never regret installing it. This cheater lens has a magnification scale of 2.00 with a height of 2.00” and a width of 4.25” which makes it perfect for most welding helmets. So, if you are in confusion about buying a perfect cheater lens for your welding helmet, the solution is here.
Closing Remark:
It is very simple and easy to install a cheater lens in a welding helmet. The ultimate result of installing a cheater lens is that you can enjoy the services or benefits of using it in the welding helmet. It will make your weldings easier and obviously, this cost-friendly little thing protects you from damaging your eyesight also.
However, in this article, I have reflected on all my knowledge about how to install a cheater lens in a welding helmet. Hopefully, this article will make your installation easier.
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