Glass Shade Preferance Flipdown protection?

[drew1492]

So now that I have a Mirage I am thinking I need to upgrade from my shade threes to shade fives. I would have got shade 4's if there wasnt a backorder when I made my first purchase.

So I have two Questions:

1. What shade glasses do you prefer?

2. If I got some flip down shade 2's for my shade 3's would that offer equivalent protection to shade 5's?

Yes I did a search and was not finding much on the flipdown option :bangHead: so go ahead and flame me if you must. I know there are lots of threads about the first question.

Thanks,

Drew

[Forche]

I would prefer the 3/5 splits if I had the $$.

[Shatner]

I use Phillips Green ACE shade 5 with my Mirage and really like the lenses. I need to get new frames, though. The small metal frames get hot as hell on my face.

[somberbear]

just remember that the flip down plastic lenses need to be replaced like every 6 months...

[ALIEN!]

just remember that the flip down plastic lenses need to be replaced like every 6 months...

???


I use shade 3 goggles, cut out some splits from shade 3 flip downs, work great! Make a rough cut with tin snips (leave a good 1/4" extra), then a trim cut with a GOOD pair of side/wire cutters (cut another 1/8"), Then finish with files for a perfect fit. I hot glue them in place. Every once in a great while I manage to roast my face a little too much getting to close while working hot and the hot glue softens and the lenses fall out, but then they get a good cleaning and glued back in. The occasional (far between) trouble is worth the savings.

[Greymatter Glass]

shades are cumulative. shade 3 + shade 5 = shade 8. (roughly)

[somberbear]

http://www.talkglass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28315&highlight=flip+shade

i was refering to the plastic lenses not being effective over time... glue em up all ya want. but its been rehashed over and over that they need to be replaced in fairly short order to provide proper protection.

[Julian]

If you're going to be making the most of that Mirage, I'd absolutely suggest at least shade 5. It depends how thick the material is, too - I just got some new shade 5 AGW-250s, and the they're not as dark as my old AGW-286s because the welding material layer is less thick.

[drew1492]

I thought all the lenses where plastic? So do all of the lenses where out eventually and not protect you?

I am specifically looking at these flip downs from phillips to add to my shade 3 phillips boroscopes I have.

http://www.phillips-safety.com/store/index.php?cPath=40_58&osCsid=0se6sogi8b0ip5v955vf26qrv6

Thanks Everyone for all the input, everyone is getting rep.

I might just have to pick myself up a pair of shade 5's but I thought it would be convienient to switch really quick between doing detail work and the larger flame.

[Icarus]

As far as I understand it, the dye used to darken the plastic flip down shades degrades over time, or at least degrades from usage (If you use a pair of flip downs once a month, you probably can wait more than 6 months to replace them). The actual glasses themselves do not, as the lenses are not dyed, it's a colorant that's locked into the glass matrix.

I swear Phillips offer flip downs made with actual glass, so you can put them on a pair of normal prescription glasses, but I may be wrong, or it may only be for straight ahead ACE lenses. Worth checking out, though I'm sure they cost a bit more than plastic flip downs (but also don't have to be replaced due to filter degradation).

Doug, or Somewhere or AVC-ED's alter ego could probably give a better explanation of it than that, but that is always how I have understood it.

[OracleGlassArts]

i love my ace 5 shades in a fit over frame. i didnt have much other choice cus i gotta rock bifocals to see well enough to torch

[Julian]

The Aura 286 flipdowns I have feature glass welding shades. The frames are deplorable, however and I wouldn't recommend them.