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Re: Eyewear for neon

>  >> I just got your message and Mike Firth's answer.  Mike has it essentially
> right: we just don't know what kind of UV is coming off small torch work.  The
> best study of glass blowing and glory holes by NIOSH in 1988 (published HETA
> 88-299-2028 in 1990) showed barely detectible UV, but IR in excess of ACGIH's
> guideline of 10 milliwater per square centimeter. The NIOSH study recommended
> welding shades # 3 of # 4 for glass blowing.
> 
>  Didymium blocks visible (~ 600 micron wavelength)   But IR radiation goes
> right through.  How I wish I could get people to stop using those damn things.
> Since the bright yellow light is blocked, the user feels protected and is even
> more likely to get a dose.


I think most people wear didymium not for protection but simply for the 
blocking of sodium flare, for which they are unequaled.


>  If I were forced to guess how much UV comes off torch work, I'd guess that
> it's not that much. Where we see the heavy UV production is in welding, and
> torch work isn't that hot.  The phosphor excitation could produce some UV, but
> again, I'd bet not that much.  A # 3 or # 4 probably will do it for torch work
> nicely.

There was an article referenced in Fusion magazine a few months ago.  It 
was from Glassline, and it was called "Eyeware for the Hot Glass 
Artist."  It was written by a bead-maker type, but had some good info.  
To summarize, he did extensive research with the aid of an optomotrist.  
He reported that the only material known to man that absorbs both UV and 
IR (while still permitting visible light) is gold.  He added that the 
faceshields of astronauts have always had a thin coating of gold on them 
for such protection from the intense UV.

This sounded great to me, and I tried a pair of gold coated specs.  As I 
reported in an earlier post, they blocked out way too much visible light 
for me to work neon with.  They were interesting, you would look up at 
the sun, and there was bright light but no heat on your eyes. (No, I 
didn't stare directly into the sun, before someone reminds me).

>  The nice thing about the welding shades is they block UV and IR so either way
> you will probably be OK with them.

If you can see thru them, that is!

>  When you get to the "high maintenance" stage of life (and I should know), you
> will find out you pay for all those little insults to your body that you
> *thought* you were getting away with at the time.
> 

This is why I want to find out the UV/IR properties of some plastics, 
like acrylic and polycarbonate which are clear, and you can have your 
glasses made from them cheaply.  No doubt they are less protection than a 
gold coating, but perhaps a benefit over naked eyes.

    -John Anderson
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