I have probably worn out (Destroyed) fifty pair of these glasses.

They where a great product, made in USA and with classic styling.

I am not given over to change  :(

http://www.fullsource.com/bouton-spectacle-safety-glasses/

 

Looks like some here, try ebay too.

Before I had to start wearing scrips I wore Uvex, wrap arounds in coffee tint. Now I wear crizell (SP?) coated poly carb perscription lenses with side shields.

 

Frosty the Lucky.

I ware the same style as you but wire ear pieces. I just got a new pair from my local optical shop who specializes in safety glasses. Mine are perscription though with 1.75 magnifiers in them. A bit pricey but the should last a long time and I can have the lences change out in them. If you have a old pair that the frames are good have new lences put in them.

I'm still not quite understanding the hazards associated with UV and IR radiation from the forge. Is this only a hazard with a fire that is forge welding heat, or is it a hazard with any forge fire? What glasses should you use? I've heard some discussions on this forum say all you need is a welding shade #3, others recommend the didymium glasses. Is the principle concern UV or IR or both. I have found no common concensus on these forums. I love blacksmithing, but certainly want to keep my eyes in fine shape.

Well certainly a forges output of UV isn't what a welding arc is but prolonged exposure can cause long term damage.  Shade 3 lenses work good for heavy forging.  I use indoor/outdoor tint for light work when it's dark or well shaded.  You can pick up sh3 safetyglasses at your local welding supply as well as other styles.  I priced the didymium and liked to have passed out.  They are proud of those.

I do a lot of forging, less welding.  The welding will give me a nice sunburn in less than 30 secs, a full day of forging I get nothing.

Didymium does next to NOTHING for our forges. It does WONDEFUL things for sodium flare off of glass work. Most of the UV protection on those glasses is from the gold coating.

 

Shade three is just fine for most all the forging you will ever do.

 

Ric

I tried to find shade 3.0 in grey, but the only ones I could get were green.  I got them but seem to distort the temp colors.  At this point I've been avoiding looking into the forge except to check the stock's color.  Mine is a coal burner and I try to keep something in the way of the hottest or brightest part, as well as moving further away until I ready to remove whatever it is I'm heating.  Do you wear them all the time when forging or for only forge welding?

 

Dan

In a comercial forge shop, using large gas forges, the "heaters", those workmen managing the forge and loading billets into and out of the forge will wear shade 4 glasses in green. But then the are looking into a large incandescent forge 8 hours a day.

Shade 3 should be fine for hobby forge.

You can easily get flip up shade 3 or shade 4 lens, that allow ease in use.

Most of the shade 3 glasses offered are for those who do not already wear glasses. However, as ptree said there are also clip on flip up ones available. I use the ones shown at the link below that work well. I can see fine outdoors during the day and inside with good lighting. I am also able to judge the temp of metal wearing these. 

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Protective-Eyewear-Infrared-40427-00000-10/dp/B007JZ3WOU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368155647&sr=8-1&keywords=b007jz3wou

Didymium is for glass blowing,  for forges use Rose1 to filter out the IR waves, ask the eye doctor. 

 

Also there is litttle to no UV form a coal forge, and not much from a gasser either, and simple basic standard  polycarbonate safety lenz blocks UV.  read more, panic less

I thought it was the IR you needed to be concerned with that potentially causes cataracts?  Though I've read that's more at forge welding temps, the amount of IR decreases over distance and can be shielded by anything that's at a cooler temp.  All of what I just typed could be horse hooey as well.

I asked my optometrist about this last week during an eye exam and he had no idea. He said that it seemed like a valid question but he had never been asked it before and they had not covered anything on it in his schooling.

I have a friend who is an ophthalmologist and opthalmological surgeon; when he heard I did smithing he had a long talk with me about eye hazards: foreign body is the greatest hazard; followed by IR, UV is pretty much squat unless you are arc welding.  Out here in NM you get more from the sunlight than you do from a forge in a shady shop!

 

As far as radiation goes---don't forget that coal is radioactive!

I have a friend who is an ophthalmologist and opthalmological surgeon; when he heard I did smithing he had a long talk with me about eye hazards: foreign body is the greatest hazard; followed by IR, UV is pretty much squat unless you are arc welding.  Out here in NM you get more from the sunlight than you do from a forge in a shady shop!

 

As far as radiation goes---don't forget that coal is radioactive!

So what was his recommendation for smithing? Shade 3?

here an interesting PDF on the eye damage associated with IR.

 

http://www.optometry.co.uk/uploads/articles/33aa07d53d20b5cbc6f17ffc81f0dc94_Voke1990521.pdf

Is looking at hot iron a hazard, or just looking at the fire, or both?

Both. Anything that is, say, 2000° F will emit the same spectrum of IR, light and UV. However, a furnace / forge is going to send a lot more to your eye because it will be a much higher % of your total field of view.

I have tried several different classes on the last year and a half. Centaur Forge has some but they sell them the Didumium ones for 50$ and the Regular clear ones for 20$. Ive found Bouton, ACE and Crews in this same style. I really love these. They stay on my head and I went from occasionally getting things in my eyes around the glasses to never getting anything in my eyes. A little Google searching was in order to find a dealer that did not sell in bulk though. 

 

Ace - http://www.centaurforge.com/Safety-Glasses/products/133/

Bouton - http://www.hlbouton.com/hlb5900.html

Crews - http://www.stoodyind.com/Catalogs/FISC/05catpg570.pdf

Didymiun lenses filter "Sodium Yellow" and don't do much when looking at hot iron, forge interiors, etc. They were "invented?" primarily for glass blowers. I have an almost brand new pair, been in my tool box for at least 20+ years and haven't found a good use for them yet. Who knows though maybe I'll take up glass torch work. It's HOT and dangerous, why not?

 

Frosty The Lucky.

Been using a bunch of my old leftover army issue ballistic eye pro from deployment. I figure if they were meant to stop shrapnel............

For my gas forging, I was aware of the IR radiation, so I found these and like them:

 

http://www.safetyglassesusa.com/s25arcs.html

 

They say they block 75% of the IR, and have minimal tint to them. 

Been happy with them so far, on my last order I went ahead and bought three sets.

Hey Everyone, 

 

I have been wearing clear safety glasses while forging and noticed that looking into the fire when it is white hot causes very temporary sun spots after looking away from the forge.  I tried using my nice oakleys and the effect completely went away.  Do most people use tinted glasses when forging?  Do you all have any suggestions for a good pair of goggles.  I have no problems spending 50+ dollars if that is what is needed or best to use.  

i always use my ox ace glasses when forging for the same reason you said - i never use anything else :) 

Are you talking about smith ox goggles?  I actually have a pair of those for snowboarding.