alderhardtironworks Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 (edited) Hi everyone I have been burning anthracite coal for about three years now. It puts off a ton of very bright light it has just lately started to bother me any ideas on how to mitigate the light maybe a heat shield or something? Edited July 23, 2021 by Mod34 Reformat text Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 Welcome to IFI! You might want to try some kind of infrared-blocking safety glasses. Some people will wear a shade 3 pair of welding goggles or face shield. Also, don't stare at the fire! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 IR glasses and do not stare into the fire. Staring at the fire without protection will result in what is called Blacksmith Cataracts. Here is a good thread about that. https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/106-safety-glasses-for-forging/ I see JHCC and I were posting at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 I had cataract surgery last year in both eyes. During the exam process, I asked my ophthalmologist who would be doing the surgery, if it was true that the IR from forging could contribute to cataracts forming...."most definitely, it's a fact that IR contributes to cataract formation." When I mentioned that I did hobby/amateur blacksmithing, he said that if it wasn't the primary cause of my cataracts, it probably accelerated the formation. As others pointed out...get some IR glasses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 Get some IR glasses. Start by looking at the welding supplier. Practice NOT looking into the fire all the time, Only look for brief periods, glances, to see what you need to see, then look away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alderhardtironworks Posted July 23, 2021 Author Share Posted July 23, 2021 (edited) I just bought 3M™ Virtua™ Clear Anti-Fog Lens & Clear Frame Safety Glasses it lists thet thay ubsorb uv rays Edited July 23, 2021 by Mod34 Reformat text Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazer Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 Many polycarbonate safety glasses will block UV rays. When I was working outdoors I would get rather comical tan lines from them. They do not, however, block IR. The heat from a forge does not put out any UV light as far as I'm aware.. You'll need tinted lenses (they come in various shades) to block IR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 Yes forges put out IR producing what are better known as "glass blowers cataracts". This is also put out by oxy-acetylene welding. Arc welding puts out UV which damages MUCH faster, (shorter wavelength == higher energy). So don't think that UV protection will help with IR! Also what about a deeper fire with more "covering" coal on top? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 UV is at the other ends of the light spectrum from IR. Just using a simple TINTED pair will not block IR, in fact they cause the iris to open further allowing more IR into the eye, dont mess with your eye site, you only have 2 eyes and forging by the braille method isnt fun I hear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 4 hours ago, alderhardtironworks said: I just bought 3M™ Virtua™ Clear Anti-Fog Lens & Clear Frame Safety Glasses it lists thet thay ubsorb uv rays Sorry to inform you, but those won't help a bit in filtering the IR from forging...wrong kind of filtering. Wasted your money there...unless you are welding, then you need to see what the filtering percentage for UV is. You apparently didn't read the thread suggested or heed the information provided you earlier in this thread regarding what kind of filtering you need for IR and forging.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazer Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 They're clear so I wouldn't weld with them either! Even they block 100% of UV there is IR radiation coming off the arc, not to mention the intense visible light that would be enough to blind you temporarily on it's own. In the same breath, I don't consider safety glasses to be a waste of money. You can never have too many pairs laying around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelonian Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 3 hours ago, Frazer said: The heat from a forge does not put out any UV light as far as I'm aware.. A hot forge does also emit UV. Since the coals are effectively black body radiators, a significant portion of the energy radiated from a white hot coal is in the UV range. The hotter the radiating object, the shorter wavelength light is emitted. Polycarbonate very effectively blocks UV, but does not significantly block most wavelengths in the IR range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 Safety glasses are a consumable item. They get impacted, scratched, and damaged while in use and need replaced from time to time. Keep them clean as part of your daily routine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluerooster Posted August 1, 2021 Share Posted August 1, 2021 Yes. My eyeglasses are safety glasses. Actually of much better material than run of the mill OSHA approved safety glasses. I only need to wear the side shields, which I purchase in bulk. I do need to get new ones though, because I've had them for nearly 20 years, and I'm certian that the prescription has changed. My boss asked me one day if I had safety glasses. I told him I was wearing them. He told me that they were not safety glasses. I took them off, laid them down, and shot them with a framing gun, at point blank range. The nail knocked them off the table, but the lens survived without a scratch. Then I took his "safety glasses" and did the same thing. The nail went completely through the lens. Big difference between $15 OSHA approved safety glasses, and $600 eyeglasses custom ordered to be safety glasses. Anyway, they don't block much IR radiation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted August 1, 2021 Share Posted August 1, 2021 Same here with my prescription glasses. The lenses are Trivex with an IR coating the same lens as the astronaut face shields are made from. Yes expensive but worth it to me even though they have no tint and don't block enough IR to use in the forge light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 1, 2021 Share Posted August 1, 2021 I wear my polycarbonate trifoculs with side shields all the time. I asked about Trivex when I got my latest pair but insurance doesn't cover Trivex and BOY are they spendy! I'll have to ask about IR coatings next time I'm in to the eye doc. I don't stare at the forge though I keep an eye on it. Long LONG habit. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 Back when I worked for Bell Labs you had to get supervisory approval for "safety prescription glasses"; my supervisor would sign off on them telling me---you don't need them sitting at a monitor at work; but they are cheap compared to you missing work from not having them at home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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