ALUMINIUM GAS WELDING VISOR in UK

[Jim Tomczyk]

Hi all,
I thought I'd let you know about a visor I've managed to obtain in the UK that DOES take all the sodium flare/ orange glare out of the flux burn off when gas welding aluminium and provides all the proper eye protection. After several unsuccessful attempts from companies that couldn't help I was about to buy some of the much mentioned and expensive products on this site from the US of A. However I live some 20 miles away from a large British Aerospace site that manufacture the wings for the Airbus and was aware of a specialist welding suppliers just down the road from them that I thought would no doubt supply them and would " know their stuff", and I was proved right! Whilst all the other suppliers I spoke too really didn't have an answer saying " nobody gas welds Ali these days - it's all done by Tig" - this supplier' s immediate answer was no problem we can supply you with a GWF rated lens that will do all that I was asking. I wanted a face visor rather than a lens or goggles as I wear bi- focal specs and they had them in stock for less than £20.
This green coloured visor is made by Sperian - a large well known (in the UK at least) welding products manufacturer so it conforms to all the required European eye safety and protection standards and the references on the label are :
Sap item: 1002370
Clear ways visor CV85/5W/EU
Prod order:204123830
If they produce a visor with this spec I assume that they will also produce goggles or lenses.

The supplier said this was definitely GWF ( gas welding flux) rated which is a UK term that is self explanatory so was safe to use with all welding fluxes including ali fluxes. All I can tell you is that IT WORKS. It has also been tested by an experienced Ali gas welder that has been using the expensive ones referred to earlier and again he said they work well with the Ali weld pool clearly seen and the orange sodium flare eliminated.
Hope this helps someone get the right eye protection at the right price if you don't want too or can't afford the more expensive options available.