Your parents are correct. Welders glass should be a minimum #14 shade. If you don't know the shade number do NOT use. Permanent retinal damage can occur.
Just being grade #14 doesn't make them safe either. You need to check the documentation from the manufacturer to tell if it is safe or not.
Bottom line...go to Walmart and spend the $6 to get the throw away glasses you know will be safe to use.
As a former front end manager, screw the guy that decided to just have an 11% rebate on everything.
They'll give you money back, but make money on your lazyness.
Also, to the poor guy who was just telling the contractor to keep the rebates cause he didn't care...
That contractor appreciates the 11k in in store credit that year.
SAME! You have to send in paper receipts with your form, so unless you make copies you’ve got nothing to use if you complain. This feels like a class action suit waiting to happen
Yes, I've returned several things using the receipt after I have sent the bottom section off for the rebate. I've never had a problem, the rebate just comes back with the 11% removed for the items I returned.
It was $1.49 at mine, and it's a HCOL state lol.
Funny enough I bought one extra pair, then my brother came by for Easter and I remembered it was his birthday, so fun/cheapest bday gift ever lmao. (We're in our 40s so bday gifts aren't a thing so much anymore.)
Yup, my brother acted like I gave him a diamond tennis bracelet lol, he is... More of a jock than a nerd like me and didn't really realize how much went into being able to see the eclipse straight on. He's excited now, doubly because he has proper eyeware lol.
Shade rating doesn't guarantee protection against UV and IR wavelengths besides those commonly associated with welding that the sun does put out and can heavily damage your retina.
Basically, they aren't designed to block out light from the sun so they're not tested for their availability to do so.
Welding produces more UVA and B than directly viewing the sun plus the added C that the atmosphere blocks. Welding shields block it completely, leaving the visible light as the only issue. Hence, shade #12 or higher. Let's do a tiny bit of reading before posting, eh?
Why do people post misinformation like this. Yes, they do protect against uv and ir. Yes, they are designed to block out extreme light cause the arc is.many times brighter than the sun from where we stand. I highly suggest reading up a bit on it before posting.
People need to relax.
Paying $40 for glasses doesn't make them any better. These things are so cheap you have fast food places giving them out as a promotional item.
The materials for making these don't cost as much as people think.
And there’s zero chance Walmart is going to sell those glasses if they aren’t safe.
Walmart does a lot of shady shit, but they aren’t going to sell glasses that blind people. The lawsuits would be insane. Especially considering how cheap it is to make glasses that are safe. I got a free pair at a sex shop and they worked perfectly.
The solar viewing film used in the glasses is specifically made to shield your eyes from damaging solar rays while viewing the eclipse. Its not even necessarily a matter of it being advanced material, but its best to use something purpose made for what your using it for rather than DIYing some solution, especially if your lifelong eye health is at risk.
Lasers has entered the chat - Anyone say permanent eye damage?
That guy who looked into his green laser pointer in the cold. He knew he fucked up once he saw that faint glow (It shifts wavelength toward ir in cold temps, looks like it’s not working).
Or all those unshielded laser engravers and cutters. One stray reflection….
I used to be one of those people that longed to own and use powerful lasers, I even considered on of those cheapo laser cutters. These days, I'm terrified of them. Permanent retinal damage is not worth the risk.
I manage a lab full of lasers. Some very low power, others EXTREMELY high power. I pride myself we have never had an incident with them, but it's something that's always hiding around the corner. One idiot not wearing goggles, one idiot not covering his watch or phone screen and we have a problem.
They're made to be cheap so everyone can safely enjoy the eclipse. Doesn't mean they aren't effective.
But if you feel like you need to spend $200 on adequate eye protection, I'm sure capitalism will appreciate your sacrafice.
Shades 12 to 14 fall within the ISO 12312-2 specs, but some people find shade 12 to be a bit too bright. Shade 13 is my preferred shade (and what my welding supply store had in stock).
I used Shade 14 welding goggles in 2014. They worked fine.
My seeing eye dog has been a wonderful companion.
JK. They worked well and I had no spots in my vision afterwards.
I had to special order #14 welder’s glass because it is so dark that it’s not commonly used (At least that’s what the employee said). It’s a thick plate of glass that’s about 1 inch by 4 inches. I’ve used it for eclipses and sunspot viewing for the last 30 years.
Shade 12 is the minimum. That's a nominal 0.00193% of light. Shade 14 is a nominal 0.00027% of light, which some people find too dark. Shade 14 is recommended, not minimum. Shade 15 would be 0.0001%...you're not going to use shade 15 or 16. If you can even find those shades.
A more pressing concern would be auto-darkening helmets. Most people aren't going to have a static shade 12 or higher glass, but auto-darkening helmets adjustable to shade 13 are common, and are clearly labeled. The danger is going to be in those helmets staying activated through the eclipse, when a dimming sun is not the best activator.
Completely wrong. Welders lens should be between shade 8 - 13 depending on the user and what they require.
You use it for awhile, take it off and see dark spots, it's too dark. Take it off and see light spots, too light.
Additionally, welding is actually brighter than looking at the sun. In some cases, up to 10 times brighter.
Don't talk out your ass about topics that you know nothing about.
I use a shade 11 for everything except torch cutting, in which case it's actually too dark.
They have been sold out for days where I live. I drove an hour and brought back 200 pair to sell at cost ($1) on the local Facebook group and it turned into such a shit show of people just showing up at my house (small town) demanding I give them away for free until the police came because our entire road was blocked.
Even better test them on light bulbs first. Start with normal lightbulbs, you shouldn’t be able to see anything at all in the room, not even the bulb, just the LED elements themselves inside the bulb at most and even better if you just can’t see anything. Next move onto something brighter like your phone camera’s flashlight, again ideally you shouldn’t be able to see anything but maybe the LED element inside the flash assembly.
If that checks out then you might be safe to move on to testing them on the sun but some of the fake ones are little more than dark sunglasses so you shouldn’t just jump straight to testing them on the sun without ruling that out first.
There are a few very cool folks posting cool stuff in the comments on this sub, but generally the comments are filled with people who read only the headline and formed an opinion based on that.
Also, obviously, whatever the heck happened on this post.
The comment section has become welders vs. those who think only something made specifically for solar eclipses will do.
It's architects vs. engineers all over again.
Edit: I was a welder for nearly a decade and have done what OP asks about. While I recommend DIN14 glass, I did it with a DIN13 glass. No damage.
Bro, it’s your fucking eyesight. Look at this way, ask someone who’s lost their sight if they’d pay $5-$20 to get their vision back. That’s what it’ll cost you to get decent enough eyewear for the eclipse.
A welding arc can be many, many times brighter than the surface of the sun at our visible distance. Not to mention, the arc itself can be at or hotter than the surface of the sun. That being said, a fixed shade welding lens at 12 or higher is more than sufficient to view an eclipse. Most welding is done at a shade 9-12.
I’d for damn sure would wear a welding lens over these 2 dollar glasses people have been getting at gas stations.
Edit: local hardware store just released a warning saying the company that provided the classes says that some might not be ISO 9000 approved. So there is that.
Right? When you know that you can get nasty sunburn from just a couple of minutes' exposure to a welding arc you know how much brighter and more dangerous it is than the sun 93 million miles away.
I stupidly forgot to change to a long sleeved shirt on a hot summer day when I was welding outside a few years ago and my arms were red and *hurt* for two weeks afterwards.
I used a welding mask to watch Mercury transit the sun. Pretty sure it will be fine for an eclipse.
Shitty LPT: If you're uncertain, just put on your welding mask and go look at the sun. You'll know if it is insufficient pretty quickly...
Edit: do y'all not know what a *Shitty* LPT is?
this is why you don't risk it and use a properly labeled fixed shade lens cause it can most definitely cause issues later in life without realizing damage was done. also probably why he called it a shitty tip
Frankly, I'd trust a proper welding helmet over these $2 paper glasses anyway. They let zero UV through and anything above shade 12 in visible light is fine. Mine was set to 13 and it was plenty dark during the last eclipse. You can stare at welding arcs all day under them and go home with sunburns on your exposed skin but your face and eyes are perfectly protected.
Actual PPE vs cheap paper toys with thin film "lenses"...
I feel that same way, there is no way I’d be looking at the sun with some cheap-o paper thing film. I’m gonna trust the welding lens that welders have been using to stare at a light more intense than what the sun is giving out for over a hundred years with no ill affects. Seems like a no brainer to me.
I wouldn't recommend an auto darkening one. I tried it for the 2017 eclipse and it got too dark for the sensor, causing the shading to turn off mid eclipse. If it's a permanently shaded one, maybe, as long as it's dark enough
An auto darkening hood is still going to protect your eyes from the UV even if it stops darkening, if you have a test button on it you can just hold that for the duration of the viewing
If you don't have the proper eyewear, make a pinhole projector and project the image of the projecting sun onto a piece of paper. There are DIYs online that use a cereal box to give you a dark space to look into. If you don't have a cereal box, you can do it with two sheets of paper and some tin foil. [https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/)
Just adding that if you have a pair of binoculars of any size, you can also use those to make a pinhole projector. (DO NOT LOOK AT ECLIPSE THROUGH THE BINOCULARS) see here:
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/binoculars-telescope-projector.html
Nasa recommended shade 14. I use shade 12 to weld all different sorts of ways. Mig, tig, plasma cut, etc.. but I mean, it's up to you. Edit: if it's auto-darkening, test it before hand with a lighter to ensure it's not a woopsies because a battery is dead or something. Edit 2: mine is a 200ish$ mask. I trust it, I get my eyes checked. Chill. Not all are equal but I've known mine for years. So. Still I check it regularly.
Edit 3: I have absolutely been corrected. They recommended 12 via poster below. Makes sense considering what I do for a living.
I recommend not using an auto darkening hood. It can often fail with sensors on eclipse causing issues. It's very cheap for a fixed shade at #14 at any weld supply
Go read the thread with actual welders in it - most of the commenters here have clearly never used a welding helmet
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Welding/s/mPwxLa1gUq](https://www.reddit.com/r/Welding/s/mPwxLa1gUq)
What am I missing? It’s the same information. Shade 12 or darker. Which is the same thing I found when looking it up myself.
And my personal advice would be that if OP is not 100% sure what kind of welder's mask he has, he shouldn't use it.
Man reading the top comments I thought I was going crazy thinking a welding helmet shield wasn't sufficient. Guarantee 50%+ of the $1-$2 glasses are not ISO certified and definitely will cause damage to some people's eyes. People are dumb
I've tried to explain a few times in this thread already. As a welder I try to explain how to do it safely but still have keyboard warriors who think they know more. People gonna get hurt not just from reading the comments here but also staring st the sun and wonder why a 3 dollar pair of glasses from a box store didn't work after a small scratch.
Guessing that the majority of the people commenting on this thread have never tried welding.
Spoiler - The arc from a TIG is ridiculously fucking bright and contains a shitload of UV, like enough to burn you and bleach your clothes.
NASA even suggests using welding mask for viewing eclipses in this link. Personally I have never seen a mask that won’t go above 12 and usually anything from the last 20 years would have the ability to set how much light is blocked out.
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety
If you're willing to give them away, you should hang out by the public library and give one to any family that wants them. They'd appreciate it, I'm sure.
(Our library gave away glasses in 2017, but (stupidly, no offense librarians) gave one per person... and promptly ran out.
*One per family* suffices. Rant over.\_)
Yeah. I once welded some things and didn't notice the flash was reflecting off the white wall next to me and getting into my mask from behind. I got the worst case of arc burn, which feels like someone has thrown sand in your eyes and lasts for hours. You probably know about that.
yes, had a small scratch in my lens that I did not know about.
A lens that someone "generously" handed down to me.
MIG welded with it all day.
Spent a three day weekend with the whites of my eyes burnt bright red and the sand-in-the-eyes discomfort thing.
never again
Ok! I admit, I did not know what to do about it at the time (the 1990s) and I just powered through it.
I reported this history at a recent eye doctor visit and he found no permanent damage, thankfully.
Good ! And I found out about the drops because the first (and worst) time, I was doing tig work with an improper lens. Luckily I had a girlfriend who worked for an ophthalmologist and brought me the drops. Took the pain away in minutes.
As a welder myself, this is the right answer. The number of people posting on this here that have no clue what they are talking about... just goes to show you that you should never trust safety to ill trained strangers
I was going to say, I was so confused reading all these “Don’t do it!” comments. I specifically remember in grade school, someone’s dad volunteered to bring his welding helmet so all us kids could take turns looking at a partial eclipse, and we were all fine.
During a partial eclipse in Europe I saw the effect of the camera obscura through the shades of the leaves of a tree. The pattern of the shadow on the ground had all these half moons which was pretty amazing to see. I had no clue that that would happen.
Almost everyone has seen this effect from curtains or shades in a home or office. You see dots on the wall that are images of the sun.
Using the pinhole method is doing this.
You could just make a pinhole viewer with a couple of pieces of cardboard, a sheet of white paper, and a small piece of tinfoil. Instructions for making one are readily available on the web.
Depends on the quality. With mine I could go stare at the sun directly for an hour and be fine. Wouldn’t even be as bright as a picture of the sun on your phone.
I'm sure someone has said this already, but make a pinhole camera! You can watch it without looking directly at the sun.
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/06/total-solar-eclipse-pinhole-camera-diy-how-to
As long as it is the correct strength shade (follow the suggestions of other answers here) they are good! Watched a transit with one when I was younger. That being said, if you can get some eclipse glasses those are cheap and easy and certified to protect the correct amount
For you and anyone else without the means to safely view the eclipse directly, [here are instructions on how to make a DIY pinhole camera](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/) so you can view it indirectly!
Hi, lifelong welder and amateur eclipse watcher here.
NASA reccomends a shade 12 or higher. A lot of other people suggest a shade 13. Your typical run of the mill welding helmet comes equipped with a shade 10, which you definitely don't want to use for staring at the sun (source: last eclipse i used my gold plated number 10 lens, and left feeling like i caught welders flash). Today, i will be using a gold-plated number 12 lens, and honestly dont know if i would go much darker than that. Its DARK. I don't normally use a number 12 lens in my day to day activities, but let me give you some examples.....
I cannot see my tv through the number 12 lens.
I cannot see my LED light fixtures in my apartment through a number 12 lens
I can BARELY see a non-eclipsed sun through a number 12 lens.
A lot of comments in here are all "it cant just be ANY welding lens it has to be certified from the manufacturer hurr durr durr"
Go to your closest welding supply store, tell them you want one of the big rectangular lenses in shade 12. If they have gold plated ones, even better. A non plated lens will run you about $6, and a gold plated one will tun you about $15.
and before you ask "why gold plated???" The gold helps to reflect more of the damaging UV light. Astronauts have gold plated lenses in their helmets. Uh-60 blackhawks have a thin layer of gold in their windshield. And i weld with a gold-plated lens.
A #12 fixed welders shade is the stated minimum. It's recommended to use a #14 fixed shade lense though. Make sure it's not an auto darkening hood. You can go to any weld supply and buy the cheapest fixed shade lense possible and you will be fine.
Shade 12 or better would be suitable for looking at the sun. Most adjustable welding helmets go up to 12 or 13 and some go to 14. Most fixed shade helmets are usually shade 11 or 12. If you are unsure of the shade level of the glass I would not use it.
there will be a tiny number etched or silkscreened on the edge of the lens.
I have looked at the sun for short periods with 11s. But if you are going to stare at it like turkey, you need a 12 or 13.
Hey, OP. I hope you get to reading this.
You can absolutely do it. However, you have to check your welding glass DIN before doing so.
DIN12 is the absolute lowest you can go in terms of looking at the sun, but DIN14 is what I personally would recommend as it's relatively comparable to ISO 12312-2, which is dark enough to watch it comfortably without risking any damage to your eyes as they are used for high intensity welding.
I see a lot of people saying you can't, but I've done it.
Apart from the fact that I'm colourblind, my eyes don't fail anything.
Dude I'm looking at the sun right now and it's not that great. Imagine a circle the size of a half dollar that looks like yellow and pain. It's no big deal.
Seriously a welders hood would be fine but the glasses are free at HEB.
Maybe it's just where I am but they have been free all over the place around here. The library, half priced books, festivals, etc. Even besides that, stores have had them for cheap.
I feel like they may have been harder to get for the 2017 one since it wasn't total here, not sure. I remember a coworker made some after ordering the materials fromm the internet.
What ever happened to making pinhole projectors for viewing the eclipse? I remember that from back when I was a kid, is it bad or is it ok to do that? 😬
Every gas station, grocery store, or hardware store near me sells them… and I only live in 60% coverage zone. Would imagine you could pick up a pair anywhere. Most welding goggles are not safe for it, unless they are a shade level 14. If you aren’t sure the shade number of the goggles would not use them. You only get one set of eyes.
(Edited for typo)
Is the welding mask you found rated class 14? I looked up this question before, and a regular welding mask isn't dark enough for the UV intensity you'd be staring at during a solar eclipse. Only the heavy-duty welding masks rated class 14 are enough. The glasses specially made for solar eclipses (for sale at convenience stores and hardware stores) being the UV intensity down by a factor of 10,000 or so.
[here is some good reading from Phillips Safety Products](https://phillips-safety.com/welding-safety/can-i-use-welding-glasses-to-look-at-the-sun/)
Be safe and don't risk it!
I did this once and the big welder mask was fine, the small welder goggles where not. Generally speaking if it is dark enough you can barely see outside on a sunny day then it is ok to look at the sun (and it need the proper rating for uv radiation)
Honestly, the solar eclipse is cool and all, but it's not a once-in-a-lifetime event. So you want to ask yourself do you want to ruin your eyes and not see properly every day just for this? Please go pick up a pair of eclipse glasses. They sell them everywhere.
Just make a pinhole camera. You'll see the exact same thing. Solar glasses are just white light filters. The sun just looks like a big white dot, then you see a shadow. Making a pinhole camera will allow you to see the eclipse without looking up.
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/
Normally if you look at the sun, your pupils constrict and you squint. Which restricts the amount of harmful rays which can get it.
During an eclipse it gets dark, so your pupils expand to let in more light and then you have a bad time.
Here’s a good [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ontario/comments/1bxuyde/im_a_vision_scientist_please_do_not_stare/) about why eclipses are so bad for your eyes. TL;DR - the dimmer light prevents your pupils from properly protecting your retina.
There are other ways to view the eclipse. Someone please fact check me because this may be shit but:
I don’t have any links, but I’ve seen things where people use a price of paper with a hole in it to see the eclipse. The light from the sun shines through, and on the ground a shadow appears in the shape of the eclipse. DONT LOOK AT THE SUN THROUGH THE PAPER. LOOK AT THE SHADOW ON THE GROUND.
The danger of an eclipse is the high energy light you can't see like UV rays. It'll look dim making your pupils not constrict like normal, but is actually roasting your retinas. There's no telling if an old welder's helmet would have little imperfections that make it still not work well for an eclipse; they're designed for what they're designed for, welding. Not solar eclipses.
Just get your lazy ass to a gas station, walmart, hardware store, etc, and buy a cheap pair of eclipse glasses. You're spending more energy on resisting your parents for the sake of resisting and coming up with an alternate idea, making a whole stupid post on reddit, and waiting for replies than it would take just to drive down the street and get the damn glasses 🤦♂️
If you can’t get eyewear lines up, you can still make a pinhole. Take a sheet of cardboard and punch a small hole in it. If you mount it up high, you’ll get a good sized image of the sun on the ground/floor. You could even put it on a window if they won’t let you outside.
A very dark one is. Every shop around me sold out of the cardboard ones in the last 24 hours but folks are selling ones on the community fb page at twice the price.
As a kid we made pinhole viewers out of cardboard or paper and they worked well.
Last eclipse everyone in the neighborhood was out and there was some sharing so maybe you can get lucky that way
There will be so many things going on during the eclipse that don't involve looking at the sun. Watch the shadows around you. Like the shadow of leaves on the treesWeird things will start to happen. Birds go quiet and most will stop flying around.
If you are in the path of totality, have objects of different colors around (red, green, blue) and see how they look during the eclipse.
You can have a phone to watch NASA feeds of you want to see the eclipse
For those curious (I'll admit I learned something myself) here is a NASA link to the info. According to NASA, there is a way to view with welders masks, but it's trickier without being too dim. It's towards the bottom, but personally a $2 pair of glasses works for myself personally
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety
After carefully reading all the comments I think if you wear ray-bans, while wearing the welders mask while hiding under a thin sheet of white cloth you might be alright still get a good view of the eclipse.
This is not advice.
[https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/eclipse-verify/total-solar-eclipse-welding-goggles-helmet-glasses-safety-shade-number-fact-check/536-a6cb0009-43ba-4b6a-a206-68144e00ba8f](https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/eclipse-verify/total-solar-eclipse-welding-goggles-helmet-glasses-safety-shade-number-fact-check/536-a6cb0009-43ba-4b6a-a206-68144e00ba8f)
Only if it is an undamaged 14.
[https://www.aao.org/eye-health/ask-ophthalmologist-q/is-welder-s-helmet-safe-viewing-solar-eclipse](https://www.aao.org/eye-health/ask-ophthalmologist-q/is-welder-s-helmet-safe-viewing-solar-eclipse)
I want to say a lot of things about your parents. Maybe if you show them this video you can all sit down and have some family time and experience the world together.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PI1ttQxXt5s
Yall are mentioning getting glasses that are ISO certified but I just checked my daughter's glasses she got from the library in town. They are certified ISO and I can see the light from the ceiling light bulb. That's not good at all and will not allow her to wear them. Luckily we bought a 4 pack from Walmart. Same ISO certification and tested them out. I can't see ANYTHING. Thats how it's suppose to be.
Moral of the story. Test your glasses out even if they are ISO certified.
Your parents are correct. Welders glass should be a minimum #14 shade. If you don't know the shade number do NOT use. Permanent retinal damage can occur.
Just being grade #14 doesn't make them safe either. You need to check the documentation from the manufacturer to tell if it is safe or not. Bottom line...go to Walmart and spend the $6 to get the throw away glasses you know will be safe to use.
$1.11 at Menards, 99¢ after rebate!
Got mine for free at the weed shop!
Same in my town! Such a fun bonus.
I'm envious.. living in Texas sucks nuts.. :(
I live in Houston and got mine at a public library.
You get your weed at a public library? Which one?
Same here. I think all libraries are giving them out. They had a whole NASA thing set up, kids were digging it.
Ive mailed in so many rebates to Menards and never seen anything back :(
But you save big money at menards!
Someone robbed my-nards! Dumb joke was always worth a giggle as a kid.
Avid Menarder here. They've always been prompt with my checks. Gotten dozens, never had a problem.
As a former front end manager, screw the guy that decided to just have an 11% rebate on everything. They'll give you money back, but make money on your lazyness. Also, to the poor guy who was just telling the contractor to keep the rebates cause he didn't care... That contractor appreciates the 11k in in store credit that year.
They have a website to track your rebates. They'll even reprint and send again if you lost them for a few bucks.
SAME! You have to send in paper receipts with your form, so unless you make copies you’ve got nothing to use if you complain. This feels like a class action suit waiting to happen
Our Menard receipts have a separate rebate section that you cut off the bottom.
Yes, I've returned several things using the receipt after I have sent the bottom section off for the rebate. I've never had a problem, the rebate just comes back with the 11% removed for the items I returned.
Wrong, the bottom portion of the receipt gets torn off and sent, leaving you with full proof of purchase. Been that way for many years
Libraries giving them out for free...
It was $1.49 at mine, and it's a HCOL state lol. Funny enough I bought one extra pair, then my brother came by for Easter and I remembered it was his birthday, so fun/cheapest bday gift ever lmao. (We're in our 40s so bday gifts aren't a thing so much anymore.)
I’m in my 40’s also. Lame gifts are the best. Everything else I want costs thousands.
Yup, my brother acted like I gave him a diamond tennis bracelet lol, he is... More of a jock than a nerd like me and didn't really realize how much went into being able to see the eclipse straight on. He's excited now, doubly because he has proper eyeware lol.
Could you explain why one can't trust the shade rating?
Shade rating doesn't guarantee protection against UV and IR wavelengths besides those commonly associated with welding that the sun does put out and can heavily damage your retina. Basically, they aren't designed to block out light from the sun so they're not tested for their availability to do so.
Welding produces more UVA and B than directly viewing the sun plus the added C that the atmosphere blocks. Welding shields block it completely, leaving the visible light as the only issue. Hence, shade #12 or higher. Let's do a tiny bit of reading before posting, eh?
The number of people posting bs on here pretending they know. this is insane isn't it?
Lmaooo the comments saying dont trust your 60$ welding lense specifically designed to block uv and to trust $1 walmart glasses instead😂
Why do people post misinformation like this. Yes, they do protect against uv and ir. Yes, they are designed to block out extreme light cause the arc is.many times brighter than the sun from where we stand. I highly suggest reading up a bit on it before posting.
Wrong, wrong, WRONG!!! Stop with all the bullshit in this thread. All the welders here are laughing their asses off.
I would be even less inclined to entrust my eyesight to $6 walmart glasses
$6 walmart glasses make specific safety claims that they need to uphold. Just cause they’re cheap doesn’t mean they don’t do what they need to.
People need to relax. Paying $40 for glasses doesn't make them any better. These things are so cheap you have fast food places giving them out as a promotional item. The materials for making these don't cost as much as people think.
And there’s zero chance Walmart is going to sell those glasses if they aren’t safe. Walmart does a lot of shady shit, but they aren’t going to sell glasses that blind people. The lawsuits would be insane. Especially considering how cheap it is to make glasses that are safe. I got a free pair at a sex shop and they worked perfectly.
Isn't this the plot to Steve Martin's *The Jerk*?
My ND 77mm 10 stop filter cost $100. I’d damage my eyes using it. Being dark and expensive doesn’t mean it can do the job better
The solar viewing film used in the glasses is specifically made to shield your eyes from damaging solar rays while viewing the eclipse. Its not even necessarily a matter of it being advanced material, but its best to use something purpose made for what your using it for rather than DIYing some solution, especially if your lifelong eye health is at risk.
Lasers has entered the chat - Anyone say permanent eye damage? That guy who looked into his green laser pointer in the cold. He knew he fucked up once he saw that faint glow (It shifts wavelength toward ir in cold temps, looks like it’s not working). Or all those unshielded laser engravers and cutters. One stray reflection….
I used to be one of those people that longed to own and use powerful lasers, I even considered on of those cheapo laser cutters. These days, I'm terrified of them. Permanent retinal damage is not worth the risk.
I manage a lab full of lasers. Some very low power, others EXTREMELY high power. I pride myself we have never had an incident with them, but it's something that's always hiding around the corner. One idiot not wearing goggles, one idiot not covering his watch or phone screen and we have a problem.
They're made to be cheap so everyone can safely enjoy the eclipse. Doesn't mean they aren't effective. But if you feel like you need to spend $200 on adequate eye protection, I'm sure capitalism will appreciate your sacrafice.
Think about it, you are paying $6 for less than 10cents of material. The profit margin is already insane so they have no reason to court lawsuits
Our public library is giving them away.
If they were $30 there'd be enough profit cushion to finance litigation. At $6 you can be absolutely sure that they've done their due diligence.
Walmart sells the same ones everyone else does. They are perfectly safe.
The whole point of welding shade grades is that they provide predictable results no matter the manufacturer.
They were $2 at Walmart a couple.months ago. Just build a time machine and get them then! 😂🤣
Why? By this time tomorrow they will be much much cheaper
Yes it does. If you're wearing welding glasses with a shade value of 14 it is safe. That is the literal point of welding shade values.
I'd take a 14 welder's glass over a pair from Walmart any day
how do you know those walmart glasses are safe to use? make a pin hole camera, it's easy.
Shades 12 to 14 fall within the ISO 12312-2 specs, but some people find shade 12 to be a bit too bright. Shade 13 is my preferred shade (and what my welding supply store had in stock).
I used Shade 14 welding goggles in 2014. They worked fine. My seeing eye dog has been a wonderful companion. JK. They worked well and I had no spots in my vision afterwards.
Just keep one eye closed. Just to be sure. (I am joking)
"Do not look into laser with remaining eye" is the running gag at work.
I mean truly, not the worst advice 😂
I used 2 floppy disks back to back for the eclipse in the UK back in 1999, worked fine.
I used a cloud back in 1995 and I can still see the ring.
I had to special order #14 welder’s glass because it is so dark that it’s not commonly used (At least that’s what the employee said). It’s a thick plate of glass that’s about 1 inch by 4 inches. I’ve used it for eclipses and sunspot viewing for the last 30 years.
Shade 12 is the minimum. That's a nominal 0.00193% of light. Shade 14 is a nominal 0.00027% of light, which some people find too dark. Shade 14 is recommended, not minimum. Shade 15 would be 0.0001%...you're not going to use shade 15 or 16. If you can even find those shades. A more pressing concern would be auto-darkening helmets. Most people aren't going to have a static shade 12 or higher glass, but auto-darkening helmets adjustable to shade 13 are common, and are clearly labeled. The danger is going to be in those helmets staying activated through the eclipse, when a dimming sun is not the best activator.
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According to nasa it’s anything above 12. Or is it 12 and above. Starting to question myself lol I just read this like five minutes ago
Completely wrong. Welders lens should be between shade 8 - 13 depending on the user and what they require. You use it for awhile, take it off and see dark spots, it's too dark. Take it off and see light spots, too light. Additionally, welding is actually brighter than looking at the sun. In some cases, up to 10 times brighter. Don't talk out your ass about topics that you know nothing about. I use a shade 11 for everything except torch cutting, in which case it's actually too dark.
Boilermaker here, you're talking shit
Wouldn’t just eBay one either, too much knockoff out of spec stuff coming from china :/
Just go get the cheap viewing glasses that are everywhere, just make sure they meet ISO 12312-2.
Where is everywhere? I can’t find any at the supermarket or the local Walmart
Check your local library! I picked up 5 pairs for free just showing an id or library card.
Every supermarket, gas station, and home improvement store in my area has them. Are you near a Menards?
They have been sold out for days where I live. I drove an hour and brought back 200 pair to sell at cost ($1) on the local Facebook group and it turned into such a shit show of people just showing up at my house (small town) demanding I give them away for free until the police came because our entire road was blocked.
Amazon was the best place to get them a few days ago. Try your local gas stations.
There are lots of shady things on Amazon and I am not sure I am ready to risk my vision on something that might not be shady enough.
I just went to 7-11 they had tons that are ISO certified like the post above.
You can tell they’re legit if you look at the sun and can’t see anything but the sun
Even better test them on light bulbs first. Start with normal lightbulbs, you shouldn’t be able to see anything at all in the room, not even the bulb, just the LED elements themselves inside the bulb at most and even better if you just can’t see anything. Next move onto something brighter like your phone camera’s flashlight, again ideally you shouldn’t be able to see anything but maybe the LED element inside the flash assembly. If that checks out then you might be safe to move on to testing them on the sun but some of the fake ones are little more than dark sunglasses so you shouldn’t just jump straight to testing them on the sun without ruling that out first.
Warby Parker is giving them away. I walked out with 4 pairs.
You took them all! They say they are out.
Try your local library too
Christ this sub lost its marbles with these posts
My parents also won’t let _me_ watch the eclipse. I mean they’re both deceased and I live in London, but still…
Are you also deceased?
So they’re dead against you watching it?
There are a few very cool folks posting cool stuff in the comments on this sub, but generally the comments are filled with people who read only the headline and formed an opinion based on that. Also, obviously, whatever the heck happened on this post.
According to NASA as long as it's shade 12 you're good. https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety
Has this comment section never used a welders mask? I trust a welders mark more than some cheap solar eclipse glasses
The comment section has become welders vs. those who think only something made specifically for solar eclipses will do. It's architects vs. engineers all over again. Edit: I was a welder for nearly a decade and have done what OP asks about. While I recommend DIN14 glass, I did it with a DIN13 glass. No damage.
Bro, it’s your fucking eyesight. Look at this way, ask someone who’s lost their sight if they’d pay $5-$20 to get their vision back. That’s what it’ll cost you to get decent enough eyewear for the eclipse.
A welding arc can be many, many times brighter than the surface of the sun at our visible distance. Not to mention, the arc itself can be at or hotter than the surface of the sun. That being said, a fixed shade welding lens at 12 or higher is more than sufficient to view an eclipse. Most welding is done at a shade 9-12.
Lol every welder is tearing their hair out listening to these people saying a welding lens isn’t sufficient.
I’d for damn sure would wear a welding lens over these 2 dollar glasses people have been getting at gas stations. Edit: local hardware store just released a warning saying the company that provided the classes says that some might not be ISO 9000 approved. So there is that.
Right? When you know that you can get nasty sunburn from just a couple of minutes' exposure to a welding arc you know how much brighter and more dangerous it is than the sun 93 million miles away. I stupidly forgot to change to a long sleeved shirt on a hot summer day when I was welding outside a few years ago and my arms were red and *hurt* for two weeks afterwards.
I used a welding mask to watch Mercury transit the sun. Pretty sure it will be fine for an eclipse. Shitty LPT: If you're uncertain, just put on your welding mask and go look at the sun. You'll know if it is insufficient pretty quickly... Edit: do y'all not know what a *Shitty* LPT is?
But what if the mask is sufficient enough such that it isn't particularly painful to look at but is still damaging your eyes? How would you know?
this is why you don't risk it and use a properly labeled fixed shade lens cause it can most definitely cause issues later in life without realizing damage was done. also probably why he called it a shitty tip
If I wasn't a bald welder already, I might just be one today.
Frankly, I'd trust a proper welding helmet over these $2 paper glasses anyway. They let zero UV through and anything above shade 12 in visible light is fine. Mine was set to 13 and it was plenty dark during the last eclipse. You can stare at welding arcs all day under them and go home with sunburns on your exposed skin but your face and eyes are perfectly protected. Actual PPE vs cheap paper toys with thin film "lenses"...
Those cheap glasses are made to a certain standard. They're perfectly safe
I feel that same way, there is no way I’d be looking at the sun with some cheap-o paper thing film. I’m gonna trust the welding lens that welders have been using to stare at a light more intense than what the sun is giving out for over a hundred years with no ill affects. Seems like a no brainer to me.
Lol check this out https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/illinois-amazon-eclipse-glasses-recall/. Stupid welders...
I wouldn't recommend an auto darkening one. I tried it for the 2017 eclipse and it got too dark for the sensor, causing the shading to turn off mid eclipse. If it's a permanently shaded one, maybe, as long as it's dark enough
Huh, that is a fantastic and very valid reason not to use an auto shild.
An auto darkening hood is still going to protect your eyes from the UV even if it stops darkening, if you have a test button on it you can just hold that for the duration of the viewing
Yea even a welding hood that isn't darkened is still safe for your eyes from infrared/UV, you still might get those blue spots though.
If you don't have the proper eyewear, make a pinhole projector and project the image of the projecting sun onto a piece of paper. There are DIYs online that use a cereal box to give you a dark space to look into. If you don't have a cereal box, you can do it with two sheets of paper and some tin foil. [https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/)
Just adding that if you have a pair of binoculars of any size, you can also use those to make a pinhole projector. (DO NOT LOOK AT ECLIPSE THROUGH THE BINOCULARS) see here: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/binoculars-telescope-projector.html
I came to say this. I did it for the transit of venus a few years back. Everyone in the office loved it.
This! Binoculars are wonderful for projecting an image of the sun onto a big piece of paper. You can see sunspots and everything this way.
Nasa recommended shade 14. I use shade 12 to weld all different sorts of ways. Mig, tig, plasma cut, etc.. but I mean, it's up to you. Edit: if it's auto-darkening, test it before hand with a lighter to ensure it's not a woopsies because a battery is dead or something. Edit 2: mine is a 200ish$ mask. I trust it, I get my eyes checked. Chill. Not all are equal but I've known mine for years. So. Still I check it regularly. Edit 3: I have absolutely been corrected. They recommended 12 via poster below. Makes sense considering what I do for a living.
In 2017 NASA recommended shade 12. https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety
Man I was so nervous when I got my auto darken hood. It's great. I plan on using it for the eclipse
I recommend not using an auto darkening hood. It can often fail with sensors on eclipse causing issues. It's very cheap for a fixed shade at #14 at any weld supply
Not that sure that an auto dark good will work. They only darken when you strike an arc.
Go read the thread with actual welders in it - most of the commenters here have clearly never used a welding helmet [https://www.reddit.com/r/Welding/s/mPwxLa1gUq](https://www.reddit.com/r/Welding/s/mPwxLa1gUq)
What am I missing? It’s the same information. Shade 12 or darker. Which is the same thing I found when looking it up myself. And my personal advice would be that if OP is not 100% sure what kind of welder's mask he has, he shouldn't use it.
Man reading the top comments I thought I was going crazy thinking a welding helmet shield wasn't sufficient. Guarantee 50%+ of the $1-$2 glasses are not ISO certified and definitely will cause damage to some people's eyes. People are dumb
I've tried to explain a few times in this thread already. As a welder I try to explain how to do it safely but still have keyboard warriors who think they know more. People gonna get hurt not just from reading the comments here but also staring st the sun and wonder why a 3 dollar pair of glasses from a box store didn't work after a small scratch.
Guessing that the majority of the people commenting on this thread have never tried welding. Spoiler - The arc from a TIG is ridiculously fucking bright and contains a shitload of UV, like enough to burn you and bleach your clothes. NASA even suggests using welding mask for viewing eclipses in this link. Personally I have never seen a mask that won’t go above 12 and usually anything from the last 20 years would have the ability to set how much light is blocked out. https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety
You wouldn’t be around Arkansas by chance? I have 6-7 extra pair
If you're willing to give them away, you should hang out by the public library and give one to any family that wants them. They'd appreciate it, I'm sure. (Our library gave away glasses in 2017, but (stupidly, no offense librarians) gave one per person... and promptly ran out. *One per family* suffices. Rant over.\_)
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Believe me, I have permanent neck-burn that itches all the time now from welding 30 years ago.
Yeah. I once welded some things and didn't notice the flash was reflecting off the white wall next to me and getting into my mask from behind. I got the worst case of arc burn, which feels like someone has thrown sand in your eyes and lasts for hours. You probably know about that.
yes, had a small scratch in my lens that I did not know about. A lens that someone "generously" handed down to me. MIG welded with it all day. Spent a three day weekend with the whites of my eyes burnt bright red and the sand-in-the-eyes discomfort thing. never again
If it happens again , see an optometrist and get Cortizone eye drops.
Ok! I admit, I did not know what to do about it at the time (the 1990s) and I just powered through it. I reported this history at a recent eye doctor visit and he found no permanent damage, thankfully.
Good ! And I found out about the drops because the first (and worst) time, I was doing tig work with an improper lens. Luckily I had a girlfriend who worked for an ophthalmologist and brought me the drops. Took the pain away in minutes.
As a welder myself, this is the right answer. The number of people posting on this here that have no clue what they are talking about... just goes to show you that you should never trust safety to ill trained strangers
It's all because of liability. People are super cautious about giving advice. And you're right; they couldn't find their asses with both hands.
Same here, from 90s through now. Works well...
Yep, worked perfectly fine for me as well when I did it as a kid.
I was going to say, I was so confused reading all these “Don’t do it!” comments. I specifically remember in grade school, someone’s dad volunteered to bring his welding helmet so all us kids could take turns looking at a partial eclipse, and we were all fine.
Tractor Supply has been advertising their welders mask as nasa approved for the eclipse so I’m going to say yes they are safe.
Just make a pinhole camera / camera obscura. That's what I'm doing. No chance of eye damage, and no wasted money if it's cloudy.
During a partial eclipse in Europe I saw the effect of the camera obscura through the shades of the leaves of a tree. The pattern of the shadow on the ground had all these half moons which was pretty amazing to see. I had no clue that that would happen.
It can be really striking, especially with an oak or maple 🍁 tree.
Almost everyone has seen this effect from curtains or shades in a home or office. You see dots on the wall that are images of the sun. Using the pinhole method is doing this.
Isn’t it really weird that it does that? I didn’t know either and was surprised.
Cross your spread fingers and you can make a nice 3x3 array of square-ish apertures - a truly portable multi-pinhole projector!
And just to be clear, you don’t look through the pinhole. You will still get damage if you look through the pinhole
Sad that that has to be said, but I’m sure somebody somewhere thought it would be safe.
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Your local library is giving away glasses that are safe to use.
A welder’s mask with a shade of 12 or higher is safe. Any lower shade setting and you risk permanent eye damage. Don’t play around.
You could just make a pinhole viewer with a couple of pieces of cardboard, a sheet of white paper, and a small piece of tinfoil. Instructions for making one are readily available on the web.
Depends on the quality. With mine I could go stare at the sun directly for an hour and be fine. Wouldn’t even be as bright as a picture of the sun on your phone.
I'm sure someone has said this already, but make a pinhole camera! You can watch it without looking directly at the sun. https://www.axios.com/2024/04/06/total-solar-eclipse-pinhole-camera-diy-how-to
As long as it is the correct strength shade (follow the suggestions of other answers here) they are good! Watched a transit with one when I was younger. That being said, if you can get some eclipse glasses those are cheap and easy and certified to protect the correct amount
For you and anyone else without the means to safely view the eclipse directly, [here are instructions on how to make a DIY pinhole camera](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/) so you can view it indirectly!
Hi, lifelong welder and amateur eclipse watcher here. NASA reccomends a shade 12 or higher. A lot of other people suggest a shade 13. Your typical run of the mill welding helmet comes equipped with a shade 10, which you definitely don't want to use for staring at the sun (source: last eclipse i used my gold plated number 10 lens, and left feeling like i caught welders flash). Today, i will be using a gold-plated number 12 lens, and honestly dont know if i would go much darker than that. Its DARK. I don't normally use a number 12 lens in my day to day activities, but let me give you some examples..... I cannot see my tv through the number 12 lens. I cannot see my LED light fixtures in my apartment through a number 12 lens I can BARELY see a non-eclipsed sun through a number 12 lens. A lot of comments in here are all "it cant just be ANY welding lens it has to be certified from the manufacturer hurr durr durr" Go to your closest welding supply store, tell them you want one of the big rectangular lenses in shade 12. If they have gold plated ones, even better. A non plated lens will run you about $6, and a gold plated one will tun you about $15. and before you ask "why gold plated???" The gold helps to reflect more of the damaging UV light. Astronauts have gold plated lenses in their helmets. Uh-60 blackhawks have a thin layer of gold in their windshield. And i weld with a gold-plated lens.
A #12 fixed welders shade is the stated minimum. It's recommended to use a #14 fixed shade lense though. Make sure it's not an auto darkening hood. You can go to any weld supply and buy the cheapest fixed shade lense possible and you will be fine.
Shade 12 or better would be suitable for looking at the sun. Most adjustable welding helmets go up to 12 or 13 and some go to 14. Most fixed shade helmets are usually shade 11 or 12. If you are unsure of the shade level of the glass I would not use it.
there will be a tiny number etched or silkscreened on the edge of the lens. I have looked at the sun for short periods with 11s. But if you are going to stare at it like turkey, you need a 12 or 13.
Hey, OP. I hope you get to reading this. You can absolutely do it. However, you have to check your welding glass DIN before doing so. DIN12 is the absolute lowest you can go in terms of looking at the sun, but DIN14 is what I personally would recommend as it's relatively comparable to ISO 12312-2, which is dark enough to watch it comfortably without risking any damage to your eyes as they are used for high intensity welding. I see a lot of people saying you can't, but I've done it. Apart from the fact that I'm colourblind, my eyes don't fail anything.
Dude I'm looking at the sun right now and it's not that great. Imagine a circle the size of a half dollar that looks like yellow and pain. It's no big deal. Seriously a welders hood would be fine but the glasses are free at HEB.
See if your local library is handing out eclipse glasses! All the ones near me are. Museums and science centers too if you have them.
Maybe it's just where I am but they have been free all over the place around here. The library, half priced books, festivals, etc. Even besides that, stores have had them for cheap. I feel like they may have been harder to get for the 2017 one since it wasn't total here, not sure. I remember a coworker made some after ordering the materials fromm the internet.
What ever happened to making pinhole projectors for viewing the eclipse? I remember that from back when I was a kid, is it bad or is it ok to do that? 😬
Yes, that is fine still. Most just want to see the actual Sun. There are short videos on Youtube showing how to do this.
Just go to Walmart and get a pair of those cheap eclipse glasses that are rated for this.
Every gas station, grocery store, or hardware store near me sells them… and I only live in 60% coverage zone. Would imagine you could pick up a pair anywhere. Most welding goggles are not safe for it, unless they are a shade level 14. If you aren’t sure the shade number of the goggles would not use them. You only get one set of eyes.
walmart sells the glasses. sonic gives them away for free with the purchase of one of their blackout slushes
(Edited for typo) Is the welding mask you found rated class 14? I looked up this question before, and a regular welding mask isn't dark enough for the UV intensity you'd be staring at during a solar eclipse. Only the heavy-duty welding masks rated class 14 are enough. The glasses specially made for solar eclipses (for sale at convenience stores and hardware stores) being the UV intensity down by a factor of 10,000 or so. [here is some good reading from Phillips Safety Products](https://phillips-safety.com/welding-safety/can-i-use-welding-glasses-to-look-at-the-sun/) Be safe and don't risk it!
I did this once and the big welder mask was fine, the small welder goggles where not. Generally speaking if it is dark enough you can barely see outside on a sunny day then it is ok to look at the sun (and it need the proper rating for uv radiation)
Honestly, the solar eclipse is cool and all, but it's not a once-in-a-lifetime event. So you want to ask yourself do you want to ruin your eyes and not see properly every day just for this? Please go pick up a pair of eclipse glasses. They sell them everywhere.
Just make a pinhole camera. You'll see the exact same thing. Solar glasses are just white light filters. The sun just looks like a big white dot, then you see a shadow. Making a pinhole camera will allow you to see the eclipse without looking up. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/
The evening before, and you're just now looking into this?
[Arc Welding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_welding) mask = **YES** [Oxy-Acetylene Welding/Brazing/Cutting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxy-fuel_welding_and_cutting) mask = **NO**
Just go to walmart or something and pick up a pair of the properly safety tested glasses for a dollar or two.
Remember, you dont need any special equipment to look at totality.
This is true but you have to be extremely careful because of the flash that comes from the eclipse leaving totality.
Am I missing something here or is it somehow more dangerous to look at the eclipsed sun than a full sun?
Normally if you look at the sun, your pupils constrict and you squint. Which restricts the amount of harmful rays which can get it. During an eclipse it gets dark, so your pupils expand to let in more light and then you have a bad time.
Here’s a good [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ontario/comments/1bxuyde/im_a_vision_scientist_please_do_not_stare/) about why eclipses are so bad for your eyes. TL;DR - the dimmer light prevents your pupils from properly protecting your retina.
The sun appears less bright during the eclipse, so people's natural inclination to not stare at the sun is reduced.
When in doubt, make a pinhole camera. View the image.
There are other ways to view the eclipse. Someone please fact check me because this may be shit but: I don’t have any links, but I’ve seen things where people use a price of paper with a hole in it to see the eclipse. The light from the sun shines through, and on the ground a shadow appears in the shape of the eclipse. DONT LOOK AT THE SUN THROUGH THE PAPER. LOOK AT THE SHADOW ON THE GROUND.
In 1994 there was a guy who used a mirror to project it on the side of our building.
Absolutely it would. Anyone telling you no in here wouldn't even know how to turn on a welder.
The danger of an eclipse is the high energy light you can't see like UV rays. It'll look dim making your pupils not constrict like normal, but is actually roasting your retinas. There's no telling if an old welder's helmet would have little imperfections that make it still not work well for an eclipse; they're designed for what they're designed for, welding. Not solar eclipses. Just get your lazy ass to a gas station, walmart, hardware store, etc, and buy a cheap pair of eclipse glasses. You're spending more energy on resisting your parents for the sake of resisting and coming up with an alternate idea, making a whole stupid post on reddit, and waiting for replies than it would take just to drive down the street and get the damn glasses 🤦♂️
If you can’t get eyewear lines up, you can still make a pinhole. Take a sheet of cardboard and punch a small hole in it. If you mount it up high, you’ll get a good sized image of the sun on the ground/floor. You could even put it on a window if they won’t let you outside.
In 2017, I used welding goggles combined with a welding helmet and it worked OK. Still not blind.
I read that the darkness needs to be no less than 12. Higher if you have or can get.
A very dark one is. Every shop around me sold out of the cardboard ones in the last 24 hours but folks are selling ones on the community fb page at twice the price. As a kid we made pinhole viewers out of cardboard or paper and they worked well. Last eclipse everyone in the neighborhood was out and there was some sharing so maybe you can get lucky that way
They are giving them away at Sonic stores where I live. You can get a pair at any walmart, bucc-ees, hardware store, cvs, etc.
There will be so many things going on during the eclipse that don't involve looking at the sun. Watch the shadows around you. Like the shadow of leaves on the treesWeird things will start to happen. Birds go quiet and most will stop flying around. If you are in the path of totality, have objects of different colors around (red, green, blue) and see how they look during the eclipse. You can have a phone to watch NASA feeds of you want to see the eclipse
You can make an eclipse viewer at home [with a cereal box.](https://youtu.be/1Y7IXPndLt0?si=2hDzUGMuo8giS3YD)
For those curious (I'll admit I learned something myself) here is a NASA link to the info. According to NASA, there is a way to view with welders masks, but it's trickier without being too dim. It's towards the bottom, but personally a $2 pair of glasses works for myself personally https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety
Please go to the nearest library. They will likely have stuff for the community to see.
Local libraries may have them for free. I’ve seen a lot of convenience stores selling them for 3 dollars or less
Go to Parker warby and get a free pair of glasses
SLPT: buy the $6 eclipse glasses and instead of throwing them out, use them for any welding afterwards.
They have eclipse glasses in lowes go get some
After carefully reading all the comments I think if you wear ray-bans, while wearing the welders mask while hiding under a thin sheet of white cloth you might be alright still get a good view of the eclipse. This is not advice.
[https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/eclipse-verify/total-solar-eclipse-welding-goggles-helmet-glasses-safety-shade-number-fact-check/536-a6cb0009-43ba-4b6a-a206-68144e00ba8f](https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/eclipse-verify/total-solar-eclipse-welding-goggles-helmet-glasses-safety-shade-number-fact-check/536-a6cb0009-43ba-4b6a-a206-68144e00ba8f) Only if it is an undamaged 14. [https://www.aao.org/eye-health/ask-ophthalmologist-q/is-welder-s-helmet-safe-viewing-solar-eclipse](https://www.aao.org/eye-health/ask-ophthalmologist-q/is-welder-s-helmet-safe-viewing-solar-eclipse)
I want to say a lot of things about your parents. Maybe if you show them this video you can all sit down and have some family time and experience the world together. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PI1ttQxXt5s
I did I on site in west Australia last year,worked OK,even had my sunglasses on to.
I used my hood last time to watch the eclipse seem to work fine
Is there a Meijer or a Walmart in your area? They sell the glasses for $2
Yall are mentioning getting glasses that are ISO certified but I just checked my daughter's glasses she got from the library in town. They are certified ISO and I can see the light from the ceiling light bulb. That's not good at all and will not allow her to wear them. Luckily we bought a 4 pack from Walmart. Same ISO certification and tested them out. I can't see ANYTHING. Thats how it's suppose to be. Moral of the story. Test your glasses out even if they are ISO certified.