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i saw at a car show this square shield that clamps near the end of a wire feed welder. supposed to be able to weld with out a helmet. I can't remember the name of it, anyone know what i'm talking about?

I have seen them, but they are only ok for welding very light materials with low amperage. The helmet protects not only your eyes but your entire face from UV. If you can't see enough with a helmet, you either need glasses that focus at the distance you are welding or possibly a lighter lens if you wire weld. UV is dangerous and there is nothing to be gained by taking chances.

My credentials: 67 now and pop taught me welding as soon as I could walk. I've been welding on and off ever since. Ran my own production fabrication shop for many years and worked at a government accelerator lab later in life where I worked as an instrument welder requiring knowledge of all phases of welding.
Ken's right on the button with his advice, use the correct equipment or for sure your going to do some permanent damage.
I think it's a crime when the TV car/bike programs show the guys welding without UV protection. At any of the jobs that I have worked at, if anyone had attempted that they would have been fired on the spot, no questions asked.
As far as the torch shields go, there is still UV reflected from around the shield, which will cause burns to the skin and eyes. I would not believe any claim that the American Welding Society approves these. I would have to see that published in an official AWS paper before I would believe that and even then I certainly would not use it myself or recommend it to anyone.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

i know, i didn't buy one since i dont have a welder, supposedly their good for welding in tight spaces only i forgot to mention, just somethin different i guess.

Denny's right, no substitute for a good quality helmet. Serious damage and flashburns are no fun. I got some rust in my eye when I was younger in the shop and it was so oxidized that it had to be cut out. When I got back to the shop, my Pop had all the crew in his office, a big book called "Dog Breeds" was on his desk. He told me to take it and pick out a pretty one while I could still see out of one eye. A lesson well learned.

Hank

Great story Hank, your old man was just giving out with some sage advice, hope some of you learned from it.
Seems like having that chunk of glass would hinder you rather than help you in a cramped space, sounds more like a Billy Mays commercial, lots of hype and not much fact.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Sure did Denny, never crawl under a vehicle without something covering my eyes or weld either without a shield. Took me a while to figure out, but there was a lot of wisdom with Pop's years

Hank

p.s. I still have the book! Hope I won't need to use it with my boy.

If he likes cars or motorcycles and
watches the T&V, You Will!
Those guys are really poor roll models.
DG

I've always used a shield too when i do weld at work. no substituite for safety..

I always wondered if it was just me when I watched some of those shows in disbelief. Former life I was a journeyman Boilermaker and like Denny any shortcuts took you directly back to the hiring hall no questions asked. Old boilermaker told me once burns don't heal they scar.

Believe me, being a right to left welder, my left arm is proof of that. Many decades in all phases of welding has left it's mark.
Granted, one can over do the safety thing, an occasional tack weld with out protection probably isn't gonna scare ya for life. One has to apply a little common sense, but if you're just now getting into building and plan on doing a lot of fabrication in the future, you might as well develope good work practices from the start. Short cuts soon become bad habits and that is the way you're graded by those that see your work.
Even after all these year, over a half century in fact, when I gas weld I still open a high pressure cylinder all the way, flamables 1/4 turn, bleed off the pressure when finished and back off the regulator screws no matter how small the job.
A lot of trouble for a lot of people but that was the way I was taught from the start and I've never had a problem in any of my shops.
DG