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so the other day i gave myself a good whack, luckily only with the soft and cuddly practice poi (tennis balls). i wasn't paying attention, checking myself out in the mirror doing a mere hyperloop when it hit me: is there a good pair of goggles that don't look too unsexy? i like the look of a lot of steampunk goggles, but they might be impractical, limiting periphery vision too much. thoughts, ideas?
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Re: safety goggles?
Tue, February 24, 2009 - 7:45 AMMy recommendation would be to go to a Grainger or other Welding supply company. They have tons of styles (I think even Oakley was making glasses for a while).
It also depends what you want them for; pure impact, small bits/sparks, or full-out fire protection. I know www.bearclawmfg.com sells safety glasses they say can withstand a straight on firebreath.
Goggles (like steampunk) would be good for keeping smaller sparks out as well as fireflies or spattered fuel (such as from a volcano) but might cause more injury when hit in the face. Just would you rather have a blackeye or a ruptured cornea?
Good hunting.
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Re: safety goggles?
Tue, February 24, 2009 - 9:37 AMWe actually carry a pricier safety goggle that can convert between sunglasses goggles change lenses, etc. It is worth checking out if you have the additional funds:
www.firemecca.com/p-984-bod...ggles.aspx
A note on the Pyramex goggles. I've never asked Tedward about them, but they aren't advertised by the manufacturer as being fire-resistant, and it isn't clear from the Bearclaw website if these meet some fire-resistance rating. Maybe he can jump in here and comment.
I think Dio's suggestions are good, and you could also look at goggles intended for fire fighters and EMT/EMS, though they will tend to be un-sexy.
Matthew
Fire Mecca -
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Re: safety goggles?
Tue, February 24, 2009 - 1:23 PMWell, as you may have guessed, flame testing goggles isn't very common in the eye protection industry. If you're in danger of flame to the face, they recommend other protection (face guards) that /are/ rated.
We tested a number of goggles under 2 conditions:
1) burst test from a breather (me). We stuck them on a stick an hit them with a full sustain from a lamp fire burn.
2) Then we tested them with a 10 second toasting over a wick long enough to cover their width (simulated face burn).
Maintaining structural integrity and some level of protection was considered a "pass".
Many goggles got a pass on the burst test, which is the equivalent of taking this:
www.youtube.com/watch
And that's the bulk of the protection needed, so "ANY goggles" became the official party line.
However, only the pyramex survived the second test which Is why we went with them. Plus, I prefer the I/O option to an actual grey. it gives flash resistance but also gives you the clearest possible lens for seeing with only a torch.
Here's the real secret to goggles: one type does NOT fit all. The pyramex don't fit me well, but they're adequate to provide protection. The only eyewear to fit me well were cheap plastic trippy things that I wouldn't use to protect against a blow dryer. If you can find goggles that fit, look good and survive a burst, then you're most of the way home.
10 seconds is the longest time to extinguish under the worst possible burn I've ever seen on tape. If your goggles can withstand just a couple of seconds, the odds of you needing longer are astronomically low. .... particularly if you have proper safety personnel around you.
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Re: safety goggles?
Tue, February 24, 2009 - 7:40 PMI use goggles sometimes when I perform with a metal angle grinder and found that my favorite that look good are motorcycle sunglasses. They are usually tested for impact and have some type of foaming around the lenses that keep me protected from the flying sparks. I wouldn't recommend them for fire because I'm doubtful of the behavior of the foam on fire.
I do think there are motorcycle glasses/goggles that try to be stylish because of their customer base and not all of them use the foam insulation.