No Hands Welder's Helmet

No hands welder's helmet FARM SHOP Welders/Torches (64) 16-2-9 A simple movement of his chin automatically opens or closes the visor on Dwight Alley's homemade battery-operated welder's helmet. "It's a lot easier than raising the entire hood with my hand and it lets me keep both hands on the job for faster, more accurate welding," says Al-ley, of Moro, Ore. He cut a square hole in the top of the helmet and mounted a servo motor (borrowed from a remote-control airplane). A rod connects the servo motor to a metal bracket mounted on the visor. A 4.8-volt battery is mounted inside the top of the helmet and a microswitch is mounted at the bottom. Alley lowers his chin to activate the microswitch which retracts the rod to hold the visor in the closed position. When he's finished welding he lowers his chin again and the lid opens up. "It takes the servo motor only one sec-and to open or close the lid. I drilled three holes in the bracket on the visor so that I can adjust how far the visor will open or close. I've used the helmet frequently during the past year and only had to recharge the battery once," says Alley, who notes that wiring from the battery to the microswitch is held in place by small clips. He spent $47 to make the helmet. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dwight Alley, Box 352, Mom, Oregon 97039 (ph 503 442-5278).

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