Use the shade chart below as a starting point, then open the helmet brand or model page to match the correct cover lens, inside lens, headgear, battery, cartridge, or replacement helmet path.
Home > Personal Protection Support Main > Lens Shade Selection
| Operation | Electrode Size | Arc Current |
Minimum Shade |
Suggested Shade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stick Welding | Less than 3mm or 1/8" | Less than 60A | Shade 7 | Shade 8 |
| 3-5 mm or 1/8" to 3/16" | 60-160A | Shade 8 | Shade 10 | |
| 5-8mm or 3/16" to 1/4" | 160-250A | Shade 10 | Shade 12 | |
| More than 8 mm or 1/4" | 250-550A | Shade 11 | Shade 14 | |
| Mig Welding | - | Less than 60A | Shade 7 | Shade 8 |
| - | 60-160A | Shade 10 | Shade 11 | |
| - | 160-250A | Shade 10 | Shade 12 | |
| - | 250-550A | Shade 10 | Shade 14 | |
| Tig Welding | - | Less than 50A | Shade 8 | Shade 10 |
| - | 50-150A | Shade 8 | Shade 12 | |
| - | 150-500A | Shade 10 | Shade 14 | |
| Carbon Arc | Light | Less than 500A | Shade 10 | Shade 12 |
| Arc Cutting | Heavy | 500A + | Shade 11 | Shade 14 |
| Plasma Arc Welding | - | Less than 20A | Shade 6 | Shade 6-8 |
| - | 20-100A | Shade 10 | Shade 12 | |
| - | 100-400A | Shade 10 | Shade 12 | |
| - | 400-800A | Shade 11 | Shade 14 | |
| Plasma Cutting | Light | Less than 300A | Shade 8 | Shade 8 |
| Medium | 300A | Shade 9 | Shade 12 | |
| Heavy | 300-400A | Shade 10 | Shade 14 | |
| Torch Brazing | Shade 3-4 | |||
| Torch Soldering | Shade 2 | |||
| Carbon Arc Welding | Shade 14 | |||
| Plate Thickness | inch | mm | ||
| Gas Welding | ||||
| Light | Under 1/8" | Under 3.2mm | Shade 4-5 | |
| Medium | 1/8" to 1/2" | 3.2mm to 12.7mm | Shade 5-6 | |
| Heavy | Over 1/2" | Over 12.7mm | Shade 6-8 | |
| Oxy-Fuel Cutting | ||||
| Light | Under 1" | under 25mm | Shade 3-4 | |
| Medium | 1-6" | 25 to 150 mm | Shade 4-5 | |
| Heavy | Over 6" | Over 150mm | Shade 5-6 |
Shop tip: helmet flicker often starts with cover lens condition, blocked sensors, weak batteries, or shade setting before cartridge replacement.
The most useful nearby paths, kept short for fast scanning.
A plasma electrode carries the arc inside the torch. Electrode wear affects arc starting, cut quality, and consumable life.