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despatiesim

Eye protection whe using uv cure resin lamps?

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I couldn't find any topics on this, so figured I'd ask what do you use to protect your eyes when using a uv light to cure uv resin on your flies? Good sunglasses block uv light, but something is telling me that might not be enough?

Anybody have good input to this? I want to protect my vision adequately...

 

Thanks!

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Doing some research online, it appears that battery powered lights are safe. Pointing one directly into one's eye can cause temporary damage, but long term damage would require repeated exposures.

 

Exposure to sunlight is more harmful.

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^^^ What he said.

 

Ultraviolet (UV) light is a wavelength below 400 nm. Although it is commonly said that we cannot see UV radiation, humans can actually see from 390 - 700 nm. So we can see a bit below 400 nm. Notice that the we can see the purple light of the UV flashlight below. The leds emit in the visible violet and the near UV range.

P1000630_zps083f534a.jpg


If we could NOT see the light from the UV LEDs, how would we ever tell if the flashlights were on or off? We could not, so it is obvious to me that the UV wavelengths of the flashlights are in the “very near UV range”, those wavelengths that just below 400 nm. UVA is 315 - 400 nm, well above the UVB range (315 - 280 nm) that causes snow blindness.

Our eyes are exposed to UVA and UVB radiation everyday in sunlight. Put some UV resin on a piece of paper and take it outside and it will cure from the UVA radiation in sunlight. So our eyes are exposed to UVA and UVB every time we go outside without sunglasses. My view is that you get more damaging UVA radiation from sunlight than you can ever get from a UV flashlight used to cure UV resin. I do not use any special eye protection.

These flashlights use “black light” LEDs that produce long wavelength UVA light. Black lights are commonly used in bug zappers and to identify fluorescent materials such as the special dyes on currency.

Wikipedia notes that, Black lights are employed for decorative and artistic lighting effects, diagnostic and therapeutic uses in medicine, the detection of substances tagged with fluorescent dyes, rock-hunting, the detection of counterfeit money, the curing of plastic resins, and attracting insects. …… the low power UV-A emitted by black lights is not a hazard to skin or eyes and can be viewed without protection…”

 


 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_light

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From my experience with UV - almost any material will attenuate UVA and UVB. In fact, to transmit UV efficiently, you need a magnesium flouride window on your UV lamp. If you are worried about exposure, just about any plastic lens in front of your eyes should do.

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God issued you eye lids & common sense.... my opinion is to use each.... both are free..

Sorry had to do it...😜

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From my experience with UV - almost any material will attenuate UVA and UVB. In fact, to transmit UV efficiently, you need a magnesium flouride window on your UV lamp. If you are worried about exposure, just about any plastic lens in front of your eyes should do.

I performed a few experiments a few years ago and verified this. Almost any plastic lens will cut out 1/2 or more of the UV. But is this enough? I tested goggles that were supposed to protect from UV and found there was still enough getting through to polymerize a UV resin, although much more slowly. Since every exposure to UV has the potential to damage the retina I have constructed small chambers with UV LEDs on the inside for the purpose of polymerizing the heads and bodies of my flies. No light gets out. I hope to use my eyes for a few more years!

 

PS: I also wear a hat and UV-protection sunglasses when I go outside in the daytime. One malignant tumour on my forehead was enough to make me wary of "sunshine and fresh air.

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UV is also suspected in being the culprit that causes cataracts. I just avoid looking directly at the light. I figure the small amount that bounces off isn't worth worrying about.

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I just shade the light with my other hand and don't worry about any reflections.

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The protection I use for patients when I'm using dental curing lights: On E-bay - Protection goggle for dental curing Lamp. They are pretty cheap if you are really concerned or working a lot with those lights.

 

Doug

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You probably got more UV exposure from reading this thread on your computer screen than you would from curing 100 UV fly heads.

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