arc eye - you mention its like having sand in your eyes, it is like that but imagine its hot sand and also any light source is like looking direclty at the sun without glasses on - its truly horrible and can in the worst cases leave you temporarily blind for a day or so. Also, wear gloves (as you mentioned) as arc burn to your skin isnt nice and can contribute to melenoma issues later in life if you weld repeatedly without covering skin.
