Thread: Glasses

Thanks Jim
I just purchased some myself
Cheers
Rod

Scott, I have the same problem. I have reading glasses but as I work in a mine, safety glasses are mandatory at ALL times. We are not allowed to remove safety glasses to put on reading glasses if we are in a safety glass area. If I had safety glasses made in my prescription I wouldn't be able to see well enough to walk around.
I found these on the Lee Valley site and they are excellent.
Pocket Glasses - Lee Valley Tools
Slip them onto your nose to read a label or do some fine work and back into the pocket without removing safety glasses. May not be necessary for you but others in similar industrial situation may find them useful.

not allowed to remove safety glasses to put on reading glasses

That is just stupid.... the safety glasses are to protect your eye sight but what good is it if you have to work blind?

That's nothing to some of the sh....stuff we have to put up with. But it's their mine and they are paying the bills.

Uvex 9302 are a very good safety goggle that work properly over any specs, and have replacable lens so you don't have to toss the complete set. Look a bit dawky in flouro orange or flouro green but are also available in a grey. Start crystal clear and are hard to scratch or fog up, even when using them with with respirator or dusk mask. Can also get a version that mounts prescription lens behind the safety lens. Used them for four years metal polishing and we averaged about three months out of a lens before replacing it, just threw out my set at the weekend as the silicon frame sealing moulding had started to decompose after 12 years. Will be ordering a couple of new sets shortly when the tax man pays up.

Amazing how even a script update can change things.

I find it incredible that some are worring about pitted lenses! Just think for a bit – why are the specs hence your eyes / face in a region being showered with hot sparks or other particles with potential to cause eye damage???

Unfortunately many receive eye & facial injuries through ignorance or complacency. Australian research shows that there have been many reported instances of significant eye injury even when wearing safey specs that conform to Aust Standards; and has shown that even a 1 - 2mm gap from cheeks / face to spec frames can allow damaging particles to enter. Note I said safety specs! Std prescription specs offer a level of eye protection just a little above better than none! Same research shows a face shield greatly reduces the incidience or number of reported injuries. Best eye & face protection is safety specs plus face shield. At minimum prescription specs plus overfitting safety specs on lower risk work.

Safety is about reducing risk by identifying hazards & engineering the hazards out, minimising them, or eliminating them alltogether. As woodturners not only do we face potential eye & face injury but some tasks have the potential to cause very severe injuries, even death! World wide at least two woodturners have died from severe head injuries in the past few years.

With any risk / hazard / consequences assessment, in the end it comes down to the level of risk and potential injuries you are prepared to accept. In most cases wood workers have other commitments, family, community commitments, mortgage etc. What would happen if you suffered an eye or other injury – immediate pain, short / long term injury, short / long term disability, inconvenience – time away from hobby etc, loss of income which may have potentially severe economic knock on effects. All because we won’t purchase and wear a $30 face shield or stop and think for a while to check things, or respond to changes in noise vibration etc, or the hairs on the back of our neck saying get outta here!

Do your self a favour, purchase good quality overfitting safety specs & a face shield and stretch the budget to include dust & noise protection too! You can’t fully enjoy your hobby & acquired tools if you suffer an injury or worse a longer term disability from an injury.

Sorry I may come across as high & mighty but safety really needs to be promoted more.

I use a JSP Powercap Lite IP positive pressure mask when I'm turning most of the time. It isn't a cheap option, but then again neither is your health. The IP is Impact protection.

Respirators

It goes on straight over the safety glasses that I wear all of the time as they are my normal perscription jobbies. It's comfortable to wear and does what it says on the box.

The only problem I have had with it was when I left the box open and a soddin mouse decided to make home in it. But even that wasn't too much of a problem because I took it down to its companent parts, cleaned it and disenfected it and re-assembled it OK.

8 hour battery, so no problems..

Do yourselves a favour and get your eyes tested before you go with the "off the shelf" specs. You may have one eye different to the other whereas readymades are the same on each side. You may have astigmatism which will blur differently in each eye. And you could have the beginnings of cataract, glaucoma, retinal degeneration or other eye disease which, caught early, could save you going blind!
Readymades will let you see better but you'll never know how much better again you may be capable of. Your optometrist can show you just how well you are capable of seeing. Sure, readymade specs are cheaper than custom made, but think Festool and Ozito, which would you rather have?

Absolutely agree with graemet.

But if the eye test showed similar correction needed in both eyes then go for the safety glasses with a segment that magnifies.

I use a pair of those at the lathe when needed, and as my sight is similar in both eyes, for fine work have a pair of chemist-bought reading glasses at another 0.5 mag. for fine work. Makes a big diff.

When you get your eyes tested you can request a written prescription. You can then order glasses online from about $20/pair including post.

glassesshop.com and zenni are a couple I've bought from but a search will reveal many more. They have tools to choose frames and offer prescription safety glasses and goggles.

I got progressive lenses and clip on shades on memory titanium for about $60 delivered.

2c..

You'd want to know what std of shatter 'proof' they are.

There's also minor but significant lens quality variation in Australia and prob. o/s as well. One local brand was outside of acceptable range in a Choice test a few years ago.

I have prescription glasses, they are graduated but the dept of field is still too shallow.

I use chemist shop No.1s for the computer screen & the No. 1.5 plastic magnifiers on the band saw & the lathe.

The prescription glasses are good for reading in bed or for copying down serial numbers & part numbers.

Well I'm just back from the eye guy and learned something.

Std spec lenses are plastic but it's possible to get them in polycarbonate which is far stronger. But +$40 for reading spec size.

I'm not suggesting that these can replace safety glasses or a good visor; it's just another level of protection.

(PS, you can now get pics taken of your macula to track any degeneration. Spectacular images. But $20 out-of-pocket.)

Originally Posted by rsser

....you can now get pics taken of your macula to track any degeneration. ...

That is a bit rude isn't it?