Eyesight problems

I am now at an age where my eyesight for close up work can be a problem.

Examples, vernier reading and welding.

My spectacles are thick and I have bifocals.

The optician made me safety glasses with reading lenses in the past but was only reasonably good on a fixed distance.

With my sight if I remove my spectacles up to about 5 inches from my eye it’s like looking through a magnifying glass and is good for reading fine scales etc.

My optician said he could make me some reading spectacles to focus at any distance that I require but the image will not be the same size as when my glasses are removed.

I envisage doing a fair amount of Tig welding and providing it’s bench work can manage without my glasses as I can keep to a fixed distance.

But when Mig welding awkward parts on car chassis work would have to wear spectacles because of variable distances and spatter.

I am using an automatic welding helmet now.

Wondered if varifocals would be any good or is there any spectacles that can give a magnified image over variable distances?

Windy

Sounds like you need an Optivisor I would not be with out mine, I have one for close work and one use when I am working on my on my lathes.

There is a set with all the lenses but it is expensive £100+ there are cheaper options but I have not tried them.

I wear varifocals and they are a b*****r in the workshop as one is always wanting to look at something close through the top of the lens! Really it would be nice to have upside-down varifocals with close focusing at the top and longer distance (but not very long) at the bottom.

I agree, ever tried rewiring a ceiling rose?

Russell.

Interesting point raised here, Bifocal glasses with the Dioptre at the bottom of the lens and you are working looking up with your head back could induce a stroke.

There are other examples where women in hairdressers have had a stroke laying back over the sink when having their hair washed.

You will always end up with a crick in the neck looking up, at for example, the ceiling rose you are working on.

There must be something in it as workers who work on ceilings lie on a mobile trolley and get moved about like that.

Perhaps we need to invent a pair of 'Prism glasses' that allow us to look straight ahead but see upwards.

Clive

Hi Windy

I had the same problem I needed safety specs but I need reader lens to see close up when welding

so if you have reader grade safety specs to walk around customers workshops I had to either lift them up or have them low so I could see over the top . Not good for safety reasons

Bifocal gave clear top part and reader bottom still very hard to use .

So talked with my local optician.

I now have tri focal clear centre portion and reader part top and bottom.

So when welding I can look down and have the right focal length and when doing positional welding i can look up and still have the right focal distance.

It turned out he had done these before for a decorator who had the same problem when hanging wallpaper.

The cost = no more than a pair of normal perscription safety specs

Paul

They used to make "upside down" varifocals, in fact they worked both way, they were called "pilot" glasses because you could look up and see the overhead switch panels as well as looking down at the instruments. I wear varifocals all the time and agree looking upwards is a pain, but you have to cope. I would not be without them

Over the last five years my eyes finally went through the middle-age shift. I was very short sighted, but could see right down to reading range with my glasses on. Now I have reading glasses and my long vision glasses, but the readers are so weak, I prefer to take my glasses off and hold what i'm reading near my nose! I got intro the habit of wearing my old 'computer glasses' all the time, which are in the middle and give me reading up to about six feet away -ideal for the workshop. But since losing these for a couple of weeks (found now) I've discovered that after a wile my eyes compensate so i can do computer/machining with my normal glasses at about 1 foot range - I'm typing now the screen is clear but the keyboard is fuzzy!

I thought that the cheap +2...+4 readers my wife uses (at a rate of about a pair a fortnight) would be a cheap and easy solution to really close work, but i'm so short sighted I can't tell any difference!

My big problem is the continual temptation to look over the top at what I'm machining - not a good idea, so i have three or four pairs of safety goggles spread even;y around the workshop.

I hate the idea of bi- or even vari-focals, but role on the day when they make adaptive spectacles with autofocus!

Neil

I regularly have to work very low to the ground and trying to read miniscule serial numbers is damn near impossible, especially if in a poorly lit area. I quite like the idea of the trifocal glasses mentioned above, muist talk to optician.

Colin

As I mentioned earlier I use an Optivisor one with a number 4 lens for lathe work and another with a number 5 lens for close work these work well with my varifocal glasses. I am a clock repairer so I am wearing my one my Optivisors most of the working day if you have never tried these you might be surprised.

These may help some of the problems outlined above: http://www.coleparmer.co.uk/1/1/14416-3m-bx-dual-reader-safety-glasses-2-0x-top-bot.html.

I just have age related long sightedness. I wear a pair of 1.0 dioptre glasses in the workshop with a pair of these: http://www.sportfish.co.uk/fly-fishing/sunglasses/magnifier-clip-on-flip-and-focus.html , strength 3, flipped down for close work. I find them more comfortable than a head magnifier.

cheers

Rod

Hi Stephen, I've been looking for some sort of magnifier [it's my age!!!] I was looking at what appeared good quality headband loups with glass lenses from ''the loupe store'' after much ringing & emailing by my brother & myself they didn't even bother to reply so I'm interested in an optivisor, sounds just like the piece of equipment I'v been looking[he he] for.

eyesight problems...ass problems...hip problems

welcome to the problems club

I seem to remember David mentioning an old hand who worked on the lathes for years and when they gave him an eyetest he was retired as virtually blind, yet he was still turning out decent work

So don't give up too quickly

Edited By Ady1 on 23/02/2012 23:42:36

Hi guys Ihave a lens that goes behind the carterage on my welding helmet .it is great . ask at your welding shop I use a 1.5 a breath of fresh air for us older members

I too find myself taking my varifocals off for close work

two things come to mind

1 DONT WEAR CONTACTS WHEN ARC WELDING I am told even the slightest uv flash can'weld' them to your eye ball

Hate the things anyway but....

2 BRIGHT light helps loads...

Thanks for all the advice I will try to get a lens for the welding helmet that might be the solution for the welding problem.

Windy

Dont forget that you always have the option of getting different lenses for each eye. maybe bifocal for one eye and plain field at an appropriate distance for the other. You do loose some binoccular function but I am sure there are successful one eyed welders out there.

Martin

Regarding contact lenses and arc welding that was discounted years ago, we had posters made at work all about the claim then had to have them removed.Keep the helmet on,any flash is bad for the eyes.Ted

Hi Windy. I have same problem .Have tried bi -focals tri focals and now have vari focals , all ,as every one says U.S, for looking up or laying under the car .I now have my varifocals plus a pair of reading glasses plus a pair of flip down head band type magnifiers .Plus ,and this is most important ,an extra strong light system, I know this is all a pain ,but its working for me .

Hope this helps Maurice.

A good number of years ago in ME there were letters aboutcontact lenses and welding, and they came to the same conclusion as Ted. Ian S C