Glasses? Progressive lens vs readers?

[Eileen]

I'm having a harder time now than the first night I torched. I used a hot head the first few times, then switched to my home studio and the minor I bought. Then my oxycon went out, and now I tried again today on the hot head.

I stunk! One problem is I seem to be having a hard time with judging how far apart the mandrels/rods are. I knock them together without meaning to, for example. (Another problem was getting the glass to melt, but one thing at a time I'm thinking.)

I'm wondering if it would be better to get a pair of reading glasses to wear instead of using these progressive lenses. This is the first pair I've had, and the "closeup" section seems to be so tiny, and I'm always having to push them up further, they slip down, I push them up, etc.
Wearing the safety glasses does keep them from sliding down as easily, but still.

Anyway, do any of you buy regular reading glasses just to torch? Does it help?

[lampworker1]

I just wear my regular progressives, good luck.

[SadiesJewels]

I wear progressives with my didy's over the top. Not ideal but I've been doing this for quite a while now and as my prescription hasn't yet stabilised I'm not prepared to splurge on didy prescriptions. I will do this one day, but not until I know that that is it prescription wise.

[mdimatteo]

I also wear progressives with didy's on top. But readers can be so inexpensive why not get a pair and try if you think they'll help? Good Luck solving your problem.

[tammydownunder]

With my progressive glasses, I didn't find that I got enough magnification. So now, I wear just regular glasses. I have a pair of clip on diddies that I wear on top of my readers. That way, when I need more magnification, I just have to buy a new pair of cheap readers.

[rounder]

Tammy,
Are you familiar with the little plastic stick on lenses? You can get them some drug stores or Arrowsprings. I've been using them for years and I've been really happy with them. They come in different strengths just like readers. All that you do is put a drop of water on your didi glasses and press them on. Basically it will turn your glasses in a set of bifocals and will stay in place until you need a stronger lens. Then you just peel them off and stick on the different set. They hardly weigh anything and cost $10-20, depending.
Michael

[echeveria]

I use the stick on readers, and they work great for me

[Eileen]

Thank you all. I think I'll see if the Dollar Store has some readers and if so I'll get some in a couple of different strengths to try.

I went out & did cut some glass to repair a panel for a friend, then did some pottery to ease my frustration with the bead & torch. I was much less frazzled so I got them out of the crock pot to see what I had, & the first two weren't any worse than what I've been doing. The last one is a nightmare of half melted & unmelted clear over the wonky core, but at least the first two look like beads, LOL. Oh, I stopped trying to melt the clear in because I broke the bead loose trying to marver the clear flat to try to help it shape. I guess that was a bad idea.

[Steph'sBeadCorner]

I prefer readers to progressive. Try a pair, I bought a couple from my local grocery store and took back the ones that didn't work for me... so I was able to get the most appropriate strength while working at the torch. I wear readers and didy's.

[peggy593]

I have "dime store" reading glasses in the same strength as my reading glasses that I use w/ Arrow Springs "fitover frame" didys. I use stronger reading glasses to bead, but for torching, the strength of my reading frames works great. I can't imagine using progressives to torch. I agree, go out and buy cheap readers and try them- I think you'll be happier.

[Kevan]

I think with progressive lenses that unless you get huge frames the area you use to focus is really small. This may be why old people have big glasses.

Try going to the dollar store and buy some readers that focus for the length you are away from your bead when you are working. They cost a buck. See if that works for you before you invest in better ones. And the $14 ones are better. Not a lot better, but better.

[Eileen]

Thanks all for the confirmation. I'm going to town tomorrow, so will look for a dollar store before I head home.

[junko]

My problem is that after having progressives for about 5 years I STILL can't use them properly. I catch myself looking over the top of my glasses and my didys, because my reading prescription is pretty much my normal eyesight at this point.

Duh- I should just try torching without my glasses.

[KJJames]

I find my progressives a PIA in general and when I have my next visit, I am having them changed out.

When I am working at the torch, I put in my contact lenses, put on readers and then wear fit over didy's. This has worked the best for me so far. I should add that my vision is horrible at best.

[Eileen]

I do like the progressives for driving. It is easier to read street signs, etc. but still helps with reading the clock for example. Of course I can't see the clock if I have sunglasses clipped over my glasses, but that's another story.
I figure I am going to take something with me to look at that will tell me which pair will work best for reading (I read a lot anyway, and I think readers will be useful there also) and I'll also get the next strength up, in case they work better with the torch.

I'm going to ask him next time about bifocals, I've never used those. Either that or getting a larger pair of glasses so that more of the lens can be reading.

I have to admit I was cheap & bought this (and it is my first pair of progressive I always just had single vision before) pair at the big W, so maybe I should get some from the place in the eye clinic to see if there is a difference.

[Ed_Slawson]

The stick-on hydrotac lenses are wonderful, we have been using them in the studio for years. They stick right onto the diddys, and can be changed quicly & esily as your eyes change.

[Eileen]

Hmmm, I will try to remember these after I try the reading glasses and figure out which strength works for me.
Thanks!

http://www.optx2020.com/p-20-hydrota...fety-wear.aspx

[ruthmartin]

Originally Posted by Eileen

I'm having a harder time now than the first night I torched. I used a hot head the first few times, then switched to my home studio and the minor I bought. Then my oxycon went out, and now I tried again today on the hot head.

I stunk! One problem is I seem to be having a hard time with judging how far apart the mandrels/rods are. I knock them together without meaning to, for example. (Another problem was getting the glass to melt, but one thing at a time I'm thinking.)

I'm wondering if it would be better to get a pair of reading glasses to wear instead of using these progressive lenses. This is the first pair I've had, and the "closeup" section seems to be so tiny, and I'm always having to push them up further, they slip down, I push them up, etc.
Wearing the safety glasses does keep them from sliding down as easily, but still.

Anyway, do any of you buy regular reading glasses just to torch? Does it help?

If you are nearsighted, you will always see things really up close better with your glasses off. BUT when the "things" are hot, you don't want to get them that close to your face.

I wear progressives and because I am so nearsighted, would not be able to see the flame, the glass and the mandrel if I used reading glasses. So, I have tried two solutions. One is to wear my progressives and use a shield. The shield allows you to move away and really see the color, design, etc. outside of the flame. My newest solution is Wale's new safety glasses with an insert. http://www.waleapparatus.com/catalog...showprevnext=1 you can get either an empty insert frame, which I did and had my progressive prescription put in the frame. Or you can buy a reading strength insert from Wale. This is working well, I like not having to work around the shield but I miss the ease of looking at the bead without the dark lenses. (If you are not too nearsighted, this is not a problem, just push the glasses up and look at the bead. I have to slip on my regular glasses)

I hope this helps.

Ruth

[SadiesJewels]

I have an astigmatism so it's not just a case of straight magnification ... In fact I have +2 as part of my prescription as well as I'm really concerned about seeing things in detail up close. I have some new glasses that I don't want to damage (my old ones got scratched with the safety glasses) so I try to remember to swap out my glasses when I'm working.

Progressives do take a bit of getting used to (I still take my glasses off when going down steep steps), but I think it is worth it.

[Eileen]

Ruth I need the up close help most, just started with the longer distances not being clear. So I'm really hoping the readers will help.

Sadie, (I had a much loved Aunt named Sadie, great name!) I have noticed the stairs too, which made me think that maybe that was part of my problem with the depth perception. Thanks for the confirmation.

[gallerygal]

I have both progressives and prescription readers. The progressives aren't too bad, but I take them off to walk down steps too! In fact, I don't like walking anywhere while I'm wearing them - the ground sometimes seems to loom up in front of me

Being 40+ means I'm becoming more and more longsighted, so the close up work at the torch is really difficult.

I love using my readers for torching - no bobbing around of the head to get stuff in precise focus, no missing the bead with that 'just heated perfectly' stringer.....

[Conrad Hoffman]

I do a lot of fine close up work (not lampworking) and my secret weapon is a lower bifocal optimized for about 9". Those glasses are great for driving and for benchwork. Also for reading fine print on pill bottles. They leave me with a huge area of poor focus that my reading glasses try, but fail, to cover. Unfortunately lampworking distances are just outside the range, and depth perception is a huge problem for me. Of course I have a lot of astigmatism and a less than stable prescription. I think the only good answer for me is to get another pair of glasses that are optimized for a bit further away- making the alignment of two rods in the flame more hit and less miss!

[Eileen]

I'm feeling better knowing it isn't just me, but wish we all could get a magic wand waved over us to fix our eyes.

[navarre]

When (if) you go back to the optician - measure roughly how far away from the mandrel your face is - it helps them greatly in working out what to add to the base prescription.

The typical "reading" distance probably isnt going to cut it for the torch work.

I havent used progressives myself - I was talked out of it quite strongly by two opticians - they both claimed that if you need good detail and are working for any length of time at all with them that the progressives arent yet quite there (they are a compromise after all)

[Alaska]

For your next eye exam, ask for a prescription that is for your optimum bead working distance along with a prescription for normal use. Then get your prescription bead making glasses from one of the online discount places such as http://www.zennioptical.com/ or others listed by Google.

[Dragonharper]

I *LOVE* my progressives. I've been in bi/tri focals for twenty years, started back when progressives were very expensive and so I didn't bother. I HATE THAT STUPID LINE in regular bifocals. I don't know how many things I've knocked over due to "the line". If all you need glasses for is distance correction then readers should do just fine however, if you have astigmatism they won't work well. I use readers when working in tight places where I can't tilt my head back far enough to see through the proper part of my lens, while it works what I see is not sharp and detailed like when I have my regular glasses on.

[tammydownunder]

Originally Posted by rounder

Tammy,
Are you familiar with the little plastic stick on lenses? You can get them some drug stores or Arrowsprings. I've been using them for years and I've been really happy with them. They come in different strengths just like readers. All that you do is put a drop of water on your didi glasses and press them on. Basically it will turn your glasses in a set of bifocals and will stay in place until you need a stronger lens. Then you just peel them off and stick on the different set. They hardly weigh anything and cost $10-20, depending.
Michael

I have to wear my regular glasses. I'm at the stage that I have progressives but I find, for fine work, I need more magnification than my normal script. I can not wear the heavy diddies over my regular glasses. So, I have a pair of clip ons. I used to clip them on to my regular glasses. After 3 years of doing this, I worked out that the clip ons are better on the cheap readers.

[Lisi]

Tried out my new and stronger stick-ons last night, and WOW I can see! Just as good as I did in my newbie days when I didn't wear readers! I just replaced mine because for quite a long time I have been getting dry eyes, headaches, and blurriness along with the dryness. Very annoying and it was making my eyes tired. Now I feel like making beads for 12 hours straight! Been a while since I felt that good.

Why the heck couldn't I see (no pun intended) that my "tired eyes" after two hours of torching was eyestrain?? I guess the stubborness in me still doesn't want to believe that I'm stuck wearing glasses after not needing them all of my life until just a few years ago. My husband likes me wearing glasses, and I really don't mind how they look at all, it's just that I hate the sliding down my nose problem when I sweat. I've got a small nose with not much of a bridge, and my daughter has a little dinky nose problem with glasses too. hehe

Getting old...sigh! I swear, my eyes took that dive on my 40th birthday, and they are just progressively going down the last five years. LOL

[gallerygal]

Eileen, thank you!

You prompted me to go to my optometrist, she's putting together a pair of readers that have a long range - from about 6" in front of my nose to the end of my fingertips with my arms stretched out!!

Yay! I'll be able to torch with single lens glasses and not keep leaning closer and closer in with my normal readers on. I hadn't realized I was doing this until DH pointed it out. Might explain the sore neck and back after a day at the torch.

Lisi, I'm so with you on the 40+ eyesight deterioration. Perfect vision right up until about 44.

Marianne.

[Eileen]

That's wonderful, and I'm excited to know they can do that. I'm due for a check this summer I think, so I'll ask him about getting a prescription for some to use for this.