Eye fatigue

Roshini · #1 2013-02-17, 10:47am

I have recently started glass flameworking and am already hooked. I work only on transparent borosilicate glass and wear Industrial SC-9000 frames- Green ACE IR 5.0 (I think they are of the Philips eyewear brand though I don't see their name anywhere on the glasses), to protect my eyes. When I am doing intricate work I need to remove them because I cannot see much through them. But this is not for more than 15 mins a stretch and the flame is usually quite low. I flamework about 2-3 hrs daily in the evenings, with a half hour break in between.
I'm 31 years old and wear spectacles with a high negative power of 6.5. In the past I have sometimes felt mild eye fatigue and dryness. However since I started flameworking my eyes feel very tired by night time and I usually need to sleep an hour earlier. I want to work for more than 2-3 hours a day but my eyes usually protest.
I want to slowly take up flameworking professionally but I don't know if my eyes can take it in the long run. I would really hate to give it up.
I don't know any flameworkers and have learnt the art mostly thorough books and the internet. So please someone help me in my 'eye predicament'. Has anyone given up flameworking due to eye fatigue? Has anyone else had my eye problem and got over it?
Please help!!

Eileen · #2 2013-02-17, 11:21am

Do you use any other protective eyewear when you remove your fives?
Fifteen minutes might seem quick, but not when staring into a flame.

losthelm · #3 2013-02-17, 11:25am

There are a few things that can help.
You might be focusing a bit more and not blinking as often.
A magnafier may help reduce fatigue I like the cling lenses that will go on the shade 5 lenses. Sort of like "readers" for lampwork.
Additional light may help you work with the protective lenses on.

Daphnevz · #4 2013-02-17, 12:37pm

Thats no fatique, 15 minutes without eyeprotection gives you a start of lasereyes ( don't know the english for it, its a direct translation from dutch) furthermore shortsightedness with minus 6,5 tends to prefer looking to small work from a short distance, with less blinking.keeping more distance will be easier on the eyes

houptdavid · #5 2013-02-17, 2:21pm

Why not get some split lens, Are you only doing clear?

Three Muses Glass · #6 2013-02-17, 5:16pm

If you've had dry eye and fatigue in the past, working at the torch is most likely compounding the problem. See your eye doctor about the dryness and please don't do torch work without some kind of protection.
I really don't even like to recommend this for boro BUT, if as you say it's very small transparent (no silver glass) work, at the very least wear didymium glasses.

Roshini · #7 2013-02-17, 10:10pm

Thanks a lot for the feedback! I will try your suggestions. I don't use any other portective eyewear during the 15 mins of detailed work. Rite now I only do transparent boro, couloured boro is not available in India.
Though I've not got a reply to my questions- 'Has anyone given up flameworking due to eye fatigue? Has anyone else had my eye problem and got over it?' .. it would give me an idea of where I stand.

Eileen · #8 2013-02-17, 10:15pm

Just a thought, but do you have a way to try some #3 for the detail work?
I haven't had the problem, so am just thinking out loud.

Dale M. · #9 2013-02-18, 7:28am

Do not at any time work with glass with out eye protection.... IF dark lenses will not let you see delicate work at least put on a pair of clear lenses.... Going to eye doctor to have a sliver of glass removed is not fun....

And funny as it seems try more ambient light on work surface....And keep dark lenses on....

Dale

queenofsheba52 · #10 2013-03-12, 8:11am

PM'd you

--Helene

AuntD · #11 2013-03-15, 4:03pm

Please don't ever work without glasses on! It's not worth it -- you only get one pair of eyes. I have dry eyes generally, and I get artificial tears from the pharmacy. In the US a good brand is Systane, and another is GenTeal.

Yes, people have had to stop working because of eye damage. If the 5s are too dark, either get a bright lamp or two (one on either side) or get 3s.

Best of luck!

Roshini · #12 2013-03-16, 11:57am

So, I'm following all the advice- better lighting, painted the facing wall black and always wearing my protective eyewear. The eye fatigue has certainly reduced. Now my eyes feel tired after I've done a lot of melting, I think it's just the amount of heat on the eye and not the glare anymore and the eyewear can't do much against the heat. Any opinions on that?
Also I'm 31yrs old now and of course as we grow older our eyes will deteriorate, but still I wonder if flameworking (even with the best of protection) will speed up the process. I hope I am not over analizing this...

Tutti-frutti · #13 2013-03-20, 11:50pm

I started with the cling ons and after needing real reading glasses I gave up for 2years now that I wanted to start again I noticed I will need stronger glasses, I contribute most of it to flame/lamp working .Rest is age... But never take your protection off, never.
Katja

Dani · #14 2013-03-21, 5:22pm

I had problems finding the right combination of magnification and protective lenses.

Since you work at various distances from the torch one strength did not seem practical. I have the wrap around ( fit over diddy's) several pairs of reading glasses ( 5 or 6 actually) I just grab a pair that work for the moment.

The dry eye thing definitely should be addressed by a Dr. as suggested above, that could be a separate issue.

My Guess would be that anyone who had to stop because of this issue is no longer on the board either:

Sorry, could not resist.

I even saw a picture in one of the glass working magazines of someone at a flame off who had a pair protective glasses on, further down his nose almost at the tip were a pair of reading glasses! The caption was " Don't be afraid to wear glasses if you need them"

I hope you find a solution, as long as your Dr. says you can do it and it is something you love just keep at it until you find the right thing for you.

Good Luck

istandalone24/7 · #15 2013-03-22, 2:13am

get the wale apparatus glasses...these
http://www.waleapparatus.com/catalog...showprevnext=1
the b3 series...last one listed. pretty dark, but not too dark.

Roshini · #16 2013-03-22, 9:47am

Dani, When you say several pairs of reading glasses, do you mean magnifiers? Don't reading glasses need to be prescribed by a doc? And, true someone who had a problem would not be on this board nymore

hmmm

And yes, no more working without my protective wear! And, I'll check out the wale glasses.

I spoke to my uncle who's an eye doctor and he said I could continue as long as I wore protective eyewear and kept within my eye's time limits.. that's hard cause flameworking requires as lot of time. He also said that my eye health is related to my general physical fitness and that I need to work on that first.

Another thing I have realized is that I spend many of my waking hours on eye intensive activities like reading, the computer, the television and flameworking. I'm now going to try and limit my eye intensive activities to the flame and maybe exercise instead.
Also, I wanted to mention that standing while doing heat intensive flameworking seems to help, since my eyes are further away from the heat of the flame.

Dani · #17 2013-03-22, 3:52pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roshini

Dani, When you say several pairs of reading glasses, do you mean magnifiers? Don't reading glasses need to be prescribed by a doc? And, true someone who had a problem would not be on this board nymore

hmmm

And yes, no more working without my protective wear! And, I'll check out the wale glasses.

I spoke to my uncle who's an eye doctor and he said I could continue as long as I wore protective eyewear and kept within my eye's time limits.. that's hard cause flameworking requires as lot of time. He also said that my eye health is related to my general physical fitness and that I need to work on that first.

Another thing I have realized is that I spend many of my waking hours on eye intensive activities like reading, the computer, the television and flame working. I'm now going to try and limit my eye intensive activities to the flame and maybe exercise instead.
Also, I wanted to mention that standing while doing heat intensive flame working seems to help, since my eyes are further away from the heat of the flame.

You can get regular non-prescription glasses for different activities, I like the Foster grants myself, a decent quality lens and not terribly expensive. They can be found at any drug store etc. There is usually a chart that tells you where to stand and you read a chart to see what strength you need. I have them all, lol. ( I stocked up when they had them on sale at big lots, the styles that were being discontinued. I don't care what they look like as long as they work.)They seem to migrate all over the house so I like to have numerous pairs.

You might also look into a torch with less radiant heat. I would hate to have to stand all the time, of course if that is how you are more comfortable ...I was using a minor burner and noticed that the heat could be felt quite a distance from the torch. I started looking into it and found that the lynx and the Scorpion have much less radiant heat, one person even remarked that her hands and arms would get very dry when she torched until she got her Scorpion. I have both a lynx and a Scorpion now, I use my Scorpion more. There really is much less misdirected heat than with other torches I have used. I don't feel it on my face or hands anymore.

I too use the computer and read a lot and have noticed that if I have been on the computer for very long before sitting down at the torch I start to feel fatigued much sooner. Now I try to get on the torch in the morning when my eyes are rested.

You might want to check your ventilation system as well, it should be pulling a lot of heat away from you along with the fumes I would think. That is just a guess, but mine seems to. I was told to use an incense to check that my system was working properly but there is a you tube video where a guy uses colored smoke bombs, way cooler.

Just some suggestions, I am certainly not an expert, this is just what works for me.

Tutti-frutti · #18 2013-03-24, 6:12am

That was a cheap shot

Roshini · #19 2013-04-09, 12:30am

Thanks everyone for all the advice! Things seem to be a lot better now in the eyes department. Dani, I use the Lynx so I guess I've got that covered. As of now my exhaust system is a largish exhaust fan and it will be sometime before I can upgrade it

.. and the Indian summer heat is only adding to my woes. Anyway standing and working now and then is a good way to keep the tummy in

losthelm · #20 2013-04-09, 3:53am

If your checking the vent system often a smug stick works well, they are fairly easy to make if your growing sage.
Sage is such an easy plant to grow and is a compleatly different herb when fresh.

Roshini · #21 2013-04-10, 3:20am

No I don't grow sage, but a bunch of incense sticks should work I guess.. I still have to try this though n I will.

mz glitz · #22 2013-04-10, 8:19am

I use stick on magnifiers on my didymium glasses. They work great!

Nolly · #23 2013-04-10, 4:38pm

I have one other suggestion: a bench-mounted shield (http://www.arrowsprings.com/html/lm_...nchMountShield).

I don't use one myself, but I know several people who love them and it would protect your eyes from the heat as well as sodium flare.

Good luck!

Nolly

Conrad Hoffman · #24 2013-04-11, 6:21am

I work mostly clear boro and find #5 too dark unless the area is very well lit. A couple of cheap reflector floods of at least 100W (CFL equivalent) is needed. You may also have an inability to focus (happens with age) and need corrective lenses for the specific distance you work at. I have separate glasses optimized for close assembly work, computer and reading and distance to prevent eye fatigue. If you're at all straining to focus or see detail, you need a different prescription! I also work standing.