Help from you 6-8 Eyes out there

[Dean Center]

I've been using reading glasses for 20 years, including my 10 years of turning. A couple years ago, the eye doctor suggested I go with distance correction for the first time. Those glasses I have only used while driving and hunting. I'm an optical Hansel and have glasses of various strengths and purposes trailed throughout my world.

Now I'm at a crossroads. I think the distance correction might be useful for other times and the doc suggested bifocals. I tried bifocal safety glasses and they didn't work worth a darn.

For those of you who turn and also wear bifocals or trifocals, how do you use them? Which lenses do you use while working at the lathe? How long did it take to get used to them?

I actually looked in a mirror the other day and this old guy was looking back. Yikes. When did that happen?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Mike Johnson]

The more you rely on corrective lenses the weaker your eyes become, there are exercises you can do to strengthen your vision. I used bifocal and trifocal lenses for several years and got tired of trying to adjust my head to view at different distances. I slowly stopped wearing my glasses throughout the days and forced myself to focus my eyes to the task at hand. The last time I went to renew my drivers license I was able to pass the eye exam without using corrective lenses.

 

[Dennis J Gooding]

I have a somewhat similar situation. First of all, I would not consider bifocals for use in the shop unless you can't see to move around without them. Second, I strongly recommend buying safety glasses for shop use. They should have stout frames and guards at the outside ends to protect against non-line-of sight projectiles. These will not replace a hood when a hood is needed, but will provide protection from unexpected events when are not wearing a hood. I always don my shop glasses first thing when entering the shop to work.

 

[Roger Wiegand]

I used progressive bifocals for most of the last 20 years, they worked perfectly for me. I never consciously adjusted anything to be able to see what I needed to see (with one exception), they just worked. I've subsequently had cataract surgery and laser correction, so no longer have astigmatism and am 20/15 at all distances from computer distance on. I can also drive at night again safely. I miss being nearsighted frequently. I use bifocal "cheater" safety glasses in the shop and they work well enough, but I can't see very close up with the kind of resolution I used to have without a magnifier. In all though I'm thrilled with my bionic eyes.

The exception noted above was playing music in a band, the music was high and at arms length and the conductor beyond and I could not really see the music and the conductor. My optician made me a special purpose set of progressive glasses that were set for music distance for the bottom 2/3rds of the lens, and conductor distance for the top third. They worked perfectly for that purpose. You may want to have your optician make you a set of lenses tuned for "lathe distance" is you can define that, with bifocal capability as required. I really don't like the line-type bifocal lenses I'm using now for close-up work, but progressives make no sense because of the nature of the implanted lenses I have that incorporate much of that capability.

Any of these lenses can be ordered as safety glasses, though probably not at the Costco or Wallymart.

I'd be very interested in seeing the data supporting exercise as a means of correcting vision.

 

[Tim Connell]

I wear glasses for distance, but have to take them off for reading or close work. I have bifocal safety glasses (uncorrected main lens) that I use when doing " fine" work, but can't wear them when turning, too much tipping up and down to see. Just use uncorrected safety glasses for turning and if I need to do a close inspection, swap them for bifocals, and then back for turning.

Might try magnification safety glasses where the whole lens is magnified like readers. Only problem with those is the set focal length may not match up with the various things you do while turning.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

I wear progressive lenses rather than lined bifocals. I also have a pair of prescription OSHA shop glasses with progressive lenses. These look like regular glasses, but have thicker lenses, heavier frames and sode shields.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

I have worn glasses since the 8th grade ( about 1959) and have used progressive bifocals for at least 30 years and I have been turning for longer then that. When it comes to turning I have no problems since it seams that everything is at the right position for the best vision.

 

[odie]

I've worn trifocals for about 15 years, and bifocals for about 10 years prior to that. Been using glasses in the shop for as long as I've had a shop! Don't worry about it, Dean......you'll get used to using the correct lens without even thinking about it......it becomes instinctual.

I do have a set of industrial trifocal safety glasses with the side guards.......I thought I'd use them, but don't very often. There is no real difference in the lenses themselves. All the lenses are safety rated......or, so I've been told. The frames are thick plastic, and probably a bit stronger. When I need safety glasses (usually when heavy grinding) I have a pair of cheap OTG (over the glasses) safety glasses. I wear the regular ol' glasses you see in my photo on the left.

-----odie-----

 

[Dean Center]

Thanks for the feedback. Do any of you have any sense of what part of your bi-tri-progressive lenses you actually look through at the lathe?

BTW, I've used whole lens reading glasses for turning for quite a while and they have worked pretty well, until recently.

 

[Bill Boehme]

I have used trifocals for at least 20 years. It takes a little while to get used to them. My biggest problem in the beginning was that I was looking at the lenses rather than looking through them.

Corrective lenses don't make your eyes weaker. Squinting to read something will just make you tired.

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

I use progressive bifocal glasses. They are great for working on the lathe. I also have new contact lenses, some sort of bifocals. For the first time, I can see near and far with contacts! It's a new product, they came out 5 months ago. I highly recommend them.

 

[Lars Hansen]

I had reading glasses made especially for the larger distance to the turning object (I'm 6'7"). What a relief!
Positivly *hated* my bifocals when turning with non-upright body and head position.

 

[hockenbery]

I have two pairs of safety glasses
One normal reading that I use for close work Christmas ornaments etc.
The other I had the prescription done for arms length and this gives nice focus on bowls and a HF

 

[Roger Wiegand]

All the lenses are safety rated......or, so I've been told.
-----odie-----

Unfortunately this isn't true. Normal street glasses will not pass the impact test and, of course, they are not fitted with appropriate side shields, which are pretty essential. Street glasses are fine if you use a Z87+ rated face shield, but are not adequate by themselves. Here are the requirements for safety glasses:

A pair of glasses must meet all of the requirements of ANSI’s Z87.1-2003 standard to be considered safety glasses:

• Your lenses must be impact resistant. At a minimum, the lenses on a pair of safety glasses must be able to pass a “dropped ball” test in which a 1-inch diameter steel ball is dropped onto the lenses from a height of 50 inches. The ball cannot penetrate or crack the lens.
• Your lenses must stay in the frame. During the dropped ball test, if part of the lens’s edge cracks, if part of the lens is displaced from the frame, or if the entire lens comes out of the frame, the glasses fail.
• Your frames must pass a “high impact” rating, in which 1/4″ steel balls are fired at the frame at 150 feet/second and a 500-gram mass is dropped onto the frame from a height of 50 inches. Neither can break the frame.
• The frames and lenses must be marked for their level of protection. The lenses must be etched with the manufacturer’s mark, and the frames must be printed once on each removable part (i.e., each arm and the frame front) with Z87.
• The frames and/or lenses and/or side shields must offer a total coverage to ensure that the eyes are protected from the front AND the from the sides.

 

[William Rogers]

I had the lasik surgery about 10 years ago. That was the best thing for me. Initially I needed reading glasses, but over time I developed mono vision. Before I needed bifocals.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Roger is correct, Odie. Ordinary prescription eyeglasses have some impact resistance, but not enough to meet OSHA standards.

Prescription safety glasses are as expensive as any pair for daily wear, which by the time you do progressive lenses, and various coatings can be some big bucks. I prefer to look through fewer lenses, but it's perfectly OK to wear inexpensive OTG safety glasses over your daily eye wear.

On a side note, according to OSHA (I called them) in the US your face shield must be worn in addition to safety glasses. In Europe that same face shield is sufficient on its own. I think that may be due to differences in the Coriolis effect and projectile trajectories, or it could just be different bureaucracies .

 

[Richard Hodsdon]

I have 3 pairs of glasses all mono focus. One for driving and general everyday wear (And photochromic so act as sunglasses) one for the computer and my workshop safety glasses. They focus at arm length so that when at the circular saw /bandsaw/ chain saw I have possible no error caused by multifocals. I want to focus precisely where my finger tips / hands are when working with dangerous tools. They focus from say 2 ft to 20ft so I can see across the workshop clearly. I found this solution when working as a consultant as then with one pair of glasses I could focus on a client across the room , focus on the screen (OHP) focus on the computer/laptop and also when standing on my notes etc without continuously having to change glasses or point of vision with multifocals. There is nothing so disconcerting as a person you are talking to moving their head up or down trying to focus on your face,
And use a face shield

 

[Dave Landers]

I also have reading glasses strewn about the house and office. In the shop, I have a pair of safety reader glasses which work well for me at the lathe and bench. I have a lanyard on them, so when I need to see distance they stay around my neck and don't get lost like all the readers in the house.

I tried bifocal safety glasses, and didn't like them because I think the magnification part was just too small for working. Maybe I just didn't give them enough of a chance.... Not sure what I'm going to do when I need correction for distance too... but I expect it will involve a conversation with the eye doctor and a bit of $$$.

 

[egsiegel]

I wear progressives for everything. If I had different glassed for different things...I'd be losing different glasses in different places all the time.
I wear protective glasses over my glasses in the shop ($12 on Amazon) unless I am wearing my full face mask.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

I have had cataract surgery both eyes with lasik surgery on left eye....i have good vision now if I stop lathe, focus light, focus on turning. Problem problem with fingers and sinus/lung problems that are greater than vision.....being diabetic I must protect feet and cuts on legs/feet. Let's roll.

 

[robo hippy]

Modern lenses are polycarbonate, which is what they make the safety glasses out of, but I am pretty sure it isn't as heavy duty as the safety glasses. I have been wearing bifocals for a couple of years and need to get new ones. There are a lot of variations. The ones I have now have no line (are these the 'progressive' ones?). The tech at the eye doctor told me 'they take a little getting used to'. Boy was that an understatement. I need them more for close up work, but they help with distance. The focal area for the close up work is about the size of a pea, and the focal range needs to be a bit wider. It seems to be set for a specific distance. I need to ask a lot more questions next time I go in....

robo hippy

 

[Charlie Knighton]

I tried no line....could not deal with it....my brain was used to the line....rebellion.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

To answer post #2 NO you cannot will your vision to improve and if you cheat on the eye exam by squinting you will have even more trouble due to eye fatigue and stress. Relax during exam and get a fit that works.

I have been wearing glasses since 4th grade, progressive for maybe 20 years and most of that was three powers. Yes the focal point is small. After cataract surgery maybe 6 years now had 20/20 or better at 4 feet plus but need them for reading so the gradients I use now are what I always wear because after 60 years did not feel right without. Any multi power lens takes a while to get used to and you have to stick to it or you never will get accustomed to that focus.

True regular lens not safety but if something comes at your eye it is usually better than nothing there at all. DAMHIKT

 

[Bill Boehme]

Modern lenses are polycarbonate, which is what they make the safety glasses out of, but I am pretty sure it isn't as heavy duty as the safety glasses. I have been wearing bifocals for a couple of years and need to get new ones. There are a lot of variations. The ones I have now have no line (are these the 'progressive' ones?). The tech at the eye doctor told me 'they take a little getting used to'. Boy was that an understatement. I need them more for close up work, but they help with distance. The focal area for the close up work is about the size of a pea, and the focal range needs to be a bit wider. It seems to be set for a specific distance. I need to ask a lot more questions next time I go in....

robo hippy

The primary differences between regular glasses and safety glasses are:

• The lenses in safety glasses must be polycarbonate. The lenses in regular glasses could be polycarbonate or acrylic ... it's your choice. Polycarbonate lenses are slightly lighter due to the greater index of refraction. However, acrylic has greater scratch resistance and greater clarity. Lenses for safety glasses no longer have to be 3 mm thick. Thinner lenses are allowed if they meet the impact resistance test requirements.
  
• the frames of safety glasses are much more rugged. The frames must be designed so that the lenses can't pop out the back side ... they can only be removed from the front.

 

[Mike Zip Hamilton]

My solution is to wear contacts for distant vision, and readers when needed. My safety glasses have the bifocal sized correction area that works for me.

 

[Jim Selby]

I have been wearing glasses for 40 years or so, probably needed them before that, I now wear trifocals and have the lines, I did welding when I first changed to trifocals to see the puddle at arms length. I kept this prescription for turning because the same situation occurs on the lathe. I don't have to look for the sweet spot to see my eyes adjust without my conscious effort. I have found that my blood pressure and sugar level have a lot of effect on my total vision.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

sort of like the the tide.....get that feeling....got to eat something

 

[odie]

Unfortunately this isn't true. Normal street glasses will not pass the impact test and, of course, they are not fitted with appropriate side shields, which are pretty essential. Street glasses are fine if you use a Z87+ rated face shield, but are not adequate by themselves. Here are the requirements for safety glasses:

A pair of glasses must meet all of the requirements of ANSI’s Z87.1-2003 standard to be considered safety glasses:

• Your lenses must be impact resistant. At a minimum, the lenses on a pair of safety glasses must be able to pass a “dropped ball” test in which a 1-inch diameter steel ball is dropped onto the lenses from a height of 50 inches. The ball cannot penetrate or crack the lens.
• Your lenses must stay in the frame. During the dropped ball test, if part of the lens’s edge cracks, if part of the lens is displaced from the frame, or if the entire lens comes out of the frame, the glasses fail.
• Your frames must pass a “high impact” rating, in which 1/4″ steel balls are fired at the frame at 150 feet/second and a 500-gram mass is dropped onto the frame from a height of 50 inches. Neither can break the frame.
• The frames and lenses must be marked for their level of protection. The lenses must be etched with the manufacturer’s mark, and the frames must be printed once on each removable part (i.e., each arm and the frame front) with Z87.
• The frames and/or lenses and/or side shields must offer a total coverage to ensure that the eyes are protected from the front AND the from the sides.

OK, you guys convinced me that I should be wearing my prescription safety glasses more often. I guess the reason I haven't been using them much, is when I go out to a cold shop, they tend to fog up......and that was a bit frustrating.....but, when the shop and glasses warm up, they are ok!

This pair of frames was purchased about 40 years ago, when I still had a single lens prescription......and, have had several prescriptions in the interim.

-----odie-----

 

[Paul M. Kaplowitz]

I had Lasik surgery 15 years ago. Best thing I've done for my eyes. They corrected only one eye. I see distance with the corrected eye and close with the other. The brain adjusts so you don't notice. My vision is 20/20.

 

[Fadi Zeidan]

I’ve been using the safety glasses with full magnification. They’ve worked ok for me, but little annoying if I look up to see something far.