Hi All. I started the recent thread about magnifying bifocals. As
part of the process, I discovered a little tip I thought I’d share
under a different heading.
I’m always losing/misplacing my glasses, or looking for a safe place
to put them down. With my new bifocals I got a nice case that is
basically configured like an envelope. The glasses fit into a molded
compartment, and the temple pieces fold outside the case and are then
covered with the flap.
I took this case and put a strip of heavy-duty Velcro across the
inside of the flap, near the fold. I then hung the case under a shelf
over my bench. The case hangs open, making it very easy to drop the
glasses in and take them out. They are now safely off the bench and
in a place where I can always find them. Try it!
I have a friend who was forever losing his glasses and so he bought a
new pair - inexpensive prescription ones off the internet - and hung
them over his workbench. He has stretched a length of fishing line
from one side of the workshop to the other - threaded onto this is a
curtain ring from which his glasses are suspended at face height by
another length of fishing line. Where you are working in one area
regularly it is quite a neat solution and has the added advantage
that the glasses never get scratched by being put down on the
workbench. I just use a neck cord but I do keep a pair of glasses
always in the workshop - again they are just cheap ones ordered to
my prescription from one of the many direct supply labs on the
internet. These places are really an excellent resource and are,
after all, probably the same place the ‘proper opticians’ get theirs
from. You shouldn’t be put off by the low prices as my ex son-in-law
worked in an optical lab and I know that, even though the glasses I
order only cost about 15UKP ($20), the materials cost is only about
30% of this and they are up to the standard of similar items costing
5 times as much on the high street.
I am of an age now where it no longer matters if I look like a
dork… GQ has never gotten around to asking me to model for them
either. (For those of you who don’t understand North American slang -
a dork is an unfashionable, awkward looking person - Gentlemen’s
Quarterly is a mens fashion magazine:)
So, since practicality has usually ruled my life - and I was
constantly losing my glasses - I’ve been wearing them on a cord
around my neck for about ten years now. Never lose them.
Since I spend a good half of the day on the microscope, and I hate
the distance that glasses put between your eyes and the scope
eyepieces - I just let 'em drop on my chest. When I get up from the
bench they are right there, never have to look for 'em.
I’m guessing that this may not be an option for some women… my
wife for instance, says that it won’t work with her physique…
Brian, I also wear my glasses on a cord around my neck, and my wife
had the same problem as yours regarding the wrong physique. So I made
her a cord using 6mm diameter 18ct gold snake chain, and it is
amazing how this was no problem for her to wear. I have since bought
her some folding glases and she wears them on the chain like a
pendant.
I have also made a few gold rimmed single magnifying lenses on neck
chains for my antique dealer customers, they are perfect for checking
out hallmarks.