to buy or not to buy prescription didys

[firedinglass]

I need to wear glasses when i lampwork.  I don't wear them all the time  but need them for this or reading etc.  I wear these, didys and clip on magnifyers!!!!   I'm considering prescription didys but have no idea of their cost and as my eyes will change am wondering if the cost is worth it.  I definately need magnifyers.  What do the rest of you do and does anybody know roughly how much prescription didys cost (UK based) 

[afina]

Hi!
I decided against them, as my prescription glasses change regularly. I use one of those nicer looking didys that can be worn over regular glasses.

[Calico Cat]

I also decided against as they are expensive and my prescription does change.

I just wear magnifying clip ons on ordinary diddys (don't wear my prescription glasses when I lampwork)

[Jennie Lamb]

My eyes keep changing to so I used the over ones but my optician set the distance on the lens of my own glasses for my torchwork as I wear varis most of the time and close up for well close work!  I would be careful if ur perscription changes it is gonna get expensive and I think the over glasses look very Rock and Roll myself lol!!

[jammie]

i wear reading glasses and diddys over them, my frames are small and light so the diddys fit fine with these glasses!

How are vari focals I was wary about trying them but I have 2 pairs of glasses and it gets confusing. 

[Princess Peggy (Priscilla McGirr)]

I treated myself to a bench mounted didium screen at the Flame Off, and the freedom it gives me is amazing....no more heavy clip ons sliding down my nose, no more getting my clio mixed up with clear because I can't see the colours properly...I can wear my ordinary varifocals without all the added clutter and it's wonderful! Yes, it's something to negotiate round on my workbench, but it hasn't been a problem...there's plenty of other stuff on there, and i've just got used to it!

It's expensive...But surely not as much as a pair of prescription diddys?

[firedinglass]

I was thinking about a shield but  how have you mounted it, don't think i can mount from ceiling, just ordinary shed ceiling  and my extractor vent is in front of me and i don't think there's room beside me , hmm maybe if i move everything around...  Does yours have a long flexible gooseneck with a clamp or a heavy base?  When i planned my workbench which is L shaped i should of had the long end as the workstation and not the short end - but then no window or view.  Do you just wear your glasses with the shield  and feel that's enough ?  sorry so many questions

[sarah t]

i dont know what sucess folks have had with the stick on lenses (on sale at tuffers ) 

[firedinglass]

I really couldn't get on with the stick ons, i use clip ons and wire them to my didys as the clip wasn't wide/stable enough to stay fixed on it's own.  i can still flip them up - sort of.  Once you need glasses lampworking it does  seem to become an ongoing problem trying to find the best thing for you!

[Josephine]

I got prescription ones about 4 years ago, I think they cost me £250-£300 from my optician. I went in with the details of what I wanted. They were great but now age is creeping up on me and my old prescription is hopeless close up so I wear varifocals most of the time. I now find that I can just wear ordinary didys and see perfectly well. I must be lucky that the point at which my eyes focus on their own now just happens to be at lampworking distance. So I guess it depends on if your prescription is stable and how old you are. Will you find yourself in the same postion as me sooner rather than later or are you too young to worry about become more fixed sighted any time soon?

[Princess Peggy (Priscilla McGirr)]

Obviously space can be a problem, but quite honestly I don't really lose any...I just put things on top of it, and my mandrel arm comes up and under the gooseneck. The screen is quite close to my face, and also I feel it protects my eyes.
Here it is after my last torching session.....ooooh what a mess I hear you say...


New Didium Screen by Princess Peggy1, on Flickr

[Steampunkglass]

well I got some really nice clip on ones from the states, it worked out a bit cheaper than buying perscription ones, plus it means when I need new glasses I won't need to get new diddys as well. The only two drawbacks are there are different ones for different shaped glasses, I have the 'letter box' style glasses, so the clips ons I have will only suit that style of glasses. I also found that they are quite heavy, and I now wear a sports strap on my glasses when working to stop them sliding off my nose!!!

[Nina A]

I think it depends on what strength you need,   I got on great with the stick ons to start with,  but now I use clip-on reading glasses over my diddys.   I've got to go to the optician soon,  I'm going to ask about clip-on prescription ones and take my diddy's with me. hopefully then I can use them with my sunglasses as well, hopefully solve two problems at the same time.  (although not sure sunglasses are going to be needed weather being what it is        )

Nina

[firedinglass]

 Thankyou so much for the quick response - i must admit i'm leaning towards a shield, then as my eyesight changes it won't matter. i think i might be able to fix it behind the torch in front of me and under the creation station with a lot of tweeking around!  The photo is great to give me an idea (my working area is a lot messier than that!)  is that a maginfying lens i see in the picture?  I've just got to take a deep breath re the cost and pray it's right for me  or hope to find a second hand one.....

[Pauline]

having been a lifelong spectacle wearer with very poor eyesight I took the plunge last june and had intra optical lense replacements (like a cateract op, but done for short sight) and my replacement lenses were multifocal, so I no longer need glasses for distance or close work,  and I only need ordinary didys.  Its much more expensive than prescription didys but the freedom after years of heavy glasses is amazing.  Ray Skene had the same op.