Didymium Safety Glasses & reading glasses

[beadmonkey]

Hi

I'm thinking of getting some Didymium Glasses BUT I need to wear reading glasses - I'm blind as a bat without them. I was hoping to be able to get some Didymium Glasses with reading lenses in them and have found some in the USA at $140 plus p&p which sounds expensive to me. I know you can get clip on Didymiums or a Didymium Bench Shield. I was wondering what others on here, who need reading glasses, used. Or whether anybody knew where to get Didymiums with reading lenses at a more reasonable price.

Cheers
Roy

[catriona]

Hi i,ve had the glasses that fit over your reading glasses and found it uncomferable so got the bench shield which is great once you get used to it .
I looked into prescription ones but to get them done here it was well over 200.00 and the price youve got from the states is about the same as i saw from there sorry cant be of anymore help.
xxcatxx

[SueP]

I use clip ons I had a cheap pair of reading glasses made up on frames that suited the clip ons and they work well

[Bluebottle]

$140 = £70 which looks pretty good to me as didys on their own are about £50 most places

[Redhotsal]

I've just bought some clip ons from Martin Tuffnell. I've been making do for the last eight years by slinging a pair of didymniums over my normal specs, which is ok but I found I kept taking them off - especially when I'm teaching, in order to talk to people (why I'd need to remove glasses to talk to people is a mystery, but there you go.)

Anyway - because didymnium clip-ons are glass and much larger and heavier than modern specs it's actually next to impossible to clip them on. So, I hold mine on with two small elastic bands. I look a sight but they're pretty comfortable and I haven't felt the need to keep taking them off - which is just as well as it's a struggle with the laggy bands. It's a bit dark when you leave you studio to go in search of a cuppa but it's a solution which has worked well for me and also gives me an option for when I'm teaching someone who wears specs and can't fit a pair of didys over them. Cost about £50, but worth it - I got the "lo-oval" clip-ons.

The other option is to buy a free standing screen filter, but I think that's the fat end of £100.

[silverlemon]

My students use the economy didy specs when I teach.

I've found that if you cut off the side shields at the rivets they fit over other glasses much easier.
Also my Downtown frame didys are a bit easier to use in front of most peoples glasses.

Saying that, I'm going to have to sort something out soon as my need for reading glasses is getting worse and I don't really want to use 2 pairs of specs at once. 

I'm interested in Isisbeads new clic frames for the future - there's a link to you tube on another thread here today, I think it was the Towcester one

[Ian Pearson]

Great subject and everyone in our business seems to have an opinion of what is best. I had thought years ago that it would be good if there was just one type of Didymium lens but then realise eye protection is personal and dependent on type of work one does, where you work and how long at a time one works without a break. I have a pair of prescription Didymium lens but recognise I will need a new set soon and expect to pay over £200. Am interested in Isibeads type shown at Towcester already mentioned. I have some hard copy info which I can post out if anyone is requiring more info although it does appear to be technical, even for me, which may not be that helpful. Couple of final points is that there shouldn't  be  a problem with using clip ons other than they will not have side shields. To conform to a BS Safety Standard safety shields are a must. I wouldn't advise cutting shields off safety specs if they have them on. Jeremy Bolton at Jepson Bolton is another good contact for safety glasses and he was displaying at Towcester.

Ian Pearson

[Pat from Canvey]

I use clip ons too bought from Martin and find them very comfortable but then I don't bead for long periods. It's an age thing. Saying that, I sometimes forget that I've got them on and only discover it when the computer monitor looks very dark! I have noticed that the clip on shape is very similar to that of my reading glasses. Maybe that's the key to comfort level.

[SueP]

I agree I think you need to match the clip ons to the glasses - my reading pair is just for beadwork (wouldn't be seen dead in them otherwise

[Ian Pearson]

If you buy clip ons made from polcarbonate then they can be cut to size with scissors and they are light as well.

Ian

[Sarah]

Having struggled with the big didys over my glasses and always found them uncomfortable, unwieldy etc I finally caved in & bought a free standing shield. It was the best part of £100 (possibly slightly more) but is worth every penny! It also forces me to have a better posture as without it my face creeps towards the flame like a moth.

The only down side is the interest it caused when my hand luggage was xrayed at the airport - the support is a bit barrel shaped 

[glassworks]

yep, we're pretty much converted to the screens too as they mean any visitors can automatically also see what you are doing, they shield your face against the heat and pjinging frags of glass and generally keep everything much safer and faster in the studio..

[beadmonkey]

Thanks for the advice. I've seen some other products around too. Has anybody had any experience of these please? :-

http://www.artcoinc.com/optx2020.php - they are stick on reading lenses.

Also the AV2000 glasses - apparently the lens coating on them is supposed to be superior to didymium!!

http://www.crloo.com/Products/Eye_Wear/eye_wear.html

Gee I didn't realise setting up to start lampworking woud be so complicated  

[silverlemon]

Couple of final points is that there shouldn't  be  a problem with using clip ons other than they will not have side shields. To conform to a BS Safety Standard safety shields are a must. I wouldn't advise cutting shields off safety specs if they have them on. Jeremy Bolton at Jepson Bolton is another good contact for safety glasses and he was displaying at Towcester.

Ian Pearson

ooo this is interesting. I have 2 pairs of the economies with side shields which really get in the way of other spectacles.
But I also bought the Downtown frame from America, and this has no side shields, so I assumed it was OK to remove my others, and the lenses are much smaller (cooler  . Hmmm, now I'm wondering if the Downtowns can be classed as Safety.

Interesting subject this