Boro & Magnifiers
 

Ok kids - I'm gonna try out the "dark side"....scary.
Anyway - I'm ordering Phillips Shade 3 glasses - but wanted to know about using my clip on magnifiers with the boro shades.

I currently use a clip on magnifier with my didy's - is it going to magnify the flare or rays to use the magnifiers with the boro shades too? Any other tips/things I need to know?

thanks!

You should be fine with the magnifiers and the boro shades. Have fun! :love: Angelique

I agree, you should be fine, but expect your nose to be tired from holding up all those layers! :P

Thank you ladies! I most definitely appreciate you and your help. Just wanted to be double sure I was protecting my eyeballs!

I used to wear my own thicko glasses, didy's, and boro clip-ons. HEAVY.

Now I either wear my rx Boro glasses or use a shield.

You will love the dark side, btw!

I'm just gonna dabble - cause I can't afford to go all the way (contrary to what some of my old boyfriends may have told you guys!).....

I actually ordered the boro glasses as a separate pair of glasses. Just wanted to make sure the little clip on magnifiers wouldn't fry my eyeballs.

My very 1st pair of diddy's - were so big & heavy after 8 hours of torching even my ears hurt. Then I switched to the "downtown" frame - much smaller & lighter. So, as soon the the boro downtown's arrive - I'm good to go!

Have fun!!!!! The dark side is pretty cool!

The dark side is WAY cool. I have prescription bifocals so had my optometrist put a pair of shade 3 boro glasses in my prescription in an old pair of frames and I wear my clip-on didys on those. Works well but not necessarily the cheapest solution around. The nice thing is that I can just use the clip-on didys on my regular bifocals if I'm working soft glass only.

I use shade 3 glasses but I really want a shield

You won't fry them peepers... have fun and show us whatcha make! :D

I have a shield and the shade 3 glasses... the shield gets in the way... esp. for off mandrel stuff... just sayin'.

I have a pair of Optx stick-on lenses in my shade 3s and they work fine. Just have to remember they are on the inside of my lenses when I clean them. Would rather have fancy pants lenses with the magnifiers built in, but I have to save up for them.

Thanks for all the info & encouragement. Can't be too safe ya know!

Yay! Another convert!

No doubt about that! I once made three tiny little boro beads wearing only my regular didy's, it took me all of 15 minutes, max. I could see little white hot spots in my eyeballs for about an hour after... I never did that again!

I wear ACE for smaller work all the time... my eyes are not sensitive to light... I don't see spots... I have shade 3 for larger work... eye safety is important for sure, but there's also a whole lotta myth out there...

It depends on your eyes too. Blue and green will be more sensitive to light than darker irises.

I wore a classroom pair of didys when I was learning and it took a while for me to adjust after class. With my current pair I have a normal adjustment time from shop to the outside darkness.

I was told that I needed shade 5 for coloured boro and I can't see what I'm doing. Is this a myth? Could I have bought shade 3 in these very costly glasses from Auralens?

Some folks use 3's, I use 5's. They are really dark, but you can counter it with more light on your bench. I use a halogen work light and a 100 watt equiv. CFL and it's fine.

Cheaper to buy lights than lose your eyesight :)

btw...it could be worse, quartz workers use 7's

i used to use shade 5 clips on's now I just use regular old didy's and look away if the flare gets really really bright.
my eyesight is deteriorating a bit but I have not really torched in the last 2 years so i doubt that is to blame...

I also use the stick on magnifier lenses in both my soft and hard glass glasses and have for years. Work like a charm and very cost effective!

i use 5's or split : 5's bottom and 3 tops. 3 is way too light for me on the bottom, my eyes are too sensitive for a days torching with just 3's. but everyone's sensitivity is different i guess.

I also have a welders shield (3) hanging from the ceiling that i unhook to hang in front of me for long large heats, like implosions. it not only adds to darken my glasses to an 8, but keeps the heat off me too. i love it. hangs from fishing line and hooks up above me when not using it. once and a blue moon ive bumped it, but for 5$ at the welding store, i can get a new one if i ruin it. ive used it a few years now. i likely at some point will get a shield though.
ro

Thanks for the replies. I guess I will stick with the 5's and get more light into the studio.

Can some one tell me more about the stick on magnifiers. Like where do you get them can you peel then off and use them on different glasses. Maybe someone has a link they could post.

http://www.artcoinc.com/optx2020.php

Malcolm
PS: I also have them in +1.25 and +1.75

Thanks for the link.