so, just how do you see our hobby? (literally)

mr magnolia · March 16, 2012, 09:48:41 PM

Fresh from todays visit to the opticians, I am now having to ponder different ways of looking at what I am doing! Criminally short sighted, I have worn contact lenses for 34 years, and of late have been fitted up with monocular vision (one eye for distance, one eye for near). Without lenses, I can gaze in minute detail by pressing my little face close to the work - tricky for soldering, but!
Now I am being changed to corrected distance vision in both eyes, and 53yo eyes will need assistance for close work with these lenses in.

How about the rest of you? Do you use big magnifiers? Keen to know what others do.
Donald

Lawrence · March 16, 2012, 10:33:58 PM

I'm in to bifocal stage now Donald, but I don't wear them when I'm using the illuminated magnifier for close up work, but for general day to day they are okay I do tend to find myself peering over and around them when trying to re-raill sometimes

Oldman · March 16, 2012, 10:39:51 PM

VARIFOCALS. For the last 20 years, blind as a bat without my glasses on.

dr deltic · March 16, 2012, 11:35:17 PM

no prob but after 25years plus of n modelling have wound up with distance glasses....

scotsoft · March 16, 2012, 11:50:36 PM

I had reading specs since I was 44 and last year, when I was 59, the optician recommended I have some help with distance so I now have varifocals and love them.

I still often peer over the top of them as my distance is not that bad but I now can read the numbers on the bus when it turns up.

I have a magnifying lamp and keep my specs on, which I use for fiddly bits

tim-pelican · March 16, 2012, 11:53:50 PM

Specs for pretty much everything - reading, driving, computer, TV (I can actually read print close-up without if I need to, but not for too long). I have a magnifier on a flexible neck and a daylight bulb (all in one "craft lamp" effort from Hobbycraft) for most modelling stuff.

It's not entirely suprising - all my family wear glasses, I was a teenage computer nerd, and then 20 years to date in the IT industry one way or another...

Mustermark · March 17, 2012, 12:02:57 AM

For close up work i use the fairly cheap reading glasses from the chemist. They are really just magnifiers. I have 1.5, 2.0 and even 3.0. The smaller it is the biggr the number i put on to hold it closer up. For really tiny i might wear two pairs like binocular magnifying glasses.

Then i put the thing i finished about ten feet away on the track and just remember the details that you cannot see from that distance!

cloughie · March 17, 2012, 08:57:05 AM

I think it`s funny when you go for a new pair of glasses and they say pick a frame, then they get you to look in a mirror and ask you what do you think

, how the heck do I know when there is no lenses in the damn things

cloughie

Cunimb · March 17, 2012, 09:03:09 AM

Varifocals for 95% of the time ( I see four of everything without them!) and prescription reading glasses for close work. My Dad told me I would go blind, but I went deaf too!

Tank · March 17, 2012, 09:13:19 AM

It's a big con Cloughie!

I've never needed anything for modelling as I'm short sighted. I do find myself straining my eyes to watch the TV though, and I have some glasses somewhere that I bought 13 years ago for seeing long distance. I haven't seen them for about 5 years though.....

cloughie · March 17, 2012, 10:40:48 AM

Quote from: Tank on March 17, 2012, 09:13:19 AM
It's a big con Cloughie!

I've never needed anything for modelling as I'm short sighted. I do find myself straining my eyes to watch the TV though, and I have some glasses somewhere that I bought 13 years ago for seeing long distance. I haven't seen them for about 5 years though.....

it`s a catch 22 Chris. you cannot find your glasses cos you have not got your glasses on and if you can let me know when you are going out driving so I can keep out of your way, know wonder insurance is so dear in London

cloughie

Mustermark · March 17, 2012, 11:35:11 AM

Went to a UK opticians once. Pick out a frame she says. I put some on. No, she says, you have a long face, those dont look good. Second frames on... Oh no you have a big nose, try these.

Is being insulted part of the service i wondered

and decided i would rather leave without glasses but a modicum of my ego in tact, and thats when i discovered the stand in the chemists with reading glasses and no one to tell you that you look like a goon.

Sprintex · March 17, 2012, 12:30:30 PM

Quote from: Mustermark on March 17, 2012, 11:35:11 AM
she says, you have a long face . . .

Quote. . . you have a big nose . . .

Are you sure she was looking at you and not a picture of Mr Ed ?

Worn glasses ever since I was young enough not to have done anything to make me have to wear glasses!

As soon as I could afford them I swapped to contact lenses and still wear them now. Without them it's a case of "what layout?" and "who said that?"

Paul

Jerry Howlett · March 17, 2012, 12:36:07 PM

Had varifocals, found myself taking them off for close up work so ditched them for a couple of years. Now having annoyed myself when every time I was doing some close up work my wife said "look at this" so scrabbled around for glasses. Have now come back from the UK with a new pair of varifocals only to find myself staring over the top of them whilst trying to solder some wires up under the baseboard!!!

Newportnobby · March 17, 2012, 12:51:05 PM

When I was a yoof, I had to wear glasses for short distance stuff like reading (dunno why my eyesight deteriorated and refuse to be drawn further

) but over the years something has changed and I now where glasses just for watching TV/driving. Reading and computer work is no problem now, but I do find some very close up stuff with models quite difficult if I have tired eyes. It probably accounts for why I am not bothered if the carriage numbers are the same in a single rake