Anyone use bifocals or trifocals?
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Does anyone use bifocals or trifocals while woodworking? They come in many configurations, so I was wondering if any particular configuration has proven good for woodworking? Just as useful is to know if you’ve tried a particular configuration and it was frustrating.
I’ve had progressive lenses until now, but have never been able to use them for woodworking. I’ve used reading glasses instead and just let stuff farther away be blurry. Since it is time for new glasses, I might try something new.
2 September 2023 at 2:49 pm #812103I been having troubles for years. Cant focus on certain disrances if you get the focal point to be clear on the bench they dont work for anything else. A ctach 22. I use progressives with readers with fair results. If you can just use readers you are lucky. Keep is informed what you come up with.
I use progressives but I have two pair. One pair is standard. The second pair is different. Often described as computer glasses. These are the ones I wear most often and they are very good in the shop. They assume that closer distances are more important. There are different types within this category. Within my house and workshop they provide all the distance clarity I need and work very well close up. They are not quite as good as the other pair for very far away such as say out golfing or driving on a highway.
I discussed with Optician the priority distances I wanted and supposively the lenses were ground accordingly.
@DARNMCDO do they still have far distance at the top and nearer distances at the bottom? The problem I have with progressives in the shop is that there are times when I just need my head to be at some place and angle, but that might not match what I need from the progressive lens. This happens a lot with sawing. The other part of the problem is that the near distance is just a narrow stripe rather than the full width of the lens.
The only problem I have with my progressives in the shop is the distortions they cause. A perfectly flat and straight board sometimes looks curved and cupped, probably due to the narrow band of clarity that you mentioned. I used readers in the shop before my eyes aged to the point of needing “real” glasses, and they didn’t have that distorting effect. However, I much prefer my progressives now that I’ve gotten used to them, so I’ve learned to ignore the distortions and trust my square and straight edge. In the end it means I’m checking with the square much more often, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
yes that is the order my lenses have but I have heard about inverted lenses that reverse this for use when you have to regularly look up while doing closeup work.
the computer version expands the intermediate zone the most but also the near distance and reduces the long distance area.
Just back from the optometrist. Going to try a pair of bifocals setup for intermediate distance in the upper portion and near in the lower. These are pretty much computer glasses made from bifocals instead of progressives. I chose the wider (35mm?) form of the D-shaped near-field portion. We’ll see how this goes. Thanks for your replies and experiences!
@Ed — Let us know how those work out for you! I might consider a similar set of glasses for the shop if it eliminates the distortions caused by progressives.
@David M — the computer version sounds similar to what I use. Basically I told the doc that I’m on computers all day and also need closeup for woodworking, so he set the prescription to something that would help most with near distances. My far-away vision is still pretty good (for now) so that’s probably set near zero.Aging is a horrible thing, amirite?
13 September 2023 at 6:09 am #813200I have used some clip on aids successfully for the last couple of years (clipflipz which I purchased through i-sunglasses website). They slip on to my standard glasses, and work well with either the single lens, or the varifocals. They come in a range of different ratings, are not overly heavy, and can be flipped up out of the way easily. I bought two different ratings, so I can switch out depending what work I am doing. I am over fifty, but with these I am still able to thread a needle when I need to darn my socks 🙂
Colin.16 October 2023 at 9:32 pm #816381I need to wear magnifying lenses over my varifocals for close-up when doing woodworking or DIY so that I can see close-up work without looking through the bottom part of the specs.
Dennis Taylor, snooker player, famously wore upside down glasses so that he could sight towards the far end of the table.@GECKODEV I have enough experience with these glasses to give an early, preliminary report. They are much better than the old progressives and, so far, I’ve been able to work at the bench and bandsaw. I went to the optometrist with measurements of the distance from my eye to my bench when standing and when seated. Another way to say that is when sawing or chopping mortises vs. carving or doing near work.
She gave me two prescriptions. One was bifocals for distance / near, corresponding to driving / reading and the other was bifocals for intermediate / reading. These would often be called computer glasses, but she knew it was for that plus benchwork. She made the reading on these slightly different from the reading on the “driving” glasses. They are just a bit stronger, which means just a bit closer focus.
Bifocals come in difference widths for the lower / reading portion of the lens. For the bench / computer glasses, we made that portion a bit wider. I think the driving glasses had 28mm reading lenses and the bench are 35mm??? Don’t rely on that. I can look it up if needed.
The old progressives were useless at the bench. It was impossible to have a wide enough in-focus field of view side-to-side. There were too many times when I just could not change the location of my head to get the focus I needed. The bifocals have not demonstrated this problem. There have been times when I feel like there is neck strain, like from extended times looking through the lower portion, but I think that is okay. Also, at the bandsaw, it is okay, but I’m looking dow while needing to use the top portion of the lens. It seems to work, but I could imagine that on other saws it might not, like if the table were higher or if I were shorter. Not sure what to say here, but it has been fine.
@Ed Thanks for the detailed report! My next visit to the optometrist is coming up soon, I think I’ll put a little more emphasis on the woodworking portion of my life this time as you did. It probably means I’ll need a couple different prescriptions, but that’s ok. My “normal” glasses are good most of the time, but it would be great to not have all the distortion I mentioned when in the shop. Again, I really appreciate you bringing this back up again … very good timing with my upcoming appointment. I’ve gotten used to not being able to trust my eyes in the shop, but it would certainly be great to look at something and say “nice!” when it’s nice instead of having to measure it first to be sure. 🙂
- This reply was modified 5 months, 4 weeks ago by Scott M.
@GECKODEV Glad it helps. Other things I’ve found helpful, as I do struggle with seeing well:
1. Light. I can no longer get by with ambient light from overhead even though I’ve done a reasonable job lighting the shop. I have a gooseneck LED lamp on my bench that I am constantly moving about and aiming at the work, sometimes just to see, sometimes to change contrast and shadows. Mine looks like the IKEA Jansjo LED Gooseneck, the one with a base that plugs into the wall. I also have an OttLite LED Desk Lamp with Charging Station. It isn’t as versatile because it cannot be aimed, but the color and light quality is better, so when it can be aimed as needed, it is helpful. With patience, it can be found on sale for half off.2. Donegan DA-2 OptiVISOR, 1.5x magnification, 20″ focal length. This goes over my glasses. I haven’t used it since getting the bifocals, but am sure I will again. I used it with my drugstore reading glasses or with no glasses. I couldn’t have done some of my carving without it.
Old eyes. Feh. But, I’m happy there are workarounds! I’m fortunate to have them. There are times when I feel like I’m guessing rather than seeing and then it is frustrating, but these things have helped enormously. If someone needs this but needs the least expensive way, I’d say the Ikea gooseneck (or similar) plus the Donegan visor along with drug store reading glasses. If the Ikea light isn’t available, or maybe even if it is, one option is a light made by Trond. I have the clip-on version on my bandsaw, but there is a table top version. It gives a wider, better distributed light than the Ikea light. On Amazon, it is called, “TROND Desk Lamp, Bright Dimmable Eye-Caring Table Lamp, 3 Color Modes 7 Brightness Levels, Flexible Gooseneck, Touch Control, Memory Function, Desk Light for Home Office Bedside Task Reading”
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