I had purchase on head visor from one of the vendors and one of the cheaper ones and i broke the front lens out. Do any of you with those "Old Eyes" have a recomendation on some that are good

Bobby Stout
Bloomburg, TX

Instead of ha head visor, I use a large magnifying lamp. It has worked well for me for 30 years, ever since I needed to get my near/fars! Check one out, they have many other uses as well, like picking slivers out of little hands. :>)

Bobby:

I normally wear bi-focal glasses. I have tried all of the different magnification ideas except the head visor type. I had trouble with all of them. I finally hit on a set of flip down magnifiers that clip to my glasses. I wear the large "aviator", or shooting style glasses. The flip down magnifier had a long drop down to it's lens. This worked out great. I had part of my regular lens, and then hit the flip down lens that is 3 power, and then hit the combination of my regular 2.5 power bi-focal and the 3 power flip down which gave me 5.5 power, and at the bottom of the lens I have 2.5 power. I used to get neck pain, vertigo, and a headache from the other methods I tried. I have several sets of these flipdowns in various power ratings. The problem is that I can't find these with the long drop down anymore, so when ever I find a place that has old stock, I buy them. I suspect that the current flip downs would work with the smaller lens size that is popular today.

Mike Bradfrod
R.M.B. Fishing Rods
Nampa, Idaho

I also use the large lighted magnifyer glass.I have three benches with one clamped to each bench. My head band type just rest on a peg board hook seldom getting used

Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

The best head band style magnifier I've used was the "Optivisor" brand. Used by watch makers and jewlers.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

I am sure all of these would work well. My best advice is as always " buy the best quality that you are able to afford" . Cheap just doesn't work!!

thanks for your input will look futher into different methods mention here. Thanks to all for making this a wonderful sight to read and find hepful information.

I use flip up magnifiers over my bifocals. I tried the lighted magnifying lens but hated it because either the work or the lens had to be moved each time the work area moved out of the focal point. Long wraps were out of focus at the ends if the focal point was at the middle of the wrap. With the flip ups the focal point follows your head over the work.

Don

Hi Gents,
Personally I use a headband magnifyer and it works well for me but you have to get the focal length right or you can't see squat.
The best thing I have seen was thought up by fellow SEARB Barry Chapman. He has got a small camera mounted on his wrapper and this sends a picture to his laptop. He can magnify up to 400 times which is awesome. He doesn't watch his wrapping anymore, just the laptop and it works great for him.

ESFNEM Col
Port Kembla, NSW
Australia

I use flip downs from the craft store over reading glasses. Mine seem to have a good distance from the attachment point to the focal point so I can move them up or down to center. Then i use a very tall adjustable desk lamp to focus bright light to the work area.

Took Raymond's advice and order a pair of the Optivisor" brand

Mike,
I think that the best advice for bi focal users is to get rid of them when wrapping rods.
Ordinarily, I wear trifocals, but not when I am wrapping rods.
For many years, starting when I wore bi focal lens while working I have adapted the idea of using separate single vision glasses for the work that I am doing.
That means that I own several pairs of glasses that I have on hand for the task at hand.

i.e. One pair of trifocals for general every day use to cover reading, mid range, and distance.
One pair of single vision reading glasses, so that I can read a book newspaper or other and read the entire page by just moving my eyes, without tilting my head.
One pair of single vision computer glasses so that I can read the entire computer scree and not have to tilt my head.
One pair of TV glasses that are calibrated for the distance from my favorite spot in the TV room to the TV set. Again, this means that I don't have to tilt my head, or have it in any particular position when reading TV.

Now, by having multiple pairs of glasses with different focal lengths, i..e 10 inches, 20 inches, 10 feet - I can use the one that is most appropriate when wrapping rods.

As a result, I use a head band visor with a 2X magnifier. Then, to get the right focal length for my arms reach rod wrapping, I use my single vision computer glasses. This combination of the 2X magnifier and the 20 inch focal length of the computer glasses give me a perfect 15 inches for my eyes to be from the guide that I am wrapping.

Many years ago, I first started using a lighted magnifier, but I only used it for a short time. The stand was always in the way, the light was in the way, the frame of the lens was in the way. But all of those issues disappear with the head mounted magnifier and the use of the right pair of single vision glasses.

If you are a user of multi vision glasses, I really suggest that you pick up a pair of single vision glasses for your rod wrapping.

Pick up a good head band mounted magnifiers of 1-4 X depending on your eyes and take it to your favorite eye doctor.
Then, with the combination of the magnifier that you want to use, have your eye doctor make a pair of single vision glasses that will give you the perfect vision for the focal length with which you want to wrap rods.

By the way, if you have head aches, and or neck aches, and wear multi vision glasses, it is quite likely that your use of multi vision glasses for the job that you are doing could very well be the issue.

Good luck
REW

thank Roger i will ask my dr fora pair of single vision glasses.

I know that if you use Wall Mart for getting a pair of glassess, that you can generally pick up a pair of single vision glassess in a plastic lens with no coatings on them for about $40. This price includes both the frames and the lenses. (It does not include the eye exam).

Roger

Roger:

The headaches, neck pain, and vertigo was when I was using the lighted magnifiers, or single focal glasses. Trying to get the magnifier so it focused, and then holding my head to accomodate the magnifier. All of this went away when I started using the multi-focal glasses. I have worn bi-focals for 30 plus years, and tilting my head enough to go from the normal vision to the reading portion of the lens has become natural for me. with the flip downs, I now have quad-focal glasses. I don't have to take the glasses off, or flip the lens up if I want to look out the window, or find something on the bench. I do most of my wrapping with the 2.5X lens which is higher on my glasses than my normal bi-focal lens, and allows a normal head postion for wrapping. If I need more magnification, I simply look through my normal bi-focal, and with the flip downs, I now have 5X. These flip downs come in different magnifications. i have them from 1.5 to 3x. Works for me. They are much lighter than a head visor, and less expensive.

Mike Bradfrod
R.M.B. Fishing Rods
Nampa, Idaho

Mike,
I am glad that your solution worked for you.
I tried several different similar solutions, but was never happy with the results.
Hence, the move to single vision glasses with head mounted - non lighted - magnifiers.

It works very well for my particular needs.

Everyone is different and what works for one; may not work for another.

Roger

I just tried to take a picture of my glasses with the flip up lenses that would show the flip up's, and give you some idea of the 3 powers. The top is my normal prescription, the middle is 3x, and the bottom is 5.5x. The picture is not as dramatic as when you get all 3 lenses at a distance where all 3 lenses are almost in focus. I posted the picture here: [www.rodbuilding.org] .

Mike Bradfrod
R.M.B. Fishing Rods
Nampa, Idaho

Hi Mike,
X 2 on the multi focals, they work well for me and I rarely get a headache when wrapping. I just have problems reading or small stuff up close. My mid and long distance vision is still pretty good. Everyone is different and they need to find what works for them. Fortunately there are a number of options available these days.

ESFNEM Col
Port Kembla, NSW
Australia

Mike those look neat my see if i can find some and give them a try also.

Bobby Stout
Bloomburg, TX

Bobby: These things come in a short drop down and a long drop down. I wear the glasses with a big lens, and need the long drop down. Most people have gone to the smaller lens in their regular glasses. Needless to say, it is hard to find the flip ups with the long drop down. I suspect that the short drop down flip ups will work the same way for people that wear glasses with the smaller lenses. I guess these are simply not interchangable, and you will have to try them before you buy them to see.

Mike Bradfrod
R.M.B. Fishing Rods
Nampa, Idaho