Hello,

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good magnifying glass to use on wraps, preferably something that won't break the bank?

Most of the posts I read on this topic are from a few years back, so wondering if there is anything new.

I have been using a 10x jeweler's loupe, but don't have good eyesight to begin with and still struggle counting bands of thread.

-chad

Forgive the simple cave man logic here, but if your eyes are good simple reading glasses or 'cheaters' blow things up significantly for fine detail work. Try 1.5+ to start and see what you think. I usually pay less than $3 a pair at Walmart. I don't need them to read but they are like a big screen HD TV for tying flies or building rods.

I bought a great clamp-on magnifier lamp from Harbor Freight for about $25.00 .

I use the type that comes with a headband and has a number of interchangeable different strength lens. Works well enough for me and was fairly inexpensive. I think I bought it from Mudhole.

I wear expensive scopes for my day job, but prefer the inexpensive headstrap magnifyers for rodbuilding...HF used to have #95890...they offer a much larger field of view than the optivisors, etc., and come w/ several lenses. Maybe $15, but you'll have to search the sites to find them now.

The office depot has a magnifier work lamp, on articulating arm , large lense surrounded by LEDs, bright and good magnafacation I think it was about 30.00.

Curt

Chad,

If you have an iPhone, you may want to try magnifying glass from iTunes.

The zoom is from 1x to 5x and you can control the phones light.

Don Becker

Thank you all very much, good to see I have more than a few options available.

-chad

I often use my cell phone camera and zoom in to look at everyday things up close. Sometimes even the strong reading glasses I carry are not enough.

I guess I'm lucky in that I can use a pair of cheaters at 1.25 or 1.50 magnification with a good light for all my close work. I do have a head mounted magnifier with interchangeable lenses but it's not very comfortable to wear and the lenses are too strong and seem to have a very short focus area. I have to have my head in just the right spot to have clear vision of my work area.

I find the lighting to be just as important as the magnification. You might try a better work light in your current space in addition to different magnification.

Terry

Chad,
1. If you normally use glasses for seeing, both single vision, bifocals, trifocals or multi vision glasses, I would suggest the following.
2. Obtain a pair of single vision glasses that are set up for viewing a computer screen at about 25 inches or so.
The reason that I suggest this, is that 25 inches is a pretty common "arms length" field of vision that is used for many day to day activities, like working on cars, in the garage, or other common chores, as well as doing any sort of computer work.
With single vision glasses, you can tilt your head in any direction, and you will have excellent vision since the glasses are single vision.
3. Then, obtain a head band mounted magnifier with different power magnifiers. Depending on your needs, the power can be any thing from .5 to 2,5,10 or more.
The advantage of using a pair of single vision glasses with a focal length of 20 inches, is that then; with the head band mounted magnifiers up to about 3 or so, you will have a focal length of about 12 or 15 inches which is about ideal for rod wrapping.
This is the advantage of using the single vision glasses with the greater focal lenghth than say a pair of reading glasses with a magnifier with say 5 or more. With a single pair of glasses with this amount of magnification, you will have a focal length of 2 or 3 inches which makes it very difficult to work. Tough to work when your eyes are that close to the work.

If you have the prescription, you can get a pair of single vision glasses with plastic lenses and frames for about $30-$40 at Walmart or similar stores. Walmart actually gives very good optical vision help at very reasonable prices.
Lens in particular typically cost $2-$10 per lens - no matter what they sell to you for. The frames typically cost $3-$15 no matter what they sell to you for. This is the reason that there are so many optical services available. Really high mark ups for services that cost just a fraction of what the final customer is charged.

Here is a variety of head band mounted magnifiers:
[www.amazon.com]

A magnifier like this one is lighter and less bothersome to wear for very long periods of time:
[www.amazon.com]

or:
[www.amazon.com]

By the way, I do have several pairs of single vision glasses with different focal lenghths. Reading glasses - 12 inches. Computer glasses 28 inches. Tv glasses 10 feet. Then trifocals for every day use, with distance, midrange and vision in one pair.
I personally tried varivision glasses for a couple of months, but could not stand the very small area where any one focal length was in focus. I would much rather have large viewing areas and carry the extra glasses if needed.

I keep separate pairs of computer and reading glasses at my computers as well as my rod building station. That way, I have the right pair handy at all times when working.

X1000 on the other comments about having a very very bright light in the rod building shop for the detail work necessary for wrapping. You need good bright general lighting throughout the shop, but you then need light that is about double that brightness for the detail work of rod wrapping etc.

Also, as eyes age, the amount of magnification required, and the amount of light required for good viewing continues to increase. Just part of the aging process.

I like to have rather intense natural colored light sources about 8-10 inches from my wrapping to eliminate any shadows or dark spots in the rod wrapping field. If you can't see it, you can't do a good job.

An example of the amount of light that I obtain from the Halogen swing arm light that I have used for rod building:
[www.rodbuilding.org]

Notice the single vision glasses on the right and the head band mounted magnifier from my rod building area of a couple years ago:
[www.rodbuilding.org]



Be safe

Take a look at Dental Loupes and headlamps on @#$%&. The 3.5X with 320mm focal length are pretty good for the price. Loupes without headlamp go for around $60.00
You can find a few other types of magnifiers by noodling around and using different search keywords, like jewelers loupes, magnifier headband, etc.

Take a look at Dental Loupes and headlamps on @#$%&. The 3.5X with 320mm focal length are pretty good for the price. Loupes without headlamp go for around $60.00
You can find a few other types of magnifiers by noodling around and using different search keywords, like jewelers loupes, magnifier headband, etc.

I use the "LED Light Headband Head Glasses Magnifier Reading Antiques Jewelry Stamp Repair Tools 4 Lenses." The light is useless but there are 4 different lenses so you can be sure one will work for you. I purchased 2 of them at Harbour Freight for under 10.00 each with a coupon. they work great.

Thanks for the idea of using the magnifying app for the iPhone. I just downloaded it and have used it a couple times already.

Thanks again guys for your suggestions and posted links.

This thread has been a big help for me.

-chad