I can't see for beans ... help!

[Jen Joy]

When doing fine work (like trying to cut dovetails or use a scroll saw) I can't see for beans. Light helps, so I add that. If I take off my glasses I can see pretty well 10" away. If I use a 2.0 optivisor + no glasses it's like 6" which is too darn close. Optivisor + my "computer glasses" is about 9". (I was just now trying to measure with my ruler from my head, glad my husband didn't walk in on that exercise :p). I have specific glasses for a monitor and I can't just get any ol' glasses because of astigmatism (I think, I could be wrong?). My other glasses are progressives, but the reading part is no use for woodworking.

I was recently doing some pyrography and felt like I was snorting smoke on purpose I was so close.

What do you folks with bad eyes do and could recommend? What is a generally good working distance from your work? I'd like more distance, this is hard on my neck.

I appreciate any help and so does my joinery!

[Rafael Herrera]

I have a pair of glasses specific for using in frint of the computer, which are different from a pairvof glasses made for reading.

I would suggest you speak with your optometrist to modify your prescription for a pair of glasses that would bring into focus, the object you're working on, at the distance you prefer. You may need several pairs for different distances.

[Gary Focht]

My progressive lenses do pretty well since my ophthalmologist strengthened the reading portion up to 2.5(?). What is the strength of the reading portion of your progressive lenses? Perhaps get that strengthened.

If you brought some woodworking example to the eye doctor, I bet he could find a strength that worked for that.

[Lee Schierer]

My progressives are Bosch lenses and I can focus any where from about 7" to infinity.

[Jim Koepke]

Jen, My experience is similar to yours. Over the years many pair of "drugstore readers" have accumulated. Sometimes stacking these helps.

Currently when sharpening saws a weak pair of readers in front of my bifocals helps me to see the teeth better.

A local arts & hobby supply chain (Michael's) carries clip on magnifiers. My recollection is they were in the embroidery section.

There are also specialized optic enhancers. Dentists have focusable units that are moderately expensive.

jtk

[Curt Putnam]

My vision is failing - but still hanging in there. Have your eyes recently been checked for cataracts? Needing more and more light is a good sign thaat you may be developing cataracts. Macular degeneration will also cause a rapid decline in vision. Sye your eye doctor.

There is only so much that can be done with glasses. Optics are a pure mathematical exercise; i.e., physics. Tell your optometrist at what distance you want to see what and he.she will tell you what is possible given the current state of your vision. I just went through that exercise and got a set of bifocals ground so that ½ is good at 6" and ½ is good at 30 " which approximate my working positions.

[Matthew Hills]

Would a magnifying lamp help? (wear your glasses and then swing the lamp head over your detailed work?)

You should be able to get glasses specified for pretty much any working distance that you do frequently enough to justify the cost.

Matt

[John Keeton]

Jen, I am 72 and had cataract surgery in February. One of the greatest things I have done!! Still need readers, but the IOL implants corrected my astigmatism and really helped with the light situation.

[bill epstein]

I have the same problem even with progressive readers. I solved the same type of issue in aligning my phono cartridge stylus with an 1800 Lumens Cree Headlamp https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B17DVMY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

Now I use it to follow pencil lines on my woodworking as well.

[Wayne Cannon]

I experienced the same: Needed extra light & magnifiers. Cataract surgery was like a miracle. See your ophthalmologist. I still use weak bifocals and full-screen computer glasses because of a little remaining astigmatism, but can read and do most things with no glasses.

[Scott Winners]

Biologically we will all need about 4 times as much light to see as clearly at age 70 as we needed when we were 25 years old. Happens to everybody, doesn't matter if you are a butcher, a baker, or a candlestick maker. Dunno your age, not asking, but I well on my way to quadrupled lighting bill in my 50s.

When was your last eye exam? If more than a year, make the appointment and go. As above, take some work samples with you. You may need more than one pair of glasses for your day to day life.

Also, look at the color temperature of your lighting. I have a few of the GE "reveal" series incandescent bulbs on a shelf, but found an LED bulb at the big box stores that works for both me and my wife around the house. If the reveal series works for you ( I just checked my shelf) I have 3 at 75 watts and 3 at 100 watts that are just taking up space here, if you want them drop me a PM.

[Jim Matthews]

If visitors to your shop don't put on sunglasses, it's not bright enough.

[Thomas Wilson]

When doing fine work (like trying to cut dovetails or use a scroll saw) I can't see for beans. Light helps, so I add that. If I take off my glasses I can see pretty well 10" away. If I use a 2.0 optivisor + no glasses it's like 6" which is too darn close. Optivisor + my "computer glasses" is about 9". (I was just now trying to measure with my ruler from my head, glad my husband didn't walk in on that exercise :p). I have specific glasses for a monitor and I can't just get any ol' glasses because of astigmatism (I think, I could be wrong?). My other glasses are progressives, but the reading part is no use for woodworking.

I was recently doing some pyrography and felt like I was snorting smoke on purpose I was so close.

What do you folks with bad eyes do and could recommend? What is a generally good working distance from your work? I'd like more distance, this is hard on my neck.

I appreciate any help and so does my joinery! I use my Optivisor with my progressive lens bifocals particularly for sharpening. My vision with glasses is 20/20 more or less. I have to tilt my head a bit to get the right focus. I flip the visor up and down a lot to see other things. I really miss the eyes I had at 20. My Optivisor is 1.75 diopter.

The diopter is a measure of inverse focal length in meters. Hence the focus point for parallel light for a 2 diopter lens is 1/2 meter or about 20 inches. Good luck.

[Jen Joy]

Hi all, thanks for the ideas. I get yearly eye checkups and already have three pairs of prescription eye glasses which makes keeping up prescriptions rather pricey (sunglasses for cycling, progressives and computer glasses). I was hoping to avoid a fourth pair. I think I'm going to switch eye doctors next year as the guy I like is older and is not seeing patients (due his age and COVID risk) and the guy who owns the business is horrible. I kept going because I liked the older guy and it was near my house. But there are a lot of other reasons for not going to that place due to the new owner.

The working distance for woodworking seems a bit variable, which makes things difficult as well. For non-fine work my computer glasses work great. For now I think I will just go with taking my glasses off. I will work on trying to figure out what distance I might like a fourth :eek: pair of glasses for. I'll try to get an Rx and get them online cheaper. I'm in my early 50s which means for the last few years my prescription was changing a lot which made the whole glasses thing extra crazy. It's supposed to eventually flatten out again, which will be nice. That's one reason I was looking for an enhancing aid versus yet another pair of glasses.

It would have been nice to learn woodworking when I was younger and could see -- then maybe this would all be a bit easier because some skills would just be there already. I always feel like the only one in my classes on the vision struggle bus (community college and also some various in person ones).

I don't have a shop yet, just a bench in my house and an old halogen desk lamp I move around. When I do have a shop it will have crazy lights and I will get a sunburn (I'm rather white and my husband likes to say to others that I burn under fluorescent lights -- yes, apparently this will be forever funny to him :rolleyes:).

[Thomas Wilson]

Hi all, thanks for the ideas. I get yearly eye checkups and already have three pairs of prescription eye glasses which makes keeping up prescriptions rather pricey (sunglasses for cycling, progressives and computer glasses). I was hoping to avoid a fourth pair. I think I'm going to switch eye doctors next year as the guy I like is older and is not seeing patients (due his age and COVID risk) and the guy who owns the business is horrible. I kept going because I liked the older guy and it was near my house. But there are a lot of other reasons for not going to that place due to the new owner.

The working distance for woodworking seems a bit variable, which makes things difficult as well. For non-fine work my computer glasses work great. For now I think I will just go with taking my glasses off. I will work on trying to figure out what distance I might like a fourth :eek: pair of glasses for. I'll try to get an Rx and get them online cheaper. I'm in my early 50s which means for the last few years my prescription was changing a lot which made the whole glasses thing extra crazy. It's supposed to eventually flatten out again, which will be nice. That's one reason I was looking for an enhancing aid versus yet another pair of glasses.

It would have been nice to learn woodworking when I was younger and could see -- then maybe this would all be a bit easier because some skills would just be there already. I always feel like the only one in my classes on the vision struggle bus (community college and also some various in person ones).

I don't have a shop yet, just a bench in my house and an old halogen desk lamp I move around. When I do have a shop it will have crazy lights and I will get a sunburn (I'm rather white and my husband likes to say to others that I burn under fluorescent lights -- yes, apparently this will be forever funny to him :rolleyes:).

I have three pairs of glasses for the same three reasons. I did learn woodworking while young enough to see. It really doesn’t help seeing the 1/64 mark on the ruler.

On the fourth pair of glasses for woodworking, it is a simple calculated adjustment to your normal prescription to adjust for the working distance. I used to have a pair for woodworking that were in safety glass frames. Four pairs cost too much so I use safety goggles for protection and the Optivisor for really close work. I am very nearsighted so I can take my glasses off to see 1/64 markings. Whatever works.

You should see the light in my shop. It is wonderful, 100 lumens/sq ft. I keep sunscreen and sunglasses by the door for people like your husband.

[Bob Jones 5443]

Just a side comment, but my biggest vision challenge is setting the lower blade guides of my little-guy band saw (Rikon 10-306). I have to sit on the floor, and it's relatively dark under there. To add to the fun, I use progressives, so to focus at that distance –– about 20" maybe and 30º above eye level –– I have to tilt my head nearly up to the ceiling. It's a comedy of errors, and looks downright weird to my nephew while he watches me struggle.

I've taken to chunking on the magnetic-base gooseneck light to bathe everything in light. Then I can at least guess a little better where everything is.

When I think of it I have to laugh. It makes me not want to change the blade.

[Jim Koepke]

Just a side comment, but my biggest vision challenge is setting the lower blade guides of my little-guy band saw (Rikon 10-306). I have to sit on the floor, and it's relatively dark under there. To add to the fun, I use progressives, so to focus at that distance –– about 20" maybe and 30º above eye level –– I have to tilt my head nearly up to the ceiling. It's a comedy of errors, and looks downright weird to my nephew while he watches me struggle.

I've taken to chunking on the magnetic-base gooseneck light to bathe everything in light. Then I can at least guess a little better where everything is.

When I think of it I have to laugh. It makes me not want to change the blade.

Have you ever tried flipping your glasses upside down?

You may need a long rubber band on the ear pieces.

One of my coworkers had his optometrist put extra reading lenses at the top of his glasses for work. This was so he wouldn't have to look up to read the labels on the panels where we worked.

jtk

[Halgeir Wold]

FWIW - There are different lenses for Optivizor... Maybe you should try another lens.....As I work with electronics and tiny parts, Optivizor has probably been my most important tool for quite some years, and I also have one privately. I also have another magnifier which I bought for my mother and her sowing and embroidery work. This came with a set of interchangeable lenses and is quite useful.... Some also recommends dentists loupes, which re worn like a pair of glasses....
I really think you should try some options and see what works for you...

[Derek Cohen]

When doing fine work (like trying to cut dovetails or use a scroll saw) I can't see for beans. Light helps, so I add that. If I take off my glasses I can see pretty well 10" away. If I use a 2.0 optivisor + no glasses it's like 6" which is too darn close. Optivisor + my "computer glasses" is about 9". (I was just now trying to measure with my ruler from my head, glad my husband didn't walk in on that exercise :p). I have specific glasses for a monitor and I can't just get any ol' glasses because of astigmatism (I think, I could be wrong?). My other glasses are progressives, but the reading part is no use for woodworking.

I was recently doing some pyrography and felt like I was snorting smoke on purpose I was so close.

What do you folks with bad eyes do and could recommend? What is a generally good working distance from your work? I'd like more distance, this is hard on my neck.

I appreciate any help and so does my joinery!

Hi Jen

I am 70 and need reading glasses. Without them, all is a blur. For many years now I have managed to get away with magnifiers or readers, those inexpensive reading glasses available everywhere. 1.75 x magnification suits me.

The answer for dovetailing is more light. A Moxon vise helps raise the work, and good lighting over the work is essential.

This situation was also the reason I came up with the blue tape method for transferring dovetail marks. This makes a HUGE improvement: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/ThroughDovetails3.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Bob Andre]

Jen these are all great suggestions that many of us have utilized. See your ophthalmologist for readers or office glasses dependent on your desired focal distance. Better lighting. I have added more LEDs which has been great. And I bet I go through more blue tape than Derek for multiple uses, though I credit him for the dovetail use. You can do it!!

[Jack Frederick]

John, you have picquet my interest here. I, too, am 72 and due to astigmatism, my specs are first thing in the morning and last thing at night. What May I ask are the implants you refer to?
jen, perhaps a pair of tri-focal would help you, with the mag band placed hi and low on the lense. I should follow my own advise, but my lenses are so expensive a pair of shades and regular specs are what I have gone with.

[Christopher Charles]

Hi all,

I have a swing-arm magnifier lamp combo that I use at the scroll saw and only started using it because it came with the saw when I bought it used. For fine work, it is not the best but I'm not sure I could work with out it now. Could also be useful for pyrography?

Best,
Chris

[Bob Jones 5443]

Have you ever tried flipping your glasses upside down?

You may need a long rubber band on the ear pieces.

One of my coworkers had his optometrist put extra reading lenses at the top of his glasses for work. This was so he wouldn't have to look up to read the labels on the panels where we worked.

jtk

Jim, that's using your head! The problem is that my left eye is far weaker than my right, so wearing the glasses upside down would ... well, I just tried it, and talk about weird! Suffice it to say that the four main regions of the pair of glasses are now all in the wrong places. Otherwise, clever suggestion for seeing "up."

As to the other comments, I use two bright, zoomable LEDs on magnetic disks placed in 3/4" dog holes: one to the left and one to the right of the work. For sawing and chiseling dovetails I wouldn't be without them. The disks are a nice item on the bench. Here's the disk only:

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/workshop/lighting/101469-steel-mounting-plate-for-magnetic-mount-led-work-light?item=15J7702

447065 447066

You can find the mounting cylinder next to it on the LV site.

My dog holes are in a 6" grid over 2/3 of my bench, so the lights can move virtually everywhere in an instant. Great little convenience that keeps me working.

[Jen Joy]

Jim, I think you got it -- I can get a copy of my reading prescription and that would help a lot. Besides who doesn't want four sets of glasses to lose! :-D

Bob, I use those same lights on my scroll saw like dueling banjos. Although the batteries are a drag and rechargeables didn't fit in mine.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I can attest to the fact that the tape method makes a HUGE difference. Not only does it make it easy to see, but it also gives you a slight ridge. If you saw my post about my toothpick boxes, you will notice that I finally resorted to using it on these tiny boxes. It also makes it easier to transfer your lines since the tape is easy to mark, especially with a hard wood. And if you mess it up, just put on a new piece of tape rather than having the confusion of which mark is the correct one.

[lowell holmes]

I bought my readers at a drugstore. You can try them when selecting them.

[Jim Koepke]

I can get a copy of my reading prescription and that would help a lot. Besides who doesn't want four sets of glasses to lose! :-D

During my working years our contract allowed a new pair of glasses every year. Even when they weren't needed it was a matter of thinking ahead that led me to getting them every year. Now it seems there is a pair tucked away in just about every desk drawer. It comes in handy, not to mention money saving, to already have frames when it is time to get new lenses.

jtk