Eye Protection

Kris Petrosky

Member
Messages
58
Location
Rochester Hills, Michigan
Hi, I wear prescription glasses and was wondering if anyone else had a recommendation for a brand that can go over them or if they are happier with prescription eye protection. If the plastic ones are fine, what brand, cause the random ones sitting in our basement are awful, not very comfortable and they slide off easily. :dunno:
 
Kris, I used to wear glasses before lasics and we have to wear safety glasses at work all the time. Honestly, I dont' think anyone ever invented a good option to wear over the top of glasses. Personally I wouldn't bother with anything other than regular glasses in a woodworking shop. You can get safety glasses made perscription, if you have an old set of frames laying around it's not to expensive to get some new lenses.

They also make some sideshields that clip onto regular glasses, but unless you're really having a problem with dust in your eyes, I wouldn't bother. They always seemed to me as more useful for protecting you from the people working around you. Also metalworking they're more useful as the chips coming off are a little more hazardous than wood. Just my opinion though. for those of us that dont' need glasses or wear contacts though, safety glasses are very worthwhile imho.

Edit - lathes may be an exception, I have never really used mine but I guess they can really fling things. Glasses or even face shields can be called for. Also using a grinder, they come with little shields to cover the wheels while grinding. If you're not using the shields or wearing safety glasses, best stand to the side :p
 
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Ya the other day I was finishing cleaning and was sucking up saw dust that had to have been on my dads old table saw for years. Well stupidly I forgot that theirs an exhaust port on the vaccum and with no bag attachment It just spit out the dust and it got flung into the air and tossed into my eyes. So I'd like a nice pair or safety glasses. Guess I'll have to teach these so called "safety experts" how to design some glasses. :thumb:

Already have a design for some. ^.^
 
I only use a reading glasses for when I turn... so I can see up close... they're small and compact, but can't wear safety glasses over them. I use a bubble shaped face shield that I got from CSUSA.... if I can keep from slinging CA all over it, it works great for me...
 
I need to collaborate all the sites people keep linking for getting tools and what not. There's alot lol. Finished Drawing doodle of design for safety glasses. I'm going to smash some crappy plastic ones tomorrow and see if i can put some makeshift thing together for an example. Maybe rockler would like the submission idea. :thumb:

Btw wolfpeak eye wear looks so cool. Stylish and efficient my favorite. ^.^
 
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I took my prescription to the optical department at Sam's Club for prescription safety glasses. Safety lenses, frames and side shields for no-line bifocals were about $150 three years ago. Don't know current prices. Do NOT just put plastic lenses in your old frames--those are not safety glasses. Lenses and frames are impact resistant in safety glasses. If you are a turner, I would also wear a face shield.
 
I wear safety lenses for my work. I get the glass lenes as they don't get scratched as easy as the plastic. They do make plastic lenses that a OSHA approved. They are much lighter than the glass. The glass lenses are 3mm thick. the plactics are a little thinner. the plactic will scratch if you clean them by wiping them dry. They then will cause a glare in florencint lighting like you have oil on them. They will not be affected by sparks for a grinder. The glass lense will pit from sparks of a grinder, but will not scratch from wiping them off dry. Also there are some frames that are approved for OSHA.
 
Chuck, can you wear that trend airshield over prescription eyeglasses?

Yeppers. :yes:

I have a pair of glass lens prescription safety glasses with the clip-on side shields (although at the moment, I can't remember where I stashed the side shields). They are metal frames, but I believe they were listed in the safety eyeglass catalog at my eye doctor's place. (Hence the side shields.) Still, I end up wearing my regular glasses in the shop more often than not. (They're lighter and more comfortable.) Since I'm typically wearing the Trend when I'm at the lathe, I don't really need the safety glasses most of the time.
 
Hi,

OK I just have to get into this. The two previously mentioned URLs contain good information. I will not repeat it. I will offer to respond to anyones PM (Newbies click on "User CP" on the far left of the row that contains FAQ, Member list, Calendar, etc. Type my name into the "To" section).

SUMMARY OF THE BEST WAY TO GO FOR SAFETY GLASSES:
First of all you have to remember that most eye doc offices are NOT equipped to do safety glasses well. There is not enough call for the service to pay for the extra overhead required to provide the service.

Most optometrists and ophthalmologists can get you safety glasses. They show you pictures of safety glasses frames and you are supposed to choose from that. That is a really horrible way to choose. The pic does not show you how it will fit on your nose or what length earpieces you need.

Measurements for bifocal height can be done correctly ONLY by a skilled doc or tech WITH THE FRAME ON YOUR FACE. Most people's eyes are not at the same height in relationship to the bridge of their nose and to the rim of the frame. Ready made safety glasses with bifocals always have: the same power in both lenses, no correction for astigmatism, and the same height (position) for the bifocals.

You want an office that fits a minimum of two safety glasses a week. You want a selection of frames to try---hopefully from two or more frame companies. A good doc is going to ask you quite a few questions to come up with the correct prescription for what YOU are doing...so that everything you do will be in sharp focus. A good optician (usually in the same office) is going to ask you more questions so that he/she knows where to place the dividing line between the close prescription (14 in to 18 in) and the working part of the tool (24 to 32 inches for most folks---6 feet for tall fellas like Vaughn).

The dividing line (visible or not) in a lens is called the "seg line." If it is too high for what you are doing, you have to duck your head to see what you wish to see up close. If it is too low, you have to tilt your head back to see it. In spectacle lenses seg height variance of 1/25 of an inch (1mm is a very long ways)---It is the difference between your happiness and disgruntlement.

No side shields means the fit was made by somebody with no brains. Any eye person who has dealt with safety glasses for very long has seen enough people with eye injuries to know side shields are necessary. You know how it is: the person gets an eye injury, maybe have eye surgery and maybe not have good vision in that eye after surgery---Then they come in to see about getting a correct pair of safety glasses.

A lens cannot be called a safety lens until it is mounted in a safety frame. Safety frames can take all sorts of abuse that dress glasses cannot. For example, it is very much more difficult to push a safety lens through and out the back of the frame than it is for dress glasses. A heck of a lot of good a safety lens does you if it stops the projectile but the lens comes out and destroys your eye.

Plastic safety glass lenses are several hundred times safer than glass safety glass lenses. The old plastic safety lenses weighed 2/5 as much as a glass lens in the same Rx. The new plastic safety lenses are much safer and even lighter than the ones I know. (I have not fit safety glasses for over 30 years so I only hear bits and pieces about the newer lens materials.)

There are coatings for plastic lenses. These coatings are so good that the manufacturers warrant the product for two years. When I retired from private practice 10+ years ago the preceding statement was true. I think it is still true. UTMC and Crizal are the names of a couple of these coatings. The coatings can be had with anti-reflection qualities for a bit more money. The warranty was so good (I don't know about now) that you could drop your glasses on the cement and scratch the pajeebers out of the lenses and they would provide you new lenses.

I am going to sign off now and read this thing in a day or two and edit the heck out of it to make it smoother and more logical. I have just been writing this with no preparation. Since there are questions I wanted to get it posted quickly.

Enjoy,

Jim
Don't be bashful. Send a PM if you have a specific question.
 
I have tried over the glasses devices (other than the Bionic Shield that Drew shows :)) and am much, much, much happier with Rx safety glasses. I don't have to remember to put them on because they are already on. I went the Gary Rogowski route and got large lenses that cover a greater part of my orb by sacrificing style.

Safety-001.jpg

I have shooting glasses that I wear over my frames and they are not too bad until you put the hearing muffs on over two pair of frames and your ears. I switch to plugs if I am wearing that sort of protection. In the shop it is the Rx safety glasses and I again state that I am much, much happier with them. Average the cost over the time you spend in the shop and they are not that expensive for the benefit you receive.
 
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Every time I switched glasses, my old, over the top safety glasses wouldn't fit, so I had to buy new. My favorite out of all of them, was the UVEX brand. (multiple different styles).
My regular glasses are metal (titanium) framed, and with the same material lenses (polycarbonite), that they make safety lenses for (without the rating/testing). I do have accessory side shields and feel these are fine for somethings (using a drill and what not). But my mother works as a surgical nurse for my opthomologist. I've seen pictures of what can happen, EVEN WITH safety glasses (double shot nail from nail gun, first punctured glasses, second penetrated through the eye). What po's me about this, is two things:
1. You shouldn't be telling your kids about spooning out someones eyeball, when you server brussell sprouts. (she did that when we were kids)
2. What makes you complain about lack of, when you don't sell them?

I went to Sam's after my last glasses change and bought true (rated) prescription safety glasses. These will NOT replace a face shield, for grinding, etc. type work (worked as a mechanic for a while), but I don't worry about screwing up my regular glasses. I also know that even they are not impenetrable. (had things knock glasses off my face before as well)

Long term, prescription ones, seem to me to be the best value.
 
I really like this thread, some great information. I wear glasses, I absolutely hate having to wear glasses to see. I do have the Uvex Bionic Face Shield, love it. I use it on the table saw when stuff like dust and such is flying back at me from long rip cuts etc. Keeps the dust and such out of my eyes. I can use my respirator, but not earmuffs with it. I have to switch to earplugs instead. Also, any type of glasses will work underneath.

Also, on the Uvex, I used 'Cat Crap' to coat the lens with and the dust that is attracted to it and the fogging is greatly reduced. You can probably find similar products out there. I get the 'Cat Crap' from REI (NO, NOT FROM THE LITTER BOX! Though you could try if you wanted, let us know how it works!:rofl:)

If you do any type of welding and are using prescription safety glasses, if they are plastic, they have a higher life of the lens. If they are glass and you get any splatter back in your face (doing overhead or what have you) the molten metal will embed into the glass. The plastic doesn't do this.
Just wanted to mention this to anyone who doesn't want to ruin an expensive pair of glasses (DAMHIK!)
 
I found a pair of safety glasses that go over prescription glasses at Shopko. Was totally shocked but they also had sunglasses that did the same thing.
 
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