I need to get an illuminated magnifier for some scroll work. I can't see
the blade and line.

I was noticing that there are 3,5 and 11 diopter lenses.

A 5 diopter winds up being a magnification of 2.25 5 * 1/4 +1

So the question is, what should I get? Is 5 too powerful, is 3 to little.
Is 11 necessary?

Would like to get one today to get some Christmas work done.

In article ,
tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com wrote:

I need to get an illuminated magnifier for some scroll work. I can't see
the blade and line.

I was noticing that there are 3,5 and 11 diopter lenses.

A 5 diopter winds up being a magnification of 2.25 5 * 1/4 +1

So the question is, what should I get? Is 5 too powerful, is 3 to little.
Is 11 necessary?

Would like to get one today to get some Christmas work done.

How far from the end of your nose do you need to work? Barring more
complex telescopic magnifiers, simple lenses have a tradeoff between how
much they magnify and how far out you can see before everything goes
blurry. With a large lens, if you lose a little magnification (the +1)
by moving your eye back from the lens, you can gain some working
distance (eye to object being worked on - lens to object stays the same,
I think.)

11 is almost undoubtedly too much - too close to work. Assuming that you
start out "seeing correctly", 5 diopters should give a working distance
of about 20 cm or 8 inches. 3 would give you ~33 cm or a foot or so, and
11 would be 9 cm, or 3.5 inches. At least, if I didn't screw up the math.

More light, LOTS more light, will also help a great deal.

I use some +5 glasses for fiddly electronic work, and would not want to
go higher due to working distance.

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:06:07 -0500, tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com wrote:

I need to get an illuminated magnifier for some scroll work. I can't see
the blade and line.

I was noticing that there are 3,5 and 11 diopter lenses.

A 5 diopter winds up being a magnification of 2.25 5 * 1/4 +1

So the question is, what should I get? Is 5 too powerful, is 3 to little.
Is 11 necessary?

Would like to get one today to get some Christmas work done.

My close up vision is ok, my glasses are for distance..
HOWEVER, the older I get, the more light I need to see detail stuff..
You might try focusing a LOT of light at the area where the blade meets the
wood, and possibly an air line or something to blow the sawdust away..
I used to use a hose on the "blower" side of my shop vac when cutting on the
band saw, but found that a small fan (Wal-Mart, $7) clipped nearby does the
trick..

This might not work for you, you didn't say whether or not you need reading
glasses normally..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

"tiredofspam" nospam.nospam.com wrote in message
...
I need to get an illuminated magnifier for some scroll work. I can't see
the blade and line.

I was noticing that there are 3,5 and 11 diopter lenses.

A 5 diopter winds up being a magnification of 2.25 5 * 1/4 +1

So the question is, what should I get? Is 5 too powerful, is 3 to little.
Is 11 necessary?

Would like to get one today to get some Christmas work done.


---

Let me recommend that you get the best one you can afford.
Try to find one with the fluorescent light rather than the ones that use a
bulb. They are pricy, but well worth it in the end.
Something like this would be REALLY good
http://tinyurl.com/2gxl68

Kate

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:06:07 -0500, tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com
wrote:

I need to get an illuminated magnifier for some scroll work. I can't see
the blade and line.

I was noticing that there are 3,5 and 11 diopter lenses.

A 5 diopter winds up being a magnification of 2.25 5 * 1/4 +1

So the question is, what should I get? Is 5 too powerful, is 3 to little.
Is 11 necessary?

Would like to get one today to get some Christmas work done.


There are several models. I have one inexpensive one with an
incandescent lamp. I think the ones with fluorescent might be better.
The larger the lens the better. I use it mostly for Dremmel work and
removing splinters. Try some out before you buy. A drafting lamp and
magnifying glasses might be all you need.

Hi Folks,
Phisherman wrote:
On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:06:07 -0500, tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com
wrote:

I need to get an illuminated magnifier for some scroll work. I can't see
the blade and line.

I was noticing that there are 3,5 and 11 diopter lenses.

A 5 diopter winds up being a magnification of 2.25 5 * 1/4 +1

So the question is, what should I get? Is 5 too powerful, is 3 to little.
Is 11 necessary?

Would like to get one today to get some Christmas work done.


There are several models. I have one inexpensive one with an
incandescent lamp. I think the ones with fluorescent might be better.
The larger the lens the better. I use it mostly for Dremmel work and
removing splinters. Try some out before you buy. A drafting lamp and
magnifying glasses might be all you need.

I have some of the same issues as others and the solution I am
looking at is a two part one...first, a Verilux lamp and then a
separate magnifier. The Verilux original clamp on lamp is a bit
cheaper than the spiffy black and yellow one, but they get some
very high ratings on focused, bright, widespectrum lighting. I am
finding myself needing this type of setup for layout and the like
as well as the things you folks mention.

Wodcraft carries two swing-arm lamps; an incadescent model w/3" 3x lens
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=3216
and a fluorescent w/4 3/4" 3x lens
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=3680
which is on sale.

"Smaug Ichorfang" wrote in message
...
Wodcraft carries two swing-arm lamps; an incadescent model w/3" 3x lens
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=3216
----

I have one of these.
It works ok, but if you tilt it at all or don't have it in just the right
place it's hard to see.
It also has a tendancy to slip at the joints. Pretty cheap little thing, but
you get what you pay for.

The focus range is often too close for me to get my tools under.

Ya know......
you might consider an optivisor instead of a magnifying lamp.
Used to use those all the time in the jewelery shop.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4227

Now that I think of it, I might get one m'salf.

Kate

I was looking for what the best diopter was... No one offered an
opinion. Can anyone using one tell me how they like their magnification
level...????


I didn't get the magnifier last night since I couldn't decide. I am
still looking for info.



tiredofspam wrote:
I need to get an illuminated magnifier for some scroll work. I can't see
the blade and line.

I was noticing that there are 3,5 and 11 diopter lenses.

A 5 diopter winds up being a magnification of 2.25 5 * 1/4 +1

So the question is, what should I get? Is 5 too powerful, is 3 to little.
Is 11 necessary?

Would like to get one today to get some Christmas work done.

tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com took a can of maroon spray paint on December
8, 2007 02:19 pm and wrote the following:

I was looking for what the best diopter was... No one offered an
opinion. Can anyone using one tell me how they like their magnification
level...????


I didn't get the magnifier last night since I couldn't decide. I am
still looking for info.

As someone already asked, do you need glasses for reading or other close
work now?
--
Lits Slut #9
Life would be so much easier if we could just look at the source code.

I wear 1.5 for reading. And thinking about going up to 1.75..

Thanks.

FrozenNorth wrote:
tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com took a can of maroon spray paint on December
8, 2007 02:19 pm and wrote the following:

I was looking for what the best diopter was... No one offered an
opinion. Can anyone using one tell me how they like their magnification
level...????


I didn't get the magnifier last night since I couldn't decide. I am
still looking for info.

As someone already asked, do you need glasses for reading or other close
work now?

"Kate" wrote in
:

..

Ya know......
you might consider an optivisor instead of a magnifying lamp.
Used to use those all the time in the jewelery shop.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4227

I've used these before. Because of the design, they limit peripheral
vision, and this might not be a good thiing. They're awfully expensive
too. The "headband" part is ordered seperatly from the lenses.

Here's another idea: http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=20140
bi-focal magnifying safety glasses

tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com wrote in
:

I was looking for what the best diopter was... No one offered an
opinion. Can anyone using one tell me how they like their
magnification level...????

The answer is definitly "it depends". Some of this is personal preference,
some of it depends upon the type of work you're doing. I think your best
bet is to find a place that has these in stock and ask to try it out. Just
like my arguing with a woman, whatever I say is wrong.

My personal preference is for reading glasses (some overly strong for
normal reading, with the tradeoff of having to work very close to my
nose, as explained in my previous post) with polycarb lenses (on the
cheap from an on-line glasses outfit - much less expensive than an
optivisor, and tuned to my exact prescription and eye spacing) and a
good strong light, or two, or three. My eyes are out of whack by
differing amounts, so this is the best route for me.

If your eyes are more or less boring, plain old drug-store reading
glasses are even cheaper, and easy to try. Go set up for scroll-sawing,
put your head at a comfortable position, and measure with a ruler from
the work to your nose. Go to the drugstore and take the ruler - try on
glasses until you find the highest diopter that permits you to focus on
an object at that distance from your nose.

And the answer on strength remains "it depends". I think 5 diopters will
prove to be a bit close for scroll-sawing, at least in glasses. 2.5 to 4
would probably be a better bet.

With a big lens-type magnifier, 5 might be OK, but it would be best to
try it out before buying, in a simulated setup replicating your
scroll-sawing setup as much as possible. One downside of that type of
setup is that you cannot move your head around and still see what's
happening, which you can do with glasses.

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by

I have the Wizard bifocals.
I wear them all the time in the shop.
But I am not seeing the line clearly with the 1.5's when scrolling.

I don't scroll often, but I don't mind picking up a magnifying lamp.

Smaug Ichorfang wrote:
"Kate" wrote in
:

.
Ya know......
you might consider an optivisor instead of a magnifying lamp.
Used to use those all the time in the jewelery shop.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4227

I've used these before. Because of the design, they limit peripheral
vision, and this might not be a good thiing. They're awfully expensive
too. The "headband" part is ordered seperatly from the lenses.

Here's another idea: http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=20140
bi-focal magnifying safety glasses

On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 17:43:23 -0500, tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com wrote:

I have the Wizard bifocals.
I wear them all the time in the shop.
But I am not seeing the line clearly with the 1.5's when scrolling.

I don't scroll often, but I don't mind picking up a magnifying lamp.

This won't sound like it, but it's a serious reply..
mark your lines darker..
It works for me, anyway, along with lots of light focused on the line..
My gut feeling is that since you wear reading glasses in the shop, you might not
like added magnification with the light..
You might try a focused LED work light and a pair of 1.75 or 2.0 reading glasses
from Wal-Mart instead..



Smaug Ichorfang wrote:
"Kate" wrote in
:

.
Ya know......
you might consider an optivisor instead of a magnifying lamp.
Used to use those all the time in the jewelery shop.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4227

I've used these before. Because of the design, they limit peripheral
vision, and this might not be a good thiing. They're awfully expensive
too. The "headband" part is ordered seperatly from the lenses.

Here's another idea: http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=20140
bi-focal magnifying safety glasses



mac

Please remove splinters before emailing