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I'm really starting to struggle with fine, up close work, these days. Aside from missing the small stuff, I'm getting a lot of eye strain. I know that there are members here that use OptiVisor head sets, among others.
What should I be looking for, in the way of magnification and brands, and what to stay away from. I see there are some Chinese knock offs, but I am leary about trying them, unless someone has anything good to say about them. Thanks!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

I have two of them. One with lights, one without. As a guy who's been wearing trifocals for 30 years - it's a necessity for close up work.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Reading glasses are more comfortable and cheaper than a visor.
I have +1 thru +4.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Thing is, I don't need reading glasses or bifocals, Dan. I have kind of in between vision - not really bad, not really good, with "dead zones" at about 30", and about 8", and the start of cataracts which makes things a bit fuzzy.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Optivisor. Real glass. They don't really wear out so what's a couple bucks?

Alex, make sure your table saw blade is not in a," dead zone"!

I use an optivisor with a 5 diopter lens. I use it a lot. I have a 10 diopter lens as well but I need to get too close to get it in focus.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

I have a cheap Chinese knockoff and it works just like you would expect a cheap Chinese knockoff to work. I had to use it to do mitred purfs on my last guitar which was a first. The drugstore $25 magnifier glasses might do it for you Alex. Just put them on for the close up work.

I am also interested in any advise on a new visor. I think it's time for an upgrade.

I can still read the small print on menus in dark restaurants without visual aids, but that's not good enough for guitar work. I have +1.5 and +3 readers. They work, but I hate them. Hate, Hate! It's like tunnel vision. Unfortunately, I think that's part of the deal, whichever way you go.

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Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

I wear reading glasses, normally x3 dioptre, but for really fine work I bought a Chinese "rip-off" which has 4/5? lenses, and can be doubled up if you want.
Certainly worth the $15 I paid for it, still use it, might consider upgrade, so I'll be following this post with interest.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Some years back I popped for an Optivisor, and optional 6 LED light system for it, and a 2X monocle and the thing makes me look like the Borg when wearing it....

How do I like it? It looks great hanging on the wall in front of my bench that one of you guys will be at tomorrow for our class. The Optivisor now has several years of dust on it and has not been touched in about that long....

I didn't like the thing and although I have used it on very rare occasion my complaints have nothing to do with the concept or implementation of the Optivisor itself. Instead I hate hats, I hate glasses, and I hate my Optivison and I just can't stand having anything on my head....

I do think that an Optivisor is a good thing to have and use if you are not like me and can wear stuff without it making you want to jump out the window of a 6 story building....

Since I've had to wear glasses I've hated them too for 10 years now....

I know, I know come on Hesh be positive about something will ya you old grouch.....

If I were to do it all over again I would use readers like some of the others have suggested. Cheaper, less restrictive and massive, easier to store and keep clean, and available in all manner of magnifications.

Lastly there are some things that pro luthiers like to have around because, and we joke about this at gatherings..., it makes us look professional and like we know what we are doing. A Peterson bench/strobe tuner is one of these things, expensive, precise, professional, and makes us look like we know what we are doing even if the thing has not been turned on in 5 years.... I think my Optivisor has become like our Peterson, a staple of the trade, a nice dust catcher, and money not all that well spent in my case.

If you're just starting to have trouble up close, I'd try a +1.50 magnifier for general close work and a +2.50 for around 8" to 10". The only way to tell is to try them.Bring some different size print and maybe some purfling cut-offs with you and go to a big box drugstore or walmart and try them out.
I've been a certified contact lens specialist for thirty years, I go through this all the time with patients. If you need more info, PM me

Brent

I've had problems with close work for a number of years now, Brent, and have just struggled along. I started binding my first guitar yesterday, and visually, it was a real challenge.
I'll take some purfs and fine print with me to Walmart this morning and give it a go.
I think another problem is the flourescent lighting in my shop. It's fine for general work, but hides the fine stuff. I'll move my inspection lamp over to my work bench, and shut off the fluorescents when inspecting my work. Thanks!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

For people who have bifocals these are awesome, light and easy to wear and can be looked over for normal vision, called Mageyes. I have a couple sets.
http://www.mageyes.com/Hobby.htm

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I use these.

http://www.flyrodshop.com/product/flip- ... magnifier/

I have been using a #5 OptiVisor for engraving for twenty plus years. I use it for guitars too, but I have to get close to the work because the focus range for the #5 is about 8-10".

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Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement.

I think the Optivisor is great. I've used them for years. For me it is much easier to be able to flip up the visor when you don't need it than to lay down a pair of closeup classes and then have to look for them. I also don't care to have a pair of glasses swinging from a cord around my neck. I use #2, with lights, as well as #3 and #7 without. By the time you get to #7, you are getting extremely close to your work. I only use those in special cases. You can generally get away with less magnification if you increase the light. I have lots of different lights for this purpose. Any magnification will give you tunnel vision and you will occasionally bang into things or lose that little piece of inlay as it leaves your vision, and the whole world gets fuzzy after too much time behind magnification. However, for many of us it's a done deal. I can wear the Optivisor for hours on end, flipped up or in use, and I find it comfortable. Reading glasses are great for reading, but the Optivisor is more practical for my shop.

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“ The meaning of life is to find your gift and the purpose of life is to give it away” Pablo Picasso

A couple years back on one of my Stew Mac orders I threw in a piar of what ever ones they sell there with the lights. I never really did like the lights but the glasses were great. Since then I started using reading glasses and now don't use the visors for anything except very detailed repairs like splinters or inlay.

I'd been meaning to get an Optivisor, but last week I happened to be at Fry's, and they had a cheap knockoff for $15. LED light, 2 lenses and a swing down high magnification monocle were included. Being impatient, I put it in my cart, figuring if it sucks I'm only out $15.

Well it doesn't suck. The thing is surprisingly good, and I'm not sure I really need anything better for fiddling with inlay channels etc.

I like my StewMac Optivisor but hate the LED's, too weak.
Some day I will rip them off and epoxy on a spot lamp that will really put out some bright light.


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On the advice give here, I tried some reading glasses at Walmart, and bought a three pack of +1.50's. They worked like a charm this morning for touching up binding and purfling channels, and gluing them in! I'm still looking to get an OptiVisor or something similar, but with the readers there isn't the urgency. Another plus is much less eye strain!

I'm hoping this discussion continues, for myself, and for others, who expressed interest in be able to see detail work better.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

I have the optivisor too. Love it.

Sent from my SGH-T599 using Tapatalk

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Another day, another dollar.

Opti-visors are ideal because they take care of two problems with close work. First, magnification. Second, prism that takes the stress off the eye muscles that are used to converge to near point vision. They are really the best long term solution for most people.

Brent

Err......... guys, book an appointment with a good Optometrist and get your eyes checked properly first.
Pathology should be ruled out. Optoms can give you good advice about your work situation as well as offer you suitable products.

Optivisors work well. You pays your money and takes your pick with quality.

If you want the best, surgeons use head band mags a lot. But they won't be cheap. Good powerful overhead lighting is essential for your line of work. The eyes run on light (not the sun direct please).

I have a visor without many miles behind it.

Often wondered if this type of solution would work.

http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Efficient-Desk-Clamp-Mount-Spring-Arm-Magnifying/dp/B001064VTE

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Wake up and smell the rosewood!

Yes, those are good for some situations, but not all. I have one that I use all the time both for light and magnification. There isn't any substitute for some sort of Optivisor when you are doing real close work. The type that surgeons and dentists use are really expensive, but the focal length is much better, in that you don't have to put your face so close to the subject!

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Waddy

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