What Magnifying Glass Do You Use?

[omni_dilletante]

It is time to get a magnifying glass (or two) for my shop.

I am hoping others can chime in on what they have learned that does and does not work when using a magnifying glass in the shop.

What magnification comes in the most handy?

Do you use a stationary glass like this:



Or a handheld one:



Or a lighted dome like wonder:



Or a visor:

 

[RJSakowski]

I have lit magnifiers on both my lathes. I believe that they are about 2.5X. For detailed work, I use a 10X or 20X Barlow. For extreme vision , I have a 300X microscope which can mounted in the in the spindle of my my mill and, with the DRO, can make measurements of very fine detail. IMO, though, the ultimate magnifier is a stereo microscope. The stereo vision provides depth of field which adds additional information to your view.

As to which I use the most, it would be the lighted magnifiers on the lathes, followed by the 10X Barlow.

 

[mksj]

It all depends what you need it for and how bad your eyesight ht is. For general machining and close in work I have two jeweler visor types depending on the scale of my work. Use them all the time in the shop and doing electronics. General close up wiring and when I am close to the work, I use a pair of inexpensive 4X reading glasses. Use a loop if I need to increase the magnification further. I always need two hands so holding a magnifier in one hand is a problem, sometimes I wish I had a third hand, like soldering a cable end (holding the wire in place, applying solder, and holding the iron). I often use a fixture with clamps at the end to hold the cable/wire. Having a comfortable visor with decent lenses helps a lot. Some of the older Jewels visors with/wo a flip down loop are nice, especially as one gets older and your eyesight goes to crap.

 

[RJSakowski]

I should add that I use 2.5 to 3 diopter reading glasses for anything closer than 30". A trick that I use when I don't have a traditional magnifier at hand is to drop a second pair of reading glasses behind my first pair. It looks goofy but gives a nice boost to the magnification.

 

[JimDawson]

I normally use a jeweler's loupe I have several of these in both 4x and 10x



And I have a couple of these in 10x and 20x



And a pocket comparator



I also have a HF headband style

If I need to get closer, I have a 50-300x microscope camera.



And sometimes I use a stereo optical microscope with micrometer X/Y stage for close tool & die work, something like this one

 

[quickcut]

Any body tried those one's the surgeons use?

 

[Billh50]

I have 2 visors ( 1 with a light on it, 1 with multiple magnifications ), a stationary magnifier, and a pocket magnifier. Eyes aren't what they used to be. Or my arms aren't long enough anymore.

 

[Bob Korves]

http://www.harborfreight.com/fluorescent-magnifying-lamp-60643.html
The quality is pretty good.

 

[chips&more]

I have many other variations, but the three in the pic below is what I use most and also eye loupes. The eye glass frame type for me offers the BEST focal length. Like I said I have many, but find I get eye strain, focus problems and other discomforts that wind up giving me a headache. I can wear/use the three in the pic for long periods of time without too much side effects, at least no headache! I totally dislike the big single lens where you look through with both eyes. That type will give me eye strain and a headache in minutes. And those cheap visors are eye strain and headache also…Dave

 

[Tony Wells]

Chips, where can that general type be sourced?

Like most, I use a variety depending on what I am doing and where. On the bench, I do have a lighted single lens arm, but when I position it, it takes a few seconds to stabilize and that movement kind of makes my head swim, so I usually wait a few seconds before trying to use it. I too use some simple reading cheaters when it is just making a single or two small soldered connection. For reading small part numbers, I have found (of all things) a thread count magnifier to be very handy. It folds out of a small package and makes its own "stand" at the proper length. I think it's 20X. Visors have their place in the field, for me. I have an old hand held, battery operated lens, about 3.5" diameter I'd guess.....quick and dirty if I don't need a lot of close up, but it's no good if you need both hands.

Actually, in machine work, I haven't needed a magnifier too much yet. But I do wear some outdated bifocals, so I can see (pardon the pun) it's time for a new prescription. Once I get to my jeweler's lathe, I am preparing to work under a fresnel lens that covers the entire work envelope. I've been in an industrial horology lab, and nearly all the machines were set up that way and the guys were doing quite well with them.

I will admit that running the tool up for a touch-off takes at least 5 times as long, and several tries before I am satisfied nowadays. Long gone are the touch and go where I trusted it to about a half. Oh well.....part of aging eyesight. A little while longer, and maybe I will consider Lasik or something. It's getting better, they say.