anyone use a magnifier?

[steveo3002]

im not getting any younger , i struggle a little bit with extreme close up stuff , used to make plastic model kits etc

anyone use a magnifier thing for stuff like that ...thing on a stand maybe with a light on ?

 

[eddie49]

A magnifying headband, with a choice of flip-down lenses, ( and optional LED illumination ) is much more convenient.

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[Parm]

I’ve got one of those magnifiers with in built light and angle poise stand. I’m finding I use it more and more. I also have a few hand held magnifiers.

Another trick with text is to take a photograph with the phone camera then enlarge it so I can see what’s going on

 

[Screwdriver]

Cheapo Chinese headband, strip of leather thanks to @mrsbruce, poundland belt LED (hacked with a switch and to remove useless flashing option!).

 

[My Old Landy]

I now have one on my lathe and several hand held ones from the local cheapo store. I have not bought a headband one...... yet!

 

[optima21]

I find that using a headtorch on its own makes a big difference, good lighting is the way forward

 

[Screwdriver]

I now have one on my lathe and several hand held ones from the local cheapo store. I have not bought a headband one...... yet!

I often carry a couple of pairs of (poundland) specs for close up work. But you have to swap them over or double up and have somewhere to store them etc. Headband magnifier has two sets of lenses which can double up and the whole thing can just be flipped out of the way when you need to see further than the magnifying range allows. The only downside is they can be uncomfortable so I made up a soft leather strap which works surprisingly well both in comfort and grip. Looks a bit nutty but no one is looking anyway. Having a torch on there too is a real bonus.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Yup. I use one a lot like Eddie's image

 

[angellonewolf]

A magnifying headband, with a choice of flip-down lenses, ( and optional LED illumination ) is much more convenient.

plus for that what i use the only problem is you need the item at the right lenth from your face for it to be in focus but better that than you cant see at all

there is a guy on here that had a set of eye glasses that the medical people use id like to see a pair my self as they are so say good if you can get you hands on them

the only other thing i use is a cheap eyeglass that gold dealer uses

 

[My Old Landy]

This is my setup for the lathe. I will probably get a headband as they seem like a good idea!

 

[Kram]

Jewelers loupes and those headbands Ive used are not much good, not enough magnification offset the discomfort of them. I had a few 50mm aspheric lenses which apart from being arkward to hold are excellent for checking small things, like insert/knife edges, pcb traces etc. They are intended for lighting but work just as good for magnification, probably about 20x. I need to make up an led holder for one. High magnifications have very short focal lengths.
This sort
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252693268359

 

[graffian]

I have a magnifier like the one old Landry has put a picture of.
I still had spot a mouse at a thousand yards eye sight, when I got it.
I got it when I was making some small punches with a micro die grinder, worked great.

Now it isn't strong enough and looking through glasses and the magnifier,
everything is a little weird. But it's a handy flurorescent light.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Same as @Parm

 

[Guzrik]

I use all of the above, most just 50 cent +1.5 ones on a cord round my neck.
If you're ever in a situation that you don't have glasses with you, make a very tiny hole by curling up your pointy finger and look through that. You can only read one letter at the time, and people think your odd but it works!

 

[voipio]

Strong reading glasses (+3.5 dioptres) are often fine for close up detailed work.

 

[Nomad]

Good lighting makes a big difference for me so I have a selection of LED torches (magnetic base, flexible head, some rechargeable from usb some use Makita 18v batteries), also good LED work lights on tripods I can position where I need them.
My eyesight is fine during the day but I have poundland glasses & large magniying glasses around the house as I find they help a lot for detail work in the evening when light isn't so good.

Some releatives trade in antiques and use a jewelers loupe for small stuff even though they have good eyesight.

 

[graffian]

I use all of the above, most just 50 cent +1.5 ones on a cord round my neck.
If you're ever in a situation that you don't have glasses with you, make a very tiny hole by curling up your pointy finger and look through that. You can only read one letter at the time, and people think your odd but it works!

I do the looking through a gap in my fingers. Pinhole camera?
I got a puncture. I had the repair kit and pump, but no glasses.
I poked a hole in a leaf, licked my riding glasses and stuck the leaf on.
I got some strange looks but fixed the puncture ok.

 

[Screwdriver]

I use all of the above, most just 50 cent +1.5 ones on a cord round my neck.
If you're ever in a situation that you don't have glasses with you, make a very tiny hole by curling up your pointy finger and look through that. You can only read one letter at the time, and people think your odd but it works!

You can use the slit formed between your fingers. It acts like one slit in a diffraction grating, for bizarre technical reasons, it stops a ton of light from entering at the "wrong" angle because as we all know, light doesn't really travel in straight lines...

 

[500e]

Use a X10 loupe quite a lot + a flip up type that fits over glasses x 4.75
Also have a angle-poise type with light for bench work

 

[bletchmonster]

I use all of the above, most just 50 cent +1.5 ones on a cord round my neck.
If you're ever in a situation that you don't have glasses with you, make a very tiny hole by curling up your pointy finger and look through that. You can only read one letter at the time, and people think your odd but it works!

Well I'll be dammed, so it does. That trick is gold.