Eyeglass repair

I've not bought replacement parts, since Zenni Optical is so inexpensive.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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I've uncovered an industrial supplier that will happily sell me these parts in 1000 - set lots, but 5 sets would be a lifetime supply.

Now, I *would* have my local repair place fix these frames *again* but I honestly think my soft-soldering skills will result in a longer lasting repair, much cheaper.

So, which supplier has thrilled you with excellent quality, lightning - fast delivery and stunningly low price? :)

Thanks

--Winston

I built one up out of hot glue. Karl

My jeweler welded a broken one back together for me , can't even tell it's been repaired .

Same here.

Last time these glasses broke, I took them to a local 'glasses repair' house. 45 dollarettes later, they attached a new nose pad arm with the most delicate braze joint you've ever seen. The braze held, but the arm was apparently not sufficiently annealed because it snapped off right at the joint just a couple months later.

Guess I'll have to cruise the local thrift shops for wireframe glasses to salvage for parts.

--Winston

Does your local repair place carry any parts like that? I haven't recently looked for glasses parts (aside from having nose pads replaced at a glasses shop I noticed in a Walmart). If you don't find a small-quantity supplier, consider getting some used glasses (for parts) at a thrift store or optician.

I wouldn't be comfortable with lead-based solder near my nose, and would use braze rather than solder. Also, given the small contact area of the nose-pad arm and relatively high stress on the part, the extra strength of braze vs. solder is desirable.

I'm first and foremost an electronics tech and pretty good at soft soldering. That being said I've been using glasses off/on for over 30 years that have been repaired around the nose pieces with soft solder. Usually 37/63 if it matters. Last repair was ~6 years ago and that pair gets worn pretty much everyday for reading, close up stuff. Of course maybe THAT is the reason I'm a bit whacko ;-)

You need a lot of surface area to make soft solder work well though. Nice thing about it is that you can keep trying, rarely if ever does it do any harm other than come apart.

I could resort to hard silver solder if need be, but I'm not as talented working with my acetylene torch set. I do have some small tips though just in case.

Yes. Not for sale to the unwashed, though. :)

Capital suggestion.

I'm not so concerned about lead. The joint would not be in rubbing contact with any part of my physiognomy and would be sufficiently strong, now that I know about the magic of joint preparation and extra solder flux. :)

I can solder with sufficiently good quality easily using the tools at hand but brazing on that scale would require me to buy a need little 'micro torch' (new tool. Oooooo.)

I am very concerned that I would overheat the parts (as did the professional repair guy) and cause another failure, if I brazed anyway.

--Winston

(...)

Very cool!

--Winston

(...)

I ended up salvaging a nose-pad arm off an old frame and soft soldered with eutectic as well. It'll do. :)

I'll have to locate a really tiny tip for my Purox torch and try my hand at that sometime. Sounds like fun!

--Winston

Butofcoursenot.

Prolly so.

Bueno.

Gopheritwindude!

Practice makes...um, better. The watch repairman who silver-soldered my frames did a nice job and they persist as my backups.

-- A human being must have occupation if he or she is not to become a nuisance to the world. -- Dorothy L. Sayers

We need to find -jobs- for our CONgresscritters! -- Larry Jaques

I cut up an old frame and salvaged an arm off it. Lots o' surface prep and extra solder flux. A little 63/37 and it is once again Functional. Werks Gut.

I am barely controlling my lust for one o'them laser welders made famous by youtube. Oh Boy!

--Windude

Good News, Everybody!

5 pair for 9 bux plus shipping, handling, taxes, transportation, accounting fee, Customs, Excise.

It is a heckuva bargain.

--Winston

(...)

Well, >$200 anyway. :)

I discovered that 5 sets of the repair parts are available from Rancho Cucamonga for less than 20 dollarettes.

--Winston

I don't dig out the acetylene outfit very often... But I fixed a couple of Jeep door hinges for my neighbor a few weeks ago so it is still fresh on my mind. It is a Victor outfit (100C HB Torch) and the smallest tip I bought special thinking I would use it for bicycle frame repair:

Part/Size # Description Material thickness

000 Welding tip Up to 1/32"

Probably kinda big yet for what jewelers would use but I think it would be worth a go. But then I would HAVE to remove the lenses whereas if they are glass (mine are) you can most likely get away with leaving them in. And I would have to DIG the Oxy/Acy rig out, refresh my brain on settings... I haven't lost my soft soldering Fu yet so most likely that would be my first choice. Afraid I'm getting pretty lazy nowadays :)

It's nice knowing that I have it around though, just in case I really need it.

Welding tip Up to

I found one of those in my kit. Still don't know what I'd do with it. Maybe experiment with welding aluminum wire or something.

I removed the lens' when I did my soft-solder repair. I think the plastic would not have liked the 700 F. :)

I thought that was just *me*.

Assemble left-over frame parts into sculpture, sell for huge dollars through an art gallery. Become famous and very wealthy! :)

--Winston