stripped screw hole in glasses frame

I suspect you'd be wasting your time. They'd want to replace the frame. What I'd suggest is to tap out the hole to the next larger screw size. Small screws and taps (down to 000-120), and even lock nuts (though only down to 2-56), are available here:

Gary

On Sun, 05 Sep 2004 13:49:45 -0500, "B.B." calmly ranted:

Take them down to the local Walmart and have the Optometrist look at it. They usually have qualified techs there who can repair them or who would sell a nut & bolt to you cheaply. Look to pay a lot more from a standard Optometric office. Seal them together with clear nail polish, the eyeglass version of Loctite.

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Loctite Form-A-Thread may work. Some auto parts stores carry it, otherwise try an industrial supply. I never used it with such a small screw, but it worked fine for M6 studs in aluminum (valve cover studs on a VW 1.8L engine)

Maybe epoxy (JB Weld or simialr), drill and tap.

I repaired my wife's glasses with heat shrink tubing. If I had known that she would wait 3 years until replacing the frames, I would have used clear tubing instead of black. (I married one of the few women in the world that care nothing for fashion - as long as it works, she's happy.)

-Ron

That's what I used to do with Firstborn's full time specks when he was in grade 3 and would break the hinges. Due to peer influence, he soon learned to be a lot more careful with them. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

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Mine did the same thing on both sides. Took them to my optometrist and they put a tiny nut and bolt on both sides. Been good for about a year now.

Garrett Fulton

There seems to be an agreement between optometrist's regarding the repair of glasses, or at least replacing the screws. On several instances over the past 40 years I've brought glasses to have the screws replaced, and have never been charged. Putting a screw and nut has been one of the repairs made many times by optometrist's (I put some Loctite on them when I got them home). I always offered to pay, but have never been charged. A friendly thank you very much was all I ever paid....

I've since had laser eye surgery (last November) and now don't need 'em! Never had the problem with sunglasses.....

Dave Young

Ways I have repaired frames in the past:

Clamping the frame with hemostats and soldering the screw in place... more likely to work with older frames made of or plated with materials that solder will flow over.

Paper clip fed through the holes and tightly bent around in a "C"... good for a few weeks.

Miniature screw and two nuts... in lieu of a locking nut or locktite.

Have also "repaired" broken hinges by filling with solder. [OK if your glasses never come off]

"Small Parts Inc." or a real hobby shop have small screws and nuts.

Any optical shop will have a screw that will go in the frame. I have had happen what happened to you a few itmes and they never even tapped a new thread, just inserted a slighly larger screw and used some loctite or nail polish (clear on the threads)

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I have always made a rivet from a piece of silver solder, in a pinch you can use a straight pin like the ones that come in the collar of a new shirt and pass it through then bend it around the hinge.

Go to the folks who sell glasses and let them fix it; they have the parts and will -in my experience- do it for the good-will. Most won't even care of you bought the frames from them or not. We're talking about one of the few businesses that still has very high levels of service, not to mention high profit margins on the original sale.

Fast and quick is to just superglue the lens into the frame.

-- Bob May Losing weight is easy! If you ever want to lose weight, eat and drink less. Works every time it is tried!

Over the years I have repaired several frames with that problem. I have a collection of small screws down to 000-120 but, IIRC, 00-90 or 0-80 will be the right size depending on the frames. If there is enough meat in the frame, tap the hole nad use a screw and lock nut. Otherwise, use a slightly longer screw and double nut. My favourite frames kept loosening so I re-tapped slightly larger and used a lock nut. Haven't had a problem since.

BTW, the old rule on machine screw size (D = 0.060+0.013xN, where N is the screw number) works for these little guys. Just consider 00 as -1 and 000 as -2. I have no idea why so many people hate negative numbers!

Ted