Adjusting your glasses
This is something that needs to be done when you first get your glasses. You probably will have to do it a few times after you’ve owned them for awhile as well. Some of us are, without a doubt, harder on glasses than others. I fall in the category of hard on glasses, but I’m getting better. It seems most of the time you will need to adjust glasses along the way though.
Some rules in adjusting Glasses. The DIY way (Do It Yourself).
First, you need to inspect the glasses and assess what condition they are in. With plastic frames for example, minor cracks can turn in to major problems if gone unchecked. Certain types of wear and tear could be a sign to order a new set. In the meantime let’s not break them.
Second, you need to understand your glasses are a tool, for you to see. That said - that is what they are good for. If you need to make adjustments to say the nose piece or temple area, you will need another tool. Don’t make a temple adjustment at the hinge by bending the arm of glasses around. Long nose pliers allow pressure at a specific place, and don’t put pressure where your glasses don’t need it or can’t handle it. More on tools in bit. My point is, use your glasses as a tool to see with. Use other tools to adjust them. Doing otherwise you risk breaking them, particularly at solder point.
Third, when you try to make a bend as part of the adjustment, you need to use some heat. This can be done a few ways – hot water, hot sand or a hair dryer. Do not try and bend glasses cold. Also, make bends slowly so you don’t do any damage. Better to bend twice than to unbend (I think that was Confucius).
Fourth, get some type of soft cloth to grip with; you don’t want to scratch your frames. The best type of pliers for this have smooth jaws, but if you use one with a checkered pattern on the jaws, pad it with the cloth. A 12” x 12” or so piece of micro fiber is good. You can also use it to wipe cold water off after you finish a bend and now need it to cool.
Those are the guidelines to start with. The last thing in the world anybody wants is to end up with a problem that is worse than we started. It is not a bad idea to have a kit for when you work on your glasses. What you need varies based on what type of glasses you have. Metal, plastic, semi- rimless, and so on, all need different attention.
And the basics are this....
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You want the glasses to sit at the right height on your face. Adjustments to the nose pieces can help with this. When making this adjustment it is best to use smooth jaw needle nose pliers. The farther apart the nose pads are, the lower they will sit on your face. The closer together the pads are, the higher they will sit. When adjusting, make sure the pads center your glasses over your nose and are comfortable when you are done.
Next is temple adjustment. This can affect how the glasses sit on your face. If they are sitting crooked it is likely you need to do a temple adjustment. Sometimes you need to add a bend in order to not have the frames touch the temples on the side of the face. The only points of contact you want is at the top and bridge of nose, and then the top and back of ears (back, on head, just behind ear). This adjustment should be made with long nose smooth jaw pliers. The adjustment should be made close to the hinge of the frame. Some plastic frames will likely need heat applied and adjustment made at the bridge. When using heat, hot water or a hair dryer usually do the trick. Heat up the point where you need to make a bend for 10 to 15 seconds, and then bend slowly. When you get the bend you want, put the glasses under cold running water. This will cool them and maintain the bend. An easy check is to put your glasses, arms open, upside down on table. What you want to see is 3 points of contact with the table. Those points being: the top of the frame, and curve over the ears, touching the table. A slight bend up or down to the left or right arm of the frame until you have 3 points of contact upside down on the table, should get your adjustment close if not good.
The next adjustment is just behind the ears. You don’t want too much or too little pressure here. This is again a time to add heat. A hair dryer should be good. Heat up the piece and bend it in or out as needed. You may find you need to add or subtract from the bend over the ear as well. Just add heat and make small adjustments until your glasses are comfortable.
You want the glasses to sit at the right height on your face. Adjustments to the nose pieces can help with this. When making this adjustment it is best to use smooth jaw needle nose pliers. The farther apart the nose pads are, the lower they will sit on your face. The closer together the pads are, the higher they will sit. When adjusting, make sure the pads center your glasses over your nose and are comfortable when you are done.
Next is temple adjustment. This can affect how the glasses sit on your face. If they are sitting crooked it is likely you need to do a temple adjustment. Sometimes you need to add a bend in order to not have the frames touch the temples on the side of the face. The only points of contact you want is at the top and bridge of nose, and then the top and back of ears (back, on head, just behind ear). This adjustment should be made with long nose smooth jaw pliers. The adjustment should be made close to the hinge of the frame. Some plastic frames will likely need heat applied and adjustment made at the bridge. When using heat, hot water or a hair dryer usually do the trick. Heat up the point where you need to make a bend for 10 to 15 seconds, and then bend slowly. When you get the bend you want, put the glasses under cold running water. This will cool them and maintain the bend. An easy check is to put your glasses, arms open, upside down on table. What you want to see is 3 points of contact with the table. Those points being: the top of the frame, and curve over the ears, touching the table. A slight bend up or down to the left or right arm of the frame until you have 3 points of contact upside down on the table, should get your adjustment close if not good.
The next adjustment is just behind the ears. You don’t want too much or too little pressure here. This is again a time to add heat. A hair dryer should be good. Heat up the piece and bend it in or out as needed. You may find you need to add or subtract from the bend over the ear as well. Just add heat and make small adjustments until your glasses are comfortable.