Optivisor is the gold standard when discussing headband magnifiers with jewelry makers! Optivisors allow you to work on your jewelry without squinting, playing "trombone" with your work, or stopping your creative flow. Not only do the Optivisors allow you to see your work close-up while working with both hands, but the visor also helps you control your lighting, which reduces glare off those shiny wires and helps you see each wrap clearly! This is the brand of headband magnifiers you’ll see Dale "Cougar" Armstrong use in all her wire jewelry DVDs.
Interested in Optivisors, but want more information? Check out our archived posts all about Optivisors!
Click below to see Optivisors on JewelryTools.com:
Click below to see Optivisors on Wire-Sculpture.com:
Regarding the Optivisor question, I have seen some that can also be used with your prescription glasses. Is this true? Will this make a big difference in the distance you’re holding your work? My neck is killing me!!
-Linda in Palatine, Illinois
Answer:
Hi Linda, as I mentioned in the original discussion (Optivisor Distance and Magnification), many of my students use the Optivisor 1.75 lens with their prescription glasses! The choice will really be yours as everyone has different requirements for their eyes. Personally, sometimes I just use 300 power "cheater" glasses from a department store (and yes I wear prescription glasses for anything that is 18 inches away or closer). My decision depends on what I am doing! If I am working a live show and the producer wants to "see" my eyes, I have to use these glasses, but when I am in my studio or teaching a class and I am working on seriously detailed items for hours at a time I really need my optivisors.
My best advice here would be to take the time to visit an store that sells all types of magnifying glasses and try them by wearing them alone or with your prescription glasses, looking for the detail in something like the prongs on a ring you are wearing. You may also wish to consult with your personal optometrist. (I take my Optivisors to my eye doctor each yearly appointment.) Just remember, you have to take care of your eyes! We are not starfish and cannot "regenerate" our parts.
Dale, thank you so much for your everyday tips. I love your book too! I’m struggling to pick out the right kind of Optivisor. What do 8", 14", and 20" actually mean? And how am I supposed to know what magnifying glass I need? Thanks a lot for your help.
-Irisha in Georgetown, Texas
Answer:
Hi Irisha, thanks so much! I am glad that all of the information I share is helpful to you. Now about Optivisors, the numbers you mention, 8", 14", and 20", relate to how closely you will need to hold your work to your eyes for the magnification to work properly. I like to recommend 14-inch to my students because this distance allows you to work without having to hold your work too closely, preventing strain on the back, neck and shoulders.
By "magnifying glass" I think you mean what power of lens that goes into the Optivisor. Most people use a 1.75 either with or without their prescription glasses. The greater the magnification, the closer to your eyes you have to hold the work to see it properly. We had a nice discussion about eye magnification devices that may give you some more insight called: Magnify Wire Jewelry with Optivisors.
Just remember that the further away you are able to hold your work and still see the details will prevent pain in your body!
I was watching the Bonus Intro DVD and wanted to find a visor like you recommended. Where can I find the Optivisors?
-Kate in Dayton, Ohio
Answer:
Hi Kate, Wire-Sculpture does carry the same Optivisor that I both wear and recommend. It comes with just one lens, because additional lenses cost quite a bit more. I have found that the 1.75 magnification works for nearly all of my students; some wear their glasses with it, and some don’t. They really make those small details easy to see!
JewelryTools also carries a large selection of the many styles of Optivisor available, as well as an on-visor lighting tool.
Keep this in mind when purchasing a set of magnifying glasses or an Optivisor: the greater the magnification, the closer you have to hold your work to your eyes; which results in bad posture, neck and shoulder aches, etc.
I bought some wire a year or so ago. It is not marked what gauge it is. How can I figure out what gauge it is, and if it is round, half round, or square?
-Jeanne in Grants Pass, Oregon
Answer:
One of the easiest ways to determine the shape of the wire is to slowly roll a piece in your fingers. If it is square, it will bump around; round will roll easily; and half-round will hesitate before bumping over. Another way is to use magnifiers or Optivisors and look at the end of the wire to see the shape.
To find out what size/gauge a wire is, it is best to purchase a wire gauge. This inexpensive tool has slots along the edges that will fit square wire and half-round wire measuring across the flat, and holes to size round wire.
I have to tell you, if you do need some of those tools, this is a great time to get them, because Wire-Sculpture is having a sale on tools through Wednesday: all jewelry tools are 20% off through the 23rd. Click here to see the tools on sale.
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