Advice please..
Discussion
As per a lot of people on here I’ve bought a few kits in lockdown to get back into model making again after a 20 plus year absence the last kit made being the caterham masters series 1/12, my question is to do with wearing glasses!!
Last time I made a kit I didn’t wear them now I do and am struggling ,really struggling to the point of frustration seeing using points etc. Do I need to get stronger glasses or one of those magnifying glass things on a stand, and one other question I bought a part built Tamiya to practice on but the original builder had a few too many sherbets before he started building it and a couple of parts are glued on pissed! How do you remove those parts to reset?
Last time I made a kit I didn’t wear them now I do and am struggling ,really struggling to the point of frustration seeing using points etc. Do I need to get stronger glasses or one of those magnifying glass things on a stand, and one other question I bought a part built Tamiya to practice on but the original builder had a few too many sherbets before he started building it and a couple of parts are glued on pissed! How do you remove those parts to reset?
The best advice is get an appointment with an optician - not easy at present.
I bought these:
From here:
https://www.quicktest.co.uk/acatalog/Megan---phone...
By far the best magnifiers I’ve tried because they are extremely light, give you peripheral vision, which you need for picking up parts with tweezers, or dipping paint. For me, at 3x magnification or less, in conjunction with a daylight corrected LED lamp, they are perfect.
I don’t know how your peripheral vision would be with glasses, or how these would work with them. They do versions that clip to your normal glasses though.
You could give Quicktest a call to discuss - they are very helpful and the website gives a load of info on magnification.
Don’t carry on struggling with your eyesight - get it sorted; you can’t build decent models unless you can see what you’re doing.
I bought these:
From here:
https://www.quicktest.co.uk/acatalog/Megan---phone...
By far the best magnifiers I’ve tried because they are extremely light, give you peripheral vision, which you need for picking up parts with tweezers, or dipping paint. For me, at 3x magnification or less, in conjunction with a daylight corrected LED lamp, they are perfect.
I don’t know how your peripheral vision would be with glasses, or how these would work with them. They do versions that clip to your normal glasses though.
You could give Quicktest a call to discuss - they are very helpful and the website gives a load of info on magnification.
Don’t carry on struggling with your eyesight - get it sorted; you can’t build decent models unless you can see what you’re doing.
dr_gn said:
Can you post pictures of the parts you want to separate? Poly cement effectively welds the parts together if it’s used correctly, so it’s tricky. There may be other ways around it though.
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/xqhacXuz.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/RFbjrRjc" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/RFbjrRjc.jpg)
The backplate on the chassis isn’t glued straight so the engine is at an angle when bolted up plus the suspension on one side is slightly out at an angle on one side.
I am wearing my prescription glasses but will give the ones you say a try,they don’t hinder you and your stunning builds!
Looks like the Tamiya Tyrrell P-34?
Re. the engine & transmission - it’s so badly done I can’t tell which bits have been made right and which are mis-aligned. I can’t find any sort of datum.
I’d get a new scalpel and carefully cut along each and every joint line. Then get a thin jeweller’s screwdriver in the gap and gently prize the parts apart. Pick a non-conspicuous area because the parts will definitely get slightly damaged. You can then repair each part with filler as required, paint and re-assemble. It’s definitely do-able but I’d set several hours aside for that one! Be careful with the scalpel - one slip and it’s A&E.
Re. the engine & transmission - it’s so badly done I can’t tell which bits have been made right and which are mis-aligned. I can’t find any sort of datum.
I’d get a new scalpel and carefully cut along each and every joint line. Then get a thin jeweller’s screwdriver in the gap and gently prize the parts apart. Pick a non-conspicuous area because the parts will definitely get slightly damaged. You can then repair each part with filler as required, paint and re-assemble. It’s definitely do-able but I’d set several hours aside for that one! Be careful with the scalpel - one slip and it’s A&E.
‘Fraid not. I got this from a show about 3 years ago. First one packed up within a day, so they sent another. It’s been ok, but the touch pads stopped working, so I drilled the plastic off them and use the metal pads underneath. It’s very plasticky, and feels like it might snap at any time. Light is good though: 3 brightnesses and three colour temperatures. I only ever use the highest brightness and daylight temperature. It’s also fairly long, so doesn’t cast shadows that are too harsh.
A better quality version of it would be good.
A better quality version of it would be good.
dr_gn said:
‘Fraid not. I got this from a show about 3 years ago. First one packed up within a day, so they sent another. It’s been ok, but the touch pads stopped working, so I drilled the plastic off them and use the metal pads underneath. It’s very plasticky, and feels like it might snap at any time. Light is good though: 3 brightnesses and three colour temperatures. I only ever use the highest brightness and daylight temperature. It’s also fairly long, so doesn’t cast shadows that are too harsh.
A better quality version of it would be good.
Shadows are a pain. I’m looking for a suitable light source. A better quality version of it would be good.
Thanks drgn, I need some help as well with a new light. Your mention of an eye test is a kick the arse I need. I’ve never worn glasses, but maybe I do. Like you say, I’ll book a test when the lurgy subsides.
Cheers doc.
Drawweight said:
I got the same set of glasses as above then my wife bought one of these for her crafts which I pinched.
I find it better but I suspect that’s because of the extra light that it puts out.
I might try the glasses again with extra lighting. That may do the job.
I borrowed a similar thing from work - rectangular magnifyer in the middle and two fluorescent strips either side. I found it magnified too much and therefore depth of focus was small - this I find is very relevant (the glasses come with several strengths of lens - low mag gives greater depth of focus). Also for me there were two variables for a clear image: distance of the work to the glass for focus, and your eyes to the glass for distortion, so two things to get right before I could work comfortably. With the glasses, all you do is move your head to compensate for moving the part around in your hands. With the desk magnifyer, unless your paint or tools are right next to what you’re doing, you have to stop work and find them then re-focus. I couldn’t work with it, but that’s just me.I find it better but I suspect that’s because of the extra light that it puts out.
I might try the glasses again with extra lighting. That may do the job.
So these are the things I’ve tried that I couldn’t get on with:
RS desktop lamp described above:
Reading magnifying glasses from Aldi - shallow depth of focus and no peripheral vision:
These are similar to what I ended up with, but needlessly heavy and bulky:
BTW my comments about peripheral vision may only apply to people with the same correction requirements as me - I don’t need correction for most close work (reading, car instruments etc), but do for distance. However, my near point focus has got longer with age, so I have to hold things further away before I can focus. For small parts it’s hopeless, but for finding a paint pot or tweezers it’s fine, so I can glance to the side and easily find/work with larger objects. The magnifyers compensate for my near point deterioration.
Like I said, if you’re struggling, *definitely* see an optician. There may well be far better solutions for you than magnifyers.
RS desktop lamp described above:
Reading magnifying glasses from Aldi - shallow depth of focus and no peripheral vision:
These are similar to what I ended up with, but needlessly heavy and bulky:
BTW my comments about peripheral vision may only apply to people with the same correction requirements as me - I don’t need correction for most close work (reading, car instruments etc), but do for distance. However, my near point focus has got longer with age, so I have to hold things further away before I can focus. For small parts it’s hopeless, but for finding a paint pot or tweezers it’s fine, so I can glance to the side and easily find/work with larger objects. The magnifyers compensate for my near point deterioration.
Like I said, if you’re struggling, *definitely* see an optician. There may well be far better solutions for you than magnifyers.
Edited by dr_gn on Sunday 24th May 08:23
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