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Prescription Safety Goggles

T

Ted Mellin

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Apr 4, 2010
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Does anyone know where to get prescription safety goggles? I need a tight seal to avoid the flying wood chips. Really don't like the face shield for detail work because it fogs up and the visibility is poor. So would really prefer some quality goggles to use. Would appreciate knowing if anyone has a source where to find them. thanks - Ted
 
My Optometrist/Optician office has a selection of rated safety glasses that they can make in ones prescription. I don't believe any of them have a tight seal around your face like the traditional goggles, but some of them are somewhat contoured and form fitting. You might look into sports glasses that have more of a contour to your face. Raquetball glasses used to be quite form fitting. Try the internet as well.
 
Ted,
Don's comment about going to your Optometrist/Optician office is the best advice. My Optometrist put together Safety glasses for me, I don't care for goggles, but he did have them and will put prescriptions in them. They make them for Dive Masks also. It would be better to have the lens ground in your goggles than glued in over a lens like a dive mask. You may want to watch that, as an impact might dislogde the lens if glued in and cause damage.
Bill
 
I just got a pair of prescription safety glasses, with the removable side shields, and absolutely love them. Ordered them online, got them in about a week. Finally, safety glasses with my astigmatism correction!!!

Don't know if this helps or not, but here's the web page: http://www.rx-safety.com
 
Ted, I had a pair made through my Optometrist. For the type of frame that would 'seal', I chose bicycle racing glasses for the frames. They are made by Vizio, in Italy.

Another option is to use the type of frames worn by the military, which is what I originally had in mind when searching for curved safety glasses. Unfortunately, that style did not fit my smaller size face.

I wear bifocals, and getting a curved lens is a challenge for many optic labs. Places like LensCrafters, Pearl Vision and Walmart will tell you that you can't have a progressive curved lens. That's not exactly true - their lab can't make that lens, and they just want to sell you a pair of glasses. You need to go to an optometrist or ophthalmologist that can send your prescription to a lab that can make digital lenses.

Warning--they aren't cheap. But what is the price of your eye and your vision? Two year ago my px safety glasses (frames and lenses) cost about $400. If it means protecting my eyes, it's a bargain.
 
I got safty glasses with bifocals from Walmart and I wear a Uvex shield and have no fogging trouble and can see fine even doing small stuff. But when I got my glasses Wal-mart had safty googles also,might try them.Oh ya mine were like $107.00 I think.
 
Condensation can be a problem for the shed or basement turner, where the temperature isn't high, so good ventilation is a requirement if you goggle over.

Had you considered changing your grind or tool technique a bit? Doesn't take much to rotate a cutting tool so it directs the shavings away from you in those cases like pull cutting. Rotate a bit downward to throw them at your waist. I'm so lazy I shoot most of the shavings from the outside of a bowl directly into the bag that will carry them out. Since most of my cutting is done with a push, not a pull, the shavings fall naturally away from me. Makes the average pair of rated specs good enough.
 
I purchased the Uvex face shield. I hate face shields but this on is actuallly comfortable. I can see through it, and so far haven't had a problem with it fogging up. http://www.thesandingglove.com/UVEX-Safety-Equipment.asp
Apparently Lee Valley stopped selling what I used to use. It was a wire mesh face shield with a clear plastic panel where your eyes were. I like it for stopping shavings and of course it didn't fog up. However it would not stop any projectiles coming at you of any real size. You might be able to do a search for chain saw face guards and find something similar.


another option- http://www.stickonbifocals.com/

However I'll go with MM on this one. Simply change your tool technique. Many times it's just a matter or rotating the tool a little to make the shavings go in a different direction.
My best friend turned with his dad doing production work back in the 60's and they never wore safety glasses back then. He learned 2 techniques. One was changing the gouge angles mentioned above. The other was to use the thumb of his left hand to redirect the shavings. It won't work when you hogging off green wood but for thing like the way the shaving of the parting tool come right back at you it works great. You just sort of hold your thumb up and move it until it make the shaving glance in a different direction. I do this all the time now when I need to.
Now if your using one of the new scrapers held flat they throw the shavings right back in your face.
 
Ted,

There's probably a couple things you can do. One is use ATV goggles that are designed to wear over glasses and they do not fog, you can get them at local motorcycle shop. Two is go to your local welding shop and look at the optical inserts used inside of welding helmonts that are magnified in reading glass increiments. I'm sure either would fit your needs.
 
I wore progressive lenses for a LONG time and used a face shield over them.
I tried bi-focal safety glasses, but they were not right for me...I need different strengths in each eye and the "middle distance" wasn't right.

7 months ago I decided to try Multi-focal contact lenses. It took some trial and error with the eye doctor to get the prescription right...but now I LOVE not wearing glasses. No dirty lenses, no fogging, no leaving them on the coffee table and forgetting where I put them.

In the shop, I can where whatever safety glasses or goggles I want to over them.

It works for me....may be worth a try.
 
Ted Mellin said:
Does anyone know where to get prescription safety goggles? I need a tight seal to avoid the flying wood chips. Really don't like the face shield for detail work because it fogs up and the visibility is poor. So would really prefer some quality goggles to use. Would appreciate knowing if anyone has a source where to find them. thanks - Ted
Click to expand...

It really depends on your prescription. I have an astigmatism that has too much "something" and they can't do a curved lens. As well as I wear progressive lenses.
I had some Wiley-X made and they were horrible to try to see out of. So the option for me is a flat faced glasses with side covers.
 
Ted.......

There are times when I'm using an air stream to eject chips from the interior of a bowl with inward slanting walls, while the lathe is running. I have had a need for a similar solution.....some eye protection that sealed around the eyes.

click on link:
http://www.harborfreight.com/garage-shop/eye-protection/splash-resistant-safety-goggle-97140.html

This is not specifically what you asked for......not prescription, but it does seal, and fits comfortably over my regular prescription glasses. The description doesn't mention that it'll fit over the glasses, but there is an indent in the sides that looks suspiciously like it was designed for the specific purpose of accommodating those who wish to use the goggles over their eyeglasses.

I tried these on at my local Harbor Freight about a year ago, and it fit well enough over my regular glasses, that I decided to give them a try.......been using them off and on since that time.

If you have a local HF store, try them on. They are really cheap, so even if you can't try them on first, it won't cost very much to find out if they would work out for you.......

ooc
 
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