Resizing or Reshaping an Old Lens for a New Frame Using a Handstone or an Edger in an Emergency 

Well, in the "old days" we didn't really take down every lens by hand! But it makes for good story telling for us old farts. Yes - this is a skill that anyone wanting to be considered an optician must have. It can really save the day and isn't all that hard to do. Sure saved my butt a few times along the way... John

Is it possible to resize glass lenses? I have a pair of america optical vintage sunglasses and was hoping to replace the lenses with a different color of lens in teal that I picked up as well. Is that possible or realistic to do? The lenses are a specific color and I was really hoping to have them on the sunglasses. Thankyou

@@AStateOfProgressive it is but it can also be easily done at the optic lab.

And Canada is one of my favourite places... ;-) Well at least it was way back when the USD bought 2.5 CDs anyway. Could live like a king back in the day.

Sounds like the voice of experience. ;-)

First note on the whiteboard says "Mark Lenses R, L and UP" Couldn't agree more. A tic mark at the top of 90 is the same thing as reading and recording an axis and you don't have to even think about it.

It was for you --- and you are welcome. Thanks for the idea. John

@@LaramyKOptical Any chance we can get one on how to use both liquid and rolls of lens interliner?

@@VisionaryEyeCenter Good one! I'll get on it.

Supplies are on the way.

You are welcome. John

Just that one. After that it does just come down to practice, practice, practice. You should have a tray of old lenses sitting around or your lab should be able to send you some to use. We don't do finishing at the lab so can't help you there. John

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-H1bNE3Q8G8g.html

"C" size or circumference can be deceiving. It is a very fine line between large enough to heat-and-snap into a plastic frame and just plain too big. There is a cheap tool called a C-sizer that might help but probably just more practice. As I mention numerous time this is a "fix" not a solution.

@@LaramyKOpticalthank you so much for replying! I didn’t expect this. You just got yourself new subs. I just discovered your channel today and it’s very informative

Just water.

Trivex or 1.67 not poly with cylinder that high.

sure

Wracking my brain but I think the answer would be, "you can't." You would be doing it all by hand. I suppose you could make a pattern, cut it oversize and take it down from there. John

Without the V notch resizing and keeping the lens bevel would be next to impossible. You need the large(r) radius of the handstone wheel to keep things smooth. If you bought it down to Dremel size you would always be running the risk of small gouges. If you used the Dremel tool with their router bench then you would end up with the same cost and bench space. But - hey if you manage to make it work PLEASE let us know and send some pictures. I'm an email away through the website. John

That would be on a call-it-as-I-see-it sort of thing.

When I was young I had to... OK I gotta ask - why did you need to hand edge 20 pairs a day? Yeah edgers are expensive but still?

@@LaramyKOptical 1st off i wasnt expecting you to reply. it was a pleasant surprise. i am not from America. im in south east asia. the company i used to work with had like 135 stores around the country. stores who had high traffic and high sales figures will get access to their own edger while stores like where i was working at were medium range performers we get a handstone. we do have access to the company central processing lab but it will take a week for something to come back to us if we send it there thus manual edging was the preferred choice decided upon by the management. we not only hand edge, we did manual hand grooving for cord mounted and hand drill mounting holes for rimless. all because customers wanted their orders completed fast. the worse was when the company decided to do 1 hour service on the frames and lens. we had stock lens on hand and if the customer wants it we can get it done in an hour if it was a full frame. i was the main edger and it kinda sucks because i would have to do other sales person orders and got left out from doing sales and loose my potential commission from the sales. i left after working there for 3 years but there is no frame i cant fit a lens into by hand from 3 years of working where i was.

@@muzallisam5068 OMG! I used to feel sorry for the high volume one-hour people that had to work on pattern edgers with manual sizing. I really can't imagine a one-hour service by hand. AMAZING! Always surprising what we can do when we have to do it. Thanks for posting. John

Probably not and I think I cover the reasons in the video. You might try to look for an independent doctor/optician shop that does their own finishing work and try them. Assuming you waited too long most places have a return policy of some kind. If you bought them online for $19.99 a shop would charge at least that much for cutting them down so that wouldn't work out very well for you. Sorry.

Only worth holding on to them if it is the same exact frame. Even then it seems to be one of those 1 in a million sort of things. Close doesn't work for lens - frame matching - sorry.

@@LaramyKOptical didn't think so, thank you!

If you are in Seattle you might try Tiffany at Northwest Frame Repair they might be able to do it. Of course depending on the lenses if you have to pay for it then it might just be better to get new ones?

@@LaramyKOptical Thanks! I have found them online and sent an email. As a non-professional, I still find all of your videos most interesting and informative. Thanks!

I think something is lost in language here - sorry. I'm not sure what you are asking. John

Just get new lenses in the old frame. Any place that refuses to use an older frame that is still in great shape doesn't deserve your business or anyone else's either.

Or particular plastic?

We would not be a practitioner.

Shtf stitch

Or if one over cuts?

In the boonies

It depends on the optical store and their capabilities. It could certainly be done. If you find a store that will do it, I recommend working with them to get the frame, if you haven't purchased it yet, to make sure the old lenses will cut out to fit the new frame.

@@LaramyKOptical Thank you for the quick response. I bought a set of new frames from a website so I just need the lenses trimmed down. If they are Transition lenses is it still possible to do this?

@@spikes_johnson It could very well be. You just have to find someone who has an edger and is willing to do it for you.

@@LaramyKOptical Thank you for answering my questions, I truly appreciate it.

I'd need to know more - but - find an optician willing to do what I do in the video. the lens will NOT change power. Depending on how strong the lens is it might seem a little "off" but unlikely and that is up to you not the optician.

@@LaramyKOptical he said that cylindrica lens can't be cut. If they cut it then the power MIGHT change. Also they said it's not their fault if it changes. So I took it back. But yeah I'll go to a different store and look for someone who's willing to do this.

@@riirii975 What a load of poop. You mark the lens for axis and you can orient it that way again - sure maybe +/- a degree or two but that is tolerance. And it still doesn't change power just position.

@@LaramyKOptical okay. I got it. So I'll just look for someone who can do it. Thanks a lot for your replies.

If you are writing about the free finishing course it is and always has been free. Start at the OpticianWorks website and look under Free Stuff.

If a single vision lens, we would simply pull it from stock.

Let me know where you are and I'll check. We are a mid-size wholesale uncut lab so sadly it's not like we have a customer on every corner... John

Laramy-K Optical Thank you for you’re quick reply. I live in Tampa, Fl. I have to say that your videos are awesome and I’ve learned a great deal from them! Another especially beneficial quality are the comments from people like me, just the geeky consumer who wants the best fitting eyewear with the most adaptable lenses. I have to admit that I feel a little uncomfortable talking with opticians about the info I’ve gained from watching your vids. I hate when people tell me how to do my job. Have a great day!

@@pacmanfl Checking, I'll let you know. John

@@pacmanfl Valentine Optical in Ft Meyers 239-466-2010 Custom in Clearwater 727-461-4011

5X a day! WOW! Yes as the saying goes... "Desperate times = Desperate measures." In the big picture of things really no harm in it at all and certainly better than no glasses at all. You gotta do what you gotta do. John

I got two lenses for over 1000 dollars fitted in my old frame. Now the frame is broken just after a few months. Should I buy a pair of new lenses you think? 😀😀 let me be poor or greedy... who cares... i do not want to pay another 1000 dollars for lenses..

@@siasia734 Greedy pays twice. At first, you were greedy (when you decided to use your old frame), now it's time to pay :DDD To be honest, the best option is to get a new frame of the same model (i guess it's progressive lenses, after refitting to another model frame there will be compromises).