Lookin' for a hands free magnifying glass

My suggestion would be an optivisot of some sort. You can get them with interchangable lense and you don't have to keep moving it to get it in the right position.

I use cheap reading glasses from drug stores or dollar stores. I keep a couple of pair of different diopters.  

I also have a workbench mounted ring lamp magnifier.  It uses a circular fluorescent bulb with a big magnifying glass in the center. If I look through that while wearing the reading glasses I get really big magnification.  Magnifies my finger tremors into earthquakes :-)

I use a ring lamp magnifier also. I have seen one for about $35 from Micromark, although it uses a light bulb rather than a ring fluorescent bulb.  It should work very nicely, too.

i find head magnifiers the best. i can wear my normal glasses at the same time and you retain the depth perception you lose when looking through a single lens.

Hannants (in the UK) offers this piece : www.hannants.co.uk/.../POP1765

Though it's not perfect, it's a cheap knockoff of the optivisor, it does work nicely.  The depth of field on some lenses is less than great, so you do have to work up close, but you have a movable led light over the lens and a flip up lens.  I've used this for about six months now, and I quite like it.

Andrew, thats very similar to the one i have, but mine has a round light, but i didn't pay that much for it. I think about £20. My lenses go from 1.5 to 3.5 but i find i mainly use the 1.8. But the stronger ones come in handy for really fine work. Mine is hardly off my head when i am modelling. I much prefer these to the stand alone magnifiying glasses as i always had trouble getting tyem in the right position.

Edit: i am the worlds biggest Hannants fan, but sometimes they can be a tad expensive. I just found the same modelcraft item on another site giving an RRP of £20.

http://www.artifolk.co.uk/catalog/products/craft_tools_and_accessories/model_craft_headband_magnifier_with_light.htm?r=googlebase&origin=pla&gclid=CK-VqcjK0rYCFWXJtAodGXcASw

Hey Flyerduke, I hear ya man.  Me too!  If you want something cheap that works well, try this.  It has 4 lenses you can change or add together.  There are 2 slots to place the lens.  I have it and for $10, I think they are great!  Just my .

Eagle90

http://www.lakeside.com/Home-Improvement/Household%2BHelpers/Lighted-Magnifying-Visor-Set/prod700283.jmp?navAction=jump&fm=search

Eagle, thats it, thats exactly the one i have. A great piece of kit. And thats a damn good price.

Bish

Eagle, thats it, thats exactly the one i have. A great piece of kit. And thats a damn good price.

Hey Bish, my wife saw it in the catalog and ordered it on a whim.  I was not sure at first, but those things rock!  And for $10!  I'm not crazy about the light they have on it, but I was considering mounting an LED on each side of the visor!  Better lighting I think.

Bish, Eagle90,

Agree, I have the same headband magnifier which I got from Harbor Freight some time ago (don't see it in their current catalog) but I see that identical ones are available inexpensively on Ebay. Even with my trifocals, they work great; I don't use the LED light often but the headband gets used every time I sit down at the bench. I do find the 4 various magnification lenses quite useful. I also have an Optivisor which my wife used to use for sewing, knitting, crocheting etc. Only 2X and an additional lens for it is more expensive than what I paid for the complete headband with 4 lenses.

Eagle & Bish: That is exactly what I was looking for to get started! Ordered a set just moments ago. One step closer to this journey's kickoff! Whoo woo what day is it!!!?