How to make the lens from my glasses stop falling out?

Question

I wear glasses, currently they are glass lens, but I do have plastic frames and plastic lens, as well as wire frames. My problem is that my glass lens keep falling off on multiple occasions. I can't find out how to keep them in. When they fall out, I have trouble getting them back in properly. This problem seems to present itself whenever I go from extremely cold to extremely warm, etc. The methods I have tried to keep my lenses in are:

• Tape: This is really stupid and can leave a film on your glasses.

• Glue: This worked, but I got glue on my lens, and if I want to take my glasses back to the store and have insurance fix them, they wouldn't like the glue, even if I was careful. And glue is hard to get off plastic lens.

• Taking them to the store. This works, but unless you plan on driving me to the store every time this problem presents, this is not viable. Because it occurs a lot.

Is there any other method of keeping my lens in other than these?

Things I want:

• No gluey products, tape included.

• I want something cheap, but a expensive really cool product or something that cost a bit that I didn't think of would not go amiss.

• A contraption that I can make would be OK. I am really good with my hands and can sew,woodwork, etc. Don't discount my abilities when offering suggestions, but methods that include expensive machinery can be suggested but will probably not be viable.

• A product for both glass and plastic lens and for plastic and wire frames would be necessary. But if you found a method that fits only one or 2 of these criteria then that's OK to, I will consider.

• Anything bulky or obviously weird would be a obvious no. But if it is true ingenuity and not some joke, then I will accept. I am not excluding the weird.

• Something that doesn't damage my lenses. I have a lot of trouble seeing as it, anything that contributes to that issue is a no. And obstruction of vision would have to be a no or minimal.

Answer 1

The reason (as you most likely know) is that the glass and the frame warm and cool at different speeds thus expanding / retracting unevenly.

To prevent this from happening take the glasses off when entering a warm room and hold them in your hands for a moment. You should be able to warm them sufficiently and evenly so nothing is going to happen. But this of course takes thought and a minute or so. Its only viable in narrow situations.

Quick solution if it just happened:

Rip some (small!) pieces of a paper-hanky and put them into the frame before placing the glass inside, the extra pressure should keep in in place for the moment. But keep in mind that this will (over time) bend your frame, so you might not want to apply this permanently.

Lasting solution that takes time to construct: (I did not try this on wireframes, but on regular frames it works)

You need to add something to stabilize the glass until the temperature has evened out. You write you don't want to glue stuff on your glass, this solution uses glue (or solder if you happen to have a metal frame) to the frame and should not modify the glass at all.

Get some thin but sturdy metal piece (like from a paper clip) and cut in into a short pieces (I used ~5 mm but that depends on your frame). Bend it around the frame so that it sticks into the glass area for about 1 mm. Less may be sufficient but it again depends on your glasses. Now glue (or solder) it in place on the frame. You should use two of them on the lower right and lower left area of the frame (corners if available). That way your glasses can't fall out while the temperature is evening out.

If you use thick cable or one with a prominent color this will look either very cool or very stupid, so you might want to use a color that matches your frame. If done correctly it is not visible except when searched for with high attention.

It does not give perfect results though, if you switch temperatures and shake your head intensely your glasses could still fall out. If thats a problem apply a third wire on the center top (or one on each upper corners), but thats easier to spot.

In case you are capable of producing fine craft this solution can greatly add to the look of your glasses, up to the point of making them a unique piece of art. But I would not be able to do so and thus can't give guidance on it. Ask your local goldsmith.

Answer 2

Try these methods:

• Screwdriver

Usually there is a screw at the corner of the glasses that keeps the lens tight in place, over time or by excessing movement that screw may loosen. Take some small screwdrivers, flat head or other and tighten that screw. Keep that screw tightened for better results, and carry some screwdrivers with you so that you can implement this fix anywhere. This screwdriver fix can be implemented for lenses that fell out and that you can't put back in. For glasses that you lost the screw go to small elctronics and you can usually take the screws from there, especially if they are broken. If not screws from old glasses or repair kits you can buy can help. - Taking the screw and dipping it into glue, before you stick it back in works better. But should only be done to glasses that you can longer take to the store to be fixed.

To make the screw stay tight without glue:

• Try taking a thin piece of cloth and screwing it in with that, that way the cloth shims it in place. Paper is said to work, but I ahven't tried.

• Replacing the lost screw with paperclip or wire is said to work.

• Water Soluble glue works to and since it is water soluble you can wash it off, before you take it to the store. Elmer's is a popualr brand.

From theguardian.com here are some other methods:

If the frame becomes loose... Both metal and plastic frames are designed to be reshaped while warm. Heating them gently will soften the material and allow you to bend the arms back. Place them in water the temperature of a hot bath for a minute or two. Remove the frames from the water and bend the arms gently, replacing them in the water to reheat if the frame cools and stiffens. Don't force the arms or you will risk snapping them. Instead, hold each arm lengthwise between the thumbs and forefingers of both your hands and squeeze gently, using a "bouncing" motion and moving your fingers up and down the arm to reshape it gradually.

If a lens falls out... Lenses may be held in a solid plastic frame, in a metal frame held together with a small screw, or secured in a "rimless" frame using a nylon wire that sits in a groove along the edge of the lens. Metal frames can be mended with a screw or, temporarily, with wire. If a plastic frame has not broken, you can snap the lens back into place by pushing it firmly into the frame, usually from the reverse side. Putting a lens back into a rimless frame is trickier. A good tip is to pull the nylon wire around the edge of the lens using a strip of thin, non-stretchy fabric. Put the lens into the top half of the frame then use the fabric to pull the wire around the lens and into the groove.

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Additional Info

eHow

Answer 3

As a retired Optician with 39 years experience, I would recommend that you have an old pair of glasses as spare so that you can see what you are doing…

Take the problem glasses back to the place where you bought them; and, have them check the edge bevel to be sure that it is a 30/70 bevel (so that it is in the frame cleanly)

The screw kits are a waste of money because the screw has a shoulder too long to fit the barrel.

If you find the screw put a little Finger Nail Polish on it to lock the screw.

To pick up the screw, use a LITTLE peanut butter as a blade holder and put it in frame.

Tighten screw but DO NOT overtighten or you can strip their threads. Remember Do Not Over tighten any screws they are brass and you can ruin then easily.

Good luck.

Answer 4

I used to have a set of glasses with screws that liked to come out very easily.

A simple fix was to remove the screw and apply a small dab of thread locker to the threads, then put the lenses in and tighten the screws. Once this was done, the screws did not fall out. Thread locker is not a glue, and the screws can still be removed.

Answer 5

I'm not sure whether your lenses are held in by screws, but I'm assuming they are. I know you say you don't want to use glue, but the right kind of glue will work and if you are careful it's possible to use it without damaging anything, for example by applying a tiny amount with the point of a compass.

You may need to take the screws out some time, for example to clean around the rims of the lenses, so the right kind of glue is weak glue. This will stop the screws from working themselves out in the course of the usual moving around that happens when you're wearing the glasses, but it won't fix them so securely that it will be difficult to get them out with a screwdriver.

There is a glue made for exactly this purpose: securing screws which may need to be taken out. It's called thread locker, subtype weak. This is what I use.

(If you get an insurer to fix them, I would have thought this is what they would use too - although they might not be so bothered to use weak glue and you might have problems getting the screws out when you wanted to.)

Answer 6

I had the same problem with my thin wire frames. I tighten the screws but the lens still popped out, one easier than the other. I removed the screws and lenses and went to my garage and used a medal file to try and file off a little of the thickness of the female side of the lens that received the screw. My hand file didn't seem to be doing much so I pulled out my electric grinder and carefully filed off about 1/4 of the thickness. It seemed to work well. If a lens pops out it takes more pressure to do so.

Answer 7

A lens from my cheapy drugstore wire rim reading glasses started falling-out over a few month period. I would snap it back into place and problem solved.

Until next time. The following final repair has worked for about 2 months.

I scrapped the inside grove of the wire frame which the tongue edge of the lens inserts into, to ensure that it was clear of any dirt, obstruction, etc. There did appear to be something gritty, which may have been paint\stain, which was cleared. Next I gently squeezed the top and bottom of the lens frame, which was just cleaned, together so the shape was slightly flattened. The lens snapped into place with noticeably more pressure required than previously and in my case this appears to have resolved my glasses going monocle problem.

I suspect many, like myself do not treat our cheap reading glasses very well, and are rewarded appropriately.

Answer 8

I've had good results with a different kind of glue: clear nail polish. You can use it as glue, but also to actually make your lenses bigger so they fit more tightly in the frame. Lastly, you can use a drop of nail polish on the screws to make sure they won't come loose.

The biggest advantage of nail polish is that there are lots of products to remove it without damaging either your frame or lenses. Be careful though, some frames are painted and some of the paint may come off so test before you apply it to all of your glasses.

Answer 9

I had the same constant problem.

What worked for me was to replace the screw with a longer screw, and the lens has never fallen out again.