I have an old pair of eye glasses. The temple piece was broken off. I had been thinking about doing some specs and after the wooden sunglasses video of @iliketomakestuff, I thought I’d gave a go at it.
My first try was to do a trace and print. I hadn’t done too many of these and I need to get more familiar with it if I ever have to make a violin bridge at a moment’s notice.
There is a problem here. I have an outer trace to cut and an inner trace to cut around the lenses which I removed from the old frame. I was able to get the lines I needed, but if the operations that were left were one cut and one trace. I was unable to convert the inner trace from an engrave to a trace. That is something I had run into before but never really followed up on it.
So if I were to do the whole thing by trace and cut, I’d need to cut the lenses holes out first it one operation and then rescan the frame to a new trace the outer edge of the frames. I think I could do this and avoid any design software but I decided to switch gears and use Inkscape. I redrew the frames and then scanned that in with my wand scanner and traced it. I simplified it and tweaked it.
I used the chipboard for a couple iterations to tweak the lense cutout. Then I did one set of frames in wood. This was the last of the maple MDF that didn’t make it out of beta Proofgrade testing. Good enough to test but it did break apart when I was popping the lenses in on one side.
Final tweaking of the design and did a print in maple proofgrade plywood.
Super fun project. I must say that the parts where you point out issues with the trace workflow and the “MDF that didn’t pass proofgrade” were really enjoyable.
It’s nice to see issues addressed and tackled.
My wife has already told me that I have to make her a custom set of sunglasses!
Great project! Thanks for the tip about the tracing, too. That’s one of those issues that’s hard to get a feel for until you are immersed in using the machine.
If I understand correctly, the solution is to click on the background and both glass openings. That will give you the cuts you want. Just set the engrave to “ignore”.
But daaaaang! Ignore me, because what you did’s way better! It looks awesome on you!
Nice job. Think I’ve got an old pair of wayfarers knocking about somewhere. The lenses are fine, but the frames broken. Can feel some Walnut frames coming on.
So I used this design to make my husband his own solar eclipse glasses. He can also look for sun spots, or how near venus is, or whatever. Bought solar filter film and cut the lenses from that. He’s VERY happy with them.
p.s. @marmak3261, he has a bigger head than you, so had to adjust a little…
Nice!
Where/when next to use them? The last one went right through Nashville where my Son lives so we made it our business to be there. It was my first total - and it was amazing!
at a moment’s notice.
)
