I need a magnifier

[ducdon]

I bought my Dbit grinder some time ago and each time I use it I strip down part of it to clean out the old grease, deburr the sharp edges and remove paint from the machined surfaces. Otherwise its not too bad. My latest use for it was to make some dovetails to hold a DTI. I ground a dovetail cutter from a broken carbide endmill. It's really small and my old eyes definitely need a magnifier.

 

[DavidR8]

I bought a magnifying light from Lee Valley. Wasn’t cheap but but it’s really effective.

 

[ducdon]

I bought a magnifying light from Lee Valley. Wasn’t cheap but but it’s really effective.

Is it a headband type or a bench mount? I'm thinking of getting both.

 

[DavidR8]

Is it a headband type or a bench mount? I'm thinking of getting both.

It's a bench mount.

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[Perry]

Princess auto has 3.00+ reading glasses. Cheap and work pretty good for me. Believe it or not I use these to work on watches. I do have proper loupes, but these are just too easy. My eye sight is pretty good , so these might not work for you.

 

[VicHobbyGuy]

Optivisor was/is (?) the standard for headband magnifiers. The LeeValley knockoff (which I also own) doesn't get used, but I got a cheap copy from Amazon/China that's also pretty good.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07HRM9GW9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?th
Having a couple of different magnifications available is convenient. You can swap lenses but I just have different headsets.
One safety note- the magnifier tempts you to get your face close to the work, so pay attention to that.
Having the loupes and light setup my dentist uses will have to wait for the next life cycle, I think.

 

[ducdon]

Princess auto has 3.00+ reading glasses. Cheap and work pretty good for me. Believe it or not I use these to work on watches. I do have proper loupes, but these are just too easy. My eye sight is pretty good , so these might not work for you.

My eyesight is good. I don't wear glasses. I've had cataract surgery which gave me great distance vision but I lost the ability to adjust to closeup situations.

 

[ducdon]

Optivisor was/is (?) the standard for headband magnifiers. The LeeValley knockoff (which I also own) doesn't get used, but I got a cheap copy from Amazon/China that's also pretty good.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07HRM9GW9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?th
Having a couple of different magnifications available is convenient. You can swap lenses but I just have different headsets.
One safety note- the magnifier tempts you to get your face close to the work, so pay attention to that.
Having the loupes and light setup my dentist uses will have to wait for the next life cycle, I think.

The amazon ones are one that I have been looking at.

 

[Susquatch]

It's a bench mount.

I have one similar to that except mine has a small 10x (?) loupe built into it. I find I use the small higher magnification window more than the big one. Because of that, I highly recommend a version like that if you can find it.

Besides closing the lid, I also slip a plastic zip-lock baggie over the head to provide extra dust protection.

Lastly, mine has a weighted base so it can be quickly moved when needed. I wish I could find a handheld one though.

This one is similar but mine has an elbow and is definitely higher magnification than 1.75 and 4.

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[thestelster]

I have two of these Optivisors in different magnifications. The lights are really handy for looking into crevices.

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[Susquatch]

I have two of these Optivisors in different magnifications. The lights are really handy for looking into crevices.

I wonder if they make a monocular version for the cyclops among us like me.....

 

[Ironman]

I have these ones. They were $5.25 before the last election, so I bought two of them. there are many different levels of magnification available by flipping lenses.

 

[thestelster]

I wonder if they make a monocular version for the cyclops among us like me.....

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Does anybody have any experience with the usb microscopes? I see a few youtubers use them, and they look like just the thing for inspecting toolbits, and drills etc. I have a few spare tablets/phones laying around that could be better put to use.

 

[combustable herbage]

I like this set from princess https://www.princessauto.com/en/watch-repair-magnifier-with-led-lights/product/PA0008958589. You can flip up either on of the lens if you just want to use one.

I also have a usb one I like for certain things, gives you a real big screen and a good zoom if you want and I attached mine to a little stand that gives some adjustment and is stable.

 

[Susquatch]

I have a magnifier app I sometimes use on my phone. I like it and I hate it. Too many advertisements.

 

[PeterT]

Nice dovetail D-bit job! Looks like your grinder is more like the newer gen, like Shars. What collet does it take & where did you buy it?

I unscrewed the useless light that was mounted on my Accusize grinder. I'm mulling over something like this I can swing in & out of action for both light & magnification. I could use it for my scroll saw too but its kind of the same thing - sometimes I want it there, sometimes not.

But I also have an Optivisor which I can swing down to see through or up out of the way. They are ok but overrated IMO. The lens is fine but there is very little in the way of head strap other than tension. The strap orientation presses on my coconut more across the forehead so I can wear it for long duration without getting a headache. Maybe if I had Charlie Brown head. Optivisor makes a little swing down magnifier but the screw stud mounting is cheesy, I cant get the right tension to stay put & not loosen over time.

 

[ducdon]

Nice dovetail D-bit job! Looks like your grinder is more like the newer gen, like Shars. What collet does it take & where did you buy it?

I unscrewed the useless light that was mounted on my Accusize grinder. I'm mulling over something like this I can swing in & out of action for both light & magnification. I could use it for my scroll saw too but its kind of the same thing - sometimes I want it there, sometimes not.

But I also have an Optivisor which I can swing down to see through or up out of the way. They are ok but overrated IMO. The lens is fine but there is very little in the way of head strap other than tension. The strap orientation presses on my coconut more across the forehead so I can wear it for long duration without getting a headache. Maybe if I had Charlie Brown head. Optivisor makes a little swing down magnifier but the screw stud mounting is cheesy, I cant get the right tension to stay put & not loosen over time.

View attachment 42388

Mine is an Accusize as well. It has R8 collets, which worked for me because I have both metric and inch R8 collets for my milling machine.

 

[Aliva]

I bought these about 2 years ago. So far they've been great. I like them especially because I don't have to remove my eye glasses

https://www.amazon.ca/Lveal-Magnifying-Rechargeable-Magnifier-Eyeglasses/dp/B08HSG1FBN/ref=sr_1_94?crid=1I8TAA33P6R36&keywords=magnifier%2Bwith%2Blight&qid=1704204695&sprefix=magnifyer%2Caps%2C236&sr=8-94&th=1