Listed here are light filtering eyewear to filter out the harmful and obscuring light produced while lampworking.
Arrow Vision - AV 2000 Lens Option Descriptions
FRAME AND VIEWING OPTIONS
Small Economy Frame 6 Lens Choices, from $72.00 to $126.00

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Plastic, smoke gray, safety frames with permanently attached side shields, have been a safety glasses industry standard for many years.
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Fitover Black Frame 6 Lens Choices, from $85.00 to $186.00

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The Fitover is a comfortable, lightweight, and durable black rubberized nylon frame that is designed to fit over prescription eyewear. These glasses will fit over almost any style of glasses with comfort. Equally comfortable by themselves.
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Downtown Designer Black Frame 6 Lens Choices, from $100.00 to $186.00

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Black plastic, lightweight, durable frames have a comfortable uniform fit.
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Lens Options Lens Descriptions below colored squares. Click on colored squares to see technical data.
 
  
Synopsis of eyewear lens choices for lampworking (aka flameworking). For additional information on how much of the sodium flare, ultraviolet and infrared light is filtered out, as well as how good color rendition is, click on the colored squares above.
Phillips 202 and SFP lens are typically used for working low temperature "soft" glasses, such as BellaDonna, Effetre (Moretti) and Messy. BoroView and BoroTruView lenses are typically used for working high temperature "hard" (boro or borosilicate based) glasses, such as Glass Alchemy, Trautman Art Glass and Northstar.
Many lampworkers use Phillips 202 and SFP lenses to work hard glass only if it is worked at the low temperatures typically used for soft glass. Hard glass is typically worked at higher temperatures than soft glass and therefore produces a brighter visible light and more ultraviolet and infrared light that needs to be filtered out.
Phillips 202 lens – This lens is popularly know as ACE. Many years ago it replaced didymium as the go to lens for lampworking. Now didymium is often used generically as a term to refer to light filtering eyewear, similarly as Kleenex is used to refer to tissue. It is a glass lens, therefore weighs more than the other lens choices listed below, which are lighter weight plastic. It does such a good job filtering out the yellow-orange sodium flare, that blocks your view while lampworking, that most lampworkers do not notice it at all. It does this slightly better than its counterpart SFP lens. Color rendition is very good. This is especially helpful while trying to judge how hot the glass is by its red glow.
SFP lens – Sodium Flare Polycarbonate. A lighter weight, less costly alternative lens to the Phillips 202 lens, its reduction in filtering out the sodium flare is almost as good.
BoroView 3.0 and 5.0 lenses – These lenses are designed specifically for filtering out the extra brightness and ultraviolet and infrared light that working hard glass at higher temperatures produces. Both the 3.0 and 5.0 lenses are darker than the Phillips 202 and SFP lenses. The 3.0 lens is similar to sunglasses in their darkness and is for working smaller glass items at the typical temperatures smaller hard glass items are worked at. The 5.0 lens is considerably darker. Use it for working large glass items, especially when worked very hot. You might find having extra work area lighting beneficial to see around your working area.
BoroTruView 3.0 and 5.0 lenses – These lenses are similar to BoroView lenses in filtering out the extra brightness and ultraviolet and infrared light that working hard glass produces, but with the added benefit of better color rendition.
Liability Disclaimer: Arrow Springs Employees are not optometrists and can only make suggestions concerning eye protection. There are many types of eye protection available and we offer several good ones. Arrow Springs does not accept any liability concerning eye damage arising from the use, misuse, or non-use of any eyewear products we sell.
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