Hi, I would add that there are compounds which have very close refractory coefficients to glass which can be applied to scratched or chipped glass. These are used on small damaged areas of wind shields for automobiles. We have a couple of national franchised companies here in Canada which do this and the repair is much cheaper than replacing a car window. I am sure you have them in the United States and probably Australia as well. I don't know if this would be a reasonable option for a magnifying glass depending on the vision of the user I suppose, the repair is not absolutely invisible I am told but darn close. Don't know if the cost would be worth it either, I expect our local fellow would do it free for someone who, say needed it for reading or something, one of the perks of really small town living.
Polishing a scratch out of a magnifying glass may alter the optical characteristics of the magnification a little because the optical characteristics depend on the shape of the curve so, removing a little of the glass will change the angle of incidence at which the lite leaves the glass. Again if used by someone with low vision for something like reading this probably won't matter much unless one ends up polishing a significant flat spot. This is precisely how one goes about polishing and fabrication of mirrors and lenses when they make their own home made telescopes, hours and hours of circular motion of cutting compounds over the surface of the glass until it is very precisely ground hollow in the middle to focus light gathered from a wide area toward a focal point effectively magnifying and increasing the light density at that point so it is more visible. Unless the scratch is very small you will want to grind glass off of a much larger area of the lens to preserve the magnifying curve. Interesting problem. Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] Skype DaleLeavens Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ray Boyce" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 10:37 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Scratched Glass repair > Hi Betsy > ANSWER: It depends on how deep the scratches are. If you can catch your > fingernail on the scratch in the glass, it is probably too deep to remove. > > Hairline or very light scratches can be removed or lightened using an > abrasive compound. Start by using an automotive-polishing compound or a > whitening-type > toothpaste. Hand rub in a circular motion. It may take awhile to make any > progress. > > There are also special glass-polishing compounds available from a glass > company you can use, or you can use iron oxide (also called jeweler's > rouge > or polishing > rouge) which is a very fine, dark red powder available at hobby shops or > jewelry supply stores. Mix 1 ounce of iron oxide into a paste with 1 ounce > glycerin > and 1 ounce water. Put a small amount on a cloth and rub the scratches. > Wash > it off with clear water from time to time to check your progress. It may > take > awhile to see results. Be careful not to apply too much pressure or you > could shatter the glass. If you use a glass-polishing compound, you can > use > a power > buffer. > > This requires a lot of pressure, and is recommended only for mirrors or > glass that can be removed and laid flat and supported from underneath. > > Another option is to contact a glass company and have your glass > professionally buffed. However, if the scratches are too deep, they will > be > permanently > etched into the glass and will be permanent. In that case your only option > is to replace the glass. > HTH > > Ray > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Betsy Whitney, Dolphin Press" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "blindhandyman-yahoogroups.com" <blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com> > Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 10:07 AM > Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Scratched Glass repair > > >> Aloha all, >> My friend has one of those lamps with a large round magnifying glass >> in the center with a tube-like light that goes around the outside of >> the glass. Somehow she has managed to scratch the magnifying glass. >> Any ideas about smoothing out the scratch? >> Thanks... >> Betsy >> >> >> > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.430 / Virus Database: 268.14.16/552 - Release Date: > 11/26/2006 > 11:30 AM > > > > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://acbradio.org/handyman.html > or > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. > http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml > > Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From > Various List Members At The Following Address: > http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ > Visit the new archives page at the following address > http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list just send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.14.16/552 - Release Date: > 26/11/2006 > >
