OT: Polishing Eyeglasses

[Alistair Hosie]

Hi usually leaving them face down is the problem when the glass sits on the table surface anything there will scratch it.Alistair

[Evan]

Any opinions on that?

That will only work if the lens doesn't have a hard coat. Since few plastic lenses are made without a hard coat that option isn't available. The hard coat has a different index of refraction than the rest of the lens. Changing the thickness or even buffing all the way through it introduces major distortions in the field of view. You wouldn't like it at all.

[J Tiers]

Evan, that Glass Wax is the good stuff for lots of polishing and shining, although I have not ever used it for glasses...... Does a wonderful job on jalousie windows; when you have 520 panes, you don't want to have to clean them very often.

Unfortunately, everyone that used to carry it here has quit. I suspect it has been discontinued, same as most everything else that actually works. Replaced, no doubt, by something that might almost work on a good day with ideal conditions if you spend 6 times the effort and time.

Probably had some "horrible substance" in it that is now banned........ Which would explain why it worked.

[dp]

Thanks for all the replies. The lenses are plastic, so cerium oxide probably isn't the right stuff. I like the toothpaste idea, but was wondering, dp, if your sunglasses are glass or plastic? I might give the pledge or mirror glaze a try, but I'll wait until I have the new glasses.

Mine are plastic. The first set of plastic lenses I've ever owned, in fact. That they have survived all these years is amazing to me.

[ckelloug]

This thread makes me want to try using a Dupont Tyzor Titanate to deposit a transparent and near-indestructible coating of TiO2 on my glasses as described in one of the the titanate data sheets for use on scratch resistant lenses (I forget which one as their are dozens of compounds in the Tyzor family).

--Cameron

[lwbates]

can be filled in for a few days by wiping a bit of silicone oil or spray on the lens and polishing with a soft cloth or lens tissue till the lens is clear. When you start to notice the scratching again, treat again. Takes only a minute.
lwbates