Hello! I am a new learner to enameling and I think I am addicted.  I have just ordered a kiln and can't wait to start learning how to use it once I get it.  Having never used one before I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for protective glasses for looking into the kiln. And what does one do if they already wear prescription glasses and are"blind" without them? 

Hi Trish,

Thank you for such a quick reply. I will check out these links you provided. I guess I do have one other question..how do I know what kind of lens I need to give me good eye protection? I do have  pair of didymium clip ons for torch firing but I read that these don't give you the protection you need when peering into a kiln. I have done a lot of reading but some it I found conflicting and much of it confused me since I am such a raw beginner in teh realm of kilns.

Gail

Kup maskę samosciemniającą - spawalniczą. Pełna ochrona oczu i twarzy.

 

Ok, that looks like it goes over your head/face and I am WAY to claustrophobic to even think about it.

 Good for you for thinking about this when your bought your kiln! I bought my kiln glasses that fit (sort of) over my glasses from RioGrande but they don't carry that style anymore but http://www.riogrande.com/Product/solaris-kiln-glasses-ir-green-3-lens/201052?Pos=1   has the lenses I use (IR green #3 lenses). Mine are boxy in shape and the temple pieces are adjustible, like these http://www.metalclay.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2275. I've tried darker lenses (#4 and #5) but I can't see anything through them. My instructor's advice was to judge by the color of the trivet and look as short a time as possible. I usually just pull the piece out briefly to take a look. The didymium lenses lampworkers use primarily remove the sodium flare from the heated glass you're viewing and there's no sodium flare from enamel (not hot enough) so they don't help for enameling and are quite expensive. The best advice I've received is don't peer through that peephole in the kiln door, that really ruins your eyes. Good luck and have fun!

Thank you for the information Candy! And yes I want to protect my eyes...I've already had cataract surgery once.It is difficult sometimes for a beginner to know what to believe when reading information becusae different autohrs tell you different things. I read about the didymium glasses in an enameling book which is why I bought them. I live in a very rural area where there are no enameling classes or teachers and I can not afford to travel. So all my learning is done via reading and videos and even that I find somewhat limited. I apprecaite finding this group and while I know you all are miles beyhond where I will probably ever go, it is nice to be able to ask a question or two from the experts. I wish I knew about the peep hole before I ordered the kiln, I could have saved myself $45. lol

 

This is a subject near and dear to my heart.  In the early 1980's, when I was in my early 30's, after I had been enameling professionally for about 7 years, I developed a cataract in my right eye.  It was a very puzzling cataract because it looked like a "senile"cataract, not a glass blowers cataract.  I had been enameling without eye protection and doing what I would label production enameling, in and out of the kiln for 2 hours at a time.  The consensus from various professionals was that the catacrt was enamel-related and had to do with the fact that the exposed eye received doses of IR ar ihtermiiant rates which set of th emetabolic processes in the lens of the eye which caused the cataract. I bgan wearing AO (American Optical) calobar glasses which wwere forunately speced for the IR wavelengths that wee emitted by most enameling kilns.  Unforutnately AO went out of business and so did the calobar glasses which were glass and not plastic.  Only aura lens maade glasses that were speced for our type of IR radiation even though other companies vlaimed to provide IR protection.  My feeling is that if you are not doing production enameling then any protection from the glasses provided by EnamelwrokSupply or Shlaifer's are fine.  NOIR.com is a good place eto start if you need glasses for the kind of radiation we ar exposed to doing a lot of firing at one time.

Thank you Judy for your input, I appreciate it. Since I have already had cataract surgery on both my eyes I wanted to make sure I protect them. Although I don't do production work, and these may be overkill for my own kiln use, I ended up choosing the face shield below. I was concerned any "glasses" I purchased wouldn't go over my prescription lens. This I can wear without worrying about claustrophobia since it does not encase one's whole head. It is an IR Shade #3 and is working well for my need. It's so nice to be able to ask questions of seasoned pros!

As long as this sheild is credited against the heat and UVR, IFR etc good.

Otherwise I want to remind you ... you don't need to look into the peephole... that wasn't meant for your eyes anyway!... and you really don't need to look at the elements in your kiln. Just when you know the piece is ready to come out, ... put your fork in and remove the piece. 

Learn to do this quickly and effieciently .. that way your won't looose any temperature and your eyes will be in danger....  I have trained many interns to learn to put things in and out in a kiln that wasn't on. After 20 minutes or so of them gettting bored, they were ready ....  loss of heat more than 50 degrees was never an issue again.

 

This post was edited by june jasen at February 4, 2016 7:17 PM EST