Magnifying

[Guest]

I need help guys and girls, what do you use when you need to zoom in on a part to be painted? Any pictures or links would be a great help ;-)

[dave]

Currently I use a cheap and cheerful approach +2.0 to +4.0 reading glasses purchased from one of the pound shops.


I have borrowed a friends optivisor a few years ago and quite liked it, one of these days I may splash out on one.

[zuludog]

I have never taken to magnifying devices on stands & arms, or as spectacles, I found them fiddly and you have to realise that as the model is magnified, so is the paintbrush, scalpel etc, so the comparative size remains the same


But as I've got older (now 66) I realised something was needed. This is what I've done -


Went to the opticians and had an eye test; asked him to pay attention to my close up vision


Bought some close up/reading glasses with large area lenses; not a special order, just the largest they had in stock; got some lens cleaner and keep them free from smears etc


Made up two blocks of wood with some slight cloth padding on top, to rest my wrists, rather like a sign writers stick (forgotten its proper name)


Bought a few better fine paintbrushes; some of them have fatter rubber grips, I think I'll get that type again in future


I use a hand held magnifying glass to sort of size up or assess the work to be done - where demarcation lines are, and so on. Then straight away I do the painting, while it's still in my mind. Sometimes I secure the model with a bit of Plasticine or Blue Tack to stop it skidding around. Get the paint mixed and everything ready before you start


A friend who makes very good models, and is a bit older than myself has treated himself to one of those large illuminated magnifying glasses on a stand, and he reckons it's excellent

[eddiesolo]

I use a illuminated magnifier and also use my glasses.

[Guest]

Thanks guys, just made my appointment with spec savers as I was over due and will go from there. At the moment I have taken apart a thing that holds the parts and has a magnifying glass attached so now I have a gadget to hold parts while painting and a magnifying glass to hold freehand ;-)