Popular Woodworking 2006-04 № 154, страница 65

Everyone's head is different in size and in where things are located. In fact you might be surprised to find that your ears aren't on your head evenly. Articulating arms make everyone equal and are available on very affordable safety glasses. These arms allow the earpieces to move forward and back so the earpiece will rest comfortably right on the ear. The arm also rotates at the temple of the

glasses to adjust for those differing ear heights, or simply to allow the nosepiece and browpiece of the glasses to fit tightly (but comfortably) against your face.

Another design option is flexibility. Manufacturers are now designing glasses that don't rely on ear position, but on the tension of the arms pressing against the head to hold the glasses in place. The trick is in making a material

that's flexible enough to provide adequate tension, while still offering a comfortable fit. The Chisel glasses from MSA are in that category. While still offering all the protection required (and necessary) for a workshop, these glasses are lightweight, comfortable and offer unobstructed visibility. All for only $6.

Padding is not only in place for comfort, although it certainly

MSA Safety Works Chisel

($6)

With about half the weight and twice the flexibility of a normal pair of safety glasses, these still offer great protection while providing terrific visibility.

The padded brow and nosepiece on these glasses make them more comfortable to wear. The brow also keeps sweat and some dust out of your eyes, while the nosepiece keeps the glasses from slipping.

does offer that. Another benefit to padding is keeping dust and sweat out of your eyes. Padded brows divert sweat, and some glasses (such as the Maxim 2x2 model from Aearo on page 61) offer a padded seal around each lens for dust protection rivaling that of less-attractive goggles.

And women, if you've never been able to find a comfortable pair of safety glasses, hope is just around the corner. New glasses are now available with a smaller overall frame, to better fit a smaller head. Of course this change is coming about because of the growing do-it-yourself female population, but there are lots of men out there who will also benefit from the smaller-framed glasses.

I Wear Prescription ...

Are your eyes not as sharp as they used to be? Safety glasses with bifocal lenses aren't new, but there are many that look and fit better than they ever have before.

Two types of earpieces are now available on safety glasses for increased comfort and improved fit. On an articulating earpiece, the arm moves in and out of the sleeve and can be stopped in one of four positions to better fit the distance from ear to brow. The earpiece also swings up and down because all

our ears are not created equally (or placed on our heads in the same place). The flexible pair uses a rigid arm, but one that is bendable enough to comfortably fit any size head without pinching.

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Popular Woodworking April 2006