ECP in Seattle?

[MikeAurelius]

I've got a retail customer who is looking for an ECP in Seattle who would be willing to order and dispense special glassworking filters (made from glass). Please let me know if you are interested and able, either in this thread or by PM.

Thanks in advance!

[sharpstick777]

Please PM me, I live in Seattle . We have a lot of glass artists in this area, and the lens choice will depend on what type of glass work they are doing.

I don't recommend Didymium lenses for other than fusing or bead making, as Didymium does not offer UV or IR protection. We have measured the light output for glass making and it really requires a darker lens with UV and IR protection.

And I also recommend a Fit Over protective eyewear or Goggles, not using even a saftey Ophthalmic frame. The fit overs are larger and offer a higher degree of coverage. I have done Didymium fit-overs over Transiitions for one client (yellow torch only) and she was happy with the result, but she worked only in fusing and bead making with lower heat outptuts. The Transitions did work indoors for her, although its slower than welding goggles it did offer some degree of comfort. White flames required with Borosilcate glass will be too bright for this option.

Tragically, most the glass makers here wear NO Eyewear Protection even Home Depot safety glasses. Its just a disaster waiting to happen.

I took this from Craft Optics, so this could be helpful if someone is following this thread later:

DIDYMIUM

1. Filters sodium flare
2. No infrared or UV protection
3. Not as common any more due to new lenses below

ACE LENSES (or ACE 1)

1. Amethyst Contrast Enhancer made by Schott
2. Sold under Philips 202 brand\
3. Filters UV (to 390nm), near infrared and sodium flare
4. Enhances red, blue and green, making it easier to see true color

GREEN ACE

1. Also known as Phillips Boroscopes, for working with borosilicate glass
2. Filters UV, IR and Sodium Flare with extra protection & darkness
3. Green ACE #2 shade is slightly darker than regular ACE - good upgrade
4. Green ACE #3 for most borosilicate lampworking

[MikeAurelius]

The information you've posted is partially correct, partially incorrect...here's some updates.

Didymium is no longer available. There may be some old lens stock in circulation, but for all intents and purposes, consider it obsolete.

ACE (what my company calls AUR-92) is the replacement for Didymium, I consider the material to be a 2nd generation didymium filter. It has a much wider and deeper sodium flare filter, but does not substantially filter UV OR IR. You can see a transmission chart here for more information: http://www.auralens.net/ACE.htm (on the bottom of the chart you can see tabs, they will switch views between UV/VIS/NIR and full spectrum transmission.

The so-called "Green ACE" is available from only one supplier, Phillips Safety. It is a one-off batch product, and while he has a good quantity of it, once it's gone, it's gone.

My company did all of the original design and development work for advanced glassworking filters as reflected in our line of AGW filters for borosilicate workers. We offer full coverage filters in shades 3, 4, 6 and 8 (for quartz working), as well as split lens designs with a "clear" IR filter (our AGW-325) with the same shades on the lower portion of the lens, split shades (for example 3/5) and a full coverage "clear" IR filter over the ACE material (our AGW-300, designed for clear borosilicate workers, mainly scientific glassworkers). We've patented these designs as well, US Patent # 6,612,697.

Flame color (per se) is not a good way to figure out what protection the glassworker needs. You will be far better off using this chart as a guideline: http://www.auralens.net/e_gwrecommend.cfm about half way down the page is a further breakdown for shade number selection.

Also, please note that UV is NOT a concern while lampworking, even borosilicate high temperature work. It takes either a 4,500 F flame (or more) to generate UV (temperature generation), OR working with a material such as quartz that generates UV as it melts. Otherwise, totally ignore UV as it is not an issue in the glass studio.

[sharpstick777]

Thanks! There are still split Didymium top / ACE bottom lenses in non-RX able fit overs and goggles though. X-Cel also still list Didymium as being available.

Thanks for the update on ACE because they are advertised as offering both UV and IR protection, but when you read the fine print its not 100%.

Glass artists here are using more borosilicate glass (its more durable) in their art work and work with very hot flames, so I would still recommend UV protection for these as a precaution.

The information you've posted is partially correct, partially incorrect...here's some updates.

Didymium is no longer available. There may be some old lens stock in circulation, but for all intents and purposes, consider it obsolete.

ACE (what my company calls AUR-92) is the replacement for Didymium, I consider the material to be a 2nd generation didymium filter. It has a much wider and deeper sodium flare filter, but does not substantially filter UV OR IR. You can see a transmission chart here for more information: http://www.auralens.net/ACE.htm (on the bottom of the chart you can see tabs, they will switch views between UV/VIS/NIR and full spectrum transmission.

The so-called "Green ACE" is available from only one supplier, Phillips Safety. It is a one-off batch product, and while he has a good quantity of it, once it's gone, it's gone.

My company did all of the original design and development work for advanced glassworking filters as reflected in our line of AGW filters for borosilicate workers. We offer full coverage filters in shades 3, 4, 6 and 8 (for quartz working), as well as split lens designs with a "clear" IR filter (our AGW-325) with the same shades on the lower portion of the lens, split shades (for example 3/5) and a full coverage "clear" IR filter over the ACE material (our AGW-300, designed for clear borosilicate workers, mainly scientific glassworkers). We've patented these designs as well, US Patent # 6,612,697.

Flame color (per se) is not a good way to figure out what protection the glassworker needs. You will be far better off using this chart as a guideline: http://www.auralens.net/e_gwrecommend.cfm about half way down the page is a further breakdown for shade number selection.

Also, please note that UV is NOT a concern while lampworking, even borosilicate high temperature work. It takes either a 4,500 F flame (or more) to generate UV (temperature generation), OR working with a material such as quartz that generates UV as it melts. Otherwise, totally ignore UV as it is not an issue in the glass studio.

[MikeAurelius]

Actually, the X-Cel website (which is the most up-to-date information) has no references to Didymium at all, and only lists ACE as available in SVSF in 4, 6 and 8 base forms.

Well, between you and me, the reason they work with borosilicate is more for the available colors (not to mention that a goodly number of them are making "smoking apparatus" [a wink and a nudge if you know what i mean]). The maximum temperature that an oxygen/propane flame reaches is about 3800 F, far less than the minimum temperature for UV radiation from the flame. I'm one of the go-to people for glass studio safety, so I keep very up-to-date on glass working safety issues. UV is so over-hyped in the studio that it has taken a long time to get folks back to reality. Since the filters take care of any extraneous UV, it really is a non-issue.

[sharpstick777]

Actually, the X-Cel website (which is the most up-to-date information) has no references to Didymium at.

This is still up: http://www.x-celoptical.com/occupational_eyewear.php Maybe it shouldn't be?

Rose Didymium Developed for high temperature glass work, this glass offers protection at the sodium line (589nm) and UV spectral wavelengths. The visible light transmittance of this glass at 3.2mm thickness is 50%, allowing good visibility indoors. This glass is dichroic, meaning it's color will look aqua green under fluorescent lighting but under natural and incandescent lights it will have a light rose color. X-CEL offers this 1.523 index glass in the following lens styles; finished 71mm 3.2mm planos, semi-finished single vision, fused flat top 25's, 7X25 trifocals and round 22mm segments.

[MikeAurelius]

Yeah, I see that, but if you look in the Lens Availablity/Technical, you will see it is no longer listed as a product. They probably forgot to remove it from that page.