DRILL MOUNTS: Lab puts together or Opticians?

[Chris Ryser]

An real Optician is equally at home at the dispensing table or the lab.

It's hard to find a "real" optician these days as the corporate suits prefer the sales clerk / lab rat business model.

That is what it is, supposed to be and true in most civilized countries around the world, with the exception of this continent. Where there is a free for all in most corners.

I would still vote for a good apprenticeship in the lab for a few years with some theoretical schooling on the side and then get trained in sales before getting the title "Optician".

Also Optometrist that want to go into retail, should have a more complex education of the mechanics in hands on optics.

[Craig]

We do 70% drill-mounts in the luxury market so we have mucho experience:
1-Don't use pressure mount's; they suck in all ways! Any mounting is better than a Silhouette style.
-They are the cause of your problems if they are not drilled perfect and most importantly the bushing is not cut PROPERLY! When we do them the hole is cut 0.1 over and the bushing does not stick out the back of the lens so it can be assembled without any scratches or problems.

2-If any set of lenses is drilled to perfection anyone can put them together as there is no issues! They actually fit perfect and this is possible in our lab system. All lab folks and optical should be able to fix almost anything or they need to learn or get a new career.

3-What about an App that would allow any optician or lab person to be able to design a drill-mount and then have it come in drilled perfectly from the lab that receives the order from the App? I am working on this project and hope to have it ready to show you by Expo.

Thoughts?

[Johns]

We do 70% drill-mounts in the luxury market so we have mucho experience:
1-Don't use pressure mount's; they suck in all ways! Any mounting is better than a Silhouette style.

What I love about Optiboard is that is reminds me of how little I really know.

If you don't use pressure mounts, what do you use? Or, maybe I am unsure what a pressure mount is. Aren't most drilled rimless pressure mounts? Can you give me a quick (bullet-type) rundown of the different types?

[DanLiv]

I would say whether or not your opticians can work with drill mounts has little to do with what a "real" optician is, and simply to do with what your office provides. If you or your doc opted not to provide drill mounts, there would be no need to have opticians skilled with them. However, if you or your doc choose to provide drill mounts, you ought to be able to handle them beginning to end. Same with any product you provide , and same with any product any purveyor of goods provides. If you're going to provide it, and certainly if you're going to take money for it, you ought to be skilled with it.

[jc17777]

What I love about Optiboard is that is reminds me of how little I really know.

If you don't use pressure mounts, what do you use? Or, maybe I am unsure what a pressure mount is. Aren't most drilled rimless pressure mounts? Can you give me a quick (bullet-type) rundown of the different types?

I could be mistaken but there are two drill mounts that I know off, the pressure or Plug mounts and Nut and Bolt mounts(which are a little bit more outdated) Personally I prefer the pressure mounts but maybe thats just me

[jefe]

What I love about Optiboard is that is reminds me of how little I really know.

If you don't use pressure mounts, what do you use? Or, maybe I am unsure what a pressure mount is. Aren't most drilled rimless pressure mounts? Can you give me a quick (bullet-type) rundown of the different types?

I know from reading his posts Craig uses a lot of Lindberg frames. A single slot is cut into each side of the lens. Sometimes an adhesive is used to hold it together (I think Lindberg sells its distributors a UV curing adhesive, but I've used a type of Superglue when I've made them).

Examples of pressure mount frames: Silhouette, Airlock, Line Art.

[Craig]

What I love about Optiboard is that is reminds me of how little I really know.

If you don't use pressure mounts, what do you use? Or, maybe I am unsure what a pressure mount is. Aren't most drilled rimless pressure mounts? Can you give me a quick (bullet-type) rundown of the different types?

Lindberg Slot is the best possible and easiest of all, next is anything with a nut and bolt but the plastic pressure mounts are the hardest to do and the least dependable while also looking the least expensive.

You would love to do the Lindbergs; they are our number one seller for years and years!

[Craig]

I know from reading his posts Craig uses a lot of Lindberg frames. A single slot is cut into each side of the lens. Sometimes an adhesive is used to hold it together (I think Lindberg sells its distributors a UV curing adhesive, but I've used a type of Superglue when I've made them).

Examples of pressure mount frames: Silhouette, Airlock, Line Art.

We do not use the UV glue as we prefer the Locktite medical grade product.

[Barry Santini]

Correctly, Silhouette's and the like are "bushing" mounts.

Compression mounts are, by old_style definitions, those that used a strap against the flat bevel of the lens, and often included a Front and/or Rear "tongue" that a screw would thread through. These "strap" mounts might have also featured a compressible leaf-spring design, especially on the old-style nasal-only "numount" drilled rimless.

For the record.

B

[Dr. Bill Stacy]

That's ok Doc. Smartphone and other technologies will make the grunt work of refraction a non-human endeavor

B

For sure, the autorefractor has shortened my refraction time by about half. But correcting the autorefractors errors still takes finesse that cannot be easily learned by trial and error, etc. And of course putting that refraction into working Rxs is another layer of finesse that needs to be taught. And then there is the whole area of binocularity/phorias/prism etc which is part of it, as well as the whole dr/patient relationship, psychology, etc. Face it, refraction is an integral part of a comprehensive vision analysis, and done in a vacuum will lead to some serious errors.

[Dustin.B]

It's really very simple, but they need to be shown the tricks of the trade by a drill mount person, PLUS they need the right tools. I can imagine doing a Silhouette without their special tools, but it wouldn't be a pretty thing.

I can personally attest to this. My family's optical has all the proper tools and as a first year optician I could put together a drill mount set in no time at all and haven't scratched a lens yet. Counter that to the optical I currently work at that doesn't have the proper tools and I have had to seriously take my time for fear of scratching the lens cause its a real possibility when your substituting the tools. :/

That being said here's an invaluable hint, place scotch tape above and below the holes. It gives a minor amount of protection to the lens but it can be enough.

Soon as I can afford those Silhouette pliers I damn well will, I'm the only one with the steady hand to do this over three stores! >_<
( I miss private practice, this chain store scene just isn't for me.)

[Dave E]

I just did one with the nuts on the back side of the lens the only thing I had to do was countersink the nut on the back side of the lens as they ware thicker than the old ones. Just wondring if I did the wright thing?

[JBailey]

I would be having the one with the most success doing it, Sounds like they have the time as well.

[Johns]

Lindberg Slot is the best possible and easiest of all, next is anything with a nut and bolt but the plastic pressure mounts are the hardest to do and the least dependable while also looking the least expensive.

You would love to do the Lindbergs; they are our number one seller for years and years!

Don't some of the slots also use bushings? We do some with slots, but most are bushings and/or nut/bolt. I've noticed the nut and bolt are used mostly on the frames that have more "heft" to them, that is, thicker bridges and temples. We've haven't used Lindberg, instead opting for more mid-tier such as Charmant, McGee Group, Cazal, and Acuity Optics. We haven't had a Silhouette in our office for more than 10 years.

[Dr. Bill Stacy]

Don't some of the slots also use bushings? We do some with slots, but most are bushings and/or nut/bolt. I've noticed the nut and bolt are used mostly on the frames that have more "heft" to them, that is, thicker bridges and temples. We've haven't used Lindberg, instead opting for more mid-tier such as Charmant, McGee Group, Cazal, and Acuity Optics. We haven't had a Silhouette in our office for more than 10 years.

Sounds like you have a beef with Silhouette? I've fit Silhouette for 30 years or so, but only jumped on the drilled ones about 15 years ago. Put in Lindbergs 2 years ago. Both companies are a bit funky, but great products. I personally prefer the hingeless Silhouettes which always seem to stay in place no matter what I'm doing, plus they are the lightest. Lindbergs are a bit more stylish and tricky to work with, but gotta love that price point. Another nice thing about Lindbergs is we are the only ones around here that handle them, so we get a fair amount of referrals from all over our area, and some Lindberg fans will come quite a way to get them serviced (usually new lenses in their frame, sometimes new frames).

[Johns]

Sounds like you have a beef with Silhouette?

I've always thought they were high priced for how similar they were to everything else, and their customer service was terrible. Yes, their zyls weren't bad, and back in the 80's, they were a pretty big vendor of ours, but there are too many others out there for me to every have to bother with them.

[Dr. Bill Stacy]

I've always thought they were high priced for how similar they were to everything else, and their customer service was terrible. Yes, their zyls weren't bad, and back in the 80's, they were a pretty big vendor of ours, but there are too many others out there for me to every have to bother with them.

I haven't noticed any problems with customer service lately, and I actually like their bushing system. Way less maintenance than nuts and bolts systems. They are pricey but not as much as Lindbergs, which I like even better mostly because there's way less impact on peripheral vision from the mountings.

[cturtle77]

I would say that if one cannot assemble a drill mount, one should not call themselves an optician.

[Don Gilman]

I would say that if one cannot assemble a drill mount, one should not call themselves an optician.

Way back when we used to have manufacturing opticians and dispensing opticians who were the day before shoe salespersons.

[cturtle77]

Way back when we used to have manufacturing opticians and dispensing opticians who were the day before shoe salespersons.

They left because it was a sole-less business...

[Don Gilman]

They left because it was a sole-less business...

What a heel you are

[cmarx]

We have a full service lab in house, if the job is new frame and lenses it's assembled in the lab. Lenses only it's on the Optician. If you are an optician old school or new and you sell it you must service it! Servicing means assembly. From an old crotchety optician who has a staff full of youngins.

[smallworld]

What a heel you are

Walk away, before this becomes punny.

[Johns]

I haven't noticed any problems with customer service lately, and I actually like their bushing system. Way less maintenance than nuts and bolts systems. They are pricey but not as much as Lindbergs, which I like even better mostly because there's way less impact on peripheral vision from the mountings.

I'm not a "second chance" kind of guy when it comes to customer service, so I wouldn't know how they are now. I agree, the bushing system is great, but it's no longer "their" system - everyone/anyone has the same thing, with much more variety of colors, temples, and bridges.

[mervinek]

[QUOTE=Dave E;516850]

I think it would depend on whether or not your opticians job description included lab work. In my opinion, that is lab work.[/QUOTE

So you would send in a pt drill mount to a lab to have it put back together?

Exactly. If it is a new pair and the frame is sent to the lab, then let them put it together. If it is patient's own lenses, then optician should mount while patient is waiting.