Edging down lenses

[Renay1384]

My manager, Mr. Jim, has been in optics for at least 40 years. He is very good at what he does. I hope to be able to edge down lenses as well as he does one day, but I know most opticians have never taken the time or had the opportunity to learn that specific optical skill.

For Example: A patient will come into our office with a broken frame 5+years old that has now been discontinued. He will offer to find a new frame on the board and edge down the patient's old lenses into the new frame at no cost.

My question to all of you is: Do you charge a fee for that to be done? If so how much?

I told my manager I was going to pose this question because I felt he did not see the value of his own skill. We are both curious to see what you all have to say.

Thanks, Renay

[lind2020]

We used to charge a fair fee for this when we did it entirely by hand - With todays edgers and a little skill it's far easier and I wouldn't charge because of the edging fee built into frame pricing by us. That is having first exhausted the frame repair/replacement options.

Exceptions by the hundreds & no promises made to the patient if they have anything other then SV - but the final product as a last resort will by far surpass the nothing they had to begin with.

[mdeimler]

$10 or $20 dollars is a fair price, especially if the patient realizes that you are saving them a new lens cost. It can be a good patient builder also.

[Barry Santini]

If minor stuff by hand: no extra charge

If the lens has to be put through the edger, $29.00

B

[LENNY]

Don't charge for the edging. Full price on the replacement frame

[normuck]

I agree with barry , something i can touch on the handwheel is free. Blocking up and edging is time I could spend doing something else and my doctor pays for my time, so I typically charge $20.

[AngeHamm]

Don't charge for the edging. Full price on the replacement frame

+1. The frame sale is enough for me.

[eyechick1969]

really depends on the circumstances. Yes, his skill is worth a lot & if you have to send it to a lab to do the same thing the lab would charge you $20-$25ish. Look, MOST optical shops want nothing to do with bringing life back into old specs. All most shops are interested in now a days is selling new glasses. That alone is priceless!!

I'd go free if
1) it's obvious the person is on a really tight budget or
2) if they are an A-1 client or
3) if they are buying new glasses right then & there & this is just to tide them over until new specs are done.

Your boss is of a dying breed! Embrace his wonderful old school ways & skills.

[eyechick1969]

Really really excellent question!!

With your thought process & way of thinking, I'm pretty sure you'll go far!!

[eyechick1969]

You can do it! For years I did my re-edges all by eye with great success! But here's an even easier trick. OH & 1st & foremost you really should always inform the patient that this is not always 100%, but that you feel good about the likely hood of it working out. ( I've never had one not work, so you do what works best for you. I'd at least throw in that tiny warning until you get good a re-edging or if & when it looks really challenging).

Here's my trick & some will say you need to go thru many more steps to do this well, but like I said, I've had 100% success every time!

You need some axis lines. Put the lens back in the broken frame somehow, usually with tape & WITHOUT looking thru the lensometer make some axis dots on what you believe to be about the 180 degree line. Meaning if the B measurement is say 30mm, try to aim for about 15mm for your axis dots.

Do the same with the demos in the new frame. Yes, without looking thru the lensometer on or about the 180 line, put some axis dots. Then take a thin permanent marker & a pd stick & draw yourself a nice straight axis line on both the old lenses & the demos.

Then place a demo on the old lens, line up axis & center demo in the old lens vertically & horizontally to give you best cut out ability, then take the thin perma marker & trace the demo onto the old lens.

Now just start cutting the lens down to the proper shape & size & yes, keep the bevel (apex) on the lens edges as you go.

Assuming the replacement frame is remotely similar on the patient in fit, etc, when you're done, the odds are the PD, seg height etc. will be magically be dead on or really close.

cheers

[CME4SPECS]

I charge based on time I'm going to take to edge them, usually $30, if it's going to be a real pain then of course it's going to be more. If it is very minor then usually no charge, it just depends. Oh...and I'm not dropping everything else that I'm doing to do it either, you are going to have to leave them for a while!

[eyechick1969]

what's with this, oh we don't charge for this and that mentality? We are in business & work to make $.

[Happylady]

Eyechick1969, excellent explanation!

I think it's reasonable to charge a small fee but I haven't always. If its a good patient who has purchased a few pairs of glasses I usually don't, though I mention there is normally a fee but I'm throwing it in free. Also if the frame is quite expensive I generally wave it.

[eyechick1969]

and happy opti lady back at ya!!