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Thread: What Dumb Thing Did You Do When You First started

  1. #26
    Master OptiBoarder
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    snap.
    Quote Originally Posted by King of the Lab View Post
    How did that go?

  2. #27
    wilcoxd
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    I performed an eye pressure test (NCT) on someone with a glass eye once. That was... embarrassing!

  3. #28
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    Had a walk-in come in for an adjustment with those wirey, spiral-spring nosepads. I was way too new and ended up straightening those fool things out far, far too much--an example of continually 'doing the same thing and expecting different results' before that natural sharp coil couldn't quickly or easily be reintroduced.

    My mentor laid it out cold how much I'd messed up and that guy would never be back. Important lesson about how much thought and finesse adjustments require, because some adjustments can't be undone.

    (It occurs to me now that none of my 'slinkies' from childhood escaped an identical fate...)

  4. #29
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    The owner had a seminar vendor send him a case of frames he didn't ask for... He put the boxes right next to the trash... Needless to say I tossed them in the trash having not looked in the boxes... He was not too angry since he out then in the trash area lol.

  5. #30
    Rising Star McAnerin's Avatar
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    I'm having an incredible amount of fun reading these, It's so wholesome to know that everyone has screwed up a few times.

    After being in the business a few months, and learning how to adjust, I got some lab time. I had to hand feather my first bevel, and I pressed into the wheel far too hard, causing the lens to slip and get sucked right under the wheel. It was high index, and I didn't think to turn off the wheel, and so I watched this lens, caught between a sponge and a wheel, convert itself into a high index scented piece of paper.
    -Poly is the best substrate for coatings.
    -Poly is extremely scratch resistant.
    -Poly is extremely impact resistant.
    -Poly is unparalleled in clarity.
    -Poly is much lighter than traditional crown glass.
    Like poly, you can trust me about 40% of the time.

  6. #31
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    I'll bite....I once went to do a visual field test on a pt. with the old octopus machine that took 20 minutes. I had been out drinking the night before (23 yrs old), and it was really hot in the room and while I was "supervising" the fixation, I fell fast asleep. Thank heavens one of my coworkers happened by and saw me before the test ended! She poked me awake and the pt was none the wiser.

  7. #32
    Master Jedi King of the Lab's Avatar
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    My very first OD I worked for loved to hire interns from the local occupational school. One day, a very ambitious female intern decided it upon herself to polish some lens on our Santinelli bench bevel/polish setup we had, without supervision.

    For those not familiar with this model, it had a exposed polishing wheel on one side, and a generic lens bevel wheel on the other.

    Long story short, her very long pony tail got caught in the polishing wheel and practically scalped the poor girl.

    After this, rules in our lab were changed, and I never ever saw this poor girl ever again.
    Erik Zuniga, ABOC.

  8. #33
    OptiBoard Novice OptiBoard Bronze Supporter
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    When I first started out, my employer comp'd me some free glasses. I chose a Silhouette frame and went with a 1.67 because my Rx is pretty high. I ended up later choosing a different Silhouette frame that had a much thinner temple because I wanted to be able to fit a hearing aid I wear completely behind my ear without my temple pushing it out all the time.

    When the new frame arrived, I watched some of the videos the Silhouette rep had linked me about changing out the lenses into a new frame. I was in such excitement about trying on the new glasses and getting them set up, I forgot an important rule about Silhouette frames that I will never forget again. When you're using the tool to fasten the frame into the drilled holes, you are supposed to go from the top of the frame. I was in such a hurry, that I went from the bottom. I ended up completely cracking the corner of my 1.67 lens and was left just sitting there in awe of my own stupidity while realizing I now had to beg the laboratory which made the lens for mercy and get the lens remade under warranty. All the while now wearing my old backup pair of glasses which I absolutely loathed until the replacement lens came in. I was so nervous that I actually sent the laboratory my frame and had them mount it.

    In the end, I've learnt my lesson and I now use frames that have been disposed of for practice and have changed out many a lens on a rimless frame since then. I take solace in the fact that at least it was my own pair and not a customers.

  9. #34
    Master Jedi King of the Lab's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Christopher88 View Post
    When I first started out, my employer comp'd me some free glasses. I chose a Silhouette frame and went with a 1.67 because my Rx is pretty high. I ended up later choosing a different Silhouette frame that had a much thinner temple because I wanted to be able to fit a hearing aid I wear completely behind my ear without my temple pushing it out all the time.

    When the new frame arrived, I watched some of the videos the Silhouette rep had linked me about changing out the lenses into a new frame. I was in such excitement about trying on the new glasses and getting them set up, I forgot an important rule about Silhouette frames that I will never forget again. When you're using the tool to fasten the frame into the drilled holes, you are supposed to go from the top of the frame. I was in such a hurry, that I went from the bottom. I ended up completely cracking the corner of my 1.67 lens and was left just sitting there in awe of my own stupidity while realizing I now had to beg the laboratory which made the lens for mercy and get the lens remade under warranty. All the while now wearing my old backup pair of glasses which I absolutely loathed until the replacement lens came in. I was so nervous that I actually sent the laboratory my frame and had them mount it.

    In the end, I've learnt my lesson and I now use frames that have been disposed of for practice and have changed out many a lens on a rimless frame since then. I take solace in the fact that at least it was my own pair and not a customers.
    I have probably heard this one the most among eye care professionals.
    Erik Zuniga, ABOC.

  10. #35
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    Yep Christopher 88, I've done that too. I have done every bone head thing you can do from surfacing, edging, fitting adjusting. Repairing, cleaning. It is so nice to hear I'm not alone.

  11. #36
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    I used my PD stick incorrectly and every pair of bifocals(this was in the 80's) I sold my first week of my first job came in 5 mm too high! When the first couple came in so off I realized what I had done and told the manager. Luckily, he gave me another chance.

    Once I had a couple where both of them had names that could be either sex. I put their corrections into each other's frames. They were nice about it, thankfully.

  12. #37
    OptiBoardaholic eyeguy21's Avatar
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    Has anyone ever lopped off the ends of two fingers in an old Coburn generator in the late 80's working in an LC lab because you didn't realize the cutting wheel didn't have a brake so you unwittingly stuck your hand in to fish out a nest of poly swarf only to realize that it actually doesn't have a brake? Yeah, me neither.
    "Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it." - Benjamin Franklin.

  13. #38
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    um...i married another od

  14. #39
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    my first day with a lensmeter... the only person in all the class that fall down the lens on the floor.... was un-tempered glass.... and sweep the floor all arround :D

  15. #40
    Vision Equipment OptiBoard Corporate Sponsor Leo Hadley Jr's Avatar
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    I once put a polarized glass lens in the heat treater and walked away.
    A few minutes later, we had to evacuate the lab....
    Leo Hadley Jr
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    T: 855.776.2020

    www.visionequipmentinc.com

  16. #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by COMEINPEACE View Post
    um...i married another od

  17. #42
    looking up the answers smallworld's Avatar
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    One of the most embarrassing moments I've had was when I was helping out the front desk by answering phone calls. A mom called to order her son's contacts and I stumbled over my wording of file/chart and said, "Just a moment, let me go pull his fart!".
    What is reality but a concept unique to each of us? Can anything be classed as real when our perceptions differ greatly on so many things? Just because we see something a particular way does not make it so.

  18. #43
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    *Answering the phone while gazing lovingly at my coffee purchase*

    "Thank you for calling Starbucks how can I help you?"

    Boss right there, never lived it down.
    "what i need is a strong drink and a peer group." ... Douglas Adams - Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy

  19. #44
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    Well, this is going to "date" me ... the first time I was trusted to fit a pair of progressives without someone doublechecking it, I was SO proud! The little old lady bought EVERYTHING, the $39 double-gradient tint/scratch-coat/UV package (there was no AR back then) in a drill mount frame with multi-facet, jewel edged lenses. I was so excited when she picked them up - and so was she. It was "all good" and she went on her way.

    Two days later she came back complaining that she couldn't see well enough to drive in them. I double and triple checked everything; they were PERFECT. I had a co-worker check, still no indication as to what was going on, so I literally took her out in the parking lot to see how she sits in her car, which was really classified as a 'boat' back then. Low and behold, she grabbed the steering wheel to pull herself up high enough to see over the steering wheel and dashboard – surely, you've seen little old ladies doing that - she tilted her chin up and her head way back in the process, making the 30mm seg height (seriously - I'm not kidding) about 10mm too high for her to drive in them. Oooo ... my buddy in our on-site lab (Doug, I still remember him to this day) was not happy about remaking those glasses. I learned a valuable lesson that day. NEVER have a patient hold their head stiff and straight when measuring for multifocals, because rarely is that their natural posture.

    On another occasion, while adjusting a brand-new pair of eyewear upon dispense (sitting directly in front of the patient I might add), I suddenly found the nose pad piece and arm in one hand held tightly in the grasp of my nose padpliers, and the rest of the frame in my other hand. I was taught by the best, so in the very next breath without so much as flinching, I said, "Well, THIS frame is defective! Aren't you glad I discovered that BEFORE you took them home?" That still works to this day, and is generally an honest assessment. No new frame should break that easily, unless of course it's a pair of over-the-counter, dollar store readers.
    Last edited by Decades; 11-14-2017 at 02:24 PM. Reason: typos
    "No one can help everyone,
    but everyone can help someone."
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  20. #45
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    "Well, THIS frame is defective! Aren't you glad I discovered that BEFORE you took them home?" That still works to this day, and is generally an honest assessment. No new frame should break that easily, unless of course it's a pair of over-the-counter, dollar store readers."

    Yes! I've said this before and it's true. Thank God I've only said a couple times.

  21. #46
    Ghost in the OptiMachine Quince's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by becc971 View Post
    *Answering the phone while gazing lovingly at my coffee purchase*

    "Thank you for calling Starbucks how can I help you?"

    Boss right there, never lived it down.

    My manager at my first optical job started out at Lencrafters and used to answer the phone as such on accident. He'd follow it up with- "Hahaha! Just kidding! Don't go there!"

    Very classy.
    Have I told you today how much I hate poly?

  22. #47
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter lensmanmd's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by eyeguy21 View Post
    Has anyone ever lopped off the ends of two fingers in an old Coburn generator in the late 80's working in an LC lab because you didn't realize the cutting wheel didn't have a brake so you unwittingly stuck your hand in to fish out a nest of poly swarf only to realize that it actually doesn't have a brake? Yeah, me neither.
    Tell me this wasn’t in San Diego! I had tech do this-once and never again luckily, it was a flesh wound, albeit, a bit more severe. He needed stitches, but had all digits in tact.

  23. #48
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    Kind of enjoying reading all these. I have made mistakes ranging from lab to retail.

    Lovely older female patient walks in and has her eyes tested. Comes out with a new prescription and some entitlement towards glasses. The vouchers had several different codes. On this particular one was written CC. I was under the impression this was mistyped and it should've been a C. After dispensing my manager queried whether I knew that a CC is in fact a different value than a C voucher. It appears that instead of giving the lady 14.60 towards her glasses (2 sets) I had put through 85.60 per set. Apart from that, trying to keep the cost down we went for 1.6 index lenses. The RX was +12.00 Sph. In a nylor supra frame.

    The edger couldn't even reach the entire thickness of the lens (13mm).

    Haunts me to this day. I still have the nearly cut lens lying around.

  24. #49
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    A few years ago I messed up pretty bad. We were doing a rimless Cartier for a client. We didn't even sell Cartier, so our Dr had to get it from a friend in NY. It was a huge time-crunch thing because this guy was going back to Africa soon. I drilled the lenses. Mounted everything. Everything was perfect. EXCEPT that the lenses were too flat and it made the temples splay. I panicked and decided to attempt to bend the L-shaped temple connector (you know, like you do with 90% of rimless). To my absolute HORROR, the gold wrinkled. I never wanted to just quit so badly in my life. It was horrible.

  25. #50
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Gold Supporter
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    Man I have adjusted a few Cartiers for "out of towners" and thank goodness that has never happened to me! I found gold to be very easy to work with.

    I can only imagine the sinking feeling that overtook your body Jake...

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