Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: Is there a tool for decentering by hand?

  1. #1
    OptiBoardaholic
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    space
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    292

    Is there a tool for decentering by hand?

    Hey all. My blocker has trouble operating correctly with high Rx lenses or with high prism. I'm pretty good at decentering everything by hand (I use rulers and right angles to make a crosshair where the block's center should be.) but it's become tiring. Does anybody know of a better way or a tool that is helpful for this?

  2. #2
    Master OptiBoarder DanLiv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Denver, CO
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    709
    I assume you're talking about an automatic blocker? Forgive me if I miss the complexity of the question, but does traditionally spotting the lens on a manual lensometer not get you what you need? Prior to getting my autoblocker everything was manually spotted and centered, and that was the only option regardless of power or prism.

  3. #3
    OptiBoardaholic
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    space
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    292
    Quote Originally Posted by DanLiv View Post
    I assume you're talking about an automatic blocker? Forgive me if I miss the complexity of the question, but does traditionally spotting the lens on a manual lensometer not get you what you need? Prior to getting my autoblocker everything was manually spotted and centered, and that was the only option regardless of power or prism.
    Yes, it is an autoblocker (it detects the three dots as well as progressive markings etc.) but at higher powers the image will get shifted and the block will not place correctly. To get around this I have to manually figure out where the block is supposed to go, dot that, and then figure out how much I need to fudge the measurements on the block correctly

  4. #4
    Master OptiBoarder optical24/7's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Down on the Farm
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    5,823
    Sounds a lot like how we blocked before autoblockers came along.

  5. #5
    OptiBoardaholic
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    space
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    292
    Quote Originally Posted by optical24/7 View Post
    Sounds a lot like how we blocked before autoblockers came along.
    Indeed, but was there a tool that you used to make life easier?

    Also, is everybody's autoblocker but mine blocking everything perfectly without there ever being a need for manual intervnetion?

  6. #6
    OptiWizard
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    California
    Occupation
    Optical Wholesale Lab (other positions)
    Posts
    397
    You should find out why your blocker is not correctly blocking the lenses. In the past we used a marking machine made by American Ootical or AIT and stamped a cross on the lens and then blocked it with several available devices that you could easily see if you were off postion.

  7. #7
    Master OptiBoarder optical24/7's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Down on the Farm
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    5,823
    A PD stick and lens marker of choice. Took FPD, figured decentration each eye for PD and OC/seg/fitting mark up or down from datum, (measured with a PD stick). Then “knew your beast” of blockers. As example you had to adjust placement of the reference point due to prismatic parallax in the blocker with certain powers/prism amounts…..Ah…good times…

  8. #8
    OptiBoardaholic
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    space
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    292
    Quote Originally Posted by Lensman11 View Post
    You should find out why your blocker is not correctly blocking the lenses. In the past we used a marking machine made by American Ootical or AIT and stamped a cross on the lens and then blocked it with several available devices that you could easily see if you were off postion.
    I’ll ask my tech next time our machine is down. If anything there should be an option to tell the machine “hey, this lens has a high Rx or prism so block accordingly”

  9. #9
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter lensmanmd's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Maryland
    Occupation
    Optical Wholesale Lab (other positions)
    Posts
    1,198
    Every lab should have an old school manual blocker. CAD blockers are great for bread and butter RXs. But for high RX/prism, nothing beats a manual blocker. AIT, Coburn, whatever.
    I bend light. That is what I do.

  10. #10
    OptiBoardaholic
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    space
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    292
    Quote Originally Posted by lensmanmd View Post
    Every lab should have an old school manual blocker. CAD blockers are great for bread and butter RXs. But for high RX/prism, nothing beats a manual blocker. AIT, Coburn, whatever.
    Is there a cut off where you say “ah yes, this should be done manually”?

  11. #11
    OptiBoardaholic OptiBoard Bronze Supporter
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    USA
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    216
    I use our santinelli blocker in manual mode quite frequently.

  12. #12
    OptiWizard
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    California
    Occupation
    Optical Wholesale Lab (other positions)
    Posts
    397
    If you are creating more than 2 diopters of prism the blocker will start to have accuracy issues. You will notice seg heights off and pd inaccuracy. This is very noticeable with vertical prism in a bifocal or progressive if they are up and down not yoked. One lens will be high the other low. You can compensate if you know the error which you can record from trial and error or if your lab software controls the blocker it should be able to do this automatically.

  13. #13
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    usa
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    995
    Quote Originally Posted by Alex Camblor View Post
    I use our santinelli blocker in manual mode quite frequently.
    Agreed. It works perfectly no adjustments or guess work needed.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Decentering plano prism lenses?
    By Airegin in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 22
    Last Post: 07-25-2020, 11:54 AM
  2. Video of the Week: Hand Tool Soft-Round
    By John@OWDC in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 11-16-2017, 07:51 AM
  3. Hand Tool Grab Bag Bonanza
    By Fezz in forum Optical Marketplace
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 12-14-2011, 10:04 AM
  4. Opinions on hand tool brands...help!
    By CaliOptician in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 16
    Last Post: 08-12-2010, 09:55 AM
  5. Custom hand-tool maker
    By finefocus in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 09-21-2009, 02:03 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •