Marking tools for easy readability

Posted by Robert Green on November 4, 2009, 9:43 am

> On Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:01:12 -0500, Van Chocstraw

> >Robert Green wrote:

> >> As I get older, even with new glasses, I find it harder and harder to

see

> >> things like the engraved markings on socket wrenches. Has anyone found

> >> way to mark these things so that they can be read in dim light by old
> >> fogeys?

> -snip-

> >Why don't you get some 4x power reading glasses?

> He said "even with new glasses". They aren't the same as the old
> eyes-- especially at all distances and in poor light.

Correct. At some point, no amount of lens correction is going to compensate
for the degradation of old age. Van, no disrespect or ill will intended, but
wait until you find out what "floaters" are. Then you'll realize the tip of
the iceberg has shown itself. )-:

> I where a headlamp sometimes. It not only sheds more contrasting
> light, it also focuses attention.

Yes, great minds run in the same ruts. When I realized I was having
trouble, I bought 3 at Allelectronics because they were cheap, ran on AAA's
instead of infuriating coin cells and had a nice band and swivel head.
Great for dogwalking, too, because I'd have a scooper in one hand, a feisty
squirrel-hating dog in the other and a penlight in my mouth.

Alas, when two of them went missing, (the dog is the primary suspect, but
still hasn't confessed) I went back to Allelectronics but they were gone.
That's the problem with surplus dealers. Haven't found anything near their
price or performance point since. If anyone knows where to get a good
swivel head AAA powered LED headlamp for $5, let me know.

> It's a bitch getting old- but it beats *not* getting old.

My favorite quote from Kurt Vonnegut is "I knew getting old was going to be
bad, but I didn't know it was going to be THIS bad!"

Interestingly enough, I have the kind of visual deterioration that extra
light doesn't help as much as some of my sight-challenged friends. Did you
know that older people's eyes are incredibly more yellow than young ones but
that the brain automatically "white balances" for you by assuming that the
brightest, lightest shaded item in a scene is white? I learned all about
that from some brochure about cataracts and other ways your eyes can fail in
my eye docs office.

Apparently my very yellowed eyes are helped, oddly enough, by LED
flashlights. Some people find them too blue, but I bought some 100 LED
"showerhead" flashlights and they help in lots of places. Strapped one to
the vacuum wand with hose clamps and now I hardly hear "How on earth could
you miss that?" from the missus anymore. Very bright but no "throw" - the
beam falters at about 25' feet. Those 1MCP spots are still the best for
lighting up street signs (I've got binocs in the glove box for reading
those, and I'm probably not the only semi-senior who does!).

--
Bobby G.

Posted by norminn@earthlink.net on November 4, 2009, 7:18 pm

Robert Green wrote:

>> On Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:01:12 -0500, Van Chocstraw

>>> Robert Green wrote:
>>>> As I get older, even with new glasses, I find it harder and harder to

> see

>>>> things like the engraved markings on socket wrenches. Has anyone found

> a

>>>> way to mark these things so that they can be read in dim light by old
>>>> fogeys?

>> -snip-

>>> Why don't you get some 4x power reading glasses?

>> He said "even with new glasses". They aren't the same as the old
>> eyes-- especially at all distances and in poor light.

>
> Correct. At some point, no amount of lens correction is going to compensate
> for the degradation of old age. Van, no disrespect or ill will intended, but
> wait until you find out what "floaters" are. Then you'll realize the tip of
> the iceberg has shown itself. )-:
>

>> I where a headlamp sometimes. It not only sheds more contrasting
>> light, it also focuses attention.

>
> Yes, great minds run in the same ruts. When I realized I was having
> trouble, I bought 3 at Allelectronics because they were cheap, ran on AAA's
> instead of infuriating coin cells and had a nice band and swivel head.
> Great for dogwalking, too, because I'd have a scooper in one hand, a feisty
> squirrel-hating dog in the other and a penlight in my mouth.
>
> Alas, when two of them went missing, (the dog is the primary suspect, but
> still hasn't confessed) I went back to Allelectronics but they were gone.
> That's the problem with surplus dealers. Haven't found anything near their
> price or performance point since. If anyone knows where to get a good
> swivel head AAA powered LED headlamp for $5, let me know.
>

>> It's a bitch getting old- but it beats *not* getting old.

>
> My favorite quote from Kurt Vonnegut is "I knew getting old was going to be
> bad, but I didn't know it was going to be THIS bad!"
>
> Interestingly enough, I have the kind of visual deterioration that extra
> light doesn't help as much as some of my sight-challenged friends. Did you
> know that older people's eyes are incredibly more yellow than young ones but
> that the brain automatically "white balances" for you by assuming that the
> brightest, lightest shaded item in a scene is white? I learned all about
> that from some brochure about cataracts and other ways your eyes can fail in
> my eye docs office.

Eyes are strange....I got a routine eye exam, first in about 5 years,
last Jan. I'm post-medicare, but not ancient :o) Hubby usually drives,
so I don't drive often. Out driving alone one day, I had double vision.
It was after noon, had had nothing to eat yet, so figured it was low
blood sugar. Knew it wasn't a brain tumor, as it only happened that
once. Month or two later, got it again. Went back to the cheapo
optemetrist, who checked my prescription and later redid the exam. No
change. Got double vision again, so went to MD. Ahah! One eye crosses
(invisibly, no less) and my eyes had always "adjusted". Got new
glasses, and all is well when I drive. Now my vision is more blurry
without glasses than it was previously but no more double vision. Very
disconcerting when you know the road has two lanes but yer seein' four
lanes :o)

>
> Apparently my very yellowed eyes are helped, oddly enough, by LED
> flashlights. Some people find them too blue, but I bought some 100 LED
> "showerhead" flashlights and they help in lots of places. Strapped one to
> the vacuum wand with hose clamps and now I hardly hear "How on earth could
> you miss that?" from the missus anymore. Very bright but no "throw" - the
> beam falters at about 25' feet. Those 1MCP spots are still the best for
> lighting up street signs (I've got binocs in the glove box for reading
> those, and I'm probably not the only semi-senior who does!).
>
> --
> Bobby G.
>
>

Posted by Robert Green on November 4, 2009, 9:42 pm

<stuff snipped>
> Eyes are strange....I got a routine eye exam, first in about 5 years,
> last Jan. I'm post-medicare, but not ancient :o) Hubby usually drives,
> so I don't drive often. Out driving alone one day, I had double vision.
> It was after noon, had had nothing to eat yet, so figured it was low
> blood sugar. Knew it wasn't a brain tumor, as it only happened that
> once. Month or two later, got it again. Went back to the cheapo
> optemetrist, who checked my prescription and later redid the exam. No
> change. Got double vision again, so went to MD. Ahah! One eye crosses
> (invisibly, no less) and my eyes had always "adjusted". Got new
> glasses, and all is well when I drive. Now my vision is more blurry
> without glasses than it was previously but no more double vision. Very
> disconcerting when you know the road has two lanes but yer seein' four
> lanes :o)

As Bill the Cat would say: "Gack!" Another thing to look forward to like
finger and toenails get so thick I need surgical scissors to cut them.
Oddly enough, inside I still feel about 25 years old (although my wife
insists I act more like I think I am 13) but outside, Father time keeps
kicking me in the knees, stepping on my fingers, grinding down my teeth,
stealing my hair while I sleep and making my hairline make a beeline for my
neckline. But I consider myself lucky. My friend goes to his dermatologist
to get his skin tabs shaved as often as I get my hair cut. And at least I
don't have double vision - yet! (-:

--
Bobby G.

Posted by HeyBub on November 5, 2009, 8:36 am

Robert Green wrote:

> As Bill the Cat would say: "Gack!" Another thing to look forward to
> like finger and toenails get so thick I need surgical scissors to cut
> them. Oddly enough, inside I still feel about 25 years old (although
> my wife insists I act more like I think I am 13) but outside, Father
> time keeps kicking me in the knees, stepping on my fingers, grinding
> down my teeth, stealing my hair while I sleep and making my hairline
> make a beeline for my neckline. But I consider myself lucky. My
> friend goes to his dermatologist to get his skin tabs shaved as often
> as I get my hair cut. And at least I don't have double vision - yet!
> (-:

Can't help on the other problems but I've solved the long-toenail
difficulty.

Clown shoes.

Posted by norminn@earthlink.net on November 5, 2009, 8:54 am

Robert Green wrote:

>> Eyes are strange....I got a routine eye exam, first in about 5 years,
>> last Jan. I'm post-medicare, but not ancient :o) Hubby usually drives,
>> so I don't drive often. Out driving alone one day, I had double vision.
>> It was after noon, had had nothing to eat yet, so figured it was low
>> blood sugar. Knew it wasn't a brain tumor, as it only happened that
>> once. Month or two later, got it again. Went back to the cheapo
>> optemetrist, who checked my prescription and later redid the exam. No
>> change. Got double vision again, so went to MD. Ahah! One eye crosses
>> (invisibly, no less) and my eyes had always "adjusted". Got new
>> glasses, and all is well when I drive. Now my vision is more blurry
>> without glasses than it was previously but no more double vision. Very
>> disconcerting when you know the road has two lanes but yer seein' four
>> lanes :o)

>
> As Bill the Cat would say: "Gack!" Another thing to look forward to like
> finger and toenails get so thick I need surgical scissors to cut them.

And you call yourself a DIYer? On AHR?! A Dremel tool works nicely
with a sanding drum tip...Of course, if you can't reach toes or see them
well, you need an assistant :o)

> Oddly enough, inside I still feel about 25 years old (although my wife
> insists I act more like I think I am 13) but outside, Father time keeps
> kicking me in the knees, stepping on my fingers, grinding down my teeth,
> stealing my hair while I sleep and making my hairline make a beeline for my
> neckline. But I consider myself lucky. My friend goes to his dermatologist
> to get his skin tabs shaved as often as I get my hair cut. And at least I
> don't have double vision - yet! (-:
>
> --
> Bobby G.
>
>
>

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Marking tools for easy readability - Page 2