Submitted by Jeff G
A topic that I have never seen discussed is that of Optical Glasses, specifically, those things that let those of us with less than 20/20 vision see well. I also wear dentures and have foreseen the problems that would arise in a collapse situation.
First off, we are now at the point of preparedness that if you haven’t seen the eyeball doc in the last few years and things are a little blurry or worse, get an exam. I know the cost and inconvenience is a pain in the butt but in the next unforeseen future here in the USA and likely most western countries, you aren’t going to get the chance again for a long, long, looonnng time in a post collapse enviroment.
Vision is absolutely your most important preparedness item. How are you going to be prepared if you can’t see very well? A year ago, I ordered two sets of acrylic glasses from sears under their $99.00 for two pairs. Wal-Mart now sells their cheapo glasses for $39.00 plus tax each. Frame repair kits can be had for $3.95.
I prefer glass lenses as they don’t scratch as easily but they weigh more and cannot be repaired once scratched. Acrylics will become scratched easily but with care and a helping hand, they can be salvaged to almost as good as new. With Acrylic lenses, water is your best friend and paper products like toilet tissue and Paper towels are your worst enemy. This method took me about 2-3 hours per set of specs.
Salvaging Acrylic lens spectacles (glasses) will take some very high grit wet-dry sandpaper but works like a charm in my experience. I started with 1600 grit, then 2200, then with 2500 grit and finally 3500 and polishing compound and rotary buffer. The lenses were very clear for me in my experiment.
I got my sandpaper through an Amazon company for about 40 bucks for several sheets of each plus a few courser and the polishing compound. The UPSIDE is that you get a large quantity of sandpaper for your money.
All of a sudden, in a collapse situation, you have a vital and needed skill that I promise you, no one out there other than us, thought about. Keep in mind that coatings (like anti-glare and anti-scratch) will change the proper care to bring these things back to serviceable condition. Instead of going into detail about each method, I direct you to Google.com for the care of your particular type lenses.
If you wear dentures, or want to prepare another often overlooked business during a collapse, now is the time to get a few acrylic repair kits (mine are made by Dentemo Co. about $3.00 each) and some denture reline kits
George Washington had wooden teeth and they were said to be quite uncomfortable and I believe it. The denture reline kits are now a real problem to get as the company that used to sell them commercially for about $4-$5 dollars for enough to reline both dentures has stopped producing them for the stores.
Used to be (mid 2009) that they were available in the dental area of your favorite store. Not anymore as they suddenly and without notice disappeared from the shelves.
After contacting the manufacturer (SeaBond), they simply told me that they discontinued the product and the Rep had no idea why ( too much pressure from Dentist who charge $200-300 for relines, imho) Most of these do it yourself kits now sell from $15.95 to $50.00 each but you have to mail-order them.
The cheapest I found was Perma-Laboratories with 1 for $19.95 or 4 for 39.99. That is $10 a piece. One kit will only do 1 denture. (no affiliation with the company)
This stuff won’t be available for a long time in the collapse situation. Better to have it and not need it. Less than $100 and you are set to resolve what would be a real problem and change it to a minor inconvenience.
{ 12 comments }
Interesting post …
One thing to know about dental care – it has been proven that poor dental care can lead to heart disease. I had a bad tooth infection for a long time and within a week of the abscess breaking free, I ended up having bypass surgery.
The surgeon, my regular doctor & dentist confirmed that could have well been the cause of the heart attack.
Very important to get regular check-ups & floss daily – it's an easy habit to develop and can save your life & am quite serious.
You can get glasses way cheaper online. Keeping a couple spare sets around is essential IMO.
The reason SeaBond stopped the production of their liner product was that they made the powder component of the 2 part mix. The liquid was made by another company that went out of business. The newer Acryline is NOT near as good and has a bad taste compared to the bubblegum flavor of the SeaBond material. Do NOT order these "Acryline" products from ANY source other than the manufacturer! I know, because I got "stiffed" twice by 2 different companies for over $30.00 each time! Beware of the one in Michigan! (distributor) is actally a "drop-ship" outfit of 5 unreliable people that scam buyers!
If you have dental problems, get them taken care of ASAP! It may be costly now, but you'll be glad you did! In an emergency where you cannot get to a dentist right away, buy a vial of clove oil from you pharmacy, and keep it handy! Along with some small cotton balls like the end off a Q-tip, is your best friend in a dental emergency! 1 small drop of the clove oil on a tiny piece of cotton, placed on the exact area, will put the nerve to sleep for hours! Do NOT get this stuff anywhere you eyes, nose, or any part of the mouth you do not want numbed! It can burn like liquid fire! Use very small amounts!
Also, do NOT buy those lens repair kits for acrylic lenses for your glasses! They will destroy your glasses and even worse, ruin your vision, as their product is absolute junk!
Denture liner:
Lee Pharmaceuticals
1-800-950-5337
They sell direct to the consumer, $14.99 per 2 mixes per box.
Right on target. I am blind(literally) without my glasses and will get a couple of cheapie pair just in case. I won't care how they look if I have to use them.
We buy our eyeglasses from Zenni Optical
http://www.zennioptical.com/home.php
My husband just bought a pair of progressive, auto dark and light glasses with ship for $87.90. His last pair before that cost well over $400.00
To keep our teeth healthy and cavity and bacteria free we use Dr. Ellie's system. It works great. Our whole family uses it.
http://askdrellie.blogspot.com/
I've been without teeth since 2002 and loving it.
My glasses so chipped scratched and old the right lens falls out daily in some awkward fashion like when pumping gas or purchasing cellphone-time. I love it! dysfunctional living at its best. Brought to you by SCROOGE himself. When I asked welfare for help was told to get lost,,, No my turn to reciprocate.
I wore glasses for 29 years. My uncorrected vision was 20/600 (not a typo). Then I got laser eye surgery and am now about 20/20. It's not cheap, but either LASIK or PRK, depending on your situation, can change your life. And you won't have to worry about glasses, except reading glasses at 40+. I always had about 4-5 spare pair of glasses around before since no glasses after TEOTWAWKI = death. Something to consider. And save up for.
Good work, its nice to have guest posts that bring up things that are rarely covered.
a little bit of clear sillicone may help 3:29 PM keep that right lens in place.
at least one pair of your glasses (IMHO) should be a set of industrial safety glasses, with side shields. i had a pair made in my reading prescription, because i could no longer see to work on my hobbies or the car. ($30.00 at wal-mart optical. single vision lenses, and their cheapest plastic frames) not a perfect solution to the problem, but way better than nothing. bi-focals as soon as i can scrape up more cash.
You can get 4-5 pairs of glasses from Zenni Optical or LBW Eyewear (or others) for $100. I'm very satisfied with the glasses I've gotten in this manner. No need to be dependent on one expensive pair.
I'd Just like to add another thumbs-up for Zenni Optical. Insurance buys me side-shield safety glasses every two years, And about $80.00 gets me a couple pairs in my current prescription every year. Have to adjust the nosepads myself, But they're good quality otherwise. And I can keep last year's glasses for backup at a couple different places at the same time. (Glasses-required drivers – Got a second pair in your car?) Or another cheap pair in my current prescription for emergency use for about $20.00. Current pricing at the local optometrist's is insane. All this is about the same as a single pair from them.
Comments on this entry are closed.