Dark Window Material

[Rod]

As mentioned a few weeks ago, we have just got a brand new washing machine.

In the middle/top it has a display panel with bright orange characters indicating the important things like program time and spin speed. Unfortunately partner has variable and sometimes very sensitive eyes. For some reason this display 'upsets' her vision. Rather than totally obscuring it (e.g. with foil), I thought a dark film such as is used by so many on their cars would work well to reduce the intensity below problem level.

It seems to be available in fairly large pieces. But what I need is just

70 x 60mm.

Any suggestions for obtaining such a tiny piece (for correspondingly low price, I hope)? Or a sensible alternative. (Angle grinder to take out or even just to diffuse the display is NOT sensible. :-) )

[Don]

Why not ask your local florist for a piece of coloured cellophane? Or indeed buy SWMBO some flowers & then use the cellophane ;-)

Don.

[Rod]

I like the thinking. But it's not usually adhesive and smooth. So I anticipated difficulty in getting a nice flat surface if I tried that sort of material. Or am I wrong - and it is actually easy to achieve?

Flowers might be a good idea *anyway*!

[Don]

It comes off rolls in various hues & colours and can be stuck using something like 'Britstik'.

Don.

[Don]

Another thought....is it possible to loosen the facia and slot a piece behind the lense?

Don.

[Lino expert]

Have you got a copy shop/printer/sign maker near you? I would imagine they would have offcuts of materials and may use a sticky see-through- but-dark film for letters or backing that would do the trick?

Failing that you could scribble over the display with a marker pen...ah, hang on, you wanted sensible...

[Rod]

TBH - not a hope. The idea is fine but I don't think I would get away with taking apart the W/M.

I shall try to get to a florists.

Thank you.

[Dave Starling]

On Dec 20, 10:12=A0am, Rod wrote: Going back to original problem, can you explain how it 'upsets' her vision? Could it indicate a need to visit an optician for a thorough check up?

Dave

[Adrian]

Rod gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Pop into your local car window tinting place - I'll bet they'd give you an offcut for free.

[Andy Burns]

[Huge]

Would that be made of Dark Matter?

[Rod]

Thanks for asking. It is all to do with her thyroid problem! Causes all sorts of secondary effects such as muscle weakness and/or excessive tightening. Whereas most of us going into a dull (but daylit) room and seeing a bright light will simply flick our eyes away or just put up with it, she finds it (sort of) bores into her eyes - even as a passing glance. She has the same sort of problem in lots of circumstances and also seems very sensitive to flicker. (But she desperately craves brighter light in general. Just can't cope with small patches of bright in an otherwise dull environment.)

When she saw an optician she was prescribed vari-focus lenses (the first glasses she had ever needed). She could not manage the vari-focus and had to change to distance plus reading glasses. At that point her vision had deteriorated quite badly but the cause was put down as age.

With diagnosis of thyroid condition a few months later, plus now some three years of treatment, she virtually never needs either pair of glasses. But she has remnant vision (and many other) problems.

The lack of pick up by the optician (of her thyroid problem) and consequent mis-prescription of vari-focus, and indeed utter ignorance when she had to see an ophthalmic consultant a bit later about another problem, have convinced us that this is a poorly understood issue.

Dark film seems much easier than curing her disease problem!

[stuart noble]

Strange. My other half can't sleep if the clock radio display is facing her. I'm sure there's still a lot we don't know about such things.

[Andy Burns]

I'm the same, sellotape a flap of neutral density filter so it can be dropped over the display, or raised out of the way when necessary.

[stuart noble]

I could never figure out how it could affect you if your eyes were closed. We just keep the clock angled slightly. Can't see the time of course, but you can't have everything :-)

[Cicero]

========================================= You could try a piece of metal gauze instead of dark material. Perforated aluminium goggles were once used as motorcycle rain goggles and they were quite effective. A piece of body filler reinforcing gauze (aluminium) from an Isopon kit would be a cheap way to try.

Cic.

[mark]

What if you did all the washing?

mark

[Rod]

Ah that be quantum tunnelling. :-)

[Rod]

Ah! But she would still see it whenever she went into the kitchen (with the W/M switched on). And, from fairly close up at a shallow angle, the brightness isn't nearly so bad. It is from the other side of the room, straight on, that she finds it most disturbing.

(I think I deflected that one. :-) )

[John Rumm]

Solve two problems in one go then. Get her a box of quality street for Christmas, and reuse one of the wrappers! ;-)