Replacing spectacle lenses

[Tim+]

My wife has a pair of relatively cheap reading specs that our new dog got hold of the other day. Somehow the dog managed to pop both lenses out of the plastic frame without leaving any significant teeth marks.

I thought it would be an easy job to pop them back in again but it seems to require a knack or technique that I’m not aware of.

We’ve tried warming the frames in boiling water but they’re still too rigid to pop the lenses back in.

Before I try a hairdryer or the air fryer, are the any “tricks” to doing this? Do I just need more heat? More brute force?

Tim

[Clive Arthur]

Make a fine cut in each lens 'frame' then glue the lenses in.

Put a small amount of superglue in the frame recess either side of the cut, pop the lens in and squeeze.

Done it a few times (clumsy SWMBO not used to wearing specs) and it works well.

[Jeff Gaines]

Make sure the glue is dry before SWMBO puts her specs back on :-)

[alan_m]

I've found with the cheaper frames that don't have little screws in the corner the plastic lenses have enough give to clip back in using a bit of judged force. Just think on how they got the lenses in in the first place - they took a standard lens and inserted it into a pre-made frame.

As usual Youtube has plenty of instructional videos

[Max Demian]

Take them into your local optician. They may fix them for free.

[Tim+]

Ungrateful wife has binned them before I got a chance to try hair dryer etc!

Tim

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

Place the lens edge on, on to an object which supports the lens only around the edge, then apply lots of steady pressure in the centre of the lens, whilst at the same time, applying the frame. Idea is, applied pressure in the centre, distorts the lens, and reduces it's circumference. The 'object', could be as simple as a cut down tube, from a toilet roll.

[Robin]

IMLBE it also helps to be very, very sure you are trying to insert the lens from the correct side