# I might try "MagEyes" magnifiers for grafting.



## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

i have a pair of prescription reading glasses that have the equivalent of +4.00 power and they put the focus at about 10". i hold a small maglite flashlight in my left hand, identify the larvae i want to graft, and use the chinese tool with my right hand to collect the larvae.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

squarepeg said:


> i have a pair of prescription reading glasses that have the equivalent of +4.00 power and they put the focus at about 10". i hold a small maglite flashlight in my left hand, identify the larvae i want to graft, and use the chinese tool with my right hand to collect the larvae.


I had wondered about reading glasses and grafting. They would be much less clunky than the visor that I used. Do you know what magnification level the cheap ones have like the sell at Walmart or the Dollar Store? I know they have numbers, but I don't know if the number correspond to the magnification level.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

typically those only go up to +3.00 which would correspond to a focal length of about 13" for someone who has no baseline prescription for distance. if you are still on the young side of 40 years old they might work. next time you are in the store try some on and see how close you can bring something to you and see it clearly.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

squarepeg said:


> typically those only go up to +3.00 which would correspond to a focal length of about 13" for someone who has no baseline prescription for distance. if you are still on the young side of 40 years old they might work. next time you are in the store try some on and see how close you can bring something to you and see it clearly.


10-4. I haven't been on the under side of 40 for several years.  I do still have 20/15 uncorrected vision according to Mark. So is the +3, 3X magnification?


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## kilocharlie (Dec 27, 2010)

I wear my 2.75 power reading glasses under my 7x loupe, other than that, I'm same as Squarepeg - seated in the tent with a flashlight, a magnifying glass, and a grafting tool, my warm water bucket on the floor with the towels in it, the spray bottle at the ready. The tent is located right next to the starter colony.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

Brad Bee said:


> So is the +3, 3X magnification?


no, 3X is a different scale not directly related to the lens power. most of the time 3X would be about +7.50 and focus at 5.25 inches making it difficult to work. the most important thing is getting the focus at the distance you are comfortable working at. for me that's about 10". ask mark to make you up some +4.00's with just a little base in prism.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

kilocharlie said:


> I wear my 2.75 power reading glasses under my 7x loupe, other than that, I'm same as Squarepeg - seated in the tent with a flashlight, a magnifying glass, and a grafting tool, my warm water bucket on the floor with the towels in it, the spray bottle at the ready. The tent is located right next to the starter colony.



i used the warm water bucket this year too kc, rewarming the wash cloth every 5 grafts and covering them with it. after the last one it was straight out to the yard and into the starter.


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

BeeCurious said:


> While they certainly aren't heavy-duty, I think they might be worth trying out.
> 
> Amazon sells MagEyes. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WUY8NS/



Well, I received my MagEyes and they will be just fine. :thumbsup:

With the 2.25X lens I have a working distance of about 6.5 and 5.5" viewing through my progressive lenses. Without glasses there's a distance of about 11" between the MagEyes and the subject. 

My test for the effectiveness of the lenses is being able to read the miniscule printing that is often on back of a credit card. 

While a cheap pair of +3.5 readers are completely useless to me, the MagEyes will be just fine, with or without my corrective lenses...


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

I bought a couple of lighted $6-8 visors from Amazon. Only one has arrived so far and it seems adequate for the job. Would have been much preferable to dad holding the flashlight and me stooping over the frame in his Jeep from try #1. I have a few swarm cell queen baking and and they should be laying in the next 7-10 days. Hoping to get a round of grafting in here before too much longer. I only have one colony that I haven't split and I might end up having to do that tonight. If they end up not needing it I may take their queen then cut out queen cells and graft this weekend using them as the cell starter. Haven't decided yet.


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

jwcarlson said:


> I bought a couple of lighted $6-8 visors from Amazon. Only one has arrived so far and it seems adequate for the job.


If I was 30 years younger some readers or simple magnifiers would certainly be just fine...


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

BeeCurious said:


> If I was 30 years younger some readers or simple magnifiers would certainly be just fine...


I'm only 30, so my vision isn't shot yet. At least up close. My dad has started not being able to see his fishing line when he's tying knots and he can't see eggs or larvae worth a darn. I think he's going to start bringing cheaters with when he's going into hives so he can actually provide decent information.


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