DIY: Anti-Glare Coating

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Safety glasses are an important piece of equipment for many people who work in construction or pharmaceutical environments. While these safety glasses protect your eyes from debris and other hazards, they can often reflect the sun or overhead lights, resulting in a bright glare, making it very difficult to see. While some safety glasses come with an anti-glare coating, many do not. There is a relatively easy and inexpensive way to apply an anti-glare coating to your safety glasses. Be sure to consult with your supervisor before wearing these safety glasses to the workplace to be sure they meet with ANSI standards.

Read the back of the aerosol can of anti-reflective coating. It will list the temperature at which you will need to heat your lenses to bake in the coating. Set your oven to this temperature and allow it to preheat.

Remove the lenses from your safety glasses and place the frames aside.

Clean the lenses with eyeglass cleaner and a soft cloth. Be sure to remove all dust and debris from the lenses before spraying them with anti-reflective coating.

Use the tongs to hold the lenses while you spray both sides with the anti-reflective coating. Wear rubber gloves while spraying the coating, as it can bond to skin and is very difficult to remove. Hold the can of spray about 12 to 18 inches away from the lenses and spray a thin, even coat. Avoid over-spraying the lenses, as this can make it difficult to see once the lenses are baked.

Place the lenses in a glass baking pan and put them in the oven. Since different brands of anti-reflective coating require different baking times, be sure to consult the directions on your particular brand. Most brands require about one hour to bake the anti-reflective coating into the lenses.

Remove the lenses from the oven after they are finished baking and allow them to cool in an area free of dust, debris and wind. Clean the lenses thoroughly with eyeglass cleaner and a soft cloth after they have cooled before placing them back into the safety frames.