My First Complex Prop: National Treasure Ocular Device

[TSqProductions]

I finally got my base glasses (GL-791) in from James Townsend & Son.
(Yes, people, I know these aren't the EXACT pair, but they're close and very similar to the ones used in the movie. I'm more than willing to sacrifice a tiny bit of accuracy for a $40 pair of replica glasses that have round frames, rather than get a $10,000 pair of real glasses that have real frames.)

The things are more tiny than I expected! They're about 3 inches wide by 5 inches long.

A few questions:

What's the best magnification AND size of loupe lenses to get?
Do the loupes go into the angled part of the support right next to the lenses?
What's the best way to tint glass lenses (for the loupes)?

 

[Droidboy]

Well first you'll want two pairs of these:

16.5X Jeweler's Clip-On Eye Loupe


Here is an idea of where they get mounted:

And here is where to get lens at:

Anchor Optics - Optical Cast Plastic Color Filters


Here is mine using these exact same parts:

 

[TSqProductions]

Well, I want to keep the glass lenses in the loupes.

 

[Droidboy]

To be honest, I'm not sure you can tint glass, unless you paint it.

 

[vaderdarth]

Personally I would cut a colored mylar film to fit and attach on the inside of each lense with a model cement used for windows (dries clear and doesn't frost the glass or plastic)

Dave

 

[TSqProductions]

I got my lenses in the mail today, but one of the loupe supports on one of the pairs (that little two-way rectangular block that holds the loupe and holds itself onto the extension rod) has its extension rod support hole drilled at an angle and partially out the bottom. I'm afraid it might break one day, so does anyone know where I can get one of these loupe blocks? Hobby store? Home Depot?

 

[TSqProductions]

Never mind. I sent back the lenses (They didn't want the defective pair of loupes, but I will get a full refund from them). Not only that, but I didn't like the magnification. I bought the proper magnification afterward.

 

[TSqProductions]

I believe I've found the perfect springs for anyone's Ocular device replica.

Amazon.com: Century Spring Corp C-570 Compression Spring, 1/8" OD (Pack of 5x6): Home Improvement

They seem to be the same size as the springs included with any pair of loupes, except for the length. You could probably cut them down to the proper length and then bend the ends of the springs to make them flat. The outer diameter is about the same as a loupe spring, allowing it to fit on the metal rod without it slipping off over the metal nut.

(BTW, I'll post this in the All Parts Found Thread for the Ocular Device.)

 

[TSqProductions]

HUZZAH! I've been able to bend one of the lens frames into the correct shape! (Although, the look I was going for before is pretty much impossible now. I wanted to be able to have a new-looking Ocular Device, but a few scratches from holes in the tape covering the pliers rendered that moot, so I've decided to go with the weathered look.) The other one, though, is still not quite there yet.

My suggestion, to get the flat parts on the top and bottom without scratching it, use a washcloth and a hammer. (Washcloth to cover the frames, and the hammer to warp them.)

 

[TSqProductions]

I DID IT! (Well, sort of...)

I messed up a little bit on one of the loupe rod's holes by drilling the hole ever-so-slightly too far from the lens frame's rim, so I had to improvise a solution to straighten out the rod. I took two separation washers from the previous set of loupes that I had and ground them down to fit the shape of the angular rim. I still need to grind the flat bottoms of them down to better hide the washers.

This is what is going to become the actual glasses, it's just in a prototype phase right now. I'd rather not buy another pair of these glasses even though I messed them up a bit, because I've spent too much money on them and worked too hard on them to start again.