Teeny Tiny Glasses

[Painting Dog]

Not really painting related, but wasn't sure where else would be more appropriate to ask this. 🙂

 

I'm working on minis for the PCs in my current game. One of them is a nearsighted paladin who has recently acquired a pair of spectacles (actually Eyes of Minute Seeing). I'd like to represent that on the mini, if possible, but have discovered that 28mm scale glasses are really, really,  really small! LOL!

 

So I was wondering if anyone else had tried this and had some suggestions about how I could proceed. Or, barring that, any suggestions where I might be able to find eyeglasses as an "accessory" (the way we can get weapon or other prop sprues).

 

Thanks, everyone!

[Rigel]

It's not easy bending super-fine wire into tiny loops, I can tell you that! But it can be done.

 

The other technique that I've tried is also frustrating, but if you have very good motor control and glue control, you can cut very thin segments of fine plastic rod into discs for the 'lenses' and glue them onto the model. I feel this works better for goggles than spectacles, but in theory it should be possible.

Keep us posted!

[haldir]

1 hour ago, Rigel said:

It's not easy bending super-fine wire into tiny loops, I can tell you that! But it can be done.

 

The other technique that I've tried is also frustrating, but if you have very good motor control and glue control, you can cut very thin segments of fine plastic rod into discs for the 'lenses' and glue them onto the model. I feel this works better for goggles than spectacles, but in theory it should be possible.

Keep us posted!

 

Yah, I was about to say, just get some wire-bending pliers & experiment bending the wire. I'm gonna throw a pair onto @TaleSpinner's huge spider from B5 & I've made a couple glasses, mainly to get a feel of bending the wire & where you want to bend it. What you can use for the "glass" is Window glue from Testor's. This comes in a clear bottle with a purple-pinkish label. It's used to make windows in model airplanes, as you can draw the glue across a small open surface & it'll dry clear.

 

Good luck!

[greyzombiesarebetter]

If you're ok with opaque as well as perfectly round lenses craft and jewelry vendors (at least on Etsy) sometimes sell 1mm or 2mm metal discs. You'd still need to bend wire for the bridge and temple pieces though.

[Evilhalfling]

I do it the lazy way -  2 small dots of greenstuff putty,  smashed into tiny discs, and the frames painted on.   

Since you want them to look noticeable at gaming table distance, I would just paint lenses solid white, perhaps with gloss sealer.  

I have done it this way, but i don't remember what the mini was. 

 

[Corsair]

Cut them from a business card. A little paint, then glue them on.

[Painting Dog]

These are all great suggestions! Thanks, everybody!

 

I'm not planning to try lenses -- I'll be happy enough to just have frames. And they don't need to be particularly visible at table distance. It's good enough that the player can pick him up to see they are there. 🙂

 

So I think I'll try bending the wire, assuming I can find a gauge small enough. I'll let you know how it goes!

[Painting Dog]

Just an update on my teeny tiny glasses efforts. 

 

I was shooting for something semi-realistic -- not steampunk goggles, or big cartoon Velma glasses. I tried every super-thin wire and thread I could get my hands on, only to discover that miniature faces are really small! LOL! I could make something as tiny as I could physically see and handle, only to then bring it to the mini's face and find it was STILL comically too big.

 

I think a sculptor working digitally, where they could zoom in to see, could maybe create a mini that included realistic glasses. But even if it were possible to 3D print something the right size (I'm skeptical), I don't think I could physically handle the end result. Someone else might be more dexterous than I, but I think I'm going to just have to admit defeat on this one. 

 

Maybe the paladin stores his glasses in a protective case during combat. He's nearsighted, after all, and fighting melee, so doesn't need them then. Yeah, that's the ticket. 😉

[Kal]

Have you consider simply cutting a glasses shape out of blister pack plastic and paint around the edge to create illusion of a rim?   If you are handy with a x-acto knife, you may even be able to create steampunk googles with a bit of precise cutting and scoring of plastic. 

Edited Wednesday at 11:59 PM by Kal

[Painting Dog]

Cutting out of blister pack is really clever! For me, though, I found that a huge issue below a certain size is just my physical ability to manipulate the object. I'm not crippled with arthritis or anything like that, but my fingers are still not as dexterous as they were 30 years ago. Add the necessity of using fine tweezers for managing the piece, and nothing pretty happens!  🙂

 

So I honestly don't think I'd be able to manage the cutting, much less handling the teeny tiny pieces afterward. And I find my frustration tolerance is pretty low for ridonkulously tiny parts that I'll just step on in the carpet later. LOL!

 

 

[chaosscorpion]

What about 30 ga. brass wire?  It's diameter is 0.25 of a millimeter.  Wrap it twice around a pencil point to shape two round loops, leaving a tail at each end for the arms.  

 

Put a drop of water effect in each loop for lens.  Viola glasses.  

[Painting Dog]

Tried it. Minus the glue (I didn't care if there were lenses). Seriously -- still too big! At least for what I was looking for.  🙂