Tag sunglass materials
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Scratched Lenses are forever, but dirty lenses can be cleaned.
You will be impressed by the difference and eye-opening clarity of your sunglasses. Be sure to follow these simple steps and avoid the common mistakes.
Take care, don’t take short cuts.
Lenses are coated with highly engineered coatings, some are even metallic. Care must be taken or you can permanently scratch them.
For your convenience, we have put together recommendations for you.
•Do not use your shirt to clean your glasses.
•Do not use a paper towel
•Do not use Windex or glass cleaners
•Do not use household cleaners
•Do not use dish soap
•Do not use rubbing alcohol
•Do not leave your glasses dirty for too long
•Do not touch your lenses, (please handle by the frame edges)
• DO keep your glasses covered / protected when not wearing them, preferably in a microfiber pouch. (we provide one with every pair). Contact us for a free pouch if you need one at nouvellechicane.com
• DO begin the cleaning process by submerging the glasses in clean warm water to loosen the dirt and oils
• DO run water over the lenses and assess the condition. make sure all dirt, dust and grit is no longer on the lens. rinse further if not.
• DO let lenses air and drip dry
• DO use a moist clean microfiber cloth to clean the lenses
• DO moisten the cloth slightly with steam or small amount of water. a very soft cotton cloth with no silk screen or paint may be used, but microfiber is preferred.
• DO use light circular motions to polish the lenses. If you see grit or dust, use running water to dislodge.
• DO clean your cloths, do not use cleaners above under “do not”. Clean your cloth thoroughly with warm water or these damaging chemicals will get on your lenses.
• DO dilute micellar water may be used to remove more stubborn or smeared oils
• DO use very light pressure only to push off the oils and dirt.
• CONSIDER a clean q-tip can be used to locally clean areas hard to get to. use low pressure only, change for a new q-tip frequently.
• CONSIDER use low concentration isopropyl alcohol may also be used. dilute with 50% de-ionized water. Take care not to touch your frames with the alcohol as it may discolor them. test carefully first in an inconspicuous area.
• DO for the final rinse use de-ionized water when possible to reduce mineral.
• DO remember always use the least power possible for the job. If water works, use water only. then try micellar water, finally alcohol. Always keep your cloths clean.
“What do I do, if they are really scratched?” It’s not the end of the world, we can help. This is a great opportunity to switch up your lens colors and look into the latest technology in eye protection.
Many good optical shops can replace your lenses or arrange an external lab to replace your lenses. They may even be able to polish away superficial abrasions.
If you cannot get to your local Nouvelle Chicane retailer, contact us through our website and we can arrange an alternative.
We suggest the following location for lens replacement
We hoped this worked for you. If it did not, send us a photo of your problem lenses and we can provide help, remotely. We can provide advice and next steps to get you and your favorite frames back on track. If you have Nouvelle Chicane frames we can provide lens replacements per standard warranty policy. You may even chose to upgrade your lenses with one of our latest gradient combinations.
Occasionally we are asked to make custom colors for our clients. We ask for a color swatch, a picture, a sample of the color 🌈 or even the Pantone code color.
Here is an example of how we dyed a white pair of our frames 😎 to a coral color
You can do the same to an old pair of frames but you should make sure you know the material they are made from. You can always test first, but this is how we do it at Nouvelle Chicane.
you will need the following :
1000 grit sand paper, 8″ stainless steel pot, micellar water💦, tongs, a toothbrush, rit dye of your choice (always dye from a lighter color to a darker shade), white vinegar (1.25 cups), hair dryer .
Remove the lenses first. Make sure you put in an envelope or bag with them labeled (left or right and top/ bottom) Set aside for reinstallation later.
Prep the frames by lightly sanding all surfaces with 1000 git paper,
1) soak 🚿 and clean🧽 the frames with Micellar 🚰 water and a tooth brush. rinse 🛁 thoroughly to remove the 🧼 soap, then leave the frames to soak in water until you are ready to 🧪 dye. You can add a shot glass of vinegar too. This opens the material pores and allows the dye to penetrate further.
2) fill a stainless steel pot, 8 inch diameter, 7 inch tall with water about 3/4 full. This allows the frames to tumble in the liquid. Make sure the frames fit in the pot in the fully open position.
3) warm the water and add 1.25 cups of white vinegar.
4) carefully add 50 milliliters of coral rit dye (or your color of choice) we always suggest going to darker tone than the original frame color.
5) submerge frames 🤿 into the liquid, for minimum of 20 minutes continually poke and push / maneuver the frames. Open and close the temples, you want to expose all surfaces. Adjust the heat 🌡 so the frames roll 🔄 in the boil like below. see slow motion video.
6) remove the frames with tongs from the hot liquid. Leave the pot on the stove you may need to return the frames.
7) Wash frames under the cool water from your tap 🚰. Dry with hair dryer 🔥. Check color. if not dark enough put back in the pot 🍵. Add more dye or water as necessary. Wet frames always look darker than when they are dry. Take this into account.
8) once completed the dye process, remove the frames, rinse 💦 and let the frames dry.
9) sand again very lightly as necessary to remove any roughness that occurred.
10) submerge the frames in water for at least 30 minutes ⌛️ to remove any excess dye. they always lighten 💡 up.
11) wash again 💦 with micellar water and tooth brush. rinse and let dry.
12) reinstall lenses, you may use the hair dryer to warm the frames to allow the lenses to pop back in. You can clear coat the frames to seal in the color but that glosses up the finish which you may or may not prefer.
Good luck.
Any questions contact us.
Unsustainability in eyewear! Let’s break the bad habits of mass production and waste.
To manufacture your glasses; 4 x 6-inch blocks of acetate are cut into the shape of the frame. 80% is wasted and landfilled. This is called subtractive manufacturing and a wasteful approach.
Recent advances in manufacturing equipment and materials have made additive manufacturing (3D printing) a viable alternative process, that is also environmentally and ecologically conscious. Only the material needed for the frame is fully processed. Nouvelle Chicane chose this process as well as several other prestigious brands at the leading edge of this technology.
Inventory overruns are another wasteful impact to the environment generated by subtractive manufacturing. Why? high minimum lot quantities are needed to cover costly setup charges that conventional manufacturers demand. To keep costs down they typically need to run several hundred copies of the same frame. This creates piles of dusty inventory that many times ends up sold at a discount, or worse, landfilled.
When using additive manufacturing and a tightly controlled supply chain the batch size can be as small as one piece.
Nouvelle Chicane makes limited frames and works with our shops closely to support low inventories. Our process allows us to backfill quickly in 3 weeks with novel pieces.
See the following article for further details on additive versus subtractive manufacturing in eyewear. You can make an environmental impact today, by choosing Nouvelle Chicane Eyewear.
We use a variety of materials. Everything from polymers and composites to stainless steel. Recently we used brass. Check out the brass inserts in Staxz frames.
These frames were built custom especially for a leading artist in the NYC area. Staxz link to spotify.
Next up. titanium and copper.