Adjusting glasses with pliers is a common way to correct poorly fitting frames or to make repairs. Care should be taken when using regular household pliers to adjust eyeglasses.
Instructions
Things You’ll Need:
Needle-nose pliers
Flat-nose pliers
Tape
Towel
1 Cover the eyeglass lenses with a soft towel to help avoid scratching a lens by accident. Wrap the towel around one lens and work on one side of the frame at a time.
2 Use a small piece of tape and cover the end of the pliers. Duct tape works well. Cut a piece of tape just a little bigger than the end of the pliers and cover the top and bottom of the nose or jaw of the pliers. This will prevent scratching the frame. Make sure the tape is tight and flush with the pliers.
3 Grasp the frame with your hand over the lenses, facing away from you. Hold the pliers horizontally when adjusting the temples, also called the “arms,” that go over the ears.
4 Bend the hinge and temples gently up or down, depending on whether you are trying to lower or raise the frame. This must be done with great care and in little movements to avoid breaking the hinge or temple.
5 Hold the pliers vertically and compress the outside of the endpiece, the part of the frame where the temples attach to the front. Gently move the endpiece in to tighten the frame and out to loosen.
6 Repeat each step on the other side of the frame.
Tips & Warnings
Temporary adjustments and repairs can be done at home but you do run the risk of breaking a frame anytime you bend them with pliers. Most optical departments, offices and retail establishments will adjust your glasses for free or a small fee.