smontanaro 

I'm starting Doug Fattic's class next week. I will use one of my two pairs of prescription glasses (one for computer, one for reading), depending on distance. I will be silver brazing, so plan to get a pair of didymium clip-on lenses. (Hopefully I can find some which double as safety glasses and don't cost an arm and a leg.)

I see an enormous assortment of side shields, none too expensive, but also none indicating they meet any sort of standards. Should I be looking for something in particular in this regard, or is simply having something on the sides good enough?

Andrew R Stewart 

In 45 years of brazing I have never felt the need for side protection from the flame/glare. I have used simple sun glasses a few times, a long time ago. These days I use a Phillips 202 lens which was offered in a reading magnification at one time. Andy

smontanaro 

Thanks, Andy. The course will involve working with spinning machine tools as well, which I presume are more the reason for side shields. I have a weird prescription (look up "Lasik monovision"), so can't make do with simple reading glasses. (My Lasik operation was about 15 years ago, in my early 50s. The "no need for reading glasses" the monovision was supposed to provide lasted about five years.)

Doug Fattic 

A lot of protective type of glasses (clear or with some kind of shade) are a semi-wrap around style that protect enough in almost all circumstances. When I'm brazing with silver, I take off my prescription glasses and use plain clear ones. I wear them when working with the mills, lathe, belt sander and grinders. Sunglasses work well for brass brazing. We don't braze that long at a time so there is no need for really dark classes. Those are for people that need them while brazing all day long. I've got glasses you can try out here although I expect you'll appreciate the didymium lenseswhen we start practice brazing. I never feel like I have to wear glasses with protective side shields personally but everyone's safety standards can be different than mine.