Turning lenses for model vehicle lights.

Not all 1:72 scale vehicle kits come with lenses for the headlights, or in one case is missing one lens for a spotlight. Time to get the lathe out.

A while ago I bought some clear acrylic rod to play with. With that held in a collet I turned the end down to the finished diameter of the lens;

Then I set up my watchmakers tool rest and, using a graver, gently shaped the lens;

Some fine wet&dry, moistened with saliva, was used to gently polish the lens, finishing off with a cotton bud dipped in T-Cut;

Now the lens can be parted off, which leaves a little pip in the centre, easily removed with a curved scalpel blade. This leaves a visible mark, but that just looks like a bulb, at least to my eyes.

Two lenses sitting on a penny;

The one on the right measures 1.9mm diameter. Click on the photos to enlarge them.

This turned out to be a surprisingly easy job, and with care the results can match injection moulded parts.

All turning done at 1500rpm apart from parting off, which was done at 200rpm, and my recently purchased Optivisor proved its worth.

Paul.