Diy-Ban - the Wooden Sunglasses

Hello today I want to tell you the story of my Diy-Ban sunglasses.
I'm Italian, sorry sometimes my English it is not always correct.

I used a type of tropical wood known as Ipè is very heavy, hard and stable.

Step 1: CAD: the Model 3D

With 3D studio Max I modeled the frame, previously downloaded from the web, and adapted to allow a correct 3d milling.

I exported n. 3 .STL files (one frame and two temple) and I imported into the Cut3D software, generating gcode for 12 milling, roughing and finishing on both sides.

Step 2: CAM and Setup for 3D Milling

The front will be made from a piece of Ipè of dimensions 80 x 180 x 23.3 (z) mm. I added the tabs in the most fragile points but also simpler for their removal.

After setting the size of the block i have chosen the parameters of the roughing and finishing.

The wood in question is very hard so I set for roughing a depth of cut of 1 mm and 2.6 mm stepover, finishing with stepover 0.3 mm

I generated 4 Gcode for milling the front (roughing and finishing on 2 sides) and then i generated 8 files for the temples with the same procedure, the only difference is that the block had this dimensions: 80 x 180 x 15.7 (z) mm.

You can open this files with this software:

Vectric Cut3D (.v3d)
Vectric Aspire (.crv3d)

Step 3: Preparation of the Milling Support

The most delicate part is be milled on both sides of a block in such a way that once rotated by 180 ° the zero point coincides with the edge opposite.

For this it is essential that the blocks to be milled have the same size set in the CAM with a precision possibly the tenth of a millimeter.

In addition to this it is necessary to also have a locking system (and unlocking) piece that allows a rotation of 180 ° without deviations.

So I fixed on the floor of my CNC a piece of birch plywood on which I milled pocket of the exact size of the blocks which for convenience I made the same size (80x180) 5 mm deep.

The purpose of the pocket is to be able to set us inside the blocks to be machined without losing the alignment in the X and Y axes as well as to have a perfectly linear sull'azze Z.

The first block is ready to be processed but must be held in place to prevent movement in Z.

Step 4: The Milling Begins...

After the hard work of CAD and CAM now I expect the final exam, see the final result and hope that the end milling successful considering the fact that only the front the CNC has been working continuously for 7 hours.

To mill all the three blocks (front and back) my cnc spent nine hours.

Step 5: Manual Finishing

After releasing all 3 pieces from the tabs I've hand-finished with sandpaper lightly just trying to soften the forms and eliminating the milling pass.

Then I anointed with the oil of linseed and wiping with a cloth beeswax make them shiny and pleasant to the touch.

Step 6: Hinges

Probably find a way to fix the hinges to the frame is the most complicated, at least it was for me.

It seems incredible, but on the internet I could not find a store that would sell. I only found a shop in Italy that sells beautiful metal hinges with micro-screws and nut but only in a kit for 10 pairs of glasses at a cost of about 80 Euros, I asked if I could send only a pair of glasses but answer was: no!

So I tried to recover the hinges from old celluloid glasses but are embedded in plastic and adapt them to a wooden frame is not easy at all.

So I decided to make do (as usual) and I decided to print them in 3D with my 3D printer.

Based on the measurements of my glasses I modeled with 3D Studio Max, a micro-hinge as that in the image above

I exported the model in .STL I tried to print it in ABS.

As pin i will use a needle sewing custom.

Step 7: Pockets for the Hinges

Another delicate operation is to make small pockets to house the hinges in the frame and temples.

With a micro milling machine and a tool of 0.75 mm and especially with a lot of patience I carved small pockets.

Later I made the holes (diameter 1.2 mm) to insert the micro-screws with nut

Step 8: Grooves for the Lenses

To be able to mount the lenses must be formed in the inner part of the front of the incisions so as to allow a perfect fit.

Always with a tool 0.75 mm going very slowly I made an incision of about 1mm depth along the inside perimeter.

Step 9: Custom Logo Laser Engraving

This particular could not miss ... I had to mark them in some way

Engrave the words "Ray-Ban" was too trivial, "Diy-Ban" instead is more appropriate given the context.

With Aspire Vectric I prepared written and exported gcode for machining a pocket with my cnc laser.

Step 10: Assembly the Temples

I'm not a optician nor a watchmaker and these operations bring me a bit of stress.

I bought on Ebay of micro-screws M1,2 + nut that I will use for tightening the hinges.

Probably This is for me the most delicate part of this project.

I admit that the assembly of temples did not come very well, I'll do better next time. My next project is about sunglasses using curved sheets of veneer.

Thanks for reading!