Keep this step-by-step guide to assembling rimless eyewear on hand in your office as a handy reference tool.

DRILLED RIMLESS WITH SCREWS

The most important thing is to protect the lenses. The easiest way is with top-hat washers.

When a loose screw is used, insert it through the tab used to suspend the lens, and add a top-hat washer.

Slide the lens over the screw onto the washer, and slide the washer on so the tube will go into the lens hole.

Slide a metal washer over the screw to protect the plastic top-hat washer from the nut.

Thread a nut onto the screw to secure the assembly. Cut off excess screw with a flush cutter and smooth the roughness of the screw or cut the excess with a shear cutter, which will leave enough of the screw to add a cap nut.

COMPRESSION BUSHING-MOUNT FRAMES

Insert the bushing through the lens� backside.

Grip the bushing tubes that extend through the front with cutters, and pull the strap or lip against the back of the lens.

Use a finger to hold the strap or lip against the back of the lens, and without scratching the lens, snip off the excess at the surface of the lens with flush cutters.

Use a machinist�s scriber to open the holes that were crushed by the cutters.

Keeping a finger on the back strap, introduce the part to be mounted and squeeze it into the opening to get it started (if it won�t stay, roll the scriber around a bit harder).

With the part in place, introduce the pliers and put pressure on the back strap with one jaw.

Keeping the pressure applied, bring the front jaw to the part and squeeze firmly until it is seated against the lens. If the part moves, steady it with a finger.

NYLON SUSPENSION FRAMES

Remove old string from the holes with the scriber.

Thread the nasal side by inserting the string from where the lens resides through to the bottom hole.

Weave it back through the top hole with about 2mm sticking through toward the lens.

Fold the 2mm tail over with your finger, and pull the string at the bottom to close the loop locking it.

Insert the lens groove into the interliner at the top of the frame, making sure it is well seated.

Wrap the string firmly around the lens bottom and over the temporal holes.

If the frame is a 48 eye-size or less, cut the string at an angle at the top hole. If it is 48 to 52, cut the string at an angle between the holes. If it�s over 52, cut the string at an angle at the bottom hole.

Set the lens aside and weave the string through the temporal side the same as the nasal side.

Reinsert the lens into the frame, pinching them together between your thumb and forefinger to hold the lens in place.

Finally, fold a ribbon over the loose string and pull firmly as you ease the string into the bottom groove of the lens, sliding it from temporal to nasal.  EB