fix and fit

Working with Nylon Suspension Rimless

by Alex Yoho, ABOM

Nylon suspension rimless frames have been around for a long time, but they can still be frustrating. Challenges include replacing the interliner or string and getting the tension perfect.

The interliner—the figure eightshaped strip that resides half in the frame, half in the lens groove—can be tough to replace. If the interliner is damaged or partly sheared off, remove the string and slide the remaining piece of the interliner out the end of the frame. If it is totally off, a pin or other sharp object can help. In some cases, frames hold the interliner so tightly that it has to be heated to the point of softening.

REPLACING THE INTERLINER

Replacing an interliner is usually easier. There are several sizes available for replacement, and some frame companies have their own. Keep every type you come across on hand, as a little difference in size can greatly impact the ease of insertion.

To begin, determine the side that will fit into the frame and cut the interliner at an angle, making that side the point. Sometimes you can simply slide the interliner in with great ease. Other times it just won't budge, no matter how hard you push.

It's helpful to have a piece of rubber available (the gummier the better) to pull the interliner through. Lubricating the groove with oil or heating it may also help.

Once the interliner is in place, cut it off to allow about 2mm of unobstructed channel for the string to sit in above the holes that it weaves into.

REPLACING THE STRING

Keep a few sizes of string on hand. There are many methods of gauging string length. One effective way is to weave the nasal side first, inserting the string from the inside where the lens resides through the bottom hole, and then looping the string back through the top hole so there is about a 2mm tail toward the lens. Fold this tail down with your finger and pull the string on the bottom to tighten the loop.

Next, leaving the temporal side completely unstrung, settle the lens into place and wrap the string over the temporal holes. Use the holes as a guide to cut the string at an angle.

Set the lens aside and weave the temporal side as you did the nasal side, leaving a 2mm tail sticking through the top hole. Fold the tail down with your finger and pull the loop tight by tugging on the lower string. This should give you perfect tension when the lens is mounted.

Then, using a ribbon, pull the string around the lens from temporal to nasal. When it snaps into place, put a finger on the string on each side of the ribbon and pull the ribbon out. If you try these tips, you should have a perfect fit every time. EB