Since receiving the V2 grade mica I've been trying to do a comparison study of visible light transmission. My trials so far have been inconclusive but the V1 is certainly higher quality, no defects.

I tried comparing single, double and triple layers to a pair of stock sunglasses using a monitor as a back-drop. The images didn't come out very well.

The other images communicated almost nothing, not sure how to go about it a better way... Maybe next time I'm visiting my old campus I'll ask around, I need to talk to one of the engineering professors anyways to return a book (oops!)

One of Micas unique properties is its heat resistance, so much so that there didn't seem like there would be any problem using solder directly on it, potentially a metal with a much higher melting point too. This could be used to make the frames more unique.

So I wanted to try embedding a lens in solder.

Okay; modelling clay and solder do not mix. Ended up contaminating the lens and scratching it up trying to clean before I tried alcohol. The alcohol ended up cleaning off the flux and gross stuff easily.

Using a single line of solder was not the best idea, super fragile. I ended up having to glob a lot on to get it stable and even completely botched a quarter. So I folded over a segment and clamp jointed before soldering.

After a little cleaning I decided to go ahead and make a second assembly, this time with two loops clamping onto the lens.

I then sealed all four sides.

After both lenses were finished I figured out the spacing as best I could and then joined them.

Then I made a crude nose bridge and added arms.

Alignment is definitely off, but tolerable. Orientation is also off on one lens. Considering the size of these test lenses I'm actually surprised how easy it is to look through them. Since the lenses are single sheet stacks there are no interesting visuals, only a slight fade and blur.

All in all, not too bad for a first prototype.