How to tighten loose Ray-Ban hinges (and what to do about a stripped screw)

A Ray-Ban arm that flops open or wobbles usually means the tiny hinge screw has worked loose. Here is how to snug it up safely at home, and when a stripped or missing screw needs Ray-Ban or an optician instead.

Lay the glasses on a soft towel, hold the hinge steady and turn the screw clockwise with a screwdriver that fits the slot exactly, stopping as soon as it feels snug. If the screw spins without biting, has a chewed head or is missing, stop and take the frame to an optician or Ray-Ban's repair service rather than forcing it. Self-repairs are not covered by Ray-Ban's warranty, so check your purchase date first if the glasses are fairly new.

• 1. Work out what is actually loose: Open and close each arm slowly and watch the hinge. If the arm wobbles at the joint or drops shut by itself, the screw is likely loose. If the hinge feels firm but the glasses sit crooked or slip down your nose, the frame probably needs bending back into shape by an optician, which a screwdriver will not fix.
• 2. Set up a safe work area: Spread a towel on a table near a window or under a bright lamp. Avoid working over a bed, a rug or an open sink. The screws are smaller than a grain of rice and almost impossible to find once they roll away.
• 3. Pick a screwdriver that fits snugly: Try the tips in your kit until one sits deep in the screw head without rocking. A tip that is too small or the wrong shape is the most common way a screw head gets chewed up. Do not use a kitchen knife, a nail file or the edge of a coin.
• 4. Hold the hinge steady: Open the arm fully and lay the frame on the towel with the screw facing up. Pinch the hinge between your thumb and finger so the arm and front cannot twist while you turn. Keep the lenses off the table so they do not get scratched.
• 5. Turn gently until snug, then stop: Press the screwdriver straight down and turn clockwise in small movements. Stop the moment you feel resistance. Overtightening can strip the thread, crack an acetate frame or make the arm too stiff to fold.
• 6. Test the fold: Open and close the arm a few times. It should move smoothly and stay where you leave it, without flopping or grinding. If it is now too stiff, back the screw off by a very small turn.
• 7. Stop if the screw just spins: A screw that keeps turning without tightening usually has a worn thread, and a screw head that has turned into a round dent cannot be gripped any more. Forcing either one makes it worse. Leave it as it is and keep the glasses in their case until you can get help.
• 8. Get a stripped or missing screw replaced: An optician can usually swap in a matching screw, and many will tighten hinges while you wait. For Ray-Ban's own service, call the Ray-Ban India repair line on 1-800-1200-625 (Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm). Ray-Ban says repairs outside warranty are charged depending on the style of your frame.
• 9. Keep the hinges from loosening again: Put your glasses on and take them off with both hands, holding both arms. Store them in their case instead of hooking them on a shirt or pushing them up on your head. In summer, do not leave them on a car dashboard, where heat can warp the frame.