Source of Headlight Lens

Easy enough to make your own with bubble wrap and a drill bit of the proper size. Drill a hole in piece of 1/8" or thicker metal, reverse the drill and use it as a punch. By inserting the bit backwards before punching you can file then use successively finer sandpaper to make a smooth radius on the end.

This lens is homemade.

Olsen's and The Train Tender are two possible sources.

You might also try carefully masking one off and spraying with a clear frosted or matte finish plastic spray paint to see how it looks. You could do a lot of lenses with one spray can !

MV Products made lenses in many scales and colors for model railroads.  I don’t know if they are still producing product but it’s not difficult to find inventory of their lenses in well stocked hobby shops, or through an online search. 

I bought a punch set at Harbor Freight a while back and have made a couple of lenses using it by punching them out from clear plastic sheet.  The punch set came with a number of heads for different diameters.

Never tried it but I wonder if a 3-hole punch would do the same thing (if the correct diameter can be found)?  I hate it when those little round pieces of paper fall out all over the floor

Bob,

That punch set sounds like the answer.  

Thanks and thanks to all who replied.

Ed

Ed, glad to be of help.

When I first tried it I used too thick a piece of clear plastic and it actually delaminated a layer or 2.  Went to about the thinnest clear plastic I could find that would hold its shape and worked well.  Give a couple of thicknesses a try and see what you think.  A good, solid hammer will make quick work of the job!

I also purchased the punch set some years ago. Works like a charm for a myriad of projects:

headlight lenses, roof vent blanking plates, bolster shims. you get the idea.