What action would you take to achieve optimal lens polish before finishing the lens?

To achieve optimal lens polish before finishing the lens, dressing the lens is the appropriate action. Dressing involves using an appropriate tool or material to smooth and prepare the lens surface by removing any irregularities or imperfections that might affect the final polish. This step is crucial because a well-dressed lens surface allows for more effective polishing, resulting in a clearer and more polished lens.

The dressing process typically helps in refining both the shape and the surface quality, ensuring that any microscopic scratches or rough areas are addressed before the final polishing step. This contributes to better visual acuity and overall lens performance. The final polish will be more effective if the lens surface has been adequately dressed, thus ensuring the best possible optical quality.

In contrast, refining the edge or grinding the surface involves altering the shape or thickness of the lens rather than focusing on achieving a fine finish. Sanding the edges also does not specifically target the overall lens surface quality and may introduce additional roughness, which would detract from the polishing process rather than enhance it.