The Results
Having a homemade lens with easy to use focusing and aperture control is a nice treat. The lens functions the way I expect a lens to function.
I measured the focal length at 45 mm and the focal ratio at about f/ 2 with the iris wide open. At f/2 the images were extremely soft and low in contrast. At about f/ 4 the contrast increased enough to produce the nice glowing images that I expect from a monocle.