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Headstock lighting......show us! :)

odie

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This is a good place to show us your headstock lighting.......:D

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182313442533?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

A few months ago, I purchased one of these sewing machine LED lamps to use on my headstock, and it worked out so well that I purchased another......now I have two! This is the best flexible headstock lighting I've ever had! (I also put one on my drill press, and another on my band saw.......and just ordered three more. They are so cheap, effective, and the magnet is strong.

On my lathe, there are two 4' fluorescent bulbs suspended just above, two incandescent bulb lights on the headstock, and now there are two LED sewing machine lamps, to boot! :)

IMG_2591.JPG
ko
 

john lucas

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Here is my current set up. It is one of the high power LED lights that Ken Rizza sells. It was too bright and I thought I would never say that. Actually the light was too focused so I spread it out using cut up plastic milk carton and some wood to make a diffuser to put over the light. It's now a bright but softer light and works really well. I have a weaker LED magnetic light that I attach to the bed or tailstock when I need 2 lights.
 

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These are IKEA lights. I mounted them like this so I could have a lot of control on where the light goes. In particular, when turning thin I can get the lights behind a bowl and/or platter and see the thickness without moving a single light around.
Lights1.jpg
 
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I went with Ken Rizza's Super Nova. Lots of bright white light for tired old eyes. :D

IMG_2711.jpg
 
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IMG_0994.JPG IMG_0994.JPG Here's what I use found these on a online auction site, used portable dental lights. Have many extra if anyone's interested.
 
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That's the same Iight I have. I like it much better with my diffuser.
Wouldn't a diffuser soften the light and make it more difficult to see the sanding marks? One of the things I like about this light is that it shows me the condition of the wood, warts 'n' all. :eek:
 
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I have the same light Odie does. Got it cheap on amazon. Super bright and super strong magnet. I put a piece of steel on the wall behind the lathe it is stuck to usually.
 

john lucas

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Maybe if it was a large diffuser. It's not the diffusion it's the size of the light that creates shadows on the sanding scratches. With the diffuser my light is still only 3" across. My old lights had a much larger reflector and would make it harder to see the scratches. I put bulbs in it that didn't have any frosting and that helped. I like Ken Rizza's light a lot except I want to put it on a seperate moveable bracket. It moves pretty well with that flexible arm but it could be better.
 
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I'm gonna have to try experimenting with your milk carton idea and see how it works for me. Who knows, I may end up being a convert. :)
 

odie

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Great idea, Odie. Thank you

You bet, tdrice.......Might be a good idea to get several of these sewing machine lamps. I had one that did not turn on and off dependably. One day, I turned it on, and blew a circuit breaker. After that, it never worked again! They are cheap enough to be considered "disposable", though.

ko
 

odie

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Odie: The Ebay link description says these lights are 220V. Is this just a typo or something? Are they 110?

Yeah, I saw that, too, Grant.

I you scroll down, the specs say 110-220V......not sure what's up with that, but it's got the correct plug for 110v, and work fine on my 110v shop circuit. Could have something to do with Chinese to English translation......? I doubt if very many sewing machines are 220v.......?

Maybe someone with more electrical savvy can comment.......?
 
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Yeah, I saw that, too, Grant.

I you scroll down, the specs say 110-220V......not sure what's up with that, but it's got the correct plug for 110v, and work fine on my 110v shop circuit. Could have something to do with Chinese to English translation......? I doubt if very many sewing machines are 220v.......?

Maybe someone with more electrical savvy can comment.......?

If they are sold in Europe it would need to be 220V, it also could be like shavers that work on either voltage, with the cheap electronics available that is easily done nowadays.
 

Bill Boehme

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A lot of modern electronic devices have built-in power supplies to enable them to operate over a wide range of supply voltages and line frequencies so US 120 VAC 60 Hz or EU standard 230 VAC 50 Hz not a problem. A handful of island nations still use 110 VAC. The US hasn't used 110 VAC since about the 1940's, but surprisingly a lot of people (maybe even most) still say 110 volts. I could say that it's shocking how old habits die hard, but I won't. :D
 
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IMG_3149.JPG View media item 14114
This is my set up which is mostly made or modified by me as I couldn't find anything in australia (for a reasonable price) that I liked.
The large one in the middle was a 55W halogen that I took apart and fitted a 25W LED car spotlight to (this is new and I still need to add a diffuser to it).

The two smaller ones (I usually only use one) are 10W LED car spotlights mounted on a microphone gooseneck and gooseneck extension (600mm/24" overall flexible length) with some large magnetic bases (naturally I turned the timber part). I originally made these two for when I'm power carving so I never cast shadows on the lines I'm trying to follow.

Cheers

Josh
 
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Bill Boehme

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Here's my lighting. It's the same picture that I posted in the Moffatt light thread a couple months ago being recycled.

index.php


The only thing that has changed is more dust has accumulated from lack of use. There's a couple IKEA lights to which I have added a Moffatt light with a homemade swivel base and LED bulb. I also have a super bright LED that I clip to the overhead door track above the lathe. When I turn outdoors which is most of the time, the sun is usually plenty bright.
 
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