Anyone using a halogen bulb on their lathe lamp?

[odie]

I've never used a halogen bulb for my lathe lamp yet.....just got the idea the other day. All this time, I've been using a 100w incandescent bulb up close, and a 4' flourescent bulb several feet above the lathe.

Is a halogen bulb worthwhile?

Will it cause a fire hazard?

....odie

 

[Mark Mandell]

Yes & No

I've never used a halogen bulb for my lathe lamp yet.....just got the idea the other day. All this time, I've been using a 100w incandescent bulb up close, and a 4' flourescent bulb several feet above the lathe.

Is a halogen bulb worthwhile?

Will it cause a fire hazard?

....odie

Yes I use them; far better in my Moffat lights.

No fire [yet]

Of course if you're negligent enough to allow wood dust and shavings to accumulate in the light fixture(s), it doesn't matter much which bulb you use; just make sure your insurance doesn't lapse.

 

[Sky]

I've been using halogen bulbs on all my lathes for years. Gives great light and shows true colors of wood. Never had a problem with them. Definitly worth the cost.

 

[woodwish]

In addition to plenty of flourescents I have three halogens on a 4' section of track lighting so I can move and re-aim as needed. Only downside is they do seem to put out a lof of heat, but much better light than regualar incandescents. I only notice the heat when I am deep cutting the inside of a bowl and leaning over the lathe more than usual. I feel like my "solar panel" (ever-expanding bald spot) is getting baked by the one light right above me. :cool2: Of course all I really need to do is move that one or turn it off. I did once just unscrew slightly while I finished the inside. For most of my work they are great.

 

[Mr. Don]

Suntan

Hey Woodwish...just slop on some good suntan lotion on the old bean or wear a cap.....just a thought.....

 

[Richard Baker]

Ya'll are tough. I changed from a 100w incandescent bulb to a fluorescent because of the heat. Would surely be unable to tolerate a halogen unless it was at the other end of the shop. Granted, the halogen should give good (like daylight) color rendition.

 

[odie]

Ya'll are tough. I changed from a 100w incandescent bulb to a fluorescent because of the heat. Would surely be unable to tolerate a halogen unless it was at the other end of the shop. Granted, the halogen should give good (like daylight) color rendition.

Texian....

I just installed a 90w halogen spot light on my lathe lamp. It concentrates the light to a small area. At this point, I haven't used it much, but you may want to consider that. It looks like I'll be able to put the majority of the light on the bowl, and not on my hands. It's extremely bright, and should give me more light where I want it, and less where I don't.

I got it at Walmart and cost was a little more than five bucks.

I'll still be using the suspended 4' fluorescent bulb just above the lathe, in conjunction with the halogen. I think this set-up might work out OK.

Later, friends......

....odie

PS: In this pic, you can see the fluorescent shop light is suspended just above head level, while the flexible arm lamp with the halogen can be positioned as needed. The flex lamp is mounted to the lathe itself.

....o

 

[Richard Baker]

Odie,
I like the idea of suspended fluorescent, and plan to try it. Mine are all up against the ceiling. From the reports in these posts, might be good to attach a screen of sturdy hardware cloth in front of the bulbs if not already there, maybe with 1/2" squares.

Had not thought of a small halogen spot. Will look for one next shopping excursion to civilization. Was thinking of the 500w size. About four of those would heat a small shop. Might have to explain wearing suntan lotion in mid-winter.

Thanks Odie.

 

[Sky]

I only use 50w halogen bulbs. Sometimes that creates to much glare on light colored wood. A few years back before my buddy George Snyder passed away, he had an opps/ Oh SH..SH..Shucks... Being a quadroplegic he had weak hands with virtually no hand gripping strength (still was a machinest & a fine woodturner). Turning by himself one afternoon, a tool got away from him flying straight up smashing out the floresent lights directly above (the only lights on at the time)leaving him in total darkness, covered with glass & a lathe in motion. After turning off the lathe he was able to backup his wheelchair the 5 feet to the door opening it for light. A wire cover was added & a flashlight in the wheelchair pocket.

 

[Leo Frilot]

I use a combination of lights. Have the fluorescent at the ceiling and the halogen in the goose neck. It works fine, no fire hazard as long as your lamp is rated for the wattage. I wouldn't put a 100w halogen in a 60w max lamp.
The halogen is very useful when applying friction polish or a CA finish. Helpd you see the "bead" as you wipe on the finish and also helpful with sanding.

 

[odie]

Well, gentlemen......(and ladies)

I've had it with the halogen bulb.....went back to the 100w incandescent.

It was nice to have a little brighter light, but I found that some bowls with dark and light grain patterns are just too disconcerting to look at them spin. I don't know, maybe it's just me.....but it was getting to bug me, so I put the old bulb back in.

....odie

 

[Brian Hahn]

I had a double halogen fixture hanging above my lathe for general illumination. I found it had too much of a strobe effect and switched to a new electronic ballast fluorescent fixture with shield. I like it a whole lot better. I also prefer small incandescent spotlights for close up lighting.

 

[Sky]

I turn a lot of Indian Rosewood which has yellow sap wood & dark heart wood which does create a "strobe" effect. I also find it hard to turn for an extended time.

 

[Mike Gould]

I like a lot of light on my turnings. I have a suspended 4' fluorescent fixture with 2 40watt daylight color bulbs in it. That is mounted about 3-1/2' over the lathe bed.

On either side of that are two 300W outdoor halogen floodlights on extension poles. They are positioned so that the left one shines down toward the headstock from the operator side and the right one shines down to the bed ways from the far side of operation.

On either end of the fluorescent fixture I have one of those clamp on painter type incandescent light fixtures. I move those around as necessary.

I don't find the halogen light to be too hot on my bean. But I am only 5'8" so there is some breathing room.

The halogen fixtures are on extension poles to allow cooling air to get between the fixture and the ceiling. I didn't want a fire hazard. The halogen flood fixtures have a safety glass front so no dust gets to the bulb.

I know what I have is probably overkill. But, I find it useful.

---Nailer---

 

[W.C. Turner]

florescent lights

I installed those clear, plastic, tube covers on all my florescent lights, to prevent winding up in the dark, as Sky mentioned of his friend.

 

[Captain Eddie]

I've tried many lighting arrangements. I happened upon one when I inherited a 4' piece of track lighting with 4 MR16 bulbs. These were QH bulbs and a true white light. I mounted the track about 7' above the floor and a little back of center of the lathe. I moved the lights to give me two directly down, one at about a 45 and one a little further back. Except for hollowing, this is all the light I need. I will soon make the track a little more adjustable so I can move the light more off center when needed. For the wattage, I'm getting lots of light. When it's too much, I unlock one and it's off.

 

[Jeff Schutzman]

Lathe lighting

I am using both. I purchased a bunch of 5000K fluorescent tubes over the net. These are great lights and the color temperature makes it much easier to see the wood, small scratches etc. Also these lights are very easy on the eyes and make it easy to take decent digital pictures. These lights are almost twice as expensive than the ones you get from Lowes/HD, but they last about 10 times as long.

I also purchased two articulating arm dental lights on eBay and have one mounted overhead to closer to the tailstock end, and one mounted closer to the headstock end. These lights are nice for a couple of reasons. First, they are good at focusing a beam into a bowl or around a curve, or jut onto a spot where I need some attention. The other reason is they have a good enclosure for keeping the chips away from direct contact with the very hot halogen bulb. The reflector inside the enclosure also does a nice job of spreading the light out evenly but still maintain a spot beam.

I also have a magnetic base halogen machinist light I picked up online. It is handy when light needs to get into an odd place, or at an odd angle.

I attached a picture. Sorry for the mess in the pic, but that's how it is most of the time.

 

[odie]

I am using both. I purchased a bunch of 5000K fluorescent tubes over the net. These are great lights and the color temperature makes it much easier to see the wood, small scratches etc. Also these lights are very easy on the eyes and make it easy to take decent digital pictures. These lights are almost twice as expensive than the ones you get from Lowes/HD, but they last about 10 times as long.

I also purchased two articulating arm dental lights on eBay and have one mounted overhead to closer to the tailstock end, and one mounted closer to the headstock end. These lights are nice for a couple of reasons. First, they are good at focusing a beam into a bowl or around a curve, or jut onto a spot where I need some attention. The other reason is they have a good enclosure for keeping the chips away from direct contact with the very hot halogen bulb. The reflector inside the enclosure also does a nice job of spreading the light out evenly but still maintain a spot beam.

I also have a magnetic base halogen machinist light I picked up online. It is handy when light needs to get into an odd place, or at an odd angle.

I attached a picture. Sorry for the mess in the pic, but that's how it is most of the time.

Great idea on the dental lights jastop.....

What did you have to give for those?

....odie

 

[Jeff Schutzman]

Dental light cost

My recollection is that the first one I got was about $90, then the second purchase was for a lot of two. The lot was for one that was a ceiling mount and one that was a pole mount. The pole mount light is on my bench waiting to get attached to my sharpening setup. The two light lot was around $150 if I remember correctly.

The prices on these things are crazy sometimes, you have to be patient. Also make sure that you get the mounting hardware that you want. They come in ceiling, track and chair/pole configurations.

- jeff