Lathe lighting.....what do you use?

[Odie]

Sometimes I wonder if there is Divine intervention in some of the coincidental things that happen in my shop! :cool2:

The other day, the switch on the light for my wet grinder went belly up! :mad:

My choices were to go down and buy another light, or fix this one......I chose the latter. I took a regular light switch used in a wall box....cut it up and installed it on the neck of the lamp with a bunch of electrical tape....looks jury-rigged, works great! (splice and connections were done correctly, but necessity of the moment meant the whole unit was mounted to the neck with the electrical tape)

This lamp has a magnetic base......and......well.....to make the story short, I set the darn thing on the lathe headstock.....I had been working on a bowl when the switch failure occurred. Shazam! What an improvement in my lathe lighting.

For the past 25yrs, I had been using a single adjustable neck lamp and a couple of 4' fluorescent bulbs suspended over the lathe......I always thought I was satisfied with that......until the other day!

There's something very good about the sweep of two incandescent bulbs from different directions, very close to your work.........plus the overhead fluorescent bulbs.

I'll never go back to the way it was now!

While we're on the subject, you might as well tell us about the lighting on your lathe......comments and suggestions are always welcome......and, I'm always interested in hearing and seeing how others are handling situations in their shop. :cool2: Pictures are always great to see........!

ooc

 

[Max Taylor]

lathe lighting

I have the PM3520b. there are 2 arms to the back of the headstock on which I cut a wood block and with 1 screw fastened them to it. I have a Moffett lamp on one and nothing on the other arm,but have a wood block cut to fit the contour. Plan to get an Office Depot adjustable arm light and attach it to the tail stock arm. I could have used 2 office depot lights, but I had the Moffatt. Hope this is clear, as I dont know how` to post pictures. Max

 

[loberg]

Odie
Like my Christmas thread said, I got a HF light diode trouble light with a magnetic base. I mounted it on the bed and had it shine directly into the bowl. My other light is a swivel arm desk light for the outside.

 

[Odie]

Odie
Like my Christmas thread said, I got a HF light diode trouble light with a magnetic base. I mounted it on the bed and had it shine directly into the bowl. My other light is a swivel arm desk light for the outside.

Hi Loberg.....

Yes, I saw that! What does that HF mean? I'm tempted to guess it means high frequency, but I don't know. Explain please.

In some ways, I'm just terribly old fashioned, to the point where I'm totally oblivious to what's the "latest and greatest"......! I just muddle on in my stubborn ways of doing things.....sometimes learn something new.......sometimes cling to what I've evolved to......and, sometimes don't care how the rest of the world does things! 😉

Is your desk light a fluorescent adjustable arm? How do you like that?

ooc

 

[Richard Baker]

Odie, Looks like your "magnetic" light can shed some light on the "back" of the turning. This is extremely handy at times. And with age comes the need for more light.

 

[Odie]

Odie, Looks like your "magnetic" light can shed some light on the "back" of the turning. This is extremely handy at times. And with age comes the need for more light.

Age?.......AGE?.......you mean that's it? That's whats wrong with me?


Heh,heh,heh!

I bask in all this senility stuff! 😀


Yep, it can shine on the back......and if the turning isn't too thick, it can reach up to the front, too. That magnetic base can attach right up to the edge of the headstock. It can also detach and mount on the bedways and shine right into the interior of the bowl......very versatile. The older adjustable arm lamp can adjust to shine either side, too......but, I'm getting an education about how two lights are better than one! I wish I'd done this years ago....:mad:

later, Tex......

ooc

 

[AlanZ]

Odie,

I'm assuming that HF refers to Harbor Freight

 

[Odie]

Odie,

I'm assuming that HF refers to Harbor Freight

OK, thanks Alan......sounds like that could be it.

ooc

 

[loberg]

Yep--Harbor Freight.

 

[Vaughn]

Here's what I use...

http://www.aawforum.org/vbforum/showthread.php?t=6222

 

[Jim Silva]

Here's what I use...

http://www.aawforum.org/vbforum/showthread.php?t=6222

That rocks.
I saw a similar rig somewhere online recently and thought it was a great solution. I've got the light(s) but haven't had the chance to build the arm yet. I've got a setup much like Odie's with a florescent light overhead.

Incidentally, I've found that using a piece of heavy gauge 3/8" screening bent around the light hood keeps those wayward chunks of bark that I keep sending into orbit from breaking the overhead light.🙄

 

[Dave Peebles]

Here is one that I use. It's pretty basic and cheap. 🙂 I have several around the shop.

I also have a dental light that I picked up at an auction. It throws a great pure light that really shows any scratches I may have missed.

Best wishes,

Dave

 

[Odie]

I also have a dental light that I picked up at an auction.

That looks like the perfect lathe light! 😀

I want!

How much does one of those cost?

ooc

 

[Odie]

Here's what I use...

http://www.aawforum.org/vbforum/showthread.php?t=6222

As Jim Silva said......yep, that does rock!

I must have missed that thread when you originally posted it.

Thanks for letting us know about the Moffett lamp.

ooc

 

[John Hatton]

I hang a 250 watt metal halide lamp over and to the side of the lathe. You definitely can see every detail with this light. :cool2:

 

[Odie]

I hang a 250 watt metal halide lamp over and to the side of the lathe. You definitely can see every detail with this light. :cool2:

John......

I once tried a halogen bulb at my lathe, and I've found there is a problem with too much light concentration from a single source.

Woods with dark and light areas, with that much brightness had a "pulsating" effect......very disconcerting. So much so, that I ended up removing the halogen and going back to regular incandescent bulbs.

ooc

 

[john lucas]

Damn if age means more lighting is needed then I'm going to have call my Dad and find out where he bought the big lights we used to light up the entire neighborhood one time. My Dad used to sell lighting and he brought these things home that were 3 feet in diameter and practically light an airfield when switched on. A couple of those babies and I could get a tan while turning and have zero excuses for ever leaving a sanding scratch line.

 

[Gretch Flo]

Seeing scratches

I don't use special lighting. I have a magnetic type if needed, but use it on my band saw. The greatest thing I now have is those shop bifocal safety glasses I use the +2.5 diopter. (Craft supplies, usa, P. 56 of the 2009, 2010 catelogs.) $15.00.They sit on top on my head thru out the sanding process and I flip on over the top of my regular glasses, I rarely miss scratches now. Gretch

 

[John Hatton]

John......

I once tried a halogen bulb at my lathe, and I've found there is a problem with too much light concentration from a single source.

Woods with dark and light areas, with that much brightness had a "pulsating" effect......very disconcerting. So much so, that I ended up removing the halogen and going back to regular incandescent bulbs.

ooc

Hehe, as I look back at this post, I guess it would seem that I'm hanging that 250 MH light just above the lathe. That would be be way too bright (and really hot). It's actually hanging from the ceiling about 6 feet away from the lathe. At that distance, it casts a bright even light everywhere and it really helps me see detail in my shop regardless of what machine I'm on. The pendant is from my saltwater aquarium days, and it works pretty well for this application as well.

I can see how an intense light could have a disconcerting effect, as you've described.

 

[David Somers]

250 watt Metal Hallide Lighting? Eeks! You can essentially kiln dry your bowls as you rough em out! Talk about efficient! <grin>

Dave

 

[Wayne Spence]

Lighting

250 watt Metal Hallide Lighting? Eeks! You can essentially kiln dry your bowls as you rough em out! Talk about efficient! <grin>

Dave

Now there's an idea!

 

[Gary Slater]

Lathe Lighting

My turning tool rack is directly above and behind my Jet mini. On that is a small piece of sheet metal to which I have a magnetic Delta lamp that directs light directly onto my work piece.

Directly over my Jet 1642 is a 4 ft florescent fixture. I also have a halogen lamp that can be moved much like a dental lamp and will also direct light in/onto my work piece.

 

[Steve Worcester]

250 watt Metal Hallide Lighting? Eeks! You can essentially kiln dry your bowls as you rough em out! Talk about efficient! <grin>

Dave

Yep. Hanging from a ceiling would be ok, close to the lathe is definitely a fire hazard.

 

[Steve Worcester]

Admittedly, I had a bit of an advantage here. I have what is now sold by Oneway as the Gary Sanders light stand. I was a Gary guinea pig and have all kinds of arms and attachments on it, even a tripod head mount. Two Moffett lights with 90 watt Phillips halogena bulbs.

I recently changed all the lighting in my home office to 30 watt 5500K CFLs and would use those in the Moffatts, but I think they might be too long to put the bulb guards on,

 

[czucker]

Lighting over lathe

A while back, I was chatting with my dentist and joked that those dental lights would be great over a lathe. She said that she had a couple gathering dust in her garage from their last upgrade and that I was welcome to them. The light is great, with beautiful directional control and a very high CRI (color rendering index). I also use a combination of high CRI 4100K and 5500K T8 fluorescent tubes (one of each/fixture) for general lighting. My dentist now has a nice turned bowl as thanks. Never hurts to ask!

 

[Rik]

I use a Gary Sanders stand with a Moffett light. Love the flexibility of this outfit.

 

[Odie]

250 watt Metal Hallide Lighting? Eeks! You can essentially kiln dry your bowls as you rough em out! Talk about efficient! <grin>

Dave

That seems pretty bright to me, too......

I once put a halogen bulb in my adjustable arm lathe lamp, and ended taking it out.....went back to incandescent bulbs.

The problem I had with the bright halogen bulb is with wood that had dark and light spots on them. The combination of the bright light and dark and light patterns as the wood rotated got the best of me! ......was very disconcerting, and made it difficult to maintain my concentration.

ooc

note: I had a dental cleaning the other day. I was able to play with the dentist's lamp a little. At about 5' away, and pointed at the wall, the light pattern was squarish and about 6"x8" in size. From what I saw, I wasn't convinced it would be a better alternative to regular ol' bulbs......! 😀

ooc

 

[Rick M]

In addition to color accuracy (or not), the type of work may drive your decision about what type of lighting will work well. Large, diffuse overhead lighting (like fluorescents) can wash out fine details like texturing, which is much better revealed by smaller (usually incandescent) sources aimed from a low angle off the textured surface.

I wouldn't want to be limited to a single type/source of light, and I have to add that I've got plenty of consternation about the planned changes in availability over time as the incandescent lighting phaseout progresses.

 

[loberg]

I was able to buy a magnetic Delta light since starting this posting. I use it on the bed to light up the inside of bowls, etc. I use a swing arm (desk style) to hi lite areas that need more illumination and a 4 ft shop light over head. So far so good. I'm now working on a tool rack after seeing all the pictures from my tool rack post. Thanks.

 

[Mike Brazeau]

I was helping a widow sort out her husband's shop two years ago and found this excellent idea for a bracket on the Oneway 2436. Is held to the lathe in the two holes reserved for springing the headstock end plate off. Have a metal plate on top for the magnetic base Delta light and a couple of holes for the swing arm. Also have a piece of 2x4 mounted behind and below the level of the ways and secured to the swinging lathe control arm mount. It has holes that will hold swing arm. Have 75 watt reflectors in both, but will likely go to Daylight CFL's when they burn out.

 

[Odie]

In addition to color accuracy (or not), the type of work may drive your decision about what type of lighting will work well. Large, diffuse overhead lighting (like fluorescents) can wash out fine details like texturing, which is much better revealed by smaller (usually incandescent) sources aimed from a low angle off the textured surface.

I wouldn't want to be limited to a single type/source of light, and I have to add that I've got plenty of consternation about the planned changes in availability over time as the incandescent lighting phaseout progresses.

Phasing out of incandescent bulbs........planning ahead!

Just a note: I have been buying extra incandescent bulbs every time I get groceries. I don't plan on running out any time soon! I've probably got 2-300 bulbs in storage right now.....and, I don't plan to stop buying them, either!!!!! 😀😉

ooc

 

[Odie]

You will soon have enough to start a museum of antiquated lighting. They could be housed next door to the museum with carbon steel router bits.

Yep, that's true, Robert.........However, I won't be paying exorbitant prices, and won't have to call an emergency hazmat response team if I break one! 😀

I'm not holding my breath, but it's possible the laws will be relaxed on mandatory use.......since the whole man made global warming thing looks like it might be a complete hoax......😉

ooc

 

[Odie]

When I was a student of oil painting, the teachings of my favorite instructor was that fluorescent + incandescent is the best substitute for daylight.....this combination of light best makes a painting show the fine details of brush strokes and color.

This is what I've been using. This allows me to see the detail in my turned bowls, and yes, I am satisfied with it.

The times when lighting is most important, is during sanding. It's my belief that knowing how to sand is the best way to avoid flaws.....but, it always pays big dividends to see them when they occur.......it's a combination of knowledge, and sight that makes the pieces fit together.

To answer your question directly, Robert.....no, I haven't used CFL's on my lathe lamps, but I have seen the light produced by them. Perhaps I will someday, but I haven't felt a need to, since I am satisfied with fluorescent + incandescent lighting.

ooc