Magnetic light for lathing

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saleemtaibjee

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Hi. I came across this Gloforce Eyelight plus as an option for a magnetic light. Anyone familiar with this? Or any other recommendation?
 
They are regular stallholders at the Harrogate show - promoting to woodturners. The product looks OK but expensive.

If you can do basic electrical circuits, I would DIY something using an OSRAM MR16 12V LED bulb fed from an old 12V plugtop power supply.
OSRAM MR15 12V LED2.jpg


The lamp will last forever so you could even solder the wires straight to the pins without a lampholder. Check the spec but a lot of these bulbs are plug in replacements for low voltage halogen lights and don't care whether you feed them AC or DC as long as it's 12V. If you have a spare wall-wart, you could make this for under a tenner and it would be brighter, better light. Choose a "colour temperature" that you like as the LEDs are made in different warm and cool whites.

Otherwise an LED sewing machine light or one of the smaller Unilite CRI range of rechargeable LED lights which have great colour rendition.
 
I have a magnetic light with a flexible stem of ~25cm.

It is a pain getting it fixed to the lathe (mostly curved castings) in a stable position, where the lighting illuminates that which I want, without the flexible stem getting in the way of gouges, or the LED obscuring the view.

I am shortly moving - I will change the set up and try an LED with more adjustment, probably fixed to the wall above the lathe so it can be positioned without getting in the way.
 
Not sure I could recommend the one I am using at the moment, which is a Chinese import from Ebay. The light is bright enough and the flexible shaft is easy to position The downside is that the switch is on the blink which necessitates switching it on and off. at the wall socket. Also, the magnet has the habit of coming off the lamp base, as well, and remaining stuck to the lathe.
I recently. saw one , again on Ebay, that had a switched magnetic base that would be a lot easier to get off and reposition. I believe the Gloforce eyelight you mention is rechargeable so you will have to contend with keeping it topped-up, rather than just plug and go
 
Hi. I came across this Gloforce Eyelight plus as an option for a magnetic light. Anyone familiar with this? Or any other recommendation?
I have one after Helen Bailey recommended them during a demo at Axminster Nuneaton. I usually run mine on half power and probably get about 5 hours run time and not the 7 as advertised. I bought the extension and have it suspended from a dust filter above my lathe using the magnetic base. My verdict would be not cheap but a quality item well worth having.
 
30 LED, switched, magnetic base, goose neck sewing machine lights from Ebay for less than £10 each (they were £6ish when I bought them). Most come with a 2 pin plug & a 13amp adaptor.
I have one permanently wired into the switch of my small bandsaw & the other I move to wherever needed.
- sewing machine light for sale | eBay
Or an LED Panel light. This one is 12w, 150mm square, on an adjustable arm mounted on a French cleat over the lathe.
Choice of round or square/oblong (depending on the wattage) & with or without a mounting frame
 
At work we had several machine lights bought from Chester machine tools-proper lamps for the job, once installed they didn’t need much moving about. At home I have a medical inspection lamp which is like an angle poise lamp with lo and hi intensity settings very good light to work with.
 
30 LED, switched, magnetic base, goose neck sewing machine lights
I have the same. I made a stand to attach it to when I wanted to put it in a position other than on the lathe itself. I have another on the grinder stand and metalwork lathe. And, by the way, one on my sewing machine.
 
I have a Gloforce and no complaints as someone else mentioned maybe not the cheapest but I've found it quality, it will attach to my lathe but I also have a few strategically placed inexpensive metal adhesive discs stuck to the bottom of shelving that I can 'hang' it from - must've bought pre-covid at Harrogate so been used a long time and no complaints. I also have some of the sockets with built in USB fitted in the workshop so easily charged.

HTH

Padster
 
I’ve got a cheapish Nebo magnetic light from B and Q. Think it was 8 quid. I’ve got it on my bandsaw, works really well.
 
I have a Gloforce and it works fine though battery life isn't the longest. Also have two Charnwood LED lights but as others have said the curved surfaces of lathes cause a few challenges for these lights in general. DIY is an excellent option but I might investigate a floor standing reading light also.
 
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