Required output for a light for turning?

[sploo]

I've been looking to get an articulated light to help when turning, and was looking at making something from the LED block lights such as these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Topautolight-E ... +light+car

The above are designed for mounting on cars, so put out a significant amount of light (often in the order of 2000+ lumens). Speaking with an electronics savvy colleague, he's confirmed my suspicion that they probably won't be dimmable (because of the way the internal electronics work), and I suspect they may be too bright.

Alternatively, I see IKEA have a small unit that comes with a bendable arm: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/ligh ... -00169659/

That though is a claimed 88 lumens (so tiny compared to the car products).

Has anyone used the IKEA lamp and found it to be sufficient?

 

[Mal]

As an extra to the strip lights in the garage, I use one of these:

http://www.drapertools.com/product/5175 ... -Batteries)

Pretty handy, as it has a magnetic base, so can be moved around and fixed to the lathe pretty much wherever you want it.

 

[stewart]

I have found it difficult getting one of these in the right place and keeping out of the way of making shadows on the turning. I've got a strip light above the lathe and some clip on lights with white halogen bulbs in. When I need more light I use this: http://www.penturners.co.uk/your-tips-and-jigs/16480-pimp-my-tool-rest.html The photo of it turned on has come out oddly in the camera - I don't thnk it could cope with the contrast but it gives great light on the work piece and is low voltage so if there were to be a snag it wouldn't be a disaster. The strip light is quite cheap - about £8 to £10 quid for 5 metres...

If you're interested I could make one up for you - £10 plus postage - this is for the light, connections, power supply, light mounted on a metal strip with magnets to attach it to your toolrest...

 

[sunnybob]

I have the ikea one on my bandsaw. It has a very small light circle. Great for illuminating the bandsaw blade, but it wouldnt work on a lathe.
I would buy a 4 ft flourescent strip lamp but you can now get them with LED tubes. Amazing light.

 

[woodpig]

I have a Draper mag base LED light on my Lathe and it works ok but the light quality is dreadful compared to the Halogen lamp on my milling machine. I'm not in a rush to get any more LED lighting.

 

[sunnybob]

worth reading through...
http://www.premierltg.com/should-you-re ... d-tubes-2/

and this one is simplified

http://www.westinghouselighting.com/col ... ature.aspx
Daylight temperature LEDs are the way to go.

 

[Alpha-Dave]

I use a 150W halogen floodlight above my lathe; outdoor proof so that I don't have to worry about wet shavings or dust affecting it. Less that £4 from toolstation or screwfix including a bulb: http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p15898?table=no this is always on if the lathe is.

I also have a couple of positionable lamps that I use if I need to look inside vessels. The handy light from woodart products is then my most used: http://www.woodart-products.co.uk/3_Lights.php

 

[sploo]

All - many thanks for the replies - lots of useful info to consider!

Stewart - that's a very clever idea with the tool rest light.

 

[duncanh]

I have 2 basic angle poise lamps from Ikea, one at each end of the bed. I've had them for years and they still work well, though I've had to replace a few nuts and bolts which fell out (lock nuts now used). They're not the strongest construction, but they're cheap and have lasted.
Just choose a bulb to suit - I can't remember what I have in mine.
The good thing about angle poises is that you can point them at whatever you want, so if you're casting a shadow on the work simply reposition the lamp, and they have a long enough arm to cover a large area. They have a tube on the end which slots into the plastic foot (which I've screwed to the wall) so if I want to use them anywhere else in the workshop I've made a new foot from a piece of wood with a hole drilled in it which I can clamp where ever I want it.

I have one of those bendy lamps behind the bandsaw - not bright enough or large enough beam for lathe work.

I also have the Woodart LED which is magnetic - fasten to your toolrest or even a hollowing tool for working inside hollow forms.

 

[Blister]

I have used one of these for about 5 years
http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-cl ... ght-510413
with the magnetic base

Does the job

 

[sploo]

I have used one of these for about 5 years
http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-cl ... ght-510413
with the magnetic base

Does the job

Thanks. I've seen those before but I can't help feeling it's awfully expensive for what it is (hence I've been looking at alternatives).

 

[Dalboy]

I have used one of these for about 5 years
http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-cl ... ght-510413
with the magnetic base

Does the job

Thanks. I've seen those before but I can't help feeling it's awfully expensive for what it is (hence I've been looking at alternatives).

Why not buy the magnetic base and put a cheaper lamp on top as the base has 4 screw holes you can attach the lamp to it

 

[sploo]

I have used one of these for about 5 years
http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-cl ... ght-510413
with the magnetic base

Does the job

Thanks. I've seen those before but I can't help feeling it's awfully expensive for what it is (hence I've been looking at alternatives).

Why not buy the magnetic base and put a cheaper lamp on top as the base has 4 screw holes you can attach the lamp to it

I have thought of something like that; it's where I was going with the original idea of the car LED lights.

 

[Sheptonphil]

I also use the ikea Tertial on the lathe, one on the Sorby pro edge, one on the drill press. They are superb at the price. I use 60w reflector bulbs in them.

All those to supplement the twin 6ft fluorescents above the late and the other 5 four ft tubes in the workshop.

Phil

 

[selectortone]

Here's my five quid solution - if you have a pose-able dust hood. Buy one of the LED lights that Lidl sells occasionally. (Actually they come in a two-pack for - if memory serves - about a fiver.) They have a handy little fold-out hook and sit on/in my dust hood a treat. Since the dust hood is infinitely pose-able and I don't tend to need a light when I'm using the dust extraction, it works a treat. The light is plenty bright enough to light up the little nooks and crannies of a small hollow-form or box and batteries seem to last forever. Cheap as chips :mrgreen:

 

[sploo]

Here's my five quid solution - if you have a pose-able dust hood. Buy one of the LED lights that Lidl sells occasionally. (Actually they come in a two-pack for - if memory serves - about a fiver.) They have a handy little fold-out hook and sit on/in my dust hood a treat. Since the dust hood is infinitely pose-able and I don't tend to need a light when I'm using the dust extraction, it works a treat. The light is plenty bright enough to light up the little nooks and crannies of a small hollow-form or box and batteries seem to last forever. Cheap as chips :mrgreen:

Love it. That's a great solution. You just need a polished metal dust hood to reflect even more light forward and it'd be perfect

 

[sploo]

Just following up on this - I happened to be (being dragged around) IKEA by the wife recently, and so grabbed one of the little JANSJÖ lights.

I haven't made a magnetic base for it yet, but a quick test of curling it around the locking handle on my tailstock worked well. It stayed in place, and gave me good light for turning. I suspect my old low energy bulbs in the garage are probably getting a bit dim now, but regardless it does seem to put out a decent amount of light - especially considering it's fairly close to the workpiece.

 

[woodpig]

Gosh T, that looks like something out of war of the worlds! :shock: :lol:

 

[sploo]

Gosh T, that looks like something out of war of the worlds! :shock: :lol:

If you saw the quality of my turning it'd likely give you the moody blues :wink:

 

[Robbo3]

Sorry forgot to post this.

Alan Stratton of As Wood Turns did a video on using Ikea JANSJÖ LED lights back in 2013
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCuXq8tCvtg