task lighting???

NickWheeler

NickWheeler

Joined
Dec 3, 1999
Messages
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I left the topic pretty general... I'm specifically interested in reading what you guys are using for your finish work area lighting.

I have a ton of light in my shop (artificial) but since I'm rearranging things and put a new bench in, I'm wondering about putting in some lighting that's different from what I had set up.

I have an 8' high output fluorescent above the main, hand-work bench and then a task lamp with a flood bulb, and an articulated arm with a cheap, Craftsman halogen work light mounted to it.

MOST specifically, I am interested in the lighting for hand sanding.

I've been kicking around the idea of a "mid-range" machinist halogen because they're compact and have real nice articulated arms or goosenecks... but even the cheap ones are gonna ruin $100. That's pretty steep for an experiment since I'm not familiar with these type lights. They didn't have any on the machines at the school (cheap bastards! ;) ).

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated :)

And FWIW, I used the google bf search and couldn't find anything that helped me out.
 
i like my neons. easier on the eyes when you work long hours. but you always have to take the piece outside to examine the real world finish. (after all it where the client will be using it and admiring the finish)
 
Hey Nick,
I have found for my uses that a variety of lights work best. That is a mix. I have fluorescent lights on the ceiling with incandesents. I have a large window in the finish area. I have hanging lamps that use either incandesents or CFLs and halogens under cabinet and pointable halogen with a dimmer.
As you know what shows in one light will be almost invisible in another (scratches, etc.)
Almost every piece of equipment I have I have mounted lights to.
The older you get the more light your eyes need. It is a fact of life.
To complicate things I also use a variety of bulbs in each class, ie. different spectrum such as GE Reveal bulbs.
It is obvious that there is no "right" bulb. What shows scratches may not show true colors, etc. Some bulbs require a warm up, which can be a pain for some things. Halogen work lights are great for use as a heater when it is chilly out, because they put out a lot of infrared light.
Just keep spending money!
It is clear that whatever you have been using must work, because your work has always been impeccable.

~Alden
 
LOL......You know those small halogen lights that are used
in show halls and conference rooms..?......the ones that
show all the flaws just weren't there before...?....Make sure
one of your bench lights is a halogen..!!
 
Thanks guys! :)

Alden, that's kind of where I'm at too... many fixtures throughout the shop and many different bulbs. I WILL have windows in my finish area in the next shop, but they just aren't in the cards right now. Hard to beat sunlight for many detail tasks.

Russ---gosh dang it, don't I know it!?!?! LOL :D I have sworn that I'm going to build a shop with ceilings the same height as the Cobb Galleria and put some big canned halogens in it! ;) :D

I check my blades in about 20 different light sources at 500 different angles here at home, yet I swear the second you pull a knife out of the zippered case at a show you see something. :eek: :foot: :o :grumpy:

So how can I mimic those conditions in my shop???? :confused: ;) :D
 
I use one of these http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200309783_200309783
It REALLY lights up the place, jut rig up a switch on the cord and a clamp to secure it to the ceiling or the wall or even a pice of 1/2" pipe...

160947_lg.jpg
 
"So how can I mimic those conditions in my shop???? "
Have a big knife show in your shop......
 
Nick,

I installed a metal halide over my finishing area. It is a low ceiling unit with uv filter. I decided to do this because at one show they had these lights and I brought out a really nice blade I had polished out with one of my first Hamons. I used the halogens, 2-4 foot florescents, and natural lighting form windows and garage door open. When I pulled out the blade the scratches I missed showed up like a neon light. When I got home I went to the electrical supply house and picked one up. I have no regrets and the bulb has lasted almost 5 years. I just turn it on when I am doing the finishing and use the florescent fixtures when doing rough work.
 
I had a friend tell me about the lamps that dentist's use that show every little detail. He said they showed scratches that he didn't even know were there in normal light. There is a guy in Reno who refurbishes dental offices and just took out two lamps, one is a ceiling mount and the other mounts to a cart. They are less than two years old and the price is very reasonable. I should have mine(the ceiling mount) within the week and let you know how it performs.
 
Nick

My wife put me on to this. Its called an Ott Light. It is supposed to be real close to actual sun light. It also shows scratches like a bitch! If you want to get rid of scratches you have to find them first. They aren't cheap, but if you look around you can find deals on them. They are available in many fabric stores and on line.


Jim Arbuckle
 
DAMNENG said:
Nick

My wife put me on to this. Its called an Ott Light. It is supposed to be real close to actual sun light. It also shows scratches like a bitch! If you want to get rid of scratches you have to find them first. They aren't cheap, but if you look around you can find deals on them. They are available in many fabric stores and on line.


Jim Arbuckle
Click to expand...

http://www.ottlite.com/
 
I have a full spectrum (like the ottlite) goose neck style that I have right by my work station. It helps but is not really bright. It is great because I can move it at different angle over the blade to find those last fine scratches. I still use the big Metal Halide though that really lights up the shop.
 
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