What light are you using at the grinder?

Bob Ohlemann

Bob Ohlemann

Joined
Dec 5, 2013
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My eyes are letting me down these days. I've ordered an OptiVisor to help me see my grind lines better and I've been experimenting with lights to get better visibility at the grinder. I was watching one of Mike Snody's videos and saw he was using a small machine light that he places at neck level just below his line of sight. I'm curious how many of you need additional light and what you are using to get bright, shadowless light at the grinder. Cool, shop-built setups should include a pic. I'm thinking about buying a pair of these.

http://www.electrixtask.com/model_7330.htm

Bob
 
I find multiple kinda of light at once is best for me so I have a bit of an off setup. Currently I have two 4 foot tube fluorescents about 4 feet above my bench, two 100 watt bulbs a bit behind me (just ceiling lights), and a 250 watt halogen above my left shoulder aimed right at the platen. This gives me the chance to see things like small scratches that may not show up in one light source by itself.
 
I use one of those flexy desk lamps with the clip base in addition to good surrouding overhead light...

-Eric
 
I also have over head florescent and smaller spot lights for each station in my shop. I still also take my blades outside for direct sunlight to see if I missed any big scratches. Even those Halogen aren't as good as sunlight.
 
RangerBobTX said:
My eyes are letting me down these days. I've ordered an OptiVisor to help me see my grind lines better and I've been experimenting with lights to get better visibility at the grinder. I was watching one of Mike Snody's videos and saw he was using a small machine light that he places at neck level just below his line of sight. I'm curious how many of you need additional light and what you are using to get bright, shadowless light at the grinder. Cool, shop-built setups should include a pic. I'm thinking about buying a pair of these.

http://www.electrixtask.com/model_7330.htm
Bob
Click to expand...
Those should work fine as you can place them anywhere there is metal. Or should I say Steel. Those are pricy, but probably good quality. I use some cheaper magnetic lights which are similar, but they have shorter arms. Check google for different prices.
 
My shop has 14' eaves and the four foot fluorescents are about 13' high. I wish I could replace all the fluorescent fixtures with high bay lights but that is way out of my range of affordability. I have been working on improving the task lighting at most of my work stations. I ordered one of those Electrix lights this morning to see how it does. They are rated at 900 lumen so I think if I can keep it within about 18" I will have very good light.

Bob
 
RangerBobTX said:
My shop has 14' eaves and the four foot fluorescents are about 13' high. I wish I could replace all the fluorescent fixtures with high bay lights but that is way out of my range of affordability. I have been working on improving the task lighting at most of my work stations. I ordered one of those Electrix lights this morning to see how it does. They are rated at 900 lumen so I think if I can keep it within about 18" I will have very good light.

Bob
Click to expand...

Drop your flourescent lights with chain. I had to do the same in a large barn that is now a paint booth. In the prep area we dropped them from the 15 foot high rafters down a good 8 feet with just some light chain and sheetmetal screws...

-Eric
 
Light? The light God gave me. No seriously, I use sun light. Definitely not ideal, but better than the crap overheads in the garage. I actually find the early twilight (around 5-6am) to be amazing.
 
Yeah once you get used to having an adjustable task light attached to your grinder, you won't be able to live without it. You will curse at it alot for being in your way also, but nothing is without compromise.


I got by without one before I got my TAG-101, but the light on that thing is incredible. I use a high output LED spot in it, that's pretty heavy. Most of the other lights (goose-necks, etc.) I tried that bulb in wouldn't stay put, but this thing is solid like a rock. One of the most overbuilt modern tools I've ever seen.
 
I am 64 years old and wear glasses and my vision gets slowly worse with age but I use what a lot of guys use....multiple sources of light. First, my grinder is 1 foot from my garage door so I open the door I also use a draftsmen's articulated lamp that is very common and sells for about $30. It clamps vertically or horizontally so I clamp it next to me and slightly above where I sit to grind and I move it around to see the blade in the best light. In addition I have (12) 4 foot fluorescent tubes mounted on my garage ceiling and I turn them on even in daylight. The bulbs are soft white 36 or 40 watt fluorescent. I believe that you cannot do your best work without the very best lighting. I know many of you live where it is so cold that you would not open a garage door in the winter. I live in California and wear sweat pants and a short sleeve shirt on really cold days and limit the time I work by planning indoor work like epoxying liners or drawing up new designs instead of spending the whole day in the shop. I use tons of acetone so I don't ever run a heater. If you can't get enough light near your grinder save your pennies to put a window in your shop near your vise and grinder. Nothing beats daylight. Do it yourself mail order skylight tubes are an option I have not used but I have seen them installed by friends inside homes and they light things up well. Larry Lehman
 
So, my light came in. It is useful but not amazing. It is nice that it is easy to move, especially since my grinder flips to horizontal. I have the head about 10" from my platen and it lights my grind lines pretty well. I also bought a standard indoor/outdoor 75w PAR38 halogen spot and tried it in a clamp light and I think it works better. It is currently stuck to the side of my bandsaw aimed at the platen from the right and though it is about 30" away, it is still brighter. My long term plan is to install pallet racks along my grinding wall to gain some storage above all the machines. I think when I do that, I will hang some outdoor security light sockets above the grinders and use 90-120w halogen spots.

Bob


Untitled by Ranger_Bob, on Flickr
 
Thanks for bringing this topic up again


12345678910 said:
Lighting on your grinders?
Ikea has something like this, at $10 each which is good, but the LED light is pretty low powered, the colour is wrong and has no changeable lamps.
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/20169658/

I'm aiming for a super bright daylight / blue coloured lamp like you can get in the compact fluorescent
but would love LED's for the durability if the colour and Lumens were there.
Click to expand...

NickWheeler said:
I have found myself in your position several times, and never have come off with a perfect solution.

I have that one from Ikea, or one very similar, and it's not worth the hassle.
Click to expand...

I've gotten caught up in watching some youtube machinig videos
Doubleboost, Abom79 and Oxtools, where they like them.


I was tempted to give one a try again, so I asked their customer service about that one.
It's 43 Lumens of 2700 kelvens soft red light


compared to something like this
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Feit-Ele...CFL-Light-Bulb-12-Pack-ESL40TN-D-12/100661903

a 43 watt CFL is 2800 lumens of 6500K (bright white)
supposed to be 200 watt equivalent.

65 x times the light output in a colour that i find bright and fresh




I have tried the halogen bulbs that fit a standard base, but the heat off those cooked the outlets and switches, despite being well within the power ratings.
 
Count, those bulbs are pretty popular among video guys. It might be worth checking out some of the CFL video lights offered by Smith-Victor, Impact , and the like. With the right narrow beam reflector, those could be really useful.

Bob
 
I use this articulating light:

http://www.amazon.com/Ledu-L445BK-P...1392308484&sr=8-1&keywords=articulating+light

It has incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. However, it now uses the 8" T5 fluorescent which is a bit tougher to find than the T9. Honestly, the incandescent bulb is pretty weak, but the circular fluorescent lights up the grinder pretty well. I have it clamped to one of the uprights on my KMG, and I can position it where I need it. I used to use free-standing work lights, but they got pretty hot and were hard to position for optimal lighting.

--nathan
 
cheap o shopl clamp on lights with 100 watt CF bulbsmounted to the left and right of me on the rafters (short cielings). my sholders dont block the light and no lamps are in my way
 
You really don't want to know about all my lighting but- just above my grinders
there's multi tube flourecsents, below that a 300w incandecsant and on the grinder
a gooseneck. Its safe to say I'm somewhere around 5500 watts in a 20'x20" shop.
Most machines also have individual lamps.
Ken.
 
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