For those that need light when routing ( UPDATED NEW IDEA) ;)

[Rob Keeble]

Ok so i dont know where this idea of mine came from but something that has always bugged me is having enough light in the router cavity when routing with a plunge type router.So i got an idea to put a super bright led into the cavity. Well i got the deal of a lifetime at The Home Depot today. This set of led torches were selling for $3.50It was like it was calling out to me.Within in was just what i was after a small led superbright headlamp.Whats more its got the perfect bracket to be able to fix it to the router specifically my palm router and have it illuminate the cutting area.I know this aint exactly woodworking but i wanted to share the idea where most would see it. I am pretty sure i am not the only one that would like more light at the router bit.There is another way to do this and i will make another post about that at a later date.enjoySent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

[Darren Wright]

Great idea Rob. I had cut a wedge shaped block and mounted it and a flashlight the last time I was really needing light on the cutter. I like that little headlamp. Looks like I'll be taking a trip to the orange borg tomorrow.

[Roger Tulk]

When I'm working in my shed, I go to le Grand Orange two or three times a day, as it's only one km. away, so it's not a big deal to go and pick up one pack of screws. I'll have to take a look today. Hope it's not just a store special for your store.

Also, going to the store a lot gives me plenty of entries for the $3,000 gift card.

[Jim C Bradley]

Thanks for the tip Rob.

Enjoy,

JimB

[Bryan Cowing]

I miss my 1st router, a Craftsman 1/4" I bought in the 70's which had a sewing machine bulb fastened at one side. It also had a trigger switch built into the grip. Gave it to my kid, should have kept it, great little router!

[Joe Kieve]

I still have and use on occasion one of those old Craftsman routers that Bryan mentioned. When I first got it, I thought to myself, "that light is about the most mickey mouse thing I've ever seen." Then I was using it one day and the bulb burned out. Had to stop right then and go buy another bulb. Didn't realize what a big help it was until it went out.

Joe

[Rob Keeble]

Well the small light worked well on my Porter Cable 690 fixed base. It fitted right in on the bolt heads which mount the handles to the casting. But it popped off when i needed to adjust the 690 motor down quiet far.

The light was also too big for my Bosch Palm router so back to the drawing board and this is what i came up with.


1) I have some acrylic thats around 9mm thick and cut a new larger round base for my Bosch Palm Router which is the unit i really want the light on.

2) Then i purchased a super bright LED small one from the local surplus store, if you connect them to a small CR 2032 you can light it up nice and bright without any current limiting resistor.

3) Got a very small slide switch and went to town with some brass shim and some wire.

Milled out a cavity on the top side of the base big enough for the cr2032 battery and made some locations for the "terminals" i fashioned from the brass shim. Soldered some wire to the shim wired in the switch and soldered it all to the led.
Secured the whole crude assembly with some hotmelt glue and used a piece of the batter packs own round plastic to cover the battery so as to make it possible to remove the 4 screws of the base and replace the battery with ease.

Here is the proof of the pudding



As you can see the light now comes through the side of the base and shines exactly where you want it.

In case you wondering how i made the recesses for the battery led wires and switch my dremel tool and a small burr from this set

I am really now impressed with how this came out and will look to doing the same for my other bases.

Only problem i see is its easy to make a base but if you wish to use a template guide you need the center hole to be properly milled and that is with a step in it at the precise size to match the guide. Thats another thing all together so there will be limits to a homemade base.

Might consider getting one from Pat Warner and then doing my mod. Pat puts in the proper step hole for the guide and its collar.

Its no hi tech electronics or complicated soldering this is a project most can do quiet easily to upgrade the visibility at the cutting point.

With a 1/8 carbide cutter in my palm router and this light i can free hand follow a marked out pattern on wood.

Now i can get to fitting my maple leaf into my workbench.

[Darren Wright]

Great tip Rob! I could see someone with a cnc popping out a few of these. Just curious, did the LED have to face the bit or would the reflection through the acrylic be enough?

[Rob Keeble]

Darren as you know the led light is channeled and focused by its moulded lense. So in the case of the one that i am using here this is a legged version if those small pcb mount units but super bright junction.

I had hoped for light propagation and diffusion around the hole in the baseplate but there needs to be some form of edge permiting reflection for that to occur. I get a little of that happening at the circle edge but frankly the clearer i got that edge the better the light. I had to make sure the led head faced the hole to get this to work well enough.



Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

[Bob Gibson]

Won't all the dust and chips block the light???