Lathe Lighting

I'd love to see some pictures and hear some discussion on lighting around your lathe. I need to improve what I have now and want something solid, adjustable and moveable the length of the lathe (sliding headstock).

I've found pictures of a couple of good setups, but would like to see and hear about as many as possible before I make an investment.

Thanks in advance...........................Mark

I'm using 2 halogen lamps on a stand....the construction light setup....in fact, the only lights in my shop......Well yeah...there's $600 worth of flouescent fixtures and tubes sitting in the corner under 1/4" of dust but....well.....I'm turning.

mark, can`t you use a magnetic based l.e.d. spotlight? i`ve seen the l.e.d. stuff in all kinds of weird shapes and mounting configurations and they`re supposed to be really easy on power? i don`t own any so can`t offer 1st hand experience but my son has a little keychain light that runs off a watch battery that`s been left on for days in his toybox and after more than a year of torture still lights up pretty brightly for its size.
you allready have good overhead lights right? and are looking for task lighting?

Flourscent shop light hanging overhead. I'm told that's lousy. Dunno. Works for me.

Mr. Cothren, sir, I have natural lighting in the form of a window on the tail stock end of my lathe. I have two fluorescent lights on the ceiling above me one, more or less to the left and right of my shoulders.

I have two Stay-Put work lamps mounted on my lathe. One is mounted on the bench at the tailstock end of the lathe where I can move it so that I can see into objects that I am working on and it also provides raking light that allows me to see scratches left from sanding. The second Stay-Put light is mounted with a magnetic base on the headstock. The long flexible neck allows me to position it so that I can see up close when I am doing detail work and if necessary I can pull it down and direct the light into the object I am turning and see inside of it really well. The Stay-Put lights are not cheap, around $55 but the flexibility they provide with the long gooseneck and rugged construction make them worthwhile.

And in a pinch I have a halogen clamp on light that I can use to really brighten things up.

And as Tod said there are some wonderful LED lights out there which will thin you wallet down considerably but are much lighter, much cooler and last a long time.

I have a big plenty of flourescent lighting overhead - but it is nowhere near adequate for my eyes when I'm turning. So yes, I'm talking about task lighting. I have an adjustable light mounted to the wall, but it won't hold it's position when I move it to where I need it.

I thought about a magnetic based light on the headstock, but wanted to check out other options first. I haven't seen one yet that had a long enough neck on it to satisfy me - unless I was going to use a second light from the tailstock side.

I haven't looked into the LED lights, so thanks for that information.

Appreciate the responses. If anyone has pictures of their setups I'd love to see them.

I use a lamp w/flexible neck on my Delta midi.

For now, the overheads are sufficient for my Mustard, but I'll use something similar to this when the need arises.

Ken Fitzgerald said:

I'm using 2 halogen lamps on a stand....the construction light setup....

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This is the same setup that I have been using to supplement the overhead flourescent and daylight from the open garage door (which will soon not be an option ... brrr...).

cheers eh?

I have two task lights, both are recycled, so don't let their looks bother you


This works fine for me, but I would like something a bit more flexible.

I believe that Bill Grumbine has an old dentist's light set up.........?

Cheers!

Whatever works, Stu...

I remember Bill's light gloat... every time I go to my dentist I covet his lights. Maybe my next visit I'll try to convince him it is time for an upgrade in his office (and offer to dispose of his "old" lights ).

Mark, here is a picture of the Stay-Put lamp I was mentioning. They are made by Moffatt Manufacturing. Here is the web address for Moffatt.

http://www.moffattproducts.com/products.htm

There are a variety of bases available for this light and you can get longer flexible arms from Moffatt if you desire.

I've got a desk lamp similar to Stu's right now, but I've been eyeing the Moffet lights at Packard. I noticed that Pricecutter.com has what looks like the same light with the magnetic base for a little less money. Dunno if it's a knockoff or the real Moffet. (It is made in the USA, though.) For now, I think I'd try to come up with my own rig for a flexible arm stand to mount it on. The stands at Turningwood look real nice, but they're a little pricy.

Mark, I have a dentist light over the space where the Poolewood used to be, and two Moffat lights over the Vega. The Vicmarc has a Delta magnetic base gooseneck light. ALL of that is probably going to be rearranged when the Robust arrives.

I really like the dental light, although it can make my eyes go funny on wood like walnut where I get the light/dark wood flashing around and around. But the Robust is going to have a longer bed, and I will be moving the headstock more, so I am thinking of taking the Moffat lights and putting them on a barn door track so they will slide along over the lathe, and moving the dental light to the Vega. So I guess I won't be changing it all about, it just seems like it!

Oh yeah, one other thing that I use with the Vicmarc is junction box plates, which are about 25¢ each at the home center. I screw them down at various places and they are instant bases for magnetic lamps.

I hear used dental lights are around on the web, but they ain't cheap. I got mine from a student who is a dentist.

Bill

Mark Cothren said:

Whatever works, Stu...

I remember Bill's light gloat... every time I go to my dentist I covet his lights. Maybe my next visit I'll try to convince him it is time for an upgrade in his office (and offer to dispose of his "old" lights ).

Click to expand...

I have a dentist's light on the way. My friend works with dentists and he said he has rounded me up one but I have not seen it yet. I will post pictures when I get it. The dentists are happy to get rid of them when they update but the people who install them resell them so they are hard to get.

Maybe the dentist or the light guy would be interested in a trade of some sort (if I'm lucky).....

I have an old goose neck floor lamp I use throughout my shop. BS, Scroll saw, Lathe, hand work, etc. These tire old eyes need extra help from time to time and it will reach out and point whereever I want.

Hi Mark,

On my PM3520a I have a 4' twin tube flor suspended about 3 feet above the lathe as well as a Moffat lamp bolted to the headstock. One my Oneway 1224 I have essentially the same thing but used a smaller Dewalt lamp instead of the Moffat. I've been wondering if someone has made a lamp to mount on a lathe yet with multiple flex arms with fiberoptic cable and a single light source. These are popular with some other hobbies (like fly tying) and have been a mainstay of medicine for over 30 years.