I’m doing a little market research for a friend. The guy who makes
the LED lights for the Bonny-Doon presses is a friend’s nephew, so
I’m pondering ways to help him out. (Yeah, it really is a very small
world, isn’t it?)
I just got done attaching an LED light kit to one of my garage
tools, and that got me to thinking: LED’s have become
small/cheap/tough enough lately to start putting onto all sorts of
things that we never would have thought of even 5 years ago. I’ve
already got LED ringlights on all my serious drillpresses, and even
the junker big guy out in the garage. Amazing what a difference
having enough light (and enough COOL light.) in the right place
makes. (I’ve had halogens. The burns may eventually heal. They say.)
So, anybody have any suggestions, or wants for tools or places in
the average jewelry shop that’d be useful to get lit up? The two that
come to my mind are rolling mills, and buffer cabinets. There are
already ringlight kits for drill presses, and buffer cabinets
normally already have light fixtures in them, but they tend to be in
the wrong place, just by virtue of the size and power requirements
of big bulbs. LED’s don’t have that problem. So an add-on kit for
buffer cabinets might make sense.
Where else would be better with light? (I’m half way tempted to
suggest a light strip for the bottom of a bench, to make finding
things lost on the floor easier. I’m joking, but only slightly.)
I use an LED light ‘tube’ about 36" long mounted 18" above my bench
pin. It gives me a fresh wash of light that is not tiring to my eyes.
I then have a very bright LED on an extension arm lamp, Phillips 150
watt equivalent that is really bright. I can pretty much do anything
with those two lights at the bench. I have two 100 watt equivalent
bulbs over my casting station. I have a few 2 foot by 2 foot panel
lights mounted over the work bench area, buffer, vice, wax station,
PUK area. They each use 100 watts and have many LEDs inside. Very
bright without shadows.
The bulbs have come a long way and are getting cheaper all the time.
The last hold out in the house was the dining room light which took
five 60 watt candelabra lights, switched over to the LEDs and you can
barely tell the difference. 60 watts vs. 300 watts and no heat.
Charlie
Note From Ganoksin Staff:
Looking for a led work light for your jewelry projects? We recommend:
I got excited about the ring lights for drill presses, but when I
checked them out, they were not suitable for my Dumore, as the point
of attachment is tapered and too short. Any thoughts on what would
work for that type of dp?
Here’s a photo of one like mine from ebay where you can see the
attachment point.
See ya at SNAG,
Linda Kaye-Moses
Re where I could use more light: definitely inside my 16-inch slab
saw. One on each side of the blade, and one for the back where the
clutch is. If more people had a lapidary hobby, humans would evolve
a third hand to hold the flashlight. - Lorraine
On a manoeuvring arm for a lapidary wheel. Likewise an adjustable
arm with lights for just about anything I do on the bench, having
trifocal glasses and then a magnifying headset, I can always use more
light on the area that I am working.
Where else would be better with light? (I'm half way tempted to
suggest a light strip for the bottom of a bench, to make finding
things lost on the floor easier. I'm joking, but only slightly.)
I wouldn’t laugh. I have a lead light plugged in and hanging next to
my bench for searching for dropped objects. The more lights I shine
on the bench the deeper are the shadows under it.
More light on a wire draw-bench would be good, to better see the
holes in the drawplate. How about next to the hydraulic press, to
better see between the platens?
How about a light/light cluster on the end of a bendable shaft and a
magnet on the end? I’m envisioning that it could be attached to the
casing of an inside ring engraver or regular tabletop engraver to
provide more light.
I have a small LED light on a goose neck and clamp base attached to
my Potter hydraulic press from IKEA and switched from a fluorescent
ring light on mymicroscope to a dimmable 144 LED ring light that I
got on eBay for less than $17 with shipping. So glad I did.
It seems like, whenever I am working in gold, I drop it, usually on
the floor. I keep a powerful flashlight nearby and turn off all the
lights. By putting the flashlight on whatever surface I am searching,
any small object will cast a long shadow. Since I share space with
the cat litter box, it is always interesting to see what I find
before I find the piece of gold that I dropped. Rob
I’ve got a drill press like that (sort-of) The trick I used for that
one was to use a microscope ringlight.
My mount setup was a little different, but the microscope lights
have bigger bores, so they might grab.
Either that, or keep an eye out for two-head fiber-optic sample
illuminators. They do float by on craigslist from time to time.
Or, weirdly enough, you may be able to cobble something together
from spare parts for light kits for bullet reloading presses.
I’ve used LED kits from these folks:
I’d look at picking up either the 2 strip kit, or the 2" LED
shellplate kit. That gets you self-adhesive LED strips, and the
power unit. You can add more by getting more pigtails and Y
splitters.
At last resort, you might be able to con Peter into making you a
custom. It’ll cost, but it may be the right answer. Email me
directly and I’ll put you in touch.
Peter already makes an LED kit for the platens of a Bonny-Doon
press. Really lights things up well. I’m just looking for new
markets for him to conquer.
A strip that could go on the top or back of my plexiglass collection
box would be hugely helpful when cleaning up with the flex shaft. I
can never get quite enough light to shine inside the box at just the
right angle. When I pull pieces out, they are never quite as cleaned
up as I think they are when they’re inside.
Such a thing already exists. Magnetic base with a flexible stalk,
and a big LED w/spreader/lens on the end. The base has a battery
pack, or you can plug it in.
I’ve got a couple of them, they float around the Knew Concepts shop,
and get stuck where we need them. Great for the kick presses.
I got mine from Woodcraft, but can’t find them in their online
catalog. I got them directly at a show, so they may not be a stock
item. They’re all over ebay and Amazon.
They were about $30 ea. Fleabay will be cheaper. Woodcraft also had
the LED ringlight that I’ve got on my big drill press in the garage.
About $40, but not in their online catalog either (that I could
find) Not the greatest ringlight I’ve ever seen, but big, and it
clamps directly to the spindle carrier of the DP, so it rides up and
down with the chuck, which is handy for a bigger DP.
Enjoy,
Brian
Note From Ganoksin Staff:
Looking for a led work light for your jewelry projects? We recommend:
