Lathe Light Redux

[Steve Mathews]

After reading many of the posts on this forum regarding lathe lights I came to a few conclusions.

• Too much light is rarely a problem.
• Task lights are preferred to overhead or ambient light.
• Many attempts to go cheap on task lights eventually prove unsatisfactory.
• LED lights, especially the inexpensive ones are often not bright enough.

Based on the above I'm leaning toward purchasing the Gary Sanders Light Stand from Oneway. It's a lot of money but I've read few complaints about it other than the cost. I was considering the Super Nova by Wood Turners Wonders but it only produces half of the lumens compared to the Sanders Moffatt light. Besides the Sanders setup seems to be tailor made for my Oneway. Any comments on what I haven't considered would be appreciated before making the plunge.

[Roger Chandler]

I have the KJR Aurora light with a magnetic base.......love it! Wish I had gotten it earlier than I did.....About $125. You might find it on sale from Ken at Wood Turners Wonders.

[John K Jordan]

Any comments on what I haven't considered would be appreciated before making the plunge.

Do what I do - get one of each and try them. Then get more of your favorites - the others will not go to waste. After the lathes, the bandsaw, drill press, sharpening station, milling machine, photography booth, the carving station, office desk, library reading chair... I'm surprised at how useful even the smaller lights are. I didn't walk down and count them but I'm sure I use over 25 adjustable task lights around the shop. I consider good lights just as important as good tools.

BTW, my favorite task lamps for office desk, carving, electronics work and reading have dimmers - at times light can be too bright.

JKJ

[Richard Dooling]

BTW, my favorite task lamps for office desk, carving, electronics work and reading have dimmers - at times light can be too bright.
JKJ

Agreed. Light can be too bright and especially so if the project is too unevenly lit. Really bright light can also be fatiguing.

I have Ken's Super Nova and I like it a lot but I've been playing with it to get the optimal setup. Fortunately it has a 30" neck so there are a lot of options. I'm playing around with an idea for a vented diffuser that would flip out of the way when stronger spot lighting is desired. Also have a 4" shop light for diffuse lighting and a movable cheap office gooseneck spot.

Different projects and different stages in a project want lighting suited to the circumstances. For instance, my lights are different for turning than for finding the %^!*# scratches.

[Robert Edington]

I use the Ikea lights. I just use a spring clamp to hold it where I want it. The long flex neck is great for positioning it precisely where I want it. $10. I bought an extra. I've dropped it. No problem. Use your money for something else.
RP

[Matt Evans]

Agreed. Light can be too bright and especially so if the project is too unevenly lit. Really bright light can also be fatiguing.

........................................

.....Different projects and different stages in a project want lighting suited to the circumstances. For instance, my lights are different for turning than for finding the %^!*# scratches.

This is true whether turning or flat work is your main focus!

Also, If your piece is going to sit in natural light, check it in natural light. If under florescent, check it in florescent light, etc. Ideally look at your work in several lighting setups, but always in the intended lighting during the finish sanding and finishing stages.

[Steve Mathews]

I ended up purchasing the Gary Sanders Oneway setup with 1 Moffatt light for starters. It solidly built and should be a good foundation for other lights. The only improvement I would suggest is a single switch to control all of the 4 outlets.

[Steve Mathews]

And to follow through with John's suggestion I ordered a Super Nova from Ken.

PS Ken is a super nice guy to talk with over the phone.

[Chris Fairbanks]

He has a 20% off sale on lamps right now it looks like. http://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/specials

[Olaf Vogel]

I use the Ikea lights. I just use a spring clamp to hold it where I want it. The long flex neck is great for positioning it precisely where I want it. $10. I bought an extra. I've dropped it. No problem. Use your money for something else.
RP

I use these as well, but with a bit of modification. Flying wood clips stuck in the lamp make we weary of fire hazard.
So I went with CFL's, for photographers. These are 250w equivalent. Hence really bright.
They do catch curlies very nicely. But there's a bit of concern about breaking them and the gas inside.

Recently, I've started playing with E26 LED corn bulbs. They screw into standard fittings.
You can get these from 3w up to 45w, which is 400w halogen equivalent.
Amazon has them, but eBay is much cheaper.

I also use several lights concurrently (as others) to provide general ambient light.
But the movable light, I prefer to be single source and really powerful, so it throws sharp shadows.

[Bob Bouis]

Inspired by this thread, I grabbed a couple new-ish par 30 LED bulbs for my sewing machine lamps. They've got a flat plastic face that's a lot easier to clean than the twisty CFLs I was using before. Lighter than older LEDs, too. 750 lumens is plenty bright when it's directed straight at the workpiece without any losses. I think they were $3.50 each.

[Steve Mathews]

After trying both the Moffat light from the Oneway Gary Sanders setup and the Super Nova I have to say I'm disappointed with the latter. I found the Moffatt light with a 100W incandescent bulb much more satisfying to use. The Super Nova light didn't seem to provide as much light and was frankly irritating. The Super Nova also looks cheaply made, typical of a lot of stuff made in China. I will say though, the Super Nova magnet is a beast and stays rock solid on a good steel or cast iron surface. I'll probably purchase another Moffat light to fill the space on the GS stand and use the Super Nova light around the shop where needed on other machines when a spot light might help.

[John K Jordan]

After trying both the Moffat light from the Oneway Gary Sanders setup and the Super Nova I have to say I'm disappointed with the latter. I found the Moffatt light with a 100W incandescent bulb much more satisfying to use. The Super Nova light didn't seem to provide as much light and was frankly irritating. The Super Nova also looks cheaply made, typical of a lot of stuff made in China. I will say though, the Super Nova magnet is a beast and stays rock solid on a good steel or cast iron surface. I'll probably purchase another Moffat light to fill the space on the GS stand and use the Super Nova light around the shop where needed on other machines when a spot light might help.

I love the magnet on the SuperNova for flexibility in mounting. For two of them I fastened a piece of flat steel to the walls to hold the magnets.

I have a Moffatt light mounted on my large bandsaw and the standard socket does allow a variety of bulbs. I used to use a bright incandescent bulb but the heat eventually got to me (and the switch). I think I have a CFL in it now. The light from the Moffatt does spread more than the SuperNova which is an advantage in some cases. I like the tighter, whiter light of the SuperNova lamp but I never use one by itself. For example, my bandsaw has three lights - the Moffatt on the right, a second wide-spread light on the left, and a SuperNova more or less over my left shoulder pointing at the front of the blade. The two side lights illuminate the entire table while the SuperNova concentrates bright light where I want it. The SuperNova at the biggest lathe is one of a half-dozen task lights, most with fairly tight beams - I prefer working like this since it makes judging the compound curves of a turning easier, and definitely shows scratches better. Each light can be moved as needed.

For a while I used a SuperNova for highlights in my photo booth since the color temperature was perfect, needing no white balance correction. However, it turned out to be too bright so I recently substituted a smaller but similar light.

JKJ

[Richard Dooling]

I like the Super Nova but have found that the LEDs are so close to the face of the lamp that they can be blinding. This prototype hood is working better than I expected. It's just a taped paper cylinder slid onto the light head. I trimmed it on an angle. It weighs so little that it stays put very well and can slide forward and back as needed. It can be spun around as well. The LEDs are cool enough that the paper isn't going to catch fire plus the vanes on the light provide some ventilation.

TEST FOR YOURSELF _ I'M NOT AN EXPERT. DON'tT DO THIS WITHOUT CHECKING HOW HOT YOUR UNIT GETS. But on this unit I can easily touch the printer paper and it remains cool enough. I will use a probe to get a temp reading out of curiosity. Note that it doesn't cover the whole head and is moderate weight paper.

Different paper different opacity. Different trim patterns . . . well you get the idea.

SNova-hood1.jpgSNova-hood2.jpg

[John Hart]

I like the Super Nova but have found that the LEDs are so close to the face of the lamp that they can be blinding. This prototype hood is working better than I expected. It's just a taped paper cylinder slid onto the light head. I trimmed it on an angle. It weighs so little that it stays put very well and can slide forward and back as needed. It can be spun around as well. The LEDs are cool enough that the paper isn't going to catch fire plus the vanes on the light provide some ventilation.

TEST FOR YOURSELF _ I'M NOT AN EXPERT. DON'tT DO THIS WITHOUT CHECKING HOW HOT YOUR UNIT GETS. But on this unit I can easily touch the printer paper and it remains cool enough. I will use a probe to get a temp reading out of curiosity. Note that it doesn't cover the whole head and is moderate weight paper.

Different paper different opacity. Different trim patterns . . . well you get the idea.

I bet if you had a lathe...you could turn one of those light hoods