Lathe lighting

[Peter Simpson 3Participant @petersimpson3]

My old ARC halogen machine lamp has just clapped out. The output transformer must be burnt out as there is no 24v on the output side. I might attempt to convert it to an LED lamp with a LED driver mounted inside the are of lamp just like the Halogen transformer. What type of lamp do you have on your lathes ?

[JAParticipant @ja]

I tried many lights over the years and ended up with a single high lumen LED strip light sold for lighting kitchen cabinets directly above the lathe and above head height. I was going to use two strips but found the second was not necessary. This gives good, immediate, light without flicker or freezing the lathe motion and without taking up space on the lathe. The normal, old, fluorescent strips used for general lighting provides the fill-in.

JA

[jimmy bParticipant @jimmyb]

I have used a few decent LED ones from Ikea with good results

 

Jimb

[JourneymanParticipant @journeyman]

I made lamps for lathe, mill and drill see Journeyman’s Workshop but this was some time ago. The lamps/bulbs I used are LED –  MR16 12v 4.8w Warm White.

You will need a suitable 12v output transformer or a suitable LED driver module. The lamps/bulbs don’t seem to mind AC or DC so I assume they have some circuitry in them.

John

[Bo’sunParticipant @bosun58570]

I’ve done the same as JA with the LED strip light and it works well.  A small, mag based gooseneck, LED torch from the halcyon days of ARC gets used for “close to the chuck” work.

[HollowpointParticipant @hollowpoint]

I bought one of these recently. Other than the thread coming loose from the magnetic base I have been very happy with it. For 20 quid you can’t go wrong.

https://ebay.us/m/73wphU

[FulmenParticipant @fulmen]

My lathe have a 24V halogen lamp that I can’t find any bulbs for anywhere local. And the heat causes oils to burn into the cover glass, so it’s not a great solution all things considered. So I got a few led replacements from aliexpress giving me more light with no head.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Your transformer may have a thermal cutout – one shot. It might be worth checking what has happened ? Plan B is to go down the LED road, countless permutations of power supply and light unit. Noel

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Mine is simply a low-power, low-voltage LED strip-light, probably similar to JA’s, screwed to the underside of a shelf above the back of the machine, at just above my head height.

A thin batten screwed to the shelf edge, projects downwards to just below the lamp, as “lampshade” to avoid my looking straight at the lamp.

The power-supply is the supplied, simple plug-in mains unit, and it shares a 4-way extension board that also supplies the lathe motor and its controller.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

My lathe came with a 24 volt 50-Watt halogen lamp, but the bulbs had a short life. (I managed to obtain 10 lamps from the supplier as spares) I stripped the “reflector” and filed two slots in the edge. That extended the life very greatly. (Only one failure since).

To supplement it, I fixed a 11 W LED strip to a beam above the front of the lathe. This combination gives good illumination.

If / when the Halogen finally fails, I shall look to replace it with a LED lamp. Probably about 9 W

Howard

[Andrew CrowParticipant @andrewcrow91475]

I converted all my old fluorescent fittings to led quite some time ago, some with new batten fittings but, most of them were altered to take led tubes. The ones I used involved removing the choke and starter circuits and rewiring so that only one end of the unit is powered, the other end is only to support the tube in the fitting.

Direct replacements are also available where you don’t have to change anything.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

For a modestly-sized lathe, or any similar workspace … this looks a bargain buy from Aldi.

https://www.aldi.co.uk/product/casalux-daylight-lamp-000000000662431001

… bought one today, but haven’t plugged it in yet.

MichaelG.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

It seems to work nicely … but I suspect that the  ‘Total Lamp Power’  rating might be pedantically correct !

… It appears there are two interspersed  arrays of LEDs, one or both being illuminated according to the selected colour temperature.

MichaelG.

[JAParticipant @ja]

A comment, not a warning, types and models of LED strip lights change and disappear over night. Don’t expect to find a direct replacement if it fails. Any warranty is probably meaningless but they are cheap.

JA

[Derek DroverParticipant @derekdrover32802]

Years ago I bought some 12V LED square blocks (with many LEDs on), which I used double sided pads to secure above my lathe and they’re excellent.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Notice the apparent self-contradiction on the Aldi lamp package?

Oh, and the inadvertent reference I’ve just realised in that sentence! 🙂

….

Do bear in mind good visibility of the lathe’s dials, especially ones like the original Mazak types on older Myfords.

It’s sometimes also useful to be able to illuminate the interior of bores as well as the lathe generally.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Nigel is right.

It is useful to have a light that is flexibly mounted, so that it can illuminate bores.

(Hence my Halogen on a goose-neck attached to the saddle, and a fixed LED strip above the front of the lathe),

For the mill, I have a work-light, with LED lamp mounted on each side of the machine.

Howard

[John PurdyParticipant @johnpurdy78347]

This is what I use on the lathe, (and 2 on the mill), Lamps are GU10 base 8W 100-240V led running at 120V (our nominal line voltage on this side of the pond). I built the lathe one into a shroud from a defunct security light. The lamps, sockets, and goose neck were sourced from Ali. I used bright white but in hind sight ones a little cooler might be better,they are dazzling bright.

John

[JA]

On JA Said:

A comment, not a warning, types and models of LED strip lights change and disappear over night. Don’t expect to find a direct replacement if it fails. Any warranty is probably meaningless but they are cheap.

JA

I will say that our local Aldi store here in France will issue a cash refund for anything that we say is faulty or not fit for purpose without any argument or referring to the manager.

 

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Same here ^^^

In fact the lady on the till made a point of telling me to keep the receipt, in case the lamp wasn’t quite what I wanted, and I wished to return it.

At £7.99 it looks very satisfactory.

MichaelG.

[Author]

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