57 replies to this topic

[antiliers]

Wow it must suck to get old lol. Im joking im just lucky my eyes are great but I can't hear a thing anymore way to many guns and air tools

Sorry im in a good mood and felt like making a funny

[Draggon]

Ernest, have you noticed we have the same avatar?

[CrazyGirl]

well since i started this stock car project i came to realize something , I am Miss Magoo , my god what happened to my eyes , 2 weeks ago they were perfect  so now i think a mag lamp would be a good tool but there are hundreds of them and i am sure some of you old geezers   use a mag lamp ( yikes getting old aint for sissys ) what would be the best lamp for building , i would like to keep the price point at around 100 dollars or less unless 20 or 30 dollars more makes a huge difference , Thanks , Anne , an old geezerette

[Foxer]

Harry gave a recommendation a year or so ago and I was in the need and got one. I've been very satisfied with it. I've gone through a few lamps and it's always the cheap arms that give way. This on is leagues above others I've had.

 

Here's the link to it.

[GeeBee]

The link Foxer has given is pretty much the same kind of lamp I use, apart from mine has a round fluorescent bulb in it and not LED's, not sure if you can get them over there, but there sold under the Lightcraft brand over here, without it I wouldn't be able to do half the detail work I do .... there around £55.00 over here

 

Edited by GeeBee, 21 March 2013 - 01:30 AM.

[KevinMoparFord]

We were just talking about these at our meeting the other night.  One of our memebers said that Amazon has a large selection of different styles and the price was good.  He found a rectangular shaped one that he recommended.  Have not searched for it myself yet, but just thought I would pass that on.

[Ace-Garageguy]

One thing I've found over the years is that, while a mag lamp is an occasional help, the biggest thing I need is plenty of light. I've got 3 cheap swing-arms (one is a $55 magnifier I got at a Dick Blick scratch-and-dent sale for $15) with 100watt-equivalent compact fluorescent bulbs. The color is balanced to daylight, and is quite nicely bright without making much heat, and only takes 75 watts to run all 3.

 

[Harry P.]

The one that I recommend (and that Mike posted the link to) has LEDs instead of fluorescents or incandescents. Bright "daylight" type of light, not the "yellow" light that incandescents produce or the "cool" bluish light of fluorescents... the LEDs produce ZERO heat (even after being on for hours, you can touch the bulbs and they are no warmer than if they were off!), use very little electricity, and the LEDs supposedly will last for more than ten years. Obviously I can't say (yet) that they will last that long... but if they do, that would make this lamp a really good deal. 

[JunkPile]

Check out OptiVISOR.  Used by jewelers, gunsmiths, some modelers and other crafty types

[Ace-Garageguy]

Harry's right about LEDs being the way to go, especially from a longevity, waste-heat and energy usage standpoint. LEDs eliminate the potential recycling problem of mercury-containing CFDs as well. My old CFD rig is all about bang-for-the-buck.

 

Compact florescents DO come in various color temperatures, so the "cool bluish light of fluorescents" is a little mis-leading.

[Harry P.]

Harry's right about LEDs being the way to go, especially from a longevity, waste-heat and energy usage standpoint. LEDs eliminate the potential recycling problem of mercury-containing CFDs as well. My old CFD rig is all about bang-for-the-buck.

 

Compact florescents DO come in various color temperatures, so the "cool bluish light of fluorescents" is a little mis-leading.

 

These magnifying lamps (if fluorescent) use the ring-shaped bulb that goes around the magnifying lens. Not sure if those bulbs come in different color temps or not, like CFLs do. If so, no problem.

 

But regardless... LCD is the way to go, IMO. Bright, clean light, no heat, incredibly energy-efficient.

[Ace-Garageguy]

 

These magnifying lamps (if fluorescent) use the ring-shaped bulb that goes around the magnifying lens. Not sure if those bulbs come in different color temps or not, like CFLs do. If so, no problem.

 

But regardless... LCD is the way to go, IMO. Bright, clean light, no heat, incredibly energy-efficient.

 

Ah yes, now I understand. My old dinosaur magnifying lamp has a screw-base incandescent socket, so I can use the CFD bulbs.

[Monty]

I posed this question to the board about a year ago and Harry chimed in with a recommendation for the one he uses as a professional graphics artist. That, along with his claim that I could get better magnification with very low heat (LED bulbs) intrigued me enough to drive to Office Depot to check it out.

Fortunately (again) Harry mentioned that it was still on sale for a very short time, so I was able to get mine for about $15.00 off the regular price. Long story short, I'm still very pleased with mine, and it looks like it might be a great fit for the dollar limit you've set.

[Longbox55]

One thing I've found over the years is that, while a mag lamp is an occasional help, the biggest thing I need is plenty of light. I've got 3 cheap swing-arms (one is a $55 magnifier I got at a Dick Blick scratch-and-dent sale for $15) with 100watt-equivalent compact fluorescent bulbs. The color is balanced to daylight, and is quite nicely bright without making much heat, and only takes 75 watts to run all 3.

 

I recently picked up a magnifying lamp that's virtually identical to yours. Only difference I see is mine is mounted on a stand with caster wheels instead of clamping/mounting to the table. It was about $35 at the local Lowe's.

[hooterville75]

My question to this all is what type of lighting would be sufficient for my spray booth ?  The setup Im using now is way off key as my lighting is so bright that its putting I guess youd call it a glare on the painted parts making them appear as if they still need paint in certain areas.  I hit that part with some paint come to find it was fine and now I have runs from too much paint etc.  I turn the part and another glare showing it needs more paint etc.  In the spray booth do I want lighting back away from the booth or right on top of the area Im spraying in like I have now ?  

[Casey]

My question to this all is what type of lighting would be sufficient for my spray booth ?  The setup Im using now is way off key as my lighting is so bright that its putting I guess youd call it a glare on the painted parts 

 

Use a diffuser or a a shield so you have indirect light in the booth.

[GeeBee]

My question to this all is what type of lighting would be sufficient for my spray booth ?  The setup Im using now is way off key as my lighting is so bright that its putting I guess youd call it a glare on the painted parts making them appear as if they still need paint in certain areas.  I hit that part with some paint come to find it was fine and now I have runs from too much paint etc.  I turn the part and another glare showing it needs more paint etc.  In the spray booth do I want lighting back away from the booth or right on top of the area Im spraying in like I have now ?  

 

I use a daylight balanced flouresent lamp, doesn't give me any shadow and runs pretty cool, 

 

 

[hooterville75]

 

Use a diffuser or a a shield so you have indirect light in the booth.

Might sound stupid but where do I put the diffuser or shield ?  At the moment, I have the ceiling light that is pointing straight toward the booth about twenty five feet from it and then I have a regular round shop clamp light that I have clamped directly to the side of the booth pointing straight in the booth about a foot from the spray area.  I can take a photo of the booth if it would help you to give the proper placement of the shield or diffuser.  Id rather be able to avoid buying new lighting for both the spray booth and work area and concentrate on getting a magnifying lamp for the work area.  Maybe the shield or diffuser will work and am hoping it will I just need to know where to place the shield or diffuser.  Thanks for the info my friend.