Lighting your work area

[the Baron]

Hooterville, look at Walmart or the office supply places for a similar lamp to what Spud shows there. Mine are similar, except they have a threaded socket and take standard-base lamps. The ones I have came with a clamp base, to be clamped on the edge of a desk or table. I found that over time, those bases wore out and cracked, so I drilled holes of an appropriate diameter in the edge of my base. The post at the bottom of the lamp fits into those holes. Here's a shot of one end of my bench, to illustrate:



You guys have seen this before, it's an older photo, but the bench looks pretty much the same. But you can see what I mean about the lights. I drilled two holes in each end of the bench (the frame is 2x4's). You can also see the gooseneck desk lamp I mentioned before, just to the right of center in the photo. There's also a little light to the left, under the arm of the draftsman's light; it looks like a stage light. That's a novelty light I got as a gift for one of the shows I lit. I didn't really have any use for it anywhere else, so I keep it on the bench. Out of frame to the top of the photo is an overhead fixture with a 60w incandescent lamp in it.

 

[the Baron]

I should add, power is supplied via a power strip installed under the bench, on the inside of the frame, at the back. I have an extension cord run to a wall outlet.

 

[hooterville75]

Nice nice, I think I may cut one hole in each side of my airbrush spray booth and mount a clamp light like in this photo on each side with a piece of plexi glass or plastic on the inside and go with a lamp similar to what you shown in the pic or one of the last lights that BS posted. I really like the one last photo he posted and the price isnt that bad. Id like to be able to get one like Dr. Cranky has on his bench which is a light with a magnafier on it as well. You can pull it anywhere you want it. I also like the one photo BS posted where you can hang it from chains as a overhead light. Time will tell Ill manage with what I have right now till I can afford to upgrade. I have other things Id like to upgrade before I do the lighting. Video Recorder, paints, etc. Thanks for the info Baren.

 

[Jeep]

I use a trio of OTT lights, highly recommended

 

[TBadger]

i HEAR THOSE ott LIGHTS ARE GREAT TO USE....i KNOW YOU CAN PICK THEM UP FROM JOaNN fABRICS AND hOBBY lOBBY WITH THE 40-50% OFF COUPONS.

* ARgh ! CAPS LOCK

 

[the Baron]

I thought about using a lighted magnifier, but since I use an OptiVisor, I decided against it. I may add one, as time goes by, as a "nice-to-have". I see them discounted by tool sellers at some hobby and woodworking shows.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

I had 2 knock off Ott lights, bulbs burnt out (or so I thought), got new bulbs and the lights didn't work. Sent them back thinking I got cheap/bad bulbs, bought some different ones, and same thing. Then did some research and discovered that it could have been the ballasts in the lights that were gone. Well a new ballast was worth more than I paid for the lights to begin with, so turfed those.

Now I have one authentic Ott light, but it is a different light than the 2 or 4 tube bulbs, it takes a curly bulb like the energy efficient ones, but is more of a true white light. It is OK, not like the other ones I had.

So I dug into a box and found my spring arm lights, and just bought the curly bulbs that are equivalent to 100W bulbs.....and man are they bright. Unfortunately I have 3 lights, but only 1 base, so got to build me a base for the other 2 lights and mount them. One is good enough for building, but not quite enough light (and only from one direction) for photography.

Only problem with it....it is so bright, that if I am building at night, the rest of my basement usually has no lights, so when you go through the basement in the dark, your eyes are so adjusted to the light....that dark is almost so dark you can't see much until your eyes adjust. Kinda freaky!