Machine/Mill Light

[jcdammeyer]

After much handwringing & procrastination, I decided to order this model. I guess we will see in a couple weeks. May the AliExpress Gods look favourably upon me. If its a fail for the mill I have other spots to put one. None (or very few I've seen) of these are LED grid style are dimmable. I'm more concerned it might be too bright refelecting off the metal table etc. But I have some diffuser plastic if thats the only issue.

View attachment 83778

Did you order the 220VAC version?

 

[PeterT]

Did you order the 220VAC version?

I checked with the vendor & it apparently can be run on 110VAC as well. Seems to be a feature with other lamps they sell. Fingers crossed

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Peter,

You might find that they are far too bright, the ones that I use on my mill are 3 and 5 watts and are a single LED.
Both mine run from a 12 volt wall wart.

 

[Susquatch]

I use both single and multi led walwart versions too. They are not bright enough so I end up using 2 or 3 of them. I'm never happy with lights. Never enough light and never exactly where I need it.

 

[Golem Pens]

I grabbed this on a whim and... It's a little anemic. Will have to beef up the magnet for now, and get a better light next time when funds allow. https://www.kmstools.com/light-44-limber-magnetic.html

 

[PeterT]

You might find that they are far too bright, the ones that I use on my mill are 3 and 5 watts and are a single LED.
Both mine run from a 12 volt wall wart.

It is a purchase risk for sure. Bit of leap of faith because that light & that Ali store shows their various lighting models on many similar industrial machines, CNCs etc. Interestingly, many dont actually define lumens. They state watts which is related to light output, but there is no watts>lumens correlation I'm aware of without knowing details of the LED's which of course vary like crazy. I do have a plan if its too bright. I have some thin plastic diffuser plastic which actually makes a soft light effect reducing glare, particularly irritating on metal surfaces. It also acts as a barrier with chips & fluids.

On my old mill I repurposed an incandescent gooseneck study lamp with an LED bulb. It was lots of lumens but also lots of reflective glare. The plastic sheet did the trick. Thats actually a plus in favor of the LED strip light kits to make your own. Has a 110VAC adapter but on the cord is a dimmer switch. Also comes in more deg-K variants. I dont care for the high-K bright white if I have a choice.

 

[PeterT]

I grabbed this on a whim and... It's a little anemic. Will have to beef up the magnet for now, and get a better light next time when funds allow. https://www.kmstools.com/light-44-limber-magnetic.html

I have something similar to this for troubleshooting work like under a hood. They are quite good. Which makes me think an array of LEDS in that kind of form factcor (vs more concentrated array like modern flashlights) would make a better work like for a machine.

Prime-Lite 33 LED Pivoting Work Light

The 33 LED Pivoting Worklight is one of Prime-Lite's most popular mid-sized LED worklights. Over the years the iconic design has become a symbol of the Prime-Lite brand, and despite the introduction of newer models, remains a favourite of professionals an

www.kmstools.com

 

[ChazzC]

I have this one (unfortunately no longer available on Amazon) mounted on my Mini-Mill:


I chose it specifically because it didn't have a magnetic base; instead it's attached to the back of the column:



I also have a small magnetic "Sewing Machine" lamp that helps eliminate shadows. However, since I added a FEIT 46" (4' class?) LED Shop light (Costco) above the mill, I don't have many shadows anymore:

Before:

After:

{measurements at the table surface)

 

[Golem Pens]

I have something similar to this for troubleshooting work like under a hood. They are quite good. Which makes me think an array of LEDS in that kind of form factcor (vs more concentrated array like modern flashlights) would make a better work like for a machine.

Prime-Lite 33 LED Pivoting Work Light

The 33 LED Pivoting Worklight is one of Prime-Lite's most popular mid-sized LED worklights. Over the years the iconic design has become a symbol of the Prime-Lite brand, and despite the introduction of newer models, remains a favourite of professionals an

www.kmstools.com

It's fine and for $25 I don't mind having it on hand. But I'll definitely pick up something more robust later.

 

[BaronJ]

I have this one (unfortunately no longer available on Amazon) mounted on my Mini-Mill:

View attachment 83790
I chose it specifically because it didn't have a magnetic base; instead it's attached to the back of the column:

View attachment 83791

I also have a small magnetic "Sewing Machine" lamp that helps eliminate shadows. However, since I added a FEIT 46" (4' class?) LED Shop light (Costco) above the mill, I don't have many shadows anymore:

Before:
View attachment 83792
After:
View attachment 83793
{measurements at the table surface)

Hi ChazZ,

I have a 5Ft florescent tube just behind my back whilst using the mill, I have to be careful to make sure that the mill has stopped before adjusting anything because occasionally I get the strobe effect. I don't have that problem with the LED's.

 

[PeterT]

The AliExpress LED lamp arrived. I'm quite pleased with it. It came with a mounting plate but I thought I'd try & use the existing hole in the column. It has a removale panel so you can reach inside to hole a retention but. A few 3DP parts & thin gasket later. You can see how the lamp tucks up under the head out of the way for the post part. Its pretty bright (and non-dimmable) but just adjusting the angle removes the bad glare. Similarly can just grab the head & point it to a nook or cranny if that swhats required. The goosneck is nice & stiff. So I guess put it to work & see how it goes.

 

[slow-poke]

Hi Guys,

A pictures of my lamp setup on the mill.
View attachment 83603

I’m using the same IKEA lights on my electronics bench, mill and drill press. Unfortunately IKEA doesn’t sell that model anymore.

 

[PeterT]

@BaronJ wins the 'I told you so' award. After a few hours work, the brightness finally got to me when I had the lamp head more or less centered, tucked under the mill head. More specifically, the reflection off the vise & table got to me. The 1mm thick diffusion filter plastic I had on hand blocked too much light & would hav ebeen a pain to mount anyway. So I just moved the lamp head over to the side & bit further away so it casts from left to right vs. bouncing into my eyes. This is a huge improvement, still very well lit but no more welder flare 😳 The gooseneck is not really in the way of anything I do on that side.

 

[Chicken lights]

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/workshop/workbenches/benchtop-accessories/lighting/76037-led-magnifying-bench-lamp?item=17J3030&utm_campaign=CAN-EN|PLA|PMax|Tools|HighPriceTier&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19794770096&gbraid=0AAAAAClVJ5iln03LVSZCwje2gJMVkwFXa&gclid=CjwKCAjwxeHWBhBPEiwAiqtQ-Xm0IVCViUOEKDm8XdPOdHbZctoFaA_0TNojmPNJ0mgVehxKkMq_YxoCa1AQAvD_BwE#pdp-bullets

What's thoughts on this? It's portable, mounts to a bench, magnifier and lighted

Edit: does it being Lee Valley still mean it's slightly better quality?