Lights ?

[Rbarleatherworks]

Hi all :-)

I have been away from leather work for about 3 years but am now setting up a new little shop in a small garage and I am looking for some advise on lighting. I have been working on a few little projects for xmas and I am struggling with the lighting with glare and shadows.... grrrrr!

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Regan

[battlemunky]

Ott lights are great but they are very proud of them. For general shop lighting you can pick up long LED lights from whatever your equivalent of WalMart or Lowes is up there for pretty inexpensive prices. I think I paid $20US for a 4 ft lamp.

I'm waiting to see a deal on Ott and then I'm gonna pounce. Maybe if I was actually paying for what I make with what I make but being hobby level/selling to friends, I'm not ready to jump in yet.

[alpha2]

Second on the LED light bars or strips. Very helpful to have them coming from different directions if at all possible. I use a main light above and portable small ones for close work, that I keep off to the sides.

Jeff

[immiketoo]

22 hours ago, battlemunky said:

Ott lights are great but they are very proud of them. For general shop lighting you can pick up long LED lights from whatever your equivalent of WalMart or Lowes is up there for pretty inexpensive prices. I think I paid $20US for a 4 ft lamp.

I'm waiting to see a deal on Ott and then I'm gonna pounce. Maybe if I was actually paying for what I make with what I make but being hobby level/selling to friends, I'm not ready to jump in yet.

I have OTT lights, and I bought them for 75 percent off at JoAnnes with some of their coupons.  I got 120 dollar lights for 27 dollars or something like that.  I love them.  Another great light is made by Dazor.  Just be sure to install daylight bulbs.  I have one on each side of my bench and I wish I had a third for fill.

[fredk]

I use angle-poise type light units, one on each side of my bench. Each has a 24W [approx 150W old fashioned] LED daylight colour bulb. I need to fit a fill light centrally though

The lamp units cost me £8 each [appox $11] bulbs were about £2 each [approx $2.50] Each lamp can reach to the centre of my work bench.

[byggyns]

I made one that's position-able after I watched this video. Instead of the flexible tube, I bought a cheap microphone boom arm and an adapter for the 1/4" threads in the light panel. Works great to put light directly above my head onto the work area.  For shop lighting, the LED shop lights work great. I like the ones that have the long tubes like older florescent shop lights. 

 

 

[GeneH]

I've moved from incandescent and Ott lights to LED, just being a little careful of the CRI (because I hate blue tinted lights).  The LED's run so cool that I don't get head drying me or my projects out.   My current setup are a swing arm lights from the thrift shops. Glare and shadows are always a problem for me, so using a pair and I can position them easily. A good overhead soft light in addition to the swing arm lamps give both bright light and helps minimize pesky shadows. 

[byggyns]

I like the LED panel because you can adjust the temperature and intensity of the light. You can go from the bluish side to the yellowish side just by turning the knob. They are made for photography/video, so the adjustability is a must in that context.

[Rbarleatherworks]

8 hours ago, GeneH said:

I've moved from incandescent and Ott lights to LED, just being a little careful of the CRI (because I hate blue tinted lights).  The LED's run so cool that I don't get head drying me or my projects out.   My current setup are a swing arm lights from the thrift shops. Glare and shadows are always a problem for me, so using a pair and I can position them easily. A good overhead soft light in addition to the swing arm lamps give both bright light and helps minimize pesky shadows. 

 

On 11/16/2018 at 1:22 PM, battlemunky said:

Ott lights are great but they are very proud of them. For general shop lighting you can pick up long LED lights from whatever your equivalent of WalMart or Lowes is up there for pretty inexpensive prices. I think I paid $20US for a 4 ft lamp.

I'm waiting to see a deal on Ott and then I'm gonna pounce. Maybe if I was actually paying for what I make with what I make but being hobby level/selling to friends, I'm not ready to jump in yet.

 

8 hours ago, byggyns said:

I like the LED panel because you can adjust the temperature and intensity of the light. You can go from the bluish side to the yellowish side just by turning the knob. They are made for photography/video, so the adjustability is a must in that context.

 

8 hours ago, GeneH said:

I've moved from incandescent and Ott lights to LED, just being a little careful of the CRI (because I hate blue tinted lights).  The LED's run so cool that I don't get head drying me or my projects out.   My current setup are a swing arm lights from the thrift shops. Glare and shadows are always a problem for me, so using a pair and I can position them easily. A good overhead soft light in addition to the swing arm lamps give both bright light and helps minimize pesky shadows. 

 

On 11/17/2018 at 12:06 PM, immiketoo said:

I have OTT lights, and I bought them for 75 percent off at JoAnnes with some of their coupons.  I got 120 dollar lights for 27 dollars or something like that.  I love them.  Another great light is made by Dazor.  Just be sure to install daylight bulbs.  I have one on each side of my bench and I wish I had a third for fill.

 

On 11/17/2018 at 1:05 PM, fredk said:

I use angle-poise type light units, one on each side of my bench. Each has a 24W [approx 150W old fashioned] LED daylight colour bulb. I need to fit a fill light centrally though

The lamp units cost me £8 each [appox $11] bulbs were about £2 each [approx $2.50] Each lamp can reach to the centre of my work bench.

 

On 11/16/2018 at 1:43 PM, alpha2 said:

Second on the LED light bars or strips. Very helpful to have them coming from different directions if at all possible. I use a main light above and portable small ones for close work, that I keep off to the sides.

Jeff

Oh wow.... thank you all for sharing your preferences I really appreciate your input.  I had to google what OTT lights are and seem to be having trouble to find them here in Canada but I have found a couple stores online so will pop down tomorrow to see if they actually have them in store.  I also love the video idea, not sure that I am handy enough to make it but Im sure I could enlist someone to take it on.

I am so happy to have found this site and to connect with others in leather work, I have been doing it by myself for years with no one to chat with.

Thanks again for the input :-)

Regan

[Rbarleatherworks]

What about a headlamp?  Does anyone have any experience using one of those?

And also a Magnifying glass with light?

[Rockoboy]

13 hours ago, Rbarleatherworks said:

What about a headlamp?

I have terrible lighting in my workshop, and not much chance of fixing it at the moment, I have my eye on a lamp with a telescopic arm, a bit like a dentist uses, but its around $100AUD, so I am stuck with what I have.

In the meantime, I use a headlamp. It get the light right where I need it.

[Rbarleatherworks]

2 hours ago, Rockoboy said:

I have terrible lighting in my workshop, and not much chance of fixing it at the moment, I have my eye on a lamp with a telescopic arm, a bit like a dentist uses, but its around $100AUD, so I am stuck with what I have.

In the meantime, I use a headlamp. It get the light right where I need it.

Thanks for your reply Brian, sorry to hear about your lighting troubles but I am glad to know Im not the only one.

I thought about lots of options but its nice to hear of others experiences which helps to narrow it down.

Regan

[battlemunky]

Even after the LED light bar I still have light woes. I am avoiding a head lamp just to dodge the batteries....how bad is it on batteries @Rockoboy?

[Aven]

2 hours ago, battlemunky said:

Even after the LED light bar I still have light woes. I am avoiding a head lamp just to dodge the batteries....how bad is it on batteries @Rockoboy?

The lithium batteries last a lot longer than regular batteries.  And then there are rechargeable batteries.  Not messing something up because you can't see well, priceless.

[Dwight]

Ok, . . . its a garage, . . . go buy enough porcelain chain pull fixtures so you can put them in a grid about 6 feet apart, . . . buy LED daylight white bulbs, . . . get a "good guy" to wire them up for you using metal EMT and metal boxes, . . . you can put 20 of those (equivalent to a 60 watt bulb in lumens) and all can be controlled by one switch by the door.  

Plus there is no "heat" factor to worry about, . . . your annual electric bill may go up 25 bucks, . . . 

You will not believe what an absolutely wonderfully well lit work shop can do for you, . . . for your work, . . . and best of all, . . . for your attitude in general.

May God bless,

Dwight

[ABHandmade]

In my little experience, 3, or preferably 4 LED lamps, shining from several sides, are much better than one with the same luminous flux. As an excellent complement (but not the main source of light) - headlamp. He perfectly helps in the "thin" works. 2 sets of rechargeable batteries - one in the lantern, the other - on recharging, solve the problem of the power source. When the batteries are discharged, the light flux slowly and imperceptibly drops, so I swap the sets of rechargeable batteries every 5-6 hours of operation.

Edited November 28, 2018 by ABHandmade

[fredk]

Three of my son's  car mechanics wear LED headlamps. Two mechanics wear them all day long, about 12 hours. They even leave them on over lunch break. The lamp units are expensive ones with a separate rechargeable battery pack. One battery pack is charging whilst the other is being worn. afaik the battery pack lasts almost a week before needing recharging

I have a couple of cheapie ones out of a £1 shop [$ store]. These each take 3 AAA batteries. I don't use them a lot but at a guess I'd say they'd last about 2.5 working days, or about 20 hours work. [I'll do a test] I can buy alkaline AAA batteries 6 for £1. In my experience rechargeable batteries last only a few hours and need changing about every 6 hours. I just find it more convenient to have a few packs of fresh AAA batteries on hand, especially as I have other items which use the same batteries

Edited November 28, 2018 by fredk

[fredk]

6 hours ago, Dwight said:

. . .

Plus there is no "heat" factor to worry about, . . . your annual electric bill may go up 25 bucks, . . . .

I changed all my bulbs in my flat [apartment] to daylight LED bulbs. My power bill dropped to 35% roughly - not BY 35% but down TO 35%. I reckon the high power LED lights I use in my leather workroom are costing me about 12p [15c] per working day to run, old fashioned lights would cost 70p [85c]

Edited November 28, 2018 by fredk

[Rockoboy]

On ‎28‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 6:55 AM, battlemunky said:

how bad is it on batteries @Rockoboy?

The headlamp I use takes 3 AAA batteries, and I guess I have used it for (estimated) 20hours over the last few months, because I don't always need to use it. I am still on my first set of batteries, but I do use the best batteries, IMHO, I can buy, Energiser Alkaline.