Thread: fluro lighting

I have fluros above my workbench, above my tablesaw and above my (wood)lathe.
I have never had a problem.

Maybe the (usually) slower rotational speed of a metalworking lathe might cause a strobe effect with the 50Hz lights, but I imagine that would happen with fluros or incandesents.

We have fluros over our South Bend at the Hills Mens Shed. No one has complained.

thanks Avery, thats all i needed to hear,its going in next week.
cheers.

I believe that story came about because if your chuck was exactly spinning at a multiple of the frequency of the mains AC power the chuck would look stationary due to the strobing.. But you are going to know the machine is running from the noise....

In a factory where the story originated, you probably could nor hear the lathe running from other machine noise...

HI,
I have heard of the Strobing Effect from Fluros in the Past. However our Myford Metal Lathe at Work has had a Fluro as its Light source for many Years and no one has had any problems. I had a Fluro Light above the Hercus Metal Lathe that I use to have at Home and again no problems. Fluro Lights are available in different lights ie warm daylight maybe a certain Type and again of light may have more of an effect than another one. I have never heard of a Shatter Proof Fluro, where do You Buy them from ?.

$112 Explosion ProofPAK, explosion proof, not shatter proof, sorry but i would imagine if its explosion proof that would mean its shatter proof.

Hi Kraits,

I can't see why normal fluros would be a problem, but you can get high frequency fluorescent lights for machine vision applications.

Hi .RC,

What's with the "I chase cows" ?

Regards
Ray

A machinist I spoke to a while back complained about the fluoros over his lathe. He reckoned the flicker was annoying and the effect on his vision made it harder to hit a dimension somehow. He was a lot older and more experienced than me - a proper machinist - but it sounded like bunk to me. I haven't noticed either problem and my shed is full of fluoros. If I miss my mark I figure it's my fault, not the lighting. The ones that hum do irritate me though.

I suspect "explosion proof" is about them being sealed so they cannot be an ignition source for an explosion; Not about being able to withstand an explosion. could be wrong. anyone know for sure?

Graham

i think they are rated for explosion in the regards to withstanding shock, i work in an underground mine and they are common place. also resistant to dust and water or in my case resistant to coolant and dust and the odd chuck key flying out the chuck

Hope the last part was a joke.

Originally Posted by GDD

I suspect "explosion proof" is about them being sealed so they cannot be an ignition source for an explosion; Not about being able to withstand an explosion. could be wrong. anyone know for sure?

Graham

X2 on that. Nothing much will withstand an explosion once it happens.
Rob.

yeah, Explosion-proof refers to the standard of sealing required to prevent explosive gasses or aerosols coming into contact with souces of ignition within the appliance. Usually rediculously expensive.

Originally Posted by kraits

last night an old timer dropped in an told me not to use fluro lighting above a lathe, apparently it causes a strobeing effect ,has anyone experienced this? are fluros a definated no no when i comes to this application?

Yes, I have experienced this a couple of times, but not with the chuck turning free - it has to have exactly the right load at the right speed setting to slow the spindle enough to get the effect. It looks weird to see the chuck apparently stationary but the carriage moving and the tool cutting, but it is obvious that the lathe is running because of the moving carriage and, in my case, the noise from the headstock gears which are far from silent. The effect disappears if a nearby incandescent light is switched on. I don't see it as a hazard to anyone familiar with a lathe unless it occurs regularly when there is no load on the spindle, where the movement of the chuck would not be obvious.

Frank

Originally Posted by pipeclay

Hope the last part was a joke.

happend to me once when i was a first year, i think i smoke something that day.