Thread: Workshop lighting around lathes.

Same here , also have a 36W fluoro mounted about 3 ft above my metal lathe. Have never experienced this "strobing".

All my lighting is fluros with a couple of spot lights for direct lighting.

Never had any problem with strobing.

Would like to know what others were doing when the strobing occured.

I think and I may be wrong but the strobing may have been caused in the early days of the fluro lights when the efficiency of the ballast and starter were not so good.

With the progress in this area the efficiency of the light is such that it does not really occur any more

I have 4 banks of double fluoros in my shed with a small Halogen spot mounted on the lathe.
Haven't had any trouble with strobing other than some green and purple colors appearing very occasionally, and I am pretty sure that comes from the halogen globe.

Here's a couple of quotes I found by Googling: "This safety problem is readily solved by the replacement of old style ballasts with electronic ballasts." Fluorescent lights have less adverse effects when mixed with daylight or ordinary incandescent light. Some of the modern fluorescent lights with built-in electronic ballasts are supposedly better in this regard. The light quality is still poor, but the line current flicker is eliminated."

=Jim Carroll;1171939
Would like to know what others were doing when the strobing occured.

I think and I may be wrong but the strobing may have been caused in the early days of the fluro lights when the efficiency of the ballast and starter were not so good.

strobing occours because fluros flash at 50 htz(times per second) if the lathe is spinning at the same speed or a multiple of it can look like the peice is stationary it can be fixed in double fluros by putting a capacitor on only one of the ballastst whick makes the lights flash at different times, most sparkies can do this for you at a cheap price or you can buy a 50c capaciter and work it out yourself

]strobing occurs because fluros flash at 50 htz(times per second) if the lathe is spinning at the same speed or a multiple of it can look like the piece is stationary it can be fixed in double fluros by putting a capacitor on only one of the ballasts which makes the lights flash at different times, most sparkies can do this for you at a cheap price or you can buy a 50c capacitor and work it out yourself

That pretty well sums it up.
I use flouros above my lathes double tube 4 footers. With a incandescent light on one of those super flexible stands at the headstock and incandescent spotlight 150watt pointing up from the tail stock for deep hollowing.
Flouros as general shed lighting as well and a small 6watt LED night light left on permanently for night entry. As I can be a bit messy at times and its helps the grandchildren navigate around as well.

Both my sheds have banks of Fluros, even have a couple of mini fluros as well, above the lathe and have never experienced strobing of any sort.

When I built my current workshop 30yrs ago was advised against fluros so installed incandescent lights.

Now that I have replaced all the old incandescent bulbs with the new energy efficient bulbs I now have all fluros, in effect. Haven't noticed any strobing.

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My shed has 3 banks of double fluros, a magnetic based lamp for the lathe and the walls are white malemine and two skylights. During the day I don't need any artificial lighting.

I have experienced the strobe effect, in the old shed, a single batten fluro. Recognised what was happening, turned the lathe of and replaced the single with a double bank of fluro.

G`day I use flouros and a spotty no strobe problems but have never really been happy with lighting for lathe. For a spot light what is the best you have used?
Mick

Mick, I have an angle-able desk lamp that sits on the headstock and reaches a decent way. Also a Halogen spot on mag base that hangs off the box air scrubber overhead and shines into semi-enclosed forms. Finally I recently added a 500w paraflood but it overheats the right ear

Candles for me. Only trouble is that the air from the rapidly spinning timber sometimes blows them out.

Picked up a couple of these in a garage sale, glued some rare earth magnets to the bottom, sits on the headstock of my wood lathe. Very stable, telescopic so you cab position it where you need the most light.

Also have one for the metal lathe, but don't use it as often as I have a 4ft fluoro hanging 3ft above it.

Originally Posted by mick61

For a spot light what is the best you have used?
Mick

Planet studio lamp. Not sure if they are available any more. Screw mine to the headstock so it swivels with the headstock. From there it will reach around the largest platters I turn and into the deepest hollow forms, although I prefer to attach a LED light to my deep hollowing tools for that.

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Originally Posted by NeilS

Planet studio lamp. Not sure if they are available any more. Screw mine to the headstock so it swivels with the headstock. From there it will reach around the largest platters I turn and into the deepest hollow forms, although I prefer to attach a LED light to my deep hollowing tools for that.

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When will we see chiselcam Neil?