Magnifying light

[DukeNukem]

Now I'm really ready to make some dust. I got this light from Rockler and what a great deal at 50% off regular price of $100.00 I got it for $49.99... Jerry

Edited October 15, 2016 by DukeNukem

[Dan]

Jerry, is that the LED lamp? I don't have one but I hear those are fantastic and at that price, you can't beat it.

[DukeNukem]

yes it is and better grab one before that sale ends. Jerry

[Lucky2]

Great buy Jerry.

Len

[Scrolling Steve]

Good get Jerry !

[WayneMahler]

Going to have to look into this. So far I have relied on my cheaters but looks very helpful.

[Phantom Scroller]

I have one always use it for the light never for the magnifier . Roly

[lawson56]

Now thats a Pretty Darn Great Deal.Lucky you.    

[hawkeye10]

Now I'm really ready to make some dust. I got this light from Rockler and what a great deal at 50% off regular price of $100.00 I got it for $49.99... Jerry20161015_154741.jpg

Jerry that looks like a good deal. I bought one at Woodcraft and I like it but it cost $75. I really can't do without it.

[ike]

I have one it has a florescent light in it and it works out fine.I don't know what I would do with out it. I bought it at Menard  for $39.95. It has adjustable  solid bars stands.

IKE

[rjweb]

Nice light and set up of your saw, how do like your saw now that you have it for a while, is it what you expected it to be when you ordered it, thx RJ

[DukeNukem]

Rj the light is a great buy and as far as the saw go's it's nothing that I expected in fact it's a lot more than I could've anticipated love it. thanks all Jerry

[Sparkey]

I wouldn't be able to cut very good without mine. I had to get one with a longer arm. I wouldn't be able to cut with it on the side like that.

[heppnerguy]

I have tried a couple of different lighted magnifying lights, but I did not like the mag light between me and tne work. I really have a great lighting setup so that has never been a problem. I think if one is not bothered by the light between the work piece and your eye, these can be a big help,,,Hope you enjoy it a lot

 

Dick

heppnerguy

[ike]

I would hate to be without mine

IKE

[amazingkevin]

Now I'm really ready to make some dust. I got this light from Rockler and what a great deal at 50% off regular price of $100.00 I got it for $49.99... Jerry20161015_154741.jpg

I love having 2 150 watt florescent lamps less than a foot away from my projects .Problem is they are prone to get broke quit quickly..an not cheap.

[Rockytime]

I have tried a couple of different lighted magnifying lights, but I did not like the mag light between me and tne work. I really have a great lighting setup so that has never been a problem. I think if one is not bothered by the light between the work piece and your eye, these can be a big help,,,Hope you enjoy it a lot

 

Dick

heppnerguy

Can you post a photo of how your lights are set up? I'm visualizing two lights mounted about 45 degrees on either side of the saw.

[DukeNukem]

Here are a couple pics of what I see when I'm cutting and one off to the side.

[meflick]

I got a magnifying light from JGR back in May, it made a huge difference in my "seeing".    The magnification is most important to me!    Then I got a second saw - I tried to get a different mag light locally that was not as expensive.  It is not nearly as good, I get a lot more "shadow" and bouncing in the visual field then I do with the other one.  I am amazed at the difference in them.  Well worth the price difference on the 1st one.  I tried to get a 2nd one while I was up there recently for another class and they were out of stock.  Said manufacturer/supplier said they always get a run on them in the fall when school/colleges start back so I am waiting on them to call and let me know they have them in again. Guess I am going to have to move the 1st light to the 2nd saw until then.   (Bit of a pain but using the 2nd saw more than the 1st.)  Interestingly enough - when I was taking my 1st class at JGR's, they have them on all their saws - they said they had only had one person in all their years who said they couldn't use it as it caused them to see double.  When I got mine on my saw initially - my DH tried it and said "whoa, I can't use that - I see double!  Not sure why.

[rjR]

I have the same light and only use it occasionally now. 

 

The light is excellent; although, I would mount it as far back as I could and still use it easily, for maneuverability of the work.

Rockler often has it on sale at $50.

 

Before my DW 788 went "belly-up" I used it a lot. The factory light on the DW was junk! I replaced the DW with a Porter-Cable with a very good built on light. LED and a flex stem like the air-blower has; excellent set-up.  Although the P-C is smaller and was less than 1/2 the cost that the DW had been, I like it well. 

[CharleyL]

These are what I use.  https://www.lowes.com/pd/Style-Selections-15-in-Adjustable-Brushed-Steel-LED-Clip-On-Desk-Lamp-with-Metal-Shade/3394398 They seem to be the perfect solution for use on a DW788 and probably other saws too. The other identical looking model of these lights, but with the weighted base has a different end on the goose neck and is not as easy to modify for attaching to the scroll saw, so only buy this one if you plan on making a mounting bracket for them like I did. DAMHIKT

 

I have two of these lights, one on each side of the cutting area on my saw, angled down at about a 45 deg angle toward the blade cutting area. They totally eliminate blade shadows, which for me was a major problem affecting my cutting accuracy. I made a simple 2 piece aluminum bracket (2nd photo) that wraps around the upper arm of my DW788 with a tab on each side of the saw arm, drilled to mount the goose neck of the light without the clamps that come with them. The light from these lights is bright white and using them this way makes the cutting area completely free of shadows, which greatly improved my cutting accuracy, and making the bracket eliminated the problem of binding good places to attach the clamps to the saw. No place worked well for me. 

 

I tried a couple of magnifying lights like you are talking about in this thread, but the out of focus edges of the lenses quickly gave me headaches. I now only use a 3X headband magnifier and my standard reading glasses. With the lenses moving when I move my head, I don't get headaches.

 

You can also use an old cell phone camera or Ipad type notebook that has a back side camera, if you attach a flexible mount to it to connect it to your scroll saw. I've tried doing this with great success, but I don't want to give up my working cell phone for this, at least not yet. The ultimate would be using a 5 X 7" or so large screen (mine is smaller) with a back camera built in to it. This is definitely the way to go, and I will be switching to one (my present cell phone) as soon as I upgrade my cell phone again. Then my old cell phone will be getting mounted on my scroll saw (unless someone offers me something better before then. 

 

Attached are a few photos of my lighting setup. The last photo shows the two included power switches for the lights, attached to the side of the rear casting of the saw with tie wraps and double sided tape. The U shaped aluminum piece is 1/16 thick 1 1/2" wide aluminum and the flat base piece is 1/8" thick by 2" wide aluminum from Lowes.

 

I formed the U shape by just bending it over the upper arm of my DW788 saw and then just bending the right angles about 1/8" short of the saw arm height. I positioned the bend so that there would be more than enough material on each end to bend the table, and then just cut off the excess after the bends had been formed.

 

The lower 1/8" thick piece was just made long enough to provide mounting points for the goose necks of the lamps. I then marked and drilled for the two bolts that hold the pieces together, and the two holes to attach the goose necks. I added a piece of anti skid tape, like is sometimes applied to step treads, to the inside of the U shape to make it stay in place around the upper saw arm.

 

You have to dis-assemble the lamp heads and remove the wires from the PC boards. There is a thin line painted on the side of one of the wires. Make certain that the wires go back in the correct places using this line as an identifier. If you cut the wires free when removing them, leaving about 1/2" of the wire still soldered to the PC board, it helps to get the wires back in the correct places and with the line marked wire where it belongs. You can then pull the wires out of the goose neck and remove the nut on the base end to remove the spring clamp. (These spring clamps are handy for holding things together in the shop, so don't throw them away). Now bolt the goose necks to each end of the bracket and then feed the wires up through the goose necks. Then carefully un-solder the wire stub from the PC board (one at a time) and solder attach the correct wire to the place where you removed it's matching stub. Then do the same with the second wire. These are 12 volt lights, so it's safe to test them at this point as there is no high voltage in the lamp itself. If it works OK, then re-assemble the lamp. Use only "electronic solder" and a 40 watt or so electric soldering iron. If you aren't experienced with soldering, find someone to do this part for you. Don't try doing it with plumbers tools and solder. It's a technique that needs experience to learn. Don't try learning here. 

 

The power for these lights are from little power supply brick/plugs on the ends of the wires. I have a power strip attached to the left side of the rear leg of my saw. I plug this power strip into the wall, then plug my foot switch into it with the saw plugged into the foot switch. There are outlets left that the two power bricks from the lights plug into. The included in line switches in the light wires are positioned just about right so when the wires are run back along the upper arm of the saw, the switches end up next to the rear casting of the saw, so I just attached them there. Double sided tape alone wasn't enough, so I added the tie wraps to hold them in place. Nothing on the saw needed any modification to add these lights, except for the holes in the leg to mount the power strip.

 

NC Scroller (Scott) also has a dual LED light installation like this. Perhaps he will join in to give his experiences with it. To me, shadow free light and a good magnifying system make all the difference

when trying to accurately scroll, especially when cutting small patterns. In photo 1 I have a compound cut reindeer in the clamps, ready to cut out. Some of my compound cut reindeer are only 3/4" tall, cut from hard maple. I make Christmas earrings from them. The one in the clamps in the photo is about 2 1/2" tall, but the same technique is used.

 

Charley

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NC Scroller]

Yes I have one of Charley's light setups on my Dewalt and the difference is amazing. No it won't replace a mag light but proper lighting (from both directions) really makes a big difference in how well we see. I am waiting for Charley to make a bracket for my EX-21 (HINT).

[rdatelle]

I also have one with the mag light but I can't seem to get used to the mag part. I do a lot better with just the light and don't really need the mag.

[orangeman]

This is what I use and love it: http://www.joann.com/ottlite-22w-magnifier-crane-lamp/13129663.html

 

Don't pay the price listed! many coupons available.

 

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